* SEWARD’S
A ll-tWea the c
SEAPORT
Is Alaska s
Greatest Asset
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD, ALASKA
Vol. VI. No. 31
SEWARD, ALASKA. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Appoint Larsen
As Post Master
In Local Office
The appointment of Clarence T.
Larsen as Acting Postmaster to
succeed Charles A. Sheldon was
made public Monday on receipt
of a letter from the Post Office
Department to that effect.
Sheldon, who has been post
master here for many years, will
retire as soon as the new post
master is installed in his place.
The change will take place as soon
as the postal inspector arrives,
which may not be for several
weeks.
During his many years of serv
ice, Sheldon has seen the local
post office grow from practically
nothing to its present status as a
terminal office for the interior and
Aleutian Chain. He has seen' the
beginnings of the star route to
Hope and to Cooper Landing and
the return of the mailboat service
to the Westward. He is largely re
sponsible for the initiation of the
new star route to Homer which
will go into effect next summer.
At present it is reported that
a number of trucking firms have
submitted bids on this important
mail route, some of which are large
cut of tow'n firms. The Seward
Post Office is growing from year
to year and the appointment is
considered a rather important one.
Larsen, the new postmaster,' is
a veteran now employed by the
Alaska Railroad here. Actually the
appointment gives him the status
of acting postmaster, since all such
appointments are strictly political
and have to be made directly by
the President of the United States.
In actual practice, however, the
recommendation of the local poli
ticians are the deciding factor.
AFL Keeps Whittier
Says Organizer
Kenneth R. Bowman, AFL or
ganizer, in a written statement
from Anchorage denied the claim
that the CIO Longshore Union has
organized the Port of Whittier.
Bowman claimed that there is no
record that there has ever been a
CIO charter at either of the ports
of Whittier or Anchorage, at least
until the past ten days.
“Whittier is still an Army port,
and as such is subject to all rules
and regulations precribed by the
Army. To date the Army has de
clined to permit only a limited
amount of civilian cargo to be han
dled. Any statement by any labor
organization or its representatives
that they have control or jurisdic
tion of any Army installation is
ridiculous.”
As for jurisdictional elections.
Bowman said the ILWU-CIO Long
shoremen’s Union is not in compli
ance with provisions of the Taft
Hartley Act and could not ask for
an election.
COUNCIL TO STUDY
SMALL BOAT HARBOR
The Mayor was advised by letter
this week that money is made
available for dredging the Small
Boat Harbor. The letter from Del.
Bartlett reads in part as follows:
“You will be glad to know that
the Civil Functions Appropriation
Bill now before the President for
signature contains an item of $50,
000 for maintenance dredging of
the existing breakwater at Seward.”
Contract authority was given ear
lier in the year for this project,
but delay in Congess held up the
appropriation of funds, so that it
will be impossible to begin the
work before next summer.
Commissioners Miller and Sef
erovich are making a study of the
requirements at the Small Boat
Harbor with the object of making
it more serviceable, and the ad
visability of appointing a regular
harbor master.
'Marine And Fisheries
Committee To Hold
Hearings Here
Word has been received from
Del Bob Bartlett that he will ac
company a subcommittee of the
Merchant Marine and Fisheries
Committee to Alaska to conduct
hearings into fisheries and associ
ated problems this month.
The party includes Victor Wick
ersham of Oklahoma, who will
act as chairman; Thor Tollefson of
Washington state; John Allen of
California and Delegate Bartlett.
There will be a representative of
the Fish and Wildlife Service,
probably Joe Flakne of the Divi
sion of Territories i^id Island Pos
sessions, and John Drury of the.
Merchant Marine and Fisheries
Committee staff.
Their intention is to leave Seattle
' on October 25, and the itinerary
will depend largely upon the state
1 of the weather. The hearing will
be held in Seward, however, some
' time before Oct. 30. It is expected
that at least 48 hours notice will
be given of their arrival.
While the subcommittee will
| naturally be interested in all trans
i portation problems, it has no ju
i risdiction over the Alaska Railroad.
; Consequently testimony will be
| largely on fish trap abolition mat
, ter and shipping problems.
J Longshoremen, fishermen and
| businessmen should make plans to
have witness included at the
I hearing.
Prospects Good
For Sea Hawks
Basketball season opened Mon
day for the Seward High School
Sea Hawks with the largest turn
oat on recGrd. »
The prospects for a successful
season look good with six return
j ing candidates who are lettermen
of last year's varsity.
The returning lettermen are Don
Steele, Alaska All-star for the past
two seasons; Antril Suydam. Alas
ka All-star for last year; Ray An
derson, Dick Deigh, and Bill Erwin.
The above lettermen average six
feet in height and 175 pounds, all
having two or more years of ex
perience under fire.
| Other candidates who are out
for a place on the varsity are
Ronnie Lewis, Melville Lohman,
Charles Van Slyke, Donnie San
ders, Richard Covvn, Richard Van
: Guilder, Donald Strutz, Darrell
! Mackey, Leonard Gilliland, Terry
Cobban, Larry Williams, Jerry Van
Gorder, Biily Evins, Jimmy Black.
Dale Lindsey, Bert Mayakok, John
Parks, Robert Stevens, John Walch
and Louis Berntsen.
No interscholastic games have
been scheduled but it is expected
; that games will be arranged with
j Anchorage, Fairbanks, Palmer, and
possibly Kodiak. Cordova, and Wa
siila. The local league is due to
be drawn up soon.
NEWLY REDECORATED
WAGON WHEEL NOW OPEN
i
Brightly redecorated and stream
lined for entertainment, the Wagon
Wheel night club, operated by
Howard and Doris Smith, reopened
for business last Saturday night.
The well known night club fea
tures music by Martha and Helen
plus additional entertainment. Vic
Crosby is the official host, who
sees that everyone has a good time.
The spacious new dance floor will
accommodate a large crowd and
there are check room facilities.
Howard Smith said that meals
will not be served until a later
date, as a new kitchen will be
built in a separate building. In
keeping with its name, the Wagon
Wheel, there will be a fence of
wagon wheels all around the
building.
The Blue Shop announced that
Mrs. Frank Reenstrom has been
elected to full paid up member
ship in the Savings Club and is
receiving a Blue Shop suit this
week.
Benefit Dance
For Hallowe’en
Helps Children
The use of the Civic Center has
been secured and an orchestra ar
ranged for a benefit masquerade
ball on October 29 — Hallowe’en
style.
All funds derived from the affair
will be used to give a children's
party at Christmas time.
The dance is being promoted by
Lorena Stolp, well known here for
her great interest in children. Bet
ter known as "Red,” Miss Stolp last
year gave a party for the children
at the Jesse Lee Home and the
Seward Sanatorium with gifts for
all, which she financed herself.
This year she wants Christmas to
mean more to more children and
be bigger than ever.
Last year the Hallowe'en dance
was given by the Seward Volunteer
Fire Department. This year, how'
ever. the Fire Department has
been so occupied at its meetings
with the problem of the new fire
hall that the subject of the dance
did not come up until it was too
late to make plans.
The Children's Benefit Dance,
however, has received enthusiastic
support of Mayor Eugene N. Lanier
as well as many of Seward's busi
nessmen and “Red's” friends. Ma
terial for decorating the hall and
tickets have also been donated.
Mrs. Bie Resigns As
Public Health Nurse
Public Heallh Nurse Mrs. LaPreal
Bie announced* Monday mat she
had submitted her resignation to
the Territorial Health Department
I effective Dec. 3 of thjs year. No
appointment has been made to fill
the vacancy.
Mrs. Bie has held the post of
Public Health Nurse in Seward
since July 1946, and during that
time has seen a vast improvement
in Seward’s public health service.
In the Children's Immunization
Clinic, foi example, the number of
children treated each month has
increased to between thirty and
forty where it used to be some
[ where between four and eight.
Besides operating the immuniza
tion clinic, the Public Health Nurse
aids in the examination 01 school
children here os v.eil as in Hope,
Moose Pass and Cooper Landing.
Pre-natal and post-natal care for
mothers, assistance for crippled
children and check on contagious
diseases are among the many' serv
ices rendered to tiie city'.
Mrs. Bie spe..t a number of y ears
in Public Health Nursing in Idaho
and Colorado before coming to
Seward. She says site is changing
her profession to that ot caring
lor her family.
GESLAND T ^OPERATE
HEMODELE1 PALACE CA*TE
Leo M. Douglas announced Mon
day that the Palace Cafe will be
operated by Carl A. Gesland and
will be ready to serve the public
about the first of November.
The work of remodelling and
redecorating '.now in progress
and when completed it will be one
of the finest restaurants in Alaska.
All booths have been torn out and,
except for the counter, service will
be at tables.
The floor will be refinished and
walls repainted. The most modern
fluorescent light fixtures will be
installed. The kitchen is so well
equipped that it almost takes a
mechanical engineer as well as
several cooks to operate it.
A shower was given Monday af
ternoon for Mrs. Clark McCann at
the home of Mrs. Vern Hoffman.
Hostesses were Mrs. Hoffman, Mrs.
Bernard Gay and Mrs. Jack Kelly.
Sixteen guests were entertained
by a bingo game and refreshments
were served.
New Game Warden
Knew Dog Team Days
In Dillingham Service
Bill Allen, who recently resigned
as Game Warden here, is introduc
ing his successor, C. M. Carson, to
Sewardites this week.
It was learned Monday that the
people of Dillingham gave Carson
a sumptuous dinner as a farewell
gesture just before he left. The
affair was attended by a hundred
people, many of whom wanted to
get out a petition to keep Carson
at Dillingham.
Carson said Monday in Seward
that the Fish and Wildlife boat
j came to pick him up before he
I could get around to thanking all
those who had taken part in the
1 farewell party. Mr. and Mrs. Carson
received a sterling silver tea serv
ice as a parting gift.
For thirteen and a half years
Carson had been enforcement of
ficer at Dillingham and before
planes were available he had used
dog teams to cover the country,
at his own expense. He stated that
when it comes to actually catching
up with game violators, a dog
team is far more efficient than a
plane.
Soper Purchases
Moose Pass Inn
The famous Moose Pass Inn, lo
cated thirty miles from Seward on
Trail Lake, was purchased by H.
Martin Soper from Irene Holden
Monday. Soper announced the pur
chase of the Inn which was later
eohfirmed bv Irene Holden.
News of the transaction was
somewhat of a surprise, since if
had been believed that Soper in
tended to rebuild his lodge on
K"rv>i Lake wbifh was dost .» r-J
by fire about ten days ago.
In commenting on the deal.
Soper said that he v\ould continue
the business on the same princi
ples as he has operated in the
past. He will not operate a grocery
store, however.
Irene Holden said she had no
immediate plans, except that she
expects to leave for Hot Springs
soon and that she would be in the
States at least for a few months.
TO HEAR SIMEON OLIVER AT
CONCERT FRIDAY EVENING
Plans are well advanced for the
concert to be given at the Meth
odist Church .Friday evening by
the Methodist Church choir and
featuring Simeon Oliver (Nutchuk).
noted and world-renowned Aleut
pianist.
Personally autographed copies of
Oliver’s books will be on sale, and
donations will be received for the
organ fund. No admission charge
Is to be made.
The concert will begin at 8 p.m..
Friday. October 21.
Council Orders
All Ordinances
To Be Enforced
At the regular session of the
city council last night Mrs. Sigrid
Stearns was sworn in as city clerk
by the new councilwoman, Mildred
Kirkpatrick, after which business
proceeded as usual.
Fire Chief Kielcheski v/as di
rected to notify all violators of
Ordinance No. 195. This ordinance
passed July 25 requires that all
fuel oil tanks located between the
alleys of Third and Fourth Ave
nues to the alley between Fifth
and Sixth Avenues, must be buried
at least one foot beneath the sur
face of the ground.
Fuel oil tanks on city property
will be buried in compliance with
the ordinance this week, and resi
dents have been given until Nov.
15, after which date the penalty
provided in the ordinance will be
enforced.
Garbage Racks
Many householders have failed
to build garbage racks as provided
in the Health Ordinance. This is
also to be enforced and residents
are warned to comply immediately
with the law.
Police Officers
Two applications were submitted
for the Police Department, Ande
Anderson and Peter Gutekunst,
both of which were approved by
the council for appointment under
Chief Leonard Clark.
The council requested the city
attorney to prepare papers neces
sary to the acquiring of the Veter
ap*j' . Housing Project .from the
V LA. The city will ornain sole
ownership of the project without
cost except for the removal of one
small building, by accepting the
offer of the Veterans Housing
Authority.
Sell Properly
The codncil approved the sale
of fractions of four lots along the
railroad “Y” on C Street to the
James Construction Co. for the
purpose of construction of a ware
house.
Because of delay in receiving
money from the sale of the school
bonds, completion of the school
building contract was extended 60
days at the request of the con
tractor.
The problem of snow removal
and traffic control were discussed
but no action taken at this meeting.
Mrs. Beryl Wagner left town
Monday night to fly to San Fran
cisco for a short vacation. She will
return Nov. 1, with Dr. Wagner,
who has been Outside for two
weeks.
Forestry Parley Meets in
Genera
The leading forestry authorities of Europe recently concluded a
series of discussions at Geneva to coordinate Europe’s forestry pol
icies and increase production of timber on an over-all basis. The
meeting was sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of
t},e lln'ted Nations (FAO). Here, a Swiss Forestry Inspector ex
plains the principles of forest conservation to a group of delegates.