SEWARD’S
All-TVeatkec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Vol. VI. No. 25
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Brownell Will
Oppose Lanier
For City Mayor
With the books closing at three
o'clock Tuesday two candidates had
entered the race for mayor with
last minute entries. Present Mayor
Eugene N. Lanier filed his petition
Thursday afternoon, and until the
very last it appeared that he would
be unopposed. Within an hour of
closing time Former Mayor Don
Carlos Brownell filed his petition.
At press time neither candidate
had issued a formal statement for
publication. A week remains before
the election, however.
Seven for Councilman
For the three vacancies on the
City Council there were seven can
didates. None of those completing
their terms have filed for re-elec
tion. The three who finish their
terms this week are Oscar Dahl,
Dr. R. O. Sellers, and Forest Ken
nedy. The three who remain in
office for another year are Ray
mond Seferovich, Russel Painter,
and Leland Miller.
Utility Board
Only one candidate. Barton L.
Stanton, filed for the vacancy on
the Utility Board. Stanton is a
member of the Utility Board now,
having been appointed recently to
complete the term when Murl
Trevethan resigned. The term for
the Utility Board is for five years.
(Just a few minutes before three
o'clock Tuesday Frank E. Brooks
filed for the position on the Utility
Board, making a contest for that
office also.)
Dr. J. H. Shelton also came in at
the final moment as a candidate
for the single position on the
school board. With nominations
closed, Shelton is certain to win.
The Candidates
Lugene w. Lanier, the present
mayor has lived in Seward for the
past 16 years, and defeated his
present opponent in the last elec
tion. Lanier is now completing his
first term as mayor. He operates
the Legion Cab Company.
Don Carlos Brownell, nine times
mayor of Seward, also served as
senator in the Territorial Legisla
ture. Brownell owns and operates
the Liberty Theater in Seward.
Leon D. Lewis, candidate for the
council, is a newcomer in local
politics but is a member of the
Seward Republican Club. He is
well known to the public through
his position at Werner’s Market.
Patrick J. Friede, has been a can
didate before, but has never held
office. He is the proprietor of Pat’s
Garage, and has an interest in the
Seward Recreation Club.
Joseph S. Doyle, owner of Doyle’s
Store, has also been a candidate for
a council seat, but was unsuccess
ful. *
Richard O. Myers, formerly a
foreman for The Alaska Transfer
and Seward Water System, is now
associated with Andy Novak in his
oil delivery business.
Mildred Kirkpatrick has never
been a candidate for any office, but
has taken a great interest in civic
(Turn to Page 4)
More Loca! Hunters
Stranded On
Montague Island
Once again rumors are flying
about town to the effect that a
group of local hunters are ma
rooned on Montague Island.
Upon checking the story it was
discovered that Pat Bogan, Louis
Wiegand, his father and one other,
have been on the island for several
days. It was not possible to get
a plane in to them Saturday, the
day they expected to return, but
somehow a message was delivered
! to Cordova and wired to Seward,
asking that if Gentry Shuster was
not available with his amphibian,
a boat should be sent to the island
to bring the men home.
The cannery tender E:.g'e left
Seward at 5:00 this morning, but
upon reaching open water outside
the bay, the going was so rough
that the tender was forced to put
back. An attempt will be made
again to reach the island as soon
as the high seas subside a little.
In the meantime, there is no rea
son to feel alarmed over the safety
of the hunters, as they are all fa
miliar with the terrain and are ex
perienced campers.
Traffic Accident
Costs Moe $100
Victor Moe pled guilty to driv
ing an automobile while under
the influence of intoxicating liquor
Tuesday afternoon in City Magis
trate's Court shortly after the car
he was driving struck the rear end
of a car driven by Charles Cole.
Moe's City and Territorial opera
tor's licenses were revoked for a
period of one year.
Fred Curtis, who was riding in
the front seat with Moe, was taken
to the Seward General Hospital
suffering from bruises and lacera
tions and nosebleed.
The accident occurred at the
corner of Third Avenue and Mad
ison Street, just outside the school
zone. Moe was traveling north on
Third Avenue when his car struck
that of Cole, who was also driving
north on Third.
30,000 POUNDS OF MOOSE
IN COLD STORAGE
It was learned late last week, at
the close of the moose season that
over 60 moose have been brought
in by local hunters. The Seward
Fish and Cold Storage plant has
cut, wrapped and placed under
sharp freeze a little over 30,000
pounds of moose meat. The num
ber of goats was not reported.
SEWARD REPUBLICAN CLUB
TO MEET FRIDAY
The Seward Republican Club
will hold a meeting on Friday,
Sept. 30, in the Marathon Cafe at
8:00 p.m. to review the work done
by the special committee appoint
ed to get the people out to regis
ter and to vote in the coming
Municiple Election.
As guest speakers, the club of
ficers expect Mr. and Mrs. Elmer
RasmusSen and Mr. and Mrs. G. A.
Engebreth, who are to be visiting
the city over the week end. Mr.
Engebreth is president of the An
chorage Republican Club.
Bottles, Dishes, Bricks
Fall As Early Morning
Jolt Jars Sewardifes
Sewardites will not go thirsty
because of the few bottles of liquor
that were broken in the earthquake
that hit the town shortly before
five thirty Tuesday morning. A
second slight shock was felt a little
before 7:30 a.m.
Several liquor stores each lost
a few bottles of liquor, in no case
was the damage reported to be
over twenty dollars. McMullen’s
Store had a couple of vases broken
with damage estimated at less than
forty dollars. Everywhere the main
damage seemed to be broken glass
ware.
A few bricks fell from chimneys
during the rather severe shock,
lasting about half a minute. At
noon no reports from recording in
struments had been received. Re
ports are that the City of Anchor
age was hit by an earth shock at
about the same time as Seward,
but the extent of the entire area
involved was not learned.
People who were awake at the
time the tremor started reported
hearing a terrific roar before the
shock was felt. Mirrors and pic
tures bounced, pipes and radiators
clattered, frame buildings swayed,
while concrete buildings remained
stable under the shock. Very few
people moved out of doors.
Not a single plate glass window
was broken in the store fronts, and
except for a few instances of wires
being down, business went on as
usual Tuesday morning.
The Standard Oil Company re
ported that a large stack of grease
cans tumbled, but there was no
loss involved. Werner’s Market had
a flood of canned goods in the
aisles, with only one tiny bottle of
hot sauce broken and a five pound
bag of sugar punctured.
The Kenai Co-Op had a few
dented cans. Even though a shelf
of jelly and preserves fell to the
floor, not a jar was broken.
Bunch's Liquor Store lost not a
single bottle.
Many old timers of Seward said
they thought it was the most vio
lent quake they’d ever felt, al
though it did not continue as long
as some in earlier years.
A New York salesman said he'd
managed to be in every earthquake
that has taken place in the past
few months. He was in Seattle a
; few months ago when that city
suffered so much damage.
_
BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR
OLDTIMER SUNDAY
Mrs. Herman Reichman, Mrs.
Myra Lesko and Mrs. Laina Bol
ster were hostesses at a birthday
party last Sunday at the Balster
home honoring Mr. Sid Johnston
on his 75th birthday.
Mr. Johnston works for Lytle
and Green at Mile 58. but came
in especially for the party which
was enjoyed by a large number of
friends.
Hedley Davis accompanied his
mother Mrs. A1 Davis to Hanford,
California, by plane last Saturday
to attend the funeral of Mrs. Davis’
brother, Mr. Samuel Wright, who
died Sept. 21.
The Democratic Club of Seward
urges every qualified voter to
REGISTER for the Oct. 4 Election*
ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT
REGISTERED BOOKS CLOSE SEPTEMBER 30. AT 10 'CLOCK PJ4.
—adv.
Sea Hawks Sports
Show To Take
Place October 14
A sports show will be given by
the Seward High School athletic
teams on Oct. 14, according to in
formation received from Coach
Knapp Thursday. More information
about the show is expected to be
made public soon. The name of the
show will be “The Sea Hawks'
Sports Show.”
Seward High School athletes
voted last spring to change their
name from The Ponies to the Sea
Hawks, feeling that name was bet
ter suited to Seward. They have
also changed their colors from the
well known blue and white to a
flashy green and gold, mainly be
cause too many schools in Alaska
use the blue and white.
The basketball team, which had
such a successful season last year,
will be stronger than ever with all
regulars returning. The boys are
not having any regular practice
sessions this early in the year,
but evenings during the week you I
can see them playing scrub games
at the Civic Center.
What'll He Do With
A Totem Pole?
When Herb Hilscher of Fair
Banks, author uT “Alaska Now”
and other works on Alaska, was in
New York City a couple of years
ago, he was guest on the Fred
Waring radio show.
Hilscher, who is proud of Ala-*1'”
chided Waring about the average
Easterner’s ignorance of anything
west of Chicago. He said, "I’ll bet
you don’t even know the name or
the music of Alaska’s official
song.”
“What will you bet?” Waring
countered.
“Oh, a totem pole,” Hilscher
cracked.
“Done,” said Waring, whereupon
he turned to the members of his
band said, “Hit it, boys.” The
Pennsylvanians waded without
either hesitation or discord into
the strains of “The Alaska Flag
Song.”
Hilscher said he would pay the
bet and Waring, envisioning a
neatly carved little table model
totem pole, said he would accept.
Hilscher is on his way to the
East Coast again this year and he
got in touch with a friend in Ju
neau, asking for a totem pole with
which to pay off his bet.
When the totem pole was un
loaded in Seattle recently, Hil- j
scher’s eyes bugged out about as
far as Waring’s will when he re- i
ceives it. The totem pole is 8 feet i
high and weighs just a little less ’
than 150 pounds.
“Holy smoke,” Hilscher gasped,
“it’s a collector’s item—a museum
piece—it’s a real, honest-to-gosh
Haida chief’s pole.”
Nobody knows what Fred War
ing is going to do with an 8 foot,
150 pound totem pole, but he's
going to get one.
“I’ll pay the bet,” Hilscher said,
“even if it costs me my shirt to
ship it across the country.”
RAINBOW GIRLS TO GIVE
PARTY FOR TEEN AGERS
The Seward Assembly of Rain
bow Girls are busily making plans
for a teen-age party on Saturday
night at Che Masonic Hall. All
boys and girls in their teens are
invited. There will be hot dogs
and punch for refreshments. You’ll
have to buy the dogs, Kids, but
at give away prices.
Florence Heasting, sister of H. H.
(Hard Rock) Leonard, was in Sew
ard during the past few days to
visit her brother. At one time Sew
ard was her home, but she is now
employed in the office of attorney
lohn Manders in Anchorage.
Local Bank To
Take Up SES
$54,000 Bonds
In order to ease the way for the
sale of the $104,000 bond issue for
the Seward Electric System, the
Bank of Seward has picked up a
balance of $54,000 in bonds held
by the Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration.
The announcement came as a
surprise, although president of the
bank, Elwyn Swetmann, stated that
picking up the bonds was merely
a formality, since it is expected
that the firm of Grande and Com
pany will take up these bonds and
retire them with a new issue.
Swetmann said that the Bank of
Seward is only holding them tem
porarily.
The special election earlier this
month enabled the city to pick up
the bonds which the RFC held
against the municipal power plant
and on which it had threatened to
foreclose. Foreclosure from that
quarter is no longer possible.
Of the $104,000 worth of bonds
$54,000 was earmarked to retire
these RFC bonds, and the other
$50,000 was to be used to purchase
a new diesel generator and reno
vate the outside installations.
The bond issue was passed by
the voter by a narrow margin. Ac
tually a sixty-five per cent major
ity was necessary to pass, and the
vote exceeded the sixty-five per
cent by about ten votes. ■
The municipal power plant origi
nally cost about $126,000, of which
the Federal Government made an
outright grant of $30,000, with the
remaining $96,000 underwritten in a
bond issue by the City of Seward.
In the past ten years the city has
paid off $32,000 of the bonds and
bought additional equipment.
Faith Chapel To Hear
Guest Speaker
Herb Tyler, recently elected Re
gional Vice President for Pacific
Northwest Youth for Christ will
speak at Faith Chapel on Sept. 28.
Wednesday, at 8 p.m.
Mr. Tyler is well known in the
Pacific Northwest Region as he
was field representative during
1947, working in Oregon, Washing
ton, Idaho and Montana as well
as British Columbia to organize
and promote the work of Youth
for Christ.
Last summer Mr. Tyler attended
the World Congress of Evangelism
held in Beatenberg, Switzerland,
and then traveled into 12 countries
on the European continent includ
ing the three western zones of
Germany. Upon his return to the
United States he was chosen to
serve on the staff of Youth for
Christ International as represent
ative and evangelist. He has con
tinued in this capacity until the
recent appointment was made.
Shipping News . . .
The Alaska Steamship Company
freighter Terminal Knot is dis
charging cargo at the Seward dock
and the Palisano is enroute to
Seward with cattle for the Bent
ley Dairy in Fairbanks.
The Denali was scheduled to ar
rive here Tuesday morning at 11
a.m. with passengers and cargo for
Seward and the railbelt, and the
Aleutian is due here Thursday.
The Coastwise Line freighter,
the James Lick, was scheduled to
leave Seattle Monday for the four
and a half day run direct to Sew
ard. This will be the first call at
the port of Seward for the James
Lick.