SEWARD’S
All-qWeatker
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Vol. VI. No. 3
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, JULY 12, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Expecting Big
Increase Here
In Shipping
There are four freighters in Sew
ard at the present time and two
passenger ships were expected to
arrive Tuesday. Five ‘freighters are
now en route to this port and at
least four others are scheduled to
sail for Seward this month.
The Date Construction Company
of Cordova is rushing repairs on
the Army Dock, and it is hoped
that the job will be completed
soon. The Army has been anxious
for some time to have the dock in
stallation handling freight at full
capacity.
At this time the John Cropper, a
Coastwise Line ship, is unloading
construction supplies at the Army
Dock. Only sailors are working a
single hatch. But when repairs are
completed it is hoped that it will
be possible to put enough men to
work to handle all hatches.
H. G. Date confirmed the fact
that his company had been the suc
cessful bidder for the construction
of the small boat harbor mooring
float. Date specializes in this type
of work, and has worked in just
about every Alaska harbor. Only
the fact that his equipment was
on the scene made it possible for
him to bid on the job, since it
would not be economically possible
for him to move such equipment
here for the job.
While the Army does not publish
figures as to the quantity of freight
to be handled through this port, it
is known that a large amount of
perishable goods will go through.
SEWARD METHODISTS TO
ATTEND CONFERENCE
IN ANCHORAGE
Alaska Missions of the Methodist
Church will hold their annual con
ference in Anchorage from July 15
to July 18, with a large number of
members from Seward attending.
Among those expected to attend
the conference are the Rev. and
Mrs. Paul I. Irwin, minister of Sew
ard Memorial Church; the Rev. G.
Edward Knight, superintendent of
Missions in Alaska: Mr. George V.
Green of the Jesse Lee Home; Miss
Ruth Murrell, superintendent of the
Seward General Hospital, and Mr.
Ed Schnoecker who will go as lay
representative.
Guest speaker at Seward Me
morial Church next Sunday will be
Dr. Gaiser of Harrisburg. Other dis
tinguished visitors here will be Dr.
Brown of New York, executive sec
retary of Home Missions, and Dr.
Gould of Philadelphia.
The Rev. G. Edward Knight has
gone to Nome with Bishop Gerald
Kennedy. After the Anchorage con
ference Rev. Knight will leave for
the States. There will be a recep
tion and a farewell party for him
before he leaves July 21.
John Harding Returns
To Alaska With
Idaho Gold
John Hording, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Phil Harding of Seward, has
just returned from the School of
Mines at the University of Nevada
at Reno.
When he returned he had a
bottle containing six ounces of
gold nuggets which he had picked
up in a couple of hours time at
Dixie, Idaho.
Dixie, Idaho, it will be remem
bered is the ghost town which was
purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Fred
Richardson for a sports resort last
year. Mrs. Richardson is Mr. and
Mrs. Harding’s daughter.
The Richardsons, along with
their partners, are not only the
owners of the town, but also the
mayor, police, postmaster, and all
I civil officers. The partners are Mr.
and Mrs. Wendell Stout, formerly
of Cordova.
Richardson was one of three
operators of Scenic Air Service of
Cordova.
Land Office Man
Tours Peninsula
Chester McNally, adjudicator of
the District Land Office in An
chorage was in Seward Tuesday to
meet Mrs. McNally who was ex
pected to arrive on the SS Alaska.
The McNallys hope to make a
trip to Moose Pass and possibly
Kenai before returning to Anchor
age.
Many New Claims
McNally answered a number of
questions concerning land set aside
for displaced persons and about the
decentralization of the Land Office.
It was learned that in three
months over 300 claims had been
handled, while Washington had
handled only 25 claims in a year
when the work was done through
a central office.
At the present time the Anchor
age office has about 800 claims for
five-acre tracts and about 500 for
homesteads. At the last land dravv
I ing at Anchorage there were over
! one hundred applicants for one
! homestead, and a great many more
^applicants than there were home
i steads in every case.
At The Hotels . . .
The New Seward—O. J. Hugill.
Anchorage; Edward G. Zorn, Chi
cago; Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Reeve.
Pasadena; Alice M. Bronn, Fort
Richardson; Miss Maryanne Hurja
and Mrs. Pauline Hurja, Oak Park,
111.; George Nyman, Eugene, Ore.;
M. C. Kennedy, Seattle; Jay Hough
aling, Anchorage; Mr. and Mrs. L.
E. Evans, Juneau; John Nyman.
Juneau; Mrs. Phillip Tygeson, Los
Altos, Calif.: George Frioux, Stock
ton, Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Don
aldson, Stockton, Calif.; R. L.
Thompson, Shiloh, Wash.; Mr. and
Mps. W. E. Ames, Anchorage;
Chester McNally, Anchorage; Ellen
L. Adams, Seattle.
Human Rights Commission Meats Again
w**s**zrrzTm* -y a nv
Members of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
which recently concluded its fifth session at Lake Success, hold an
informal discussion between meetings. Left to right: Dr. Charles
Malik, of Lebanon, Rapporteur; Prof. Rene Cassin, of France; and
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, Chairman. The Commission began drafting
an International Covenant to implement the Universal Declaration
on Human Rights adopted last year in Paris by the General Assembly.
\
Territorial Tax
Assessment
Date Extended
The Alaska Property Tax Act j
states that on or before the 15th
day of July, 1949, every person
shall submit in duplicate to the
Assessor of the Judicial Division
in which the prpoperty is located
a return of his property and of the
property held or controlled by him |
in a representative capacity.
The Board of Assessment and j
Equalization has received numer- j
ous requests from property owners ;
for an extension of time in which
to file their returns. F. G. Hanford, j
Chairman-at-Large of the Terri
torial Board, has conferred with I
M. P. Mullaney, Territorial Tax !
Commissioner, and it has been de-!
cided that the date of filing the ,
property assessment form shall be I
extended to August 31, 1949.
The assessment forms are in the
process of being mailed at the pres
ent time and stipulate the return
date of July 15. While this date
under the new ruling may be ig
nored, the assessor in your divi
sion would appreciate the returns
being mailed in as soon as pos
sible.
GEORGE MEDLEY PASSES
George Medley, age 49, passed
away at the Seward Sanatorium
Monday night after a month's ill
ness.
Medley, w-ell known in Seward
for a number of years, was ad
mitted to the Seward General Hos
pital on May. 9 and later trans
ferred to the Sanatorium. His place
of birth was Ashland, Oregon.
Funeral arrangements will be an
nounced later.
CAR OVERTURNS NEAR
HOPE AIRPORT
Mrs. Roy Mitchell of Hope is
reported to have had an auto
mobile accident in which the car
she was driving was overturned
on the road between the town of
Hope and the Hope airport. There
were three children in the car but
no one was injured.
Mrs. Mitchelll was on the way
to meet her husband who was re
turning by plane from the States,
where he had gone for medical
treatment.
S.E. NEWSPAPERMAN
VISITS SEWARD
Bob DeArmond, city editor of the
Ketchikan Daily News, was in Sew
ard Tuesday on his way home from
a short trip to Anchorage. De
Armond is one of the Few Alas
kan newspapermen born in the
Territory, his parents having come
to Alaska in 1904. He has covered
the Territorial Legislature nearly
every session in the past decade.
VISITORS FROM UTAH
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Roush from
Ogden, Utah, are visiting their
daughter and son-in-law. the Law
rence (Skeets) Whitmores.
Mr. Roush is District Commander
of the American Legion in Utah
and Mrs. Roush is immediate past
president of the Auxiliary in
Ogden. They are both members of
Queen Esther Chapter No. 4, O.E.S.
in Ogden.
The Roushes came on the Aleu
tian for their first trip to Alaska.
BULLDOZER USED TO REMOVE
BARGE FROM SAND
The Army has brought a big
dogleg crane from Anchorage for
heavy lifts. It was used to load out
a bulldozer which was taken to
Thumbs Cove for the purpose of
removing sand drifted about a
barge which was on the beach for
several months.
The bulldozer was taken out to
the cove and then returned here
after the job was completed. It is
expected that the barge will be
floated at the next high tide.
Public Roads Adm.
Changes Name To
Bureau Public Roads
The Public Roads Administra
tion, with district offices in Sew
ard, has had its name changed to
Bureau of Public Roads. This is
the same name by which it was
known before being called the
Public Roads Administration.
Another Change
A general shakedown looms in
Washington since the President has
sent Congress a reorganization plan
which would give public roads to
the Department of Commerce and
War Asset Administration to Treas
ury, RFC and Air Force.
The PRA (now the BPR) has
established a second road camp on
the Kenai Peninsula, which is a
secondary camp to the one at Mile
58 on the highway.
This camp is located at Soper’s
Lodge and consists of a survey
crew. Soper’s have a contract to
serve meals to the group, who are
working on the Kenai road and
the new bridge.
Labor Officials Here
On Routine Business
Leonard Evans, Territorial repre
sentative of the U. S. Department
of Labor and John Nyman, wage
and hour inspector, are in Seward
on routine official business and
visiting friends.
Mrs. Evans came with her hus
band and is renewing her acquaint
ance with Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Met
calf. Among their friends here are
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Killlewich, who
used to be their neighbors at
Juneau.
Evans came to Alaska in 1944
to work with the Territorial De
partment of Labor and remained
until 1946, and in 1947 worked
with Labor Commissioner Benson.
In April 1948, Evans was appoint
ed representative for the U S. De
partment of Labor. At that time he
was the entire department here,
but since then he has been given
I a stenographer and a couple of as
| sistants.
One of the programs Evans has
been able to inaugurate in the Ter
ritory is one- for apprenticeship
training.
Mr. Evans stated that he will be
available at the New Seward Hotel
for any who umuld like to see him
about their problems.
Shipping News . . .
With four ships in the harbor
now and six at one time last
week, Seward is seeing its busiest
season since the war. At the pres
ent time there are five freighters
enroute to Seward and four more
are scheduled for Seward this
month, with probably more to
come.
There are also five passenger
ships scheduled to arrive at the
local port by the end of the month,
and the Denali arrived Monday.
Ships now enroute are the Sailor
Splice, the Coastal Monarch, the
Harold Whitehead, the Victoria
and the James W. Cannon.
The Square Knot will leave Se
attle July 20, the Square Sinnet on
July 25 and the Flemish Knot on
July 27.
REPORT INCREASE IN
SALMON CATCH
The Resurrection Bay Company
reported that 96 cases of reds, 185
pinks, one of chums and seven
cohoes were packed last week. For
the corresponding week last year
the pack was 181 reds and 31
chums.
Nearly all fish delivered last
week were brought in by Casey
Cobban and Clyde Gordon. They
are leading the local fishermen in
the number of salmon landed.
Poor Season
In the Bristol Bay area and in
central Alaska the pack is far be
low last year’s. Figures reported
to the Fish and Wildlife Service
show a total pack of 443,046 cases
as compared to 671,899 at this date
last year.
Engineers To
Survey Inlet
Possibilities
i •
I The Cook Inlet Basin, comprising
an area of 47,500 square miles, tri
I butary to Cook Inlet, is the first
j section of Alaska to be investi
i gated by the Alaska District., Corps
; of Engineers, U. S. Army, under
1 authority of a recent directive of
the Board.of Engineers for Rivers
' and Harbors that a comprehensive
j “308 type” report be prepared for
. the Territory of Alaska, according
to Col. O. E. Walsh, North Pacific
Division Engineer.
' The Civil Works function of the
; Corps of Engineers in Alaska, here
j tofore administered by the Seattle
i District, were transferred to the
| Alaska District effective July 1,
; 1949, Col. Walsh said.
Col. Lyle E. Seeman. District
Engineer at Anchorage, has an
nounced that a series of informal
hearings will be held in the future
| at Anchorage, Kenai, Kasilof, Sel
i dovia, Homer and perhaps other
! places along the shores of Cook
Inlet to determine the desires of
i local interests for navigation im
| provements and possibly multiple
• purpose projects involving navi
i gation flood control and hydro
i electric power.
) These hearings will be publicly
I announced with notice given to i
: all parties known to be interested
as soon as the dates have been
; fixed. The hearings and subsequent
investigations and surveys will be
1 under the direction of Col. James
O. Truitt, who 'hands the Special
! Survey Division of the Alaska Dis
trict. Col. Truitt’s permanent head
quarters are in the office of the
North Pacific Division Engineer in
Portland.
TERMINAL KNOT CARRIES
SUPPLIES TO FAR NORTH
FOR NEXT CHRISTMAS
Carrying Christmas supplies to
the Arctic, the Alaska Steamship
Company motorship Terminal
i Knot, under the command of Cap
| tain Minor R. Parks, was expected
to clear Bellingham yesterday,
where it moved to complete load
ing, following its Saturday de
parture from Seattle.
This is the only commercial ves
sel from the States’ ports for the
Alaskan Arctic waters until next
summer. Ice closes this area to
transportation a major portion of
the year. Consequently many vil
lages are entirely dependent on the
Terminal Knot, not only for Christ
mas supplies, but for food, cloth
ing, fuel, equipment and other sup
plies as well.
This voyage will carry freight
as far north as Kotzebue. Other
ports' made exclusively by the
Terminal Knot this season include
Wales, Shishmareff, Deering, and
Keewalik. The Bering Sea ports of
Nome and Teller are also on the
itinerary, as are the Gulf ports
of King Cove and Unalaska.
The Terminal Knot has a capa
city cargo and is not expected to
return to Seattle before the end
of August.
The next Bering Sea departure is
set for August 12. To the pre
viously scheduled ports of this ves
sel (as yet not named) - Unalaska,
Nome, Solomon, Golovin and St.
Michael - Teller has been added.
! CROPPER RADIOMAN
| SEES COUNTRY
Bob Wagner, radioman on the
John Cropper, Coastwise Line
freighter, has discovered the ideal
, way to see the country. He car
! ries a small motor scooter with him
■ on the ship, and while in port he
' travels around fishing, hunting and
I taking pictures,
I On his way to Bear Creek for
| fish this trip his scooter broke
down, and a passing motorist put
1 the machine in the trunk of his
j car. The whole group then went
! fishing before Bob was returned
scooter and all to his ship.