~ SEWARD’S
All-'Weatlier
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Territorial Library
* e
Seward Seaport Record
Formerly The Seivard Polaris 6r Kenai Peninsula/1 leutian Chain News
Vol. V, No. 77
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Drive Begins
Here April 3
For Red Cross
Seward Chapter American Reel
Cross opens the 1949 campaign on
April 3. Plans are under way by
organizations in town to formulate
one big party at the end of the
first week of the campaign.
Every organization is requested
to send two representatives to a
meeting to be held in the office of
the Seaport Record Wednesday
evening at 8 o'clock to perfect this
plan, so that the whole town can
participate. Those organizations
that have not been contacted per
sonally by this time are requested
to work upon announcement. Car
nival, bingo party and barn dance
are under consideration and sug
gestions are being awaited.
A PROCLAMATION:
“The American Red Cross has re
peatedly proved its worth here in
Alaska and throughout the United
States.
“Besides giving aid to more than
three hundred thousand disaster
victims during the past year, the
Red Cross continued to carry a
heavy burden of war-born respon
sibilities, providing essential serv
ices to vetefans and their families
and to our armed forces. Health
and safety programs contributed
materially toward the betterment
of community standards, and the
National Blood Program was ex
tended into additional areas in re
sponse to requests of medical au
thorities.
“To carry on its humanitarian
work, the Red Cross is seeking a
minimum of $60,000,000 in the 1949
Fund Campaign beginning March
1.
“I urge every resident of Alaska
to give generously during the fund
appeal, so that the splendid objec
tives of the Red Cross may be ful
filled.
"IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I
have hereunto set my hand and
the Seal of the Territory of
Alaska, at Juneau, the Capital,
this 27th day of January. A.D.,
1949.”
(Signed)
(Seal) ERNEST GRUENING
Governor of Alaska
P-TA To Re-Show
Educational Film
Three educational films to he
shown in the school gymnasium
Thursday evening, March 31 at 8
p.m., will be of interest to all par
ents. The Parent-Teacher Associa
tion is sponsoring the show under
the auspices of Miss Elizabeth Mox
ley, health educator from the Ter
ritorial Health Department, for this
special meeting because of the
poor turnout of parents at the reg
ular meeting this month.
Human Growth
me rum Human uruwm wmcn
creates an instructional atmos
phere that permits the facts of hu
man sex to be discussed without
embarrassment or tension, was
planned primarily for classroom
use in grades six to nine. It has
been endorsed by the National
Congress of Parents and Teachers
and has been widely used by
P-TA's throughout the country.
Those parents who saw the film at
the meeting this month heartily
endorse it for classroom use here,
but the many parents who did not
attend have since requested this
extra showing. Mr. Carlson, super
(Turn to Page 4)
Big Cheese Is On
Display at
Werner's Market
The biggest cheese ever seen in
Seward arrived this week. It is a
domestic Swiss cheese that is so
big it took four longshoremen to
handle it when it came off the
ship.
The big hunk of cheese, weigh
ing 200 pounds, will be on display
at Werner’s Market Thursday, Fri- 1
day and Saturday of this week,
and will be sampled for taste.
When Jack Werner was asked
about the cheese, he said that it
was just part of a large shipment,
since he has installed a Hill Re- j
frigerated Dairy Case in his store j
in which he will have the largest1
assortment of cheese to be found
in the Territory.
The new case stands six feel
tall and is over six feet long. Each
glass-enclosed shelf is refrigerated
and equipped with fluorescent
lights. It stands next to the refrig
erated vegetable case at the front
of the store. The case will also con
tain such items as milk, butter and
eggs.
Lutheran Church
Doubles Membership
The Seward Lutheran Church
achieved a record, according to
Rev. A. O. Odegaard, pastor, by
exactly doubling its membership at
the first anniversary service held
last Sunday, March 27, in the
church building which was recent
ly acquired from Mrs. Ray James
of this city.
At the Holy Communion service
conducted by Rev. Odegaard, a
record congregation of 105 wit
nessed the baptism of 20 children
and one adult, the confirmation of
four adults, and received into their
membership 42 new members.
This Lutheran congregation was
organized on April 27. 1948, at
which time they had no church
building. The Ladies Aid had been
organized among Lutheran ladies
living in Seward and had worked
throughout the previous year to
ward their goal of an established
congregation by meeting at their
various homes. Their amhition was
accomplished in 1948 when Rev. A.
O. Odegaard of Anchorage came
to their assistance by holding meet
ings at stated intervals. In one
year this energetic and determined
group organized themselves, ac
quired the church building previ
ously owned by the Methodist
Church before the building of the
Seward Memorial Church.
Rev. Odegaard says that the
growth of this congregation is phe
nominal, and that no other church
in the Territory can report the ab
solute doubling of a membership
in one service.
In addition to the activities of
the morning service, the Lutherans
enjoyed a social evening in cele
bration of their anniversary, be
ginning with a dinner served by
the Ladies Aid.
NEWMAN. FERRIN FUNERAL
SUNDAY AT HOPE
Jim Newman and A1 Ferrin, who
lived side by side for many years
in the town of Hope, were buried
side by side last Sunday afternoon i
in the new Hope cemetery. Grave
side services were conducted by
the Rev. Richard Kellogg, newly
appointed pastor of the Kenai par
ish. Both Newman and Ferrin were
old time Alaska pioneeis who took
part in gold stampedes and who.
used dogteams as their mode of
transportation in the days before
automobiles, railroads and air
planes. I
Aleutian Mail
Goes By Boat
From Seward
The Berger Transportation Com
pany has been awarded a contract
for mailboat service from Seward
to the Aleutian Islands and the
Alaska Peninsula, according to
news received in Seward Monday.
This will mean a great deal of
additional work for the Seward
post office, Postmaster Charles A.
Sheldon said Tuesday morning. The
post office is equipped to handle
such traffic, however, he said.
Formerly all mail to the West
ward went through Seward, and
the balcony in the post office was
used for the Aleutian mail at that
time.
The formal notice has not been
received in Seward as yet, Mr
Sheldon said, but tie believes the
new service may not include as
many stops for the mailboat as
formerly.
The renewed mailboat service
will be a boon to people living at
the points serviced, since it will be
possible for the boat to carry
freight along with the mail. Post
master Sheldon said that in the
past mail boats tarried many tons
of freight on every trip.
Reckless Driver
4Fmed$!QC
Mrs. Paul Doyle suffered minor
cuts and contusions as well as
shock as a result of being struck
by a truck Sunday evening on
Fourth Avenue between Madison
and Monroe Streets.
Mrs. Doyle was taken to the Sew
ard General Hospital after the ac
cident but returned to her home
shortly after.
The stiver, Cecil R. Lindsey, was
driving north on Fourth Avenue.on
the right side of the street. Mrs.
Doyle was walking in the same di
rection on the same 'side of the
street, but was not walking in the
street 'itself.
Lindsey pled guilty to a charge
of reckless driving in Commission
er’s Court Monday morning. He
also admitted that he was driving
without an operator's license. He
was fined $100 and given a sus
pended sentence of six months. He
will be denied the privilege of ap
plying for a driver's license for one
year.
MANY TRAVELERS ON
ALASKA HIGHWAY
Stanley Flemming and John
Kohler, who have been visiting
with their families in Montana and
Washington for the past several
months, returned to Seward on last
Friday’s train. They drove both
ways over the Alaska Highway.
Kohler said that hotel keepers i
along the highway report a large |
amount of Alaska-bound traffic. I
They say that many people are
seasonal workers who are coming ,
early to procure housing. A sub
stantial number, though, are com- j
ing with the intention of making
Alaska their home. j
LET CONTRACT FOR FLOAT
FOR SMALL BOAT HARBOR
The contract for the construction
of a float in the Seward small boat
harbor was let Monday evening by
the City Council to James Cameron
on a bilf of $11,611.80. Practically
all materials are now on hand and
it is expected that work will begirt
shortly
Kenai-Kasilof Land
Opened To
Homesteading
Secretary Krug has issued a pub
lic land order opening 1,368.57 acres
in the Kenai-Kasilof area to set
tlement under the homestead and
small tract laws, effective April 13.
Ninety-day preference from April
13 to July 13 will be accorded vet- J
erans of World War II. Applica
tions for the land, which are thus
restored from a public land order 1
withdrawal, are to be filed in the
District Land Office at Anchorage
and inquiries should be addressed
to that office.
Sale of Public Land in Alaska
Final approval by the Public
Lands Committee of Delegate
Bartlett’s bill to provide for the
sale of public land in Alaska has
been temporarily withheld at the
request of Congressman William
Lemke of North Dakota.
The bill provides that the Secre- i
tary of the Interior may sell at pri
vate sale or public auction any
tract of public land, up to 160
acres, which the secretary may
classify for such disposal. Shore
space regulations would not apply
to lands sold under the bill. Pro- j
vision is made that under special
circumstances, larger tracts than
160 acres could be disposed of un
der the terms of the bill.
The stated reason of the North
Dakota member for his objection
was his belief that this measure
might be an instrument to bury
his bill which would see settlement
of Alaska by war veterans on
homesteads no less than 320 acres
in size and up to and including
2560 acres, classified as farming,
grazing, timber or fur-raising
claims.
Delegate Bartlett explained that
the purpose of his bill was only to
facilitate the disposal of public
land for business and industrial
development purposes. He said
there is now no means whereby
public domain land may be ac
quired for such purposes and added
that this is proving to be a serious
impediment.
The bill is expected to be con
sidered at a later date.
Woman's Club Hears
Book Review
The Seward Woman's Club held
its regular monthly meeting-last
Tuesday evening in the social hall
of tlie Seward Memorial Church.
An enjoyable feature of the pro
gram was a book review of Lloyd
C. Douglas’ latest novel, “The Big
Fisherman,” which was given by
Mrs. Gertrude Knight. Following
this Mrs. Mildred Kirkpatrick put
on an amusing skit, assisted by
club members. During the business
session a nominating committee
was appointed for the coming elec
tion which will take place at the
April meeting.
It was announced that Girl
Scouts from the Jesse Lee Home
will receive their scout badges the
evening of May 4th at the Home.
Members of the Woman's Cliub
adopted daughters for the evening, i
and each 6ne will contribute $2.00 1
to pay for the badge."
One important matter brought >
up during the business meeting
concerned tlie American Red Cross i
Drive which will soon be under:
way. The Seward Woman’s Club j
voted to help in every way with
getting contributions.
After the business meeting and
program, delicious refreshments
were served by the hostesses, Mes
dames George Green, G. E Knight
"-i 'ht
Ross B. Mann
Lone Delegate
To Washington
Ross B. Mann left Seward Sun
day by air for the national capital
to represent the City of Seward in
support of the memorial to Con
gress for rehabilitation of the
Seward-Portage section of The
Alaska' Railroad.
Ray James, who was also ap
pointed a delegate by the Seward
City Council, remained in Seward
due to illness. Mr. James is recov
ering from a severe/case of influ
enza, but he is expected to follow
at a later date.
It was learned that Mr. Mann
was proceeding directly to Wash
ington by way of Minneapolis in
stead of stopping at Juneau. The
reason given for this is that Gov
ernor Gruening had left for Wash
ington with a party of .Alaskans
working in support of his reap
pointment as governor.
Representative Clarence P. Keat
ing was also reported to have left
for Washington on the same mis
sion. It was Keating who intro
duced the rehabilitation memorial
in the Legislature, and it is his de
sire to follow the memorial through
Congress.
Ask Lower Rail Rates
Before its passage a paragraph
was added to the memorial asking
for the application of stateside
freight rates to The Alaska Rail
road.
“The economic development of
the Territory will be tremendously
aided by the application of state
! side freight rates to The Alaska
[ Railroad as the increasing air
transportation and highway trans
i portation will graduall^rnnake it
i impossible for The Alaska Rail
! road to operate from its revenue."
If this new paragraph were
I adopted by Congress it would re
I suit in a very marked reduction in
! rail freight rates to the interior.
This in turn would serve to lower
commodity prices at the point of
! final sale. It would be entirely in
I line with the purpose of the Con
gressional act which originally au
thorized construction of the rail
road, which was undertaken pri
marily to aid in the economic de
velopment of the Territory.
Council Awards
School Contract
The City Council accepted the
bid of the James Construction
Company to build the five room
addition to the Seward school
building for the sum of $93,897.56.
The James bid was lowest and a
bid by Jim Cameron next higher
with a figure of $98,397.20.
The figure includes all labor,
tools and supplies. Work is expect
ed to begin as soon as materials
and equipment can be made avail
ble at the location.
The plans for the two-story addi
tion call for large class rooms be
sides two complete washrooms fin
ished in tile. All windows will have
steel sash, and floors will be cov
ered with asphalt tile except for a
concrete floor in the entrance to
the building.
The foundation will be concrete
and outside walls finished with
stucco. The roof will be covered
with five layers of roofing material
with a coat of tar between each
and another coat of tar on top.