SEWARD’S
All-Leather
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
Vol. VII, No. 29
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1950
Price 10 cents
“Seward May
Escape Polio”
Say Officials
Public health officials here
are beginning to feel that this
city may be fortunate enough
to escape any occurrance of
polio in Seward.
The end of the tourist season
with decreased travel from the
interior and the stopping of pas
senger service by Alaska Steam
ship Co. both eliminate much
contact with infected areas.
Nurses of the Seward Regis
tered Nurses Association in Sew
ard have volunteered for serv
ice if needed ,and both schools,
Jesse Lee and city schools, are
being closely watched by the
Public Health Nurse, teachers
and physicians.
It was rumored in town that
two light cases had been dis
covered here, but the rumor is
false. According to Mrs. LaPreal
Bie, Public Health Nurse, both
Dr. Shelton and Dr. Sellers have
denied that there is any polio
here.
Moose Pass News . . .
The school children entertain
ed the ladies of Moose Pass last
Friday afternoon. Kent Saxton
started off the program with a
welcoming speech. Then all of
-the children said a poem. Miss
Bogard gave the fourth grade
up a spelling bee. The “top man
on the totem pole” for this time
is Larry Foster. Arithmetic was
the next thing on the list and
two teams took turns at the
black board. There were dis
plays on the two bulletin boards
showing what the children have
been doing in the past month.
There were letters and numbers
by the lower grades and the
upper grades had several com
positions about their geography
lessons and birch bark canoes.
There were also miniature
canoes on display. Punch and
cookies were served at the end
of the program. All of the ladies
were presented with a lovely
corsage by Mrs. Woods from
her flower garden. The children
plan to have a program the last
Friday of every month and if
the children enjoy putting it on
as much as the ladies enjoyed
seeing it, it will be looked for
ward to by all.
Mrs. Sherman Pearson and
sons Norman and Joe returned
from a trip Outside last Mon
day. Joe received medical atten
tion while in California and is
much better now. The boys have
started back to school with Joe
in the first grade and Norman
in the third.
Mr. Walter Brunington is
down from Anchorage to do
some repair work on the house
they bought here recently.
Mrs. Hort Teague and son
Pat have moved to Seward. Pat
is in the fourth grade. Mr.
Teague is employed by Lytle
and Green at Mile 34.
The Moose Pass Sportsman’s
Club held their regular meeting
Tuesday night. The next dance
will be held Oct. 23th. It will
be for the public.
The first movie of the winter
was shown in the quonset hut
Wednesday evening. The main
feature was “How Green was
My Valley” preceeded by a short
on the U. S. Navy. The show
was well attended and another
is planed for the near future.
Mr. Clyde Smith was the pro
jector-operator and Mrs. Wayne
Racine was in charge of the
donations. The Legion in Seward
has made it possible for us to
use their projector which is ap-j
preciated by all. i
Local Volunteers Aid
Occupation Therapist
At Sanatorium
A group of local ladies are
helping Miss Patsy J. Britton,
occupational therapist at Seward
Sanatorium, in a program for
the patients in the hospital.
Mrs. Ray James, Mrs. Harold
Jacobs, Mrs. Paul Nelson, Mrs.
Gordon Inglis, Mrs. Louis Hasty
and Mrs. Frank Woods take
books and current magazines
several times a week to the pa
tients. They will be glad to get
all current magazines as readers
finish with them.
The Mart Variety, Seward
Drug Company and Alaska Shop
are donating their unsold issues
to the cause, but they can use
more.
Mrs. Frank Woods is arrang-’
ing classes in sewing for women
patients. The group is planning
a tea to acquaint other local
women with the project.
Sanatorium authorities assure
the public that there is less dan
ger of infection for persons
working at the sanatorium even
among patients than there is in
outside work. Everything is
carefully and completely ster
ilized.
i
Homesteaders Now
Can Get Loans
Delegate E. L. Bartlett reports
that under terms of a law enact
ed during the first session of the
81st Congress homesteaders in
Alaska and elsewhere for the;
first time in history were permit
ted to obtain homestead im
provement loans under the
Bankhead - Jones Tenant Act.
Such loans for some time have
been available to farmers but
loans to homesteaders were
never allowed because of lack
of security against the loans.
The act passed last year provides
security from homestead entry
men on mortgage contracts cre
ating liens against land prior
to the time the entryman obtains
title.
In urging an increase above
the $100,000 allotted for home
stead loans in the Territory dur
ing the 1951 fiscal year, Delegate
Bartlett stated to Secretary
Brannan:
“Without a question tne loan
program would be of great aid
to the settlement and develop
ment of Alaska if sufficient
funds were allotted to that pro
gram for Alaska operation. The
need for a comprehensive and
intelligent loan program of this
kind to encourage and assist
homesteaders to make their way
in Alaska and thus contribute
to the economic well-being of
the Territory was recognized by
Congress in enacting Public Law
361. Congress took the initial
step toward inaugurating a sensi
ble program to include Alaska.
But that program should not
be handicapped by such a low
allotment as reflected in the
1951 fiscal year apportionment
made by the Farmers Home Ad
ministration.
“There are vast areas in Alas
ka ideally suited to farming
provided the prospective home
steaders can be assisted through
loans to clear that rich potential
farming land. . . A permanent
settlement of Alaska by thou
sands of persons who have gone
there from the States and who
plan to go there is largely de
pendent on a stable agricultural
development program. Until re
cent years development of Alas
ka has been deterred through
disinterest and negligence on the
part of the federal government.
That situation has immeasurably
improved but not in all phases
of federal participation. Therr
is no better time than right ntfsy
for the Farmers Home Adminis
(Turn io Page 3)
“Alaska Music
Trail” Season
Begins Thurs.
The Alaska Music Trail opens
the first season here on Thurs
day evening with a concert by
Roman Totenberg, international
ly famous violinist, in joint re
cital with Maxim Shapiro, pian
ist, already well known to Al
askans. Under the joint man
agement of our local Concert
Association and Maxim Shapiro,
this concert series will bring to
our city for the first time world
famous artists with superb abili
ty and well merited concert
successes for their background.
Roman Totenberg waa born
in Poland and at an early age
began his concert career, play
ing in European cities, Scandin
avia, South America and then
the United States, where he is
now a naturalized citizen. The
famous George Enesco was his
teacher and today’s great pianist,
Artur Rubinstein, introduced
the artist to South American
cities.
“Mr. Totenberg plays from the I
composition repertoire of all the
great composers. He has by gift, |
an awareness of music’s con
tinuing line. . . and to hold by
sheer musical communication, al
most any musical person's in
terest.” —Virgil Thomson in
.“The Art of Judging Music.”
Maxim Shapiro completes this
brilliant duo. His great gift as
a pianist is common knowledge
in Alaska where he has played
so successfully for three seasons.
More than this, he has felt the
warm recognition for his music
coupled with the friendliness
and desire of many Alaskans
to experience only the best in
real musical programs. Using
his wide understanding of artists
and their work, putting aside
his own affairs, his great ambi
tion to serve Alaska has created
the Alaska Music Trail with the
enoouragement and support of
leading men and women in ten
communities.
The concert will be heard in
the Seward Methodist Church,
Thursday, at 8:00 p.m.
FALL MOVING TIME
Many Seward ites are snug
ging in for the winter. Some in
new homes, others in apart
ments.
The S. B. Hoveys moved into
Mrs. Sybil Reed's little house
on Fourth Avenue. Skeets Whit
more purchased the Martinides
property on First Avenue where
Chester Erickson has lived for
several years. Skeets and Mrs.
Kirkpatrick, both city council
men now, can do their wrang
ling over the back fence, be
cause after Sunday they will be
neighbors.
Dorothy Stewart is moving
back into her old home on Third
Avenue. The Wilmans have de:
serted the apartment on the
barge for moorings at the end
of the San Juan Dock. There is
one thing about that, they have
the most unobstructed view in
town.
Besides the moving around,
several have heard the call of
the south and are on their way
to warmer climes for the winter,
Mrs. Frank Cooper and baby
daughter will leave this week
end. Mrs. Hinie Werner leaves
Thursday for Kansas City and
giacramento to visit her daught
ers. She will return in a month
or six weeks—right smack in
the middle of winter!
The Ralph Pedens expect to
leave soon for Arkansas and that
farm.
Alaska Steamship Co.
Announces Boost In
Operating Costs
The recent 5.49 per cent wage
increase, granted the Interna
tional Longshoremen’s a n d
Warehousemen’s Union at the
conclusion of negotiations be
tween operators and union offi
cials in San Francisco, will add
approximately §200,000 to the
annual operating costs of ,the
Alaska Steamship Company,
D. E. Skinner, vice president
and general manager, said in
Seattle this week.
“Our stevedoring expense last
year at the former rate of $1.82
per hour totalled $3,715,465.
The 5.49 per cent increase would
raise this cost $203,979. making
a total of $3,919,444,” he said.
The negotiations now in pro
gress with other maritime un
ions are expected to further af
fect the cost of steamship opera
tions, it was pointed out.
Seward Men Called
For Induction
The Anchorage Selective
Service Board has announced
that William H. Green and Cal
vin S. Hall of this city have
been called for induction into
the Armed Forces on October
19th. These are the first Seward
ites to be called by the draft.
WILMA MYERS WINS TITLE
"GYPSY QUEEN" AT C. W. C.
Miss Wilma Myers, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. R. O. Myers of
Seward, won the coveted title of
“Gypsy Queen” recently in the
traditional Gypsy Picnic at Colo
rado Woman’s College in Den
ver where she is a senior stu
dent.
Miss Myers was chosen by
judges from among several hun
dred students who competed for
the honor. The Gypsy Picnic,
one of the first social events of
the college year, is a quarter
century-old tradition at CWC.
Students design their own cos
tumes for the event.
VA EXPANDS FACILITIES
TO HANDLE GI INSURANCE
A flood of new applications
for National Service Life Insur
ance has forced the Veterans Ad
ministration to expand its under
writing service in Washington,
D.C., and to set up an adjunct
underwriting unit in the Phila
delphia District Office to handle
the overflow.
The VA announced that the
stepped-up rate of inductions
into the armed forces has re
sulted in an increase of thou
sands of new applications daily
for G. I. insurance.
Also, persons already in serv
ice who held little or no NSLI
feel a new awareness of the
need for insurance protection
in view of the present inter
national situation, and are now
applying.
G.I. insurance, in amounts
from $1000 to $10,000 is avail
able to any person entering
active duty in the armed forces.
Types of policies include low
premium term insurance, as
j well as six permanent plans,
' including endowments.
SEWARD LADIES GATHER
TO CELEBRATE BIRTHDAY
Several Seward ladies who
are visiting in Seattle celebrated
the 83rd birthday of Mrs. Tho
day, who lived here for many
years.
Mrs. Martine Johansen, Mrs.
Sybil Reed. Mrs. Hazel Ray, Mrs.
R. C. Ingram, Mrs. Goldie Blue
and Miss Sylvia Sexton,- while
visiting in Seattle, called upon
Mrs. Thoday with a birthday
party on October 3rd.
Mrs. Blue writes that they all
had a happy day .talking over
old times in Seward.
Seward Red
Cross Meeting
ednesday
! Everybody interested in hav
, ing First Aid and Home Nursing
j classes in Seward is urged to
attend the organization meeting
of Red Cross Chapter this
Wednesday night at 8:00 o’clock
in the City Council chamber.
Mr. James Purdue arrived in
town Monday night to survey
the situation here. He will speak
at the meeting and explain Red
Cross in emergency situations.
Mr. Purdue has recently been
appointed Chief of Alaskan
Operations. He has recently re
turned from Germany after sev
eral years work in that area.
A meeting was held in August
at which an unsuccessful attempt
was made to elect officers for
this year.
Coastwise Line Elects
New President
Election of George H. Grant
as president of Coastwise Line
was announced this week by
the board of directors. W. T.
Seton, founder of the Line and
former president, has become
chairman of the board and will
continue his former activity and
interest in the Company.
Mr. Grant, who has been a
director of Coastwise Line and
member of its executive com
mittee for the past year, is well
known in corporation and in
vestment banking circles on this
coast and in the East. He was
born in Oakland and attended
the University of California. He
began his career with Schwa
bacher and Company, 1920-1925.
He became a partner in Grant,
Knowlton & Company, 1925*
1938. In 1938 he established his
own investment banking firm,
Geo. H. Grant & Company,
which was merged with the
Bancamerica Company to form
the First California Company of
which Mr. Grant was president-^
and a large stockholder from*'
1945 to 1947. That year, he and
L. D. Adams, Jr. purchased con
trol of C. J. Hendry Company,
established in 1865. and now the
largest ship chandlers on the
Pacific Coast. At the time of
acquisition, Mr. Grant became
and still is chairman of the
board of directors.
Coastwise Line said the elec
tion of Mr. Grant as president
will materially strengthen its
executive direction which is
deemed necessary to the com
pany’s progressive and continu
ous development on the Pacific
Coast and in Alaska.
Mr Grant has long been asso
ciated with Mr. Sexton, in the
course of which he has acquired
a considerable interest in many
of the W. T. Sexton enterprises.
Coastwise Line now operates,
seven modern 10,500-ton freight
ers in the Coastwise - Alaska
trade and has become an im
portant factor in Alaska's eco
nomy. The company also oper
ates additional dry-cargo vessels
and tank vessels in world wide
trade. An old line company, it
was established in 1936.
TWO SEPTEMBER ISSUES
COMPLETELY SOLD OUT
Several persons have been in
the Record office to buy two
different issues of September
papers, both of which were com
pletely sold out except for file
copies. A
Order your paper from the
newsboys or subscribe for mail
delivery to assure yourselves of
a regular copy of the local news.