SEWARD’S
All-cWeatkec
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Seward
Territorial Library -*rg g
Vol. VI, No. 2
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY. JULY 8, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Public Meeting
In Civic Center
8:00 Tonight
puouc meeung nas neen ar
ranged for Friday evening at the
Civic Center for the reported pur
pose of discussing the return to
the Seward Police Force of George
Turnbull.
The meeting was called by Dr.
Joseph Shelton, health officer for
the United States Health Service.
This was confirmed by Dr. Shelton
Thursday evening in a telephone
conversation.
The City Council in an economy
measure reduced the police force
to two men last week and at the
Tuesday council meeting a group
of private citizens appeared before
the City Council to ask for his
reinstatement.
A heated discussion took place
in which the council backed Chief
of Police Clark in his right to hire
his assistants.
Some members of the citizens
group said they did not want the
police force reduced, but others
said their object was to get Turn
bull back in regardless of what
happened.
Just who will be at the public
meeting is not known, but it is
possible that some of the city of
ficials may put in an appearance.
Professor Studies
'No-See-Ums'
Dr. and Mrs. Roger W. Williams
of Ridgefield, New Jersey, are!
spending 90 days in the Valdez
area studying the local “No-see
ums”, the tiny and bothersome
insects so well known to Alaskans.
They have an alias, "eubicoides,” J
by which they are known in scien- !
tific circles.
The 31 year old Dr. Williams, ;
who is a member of the faculty.
of medicine at the public health
school of Columbia University, has j
been employed by the United :
States Public Health Service for
the summer to make a study of
the little insects.
Mrs. Williams, who is his lab
technician, is helping him make
the tests of the salinity and acidity j
of the water and soils in the breed- !
ing places they are finding around 1
Valdez in an attempt to find what j
conditions are most, favorable or j
unfavorable to the development of
the “no-see-ums" from the larvai
stage through the adult stage.
They are also studying, not only
the life cycle, but also the “popu
lation peak.’’ The purpose of the
study is to effect control or even
the elimination of the little pests.
Dr. Williams, whose title is Pro
fessor of Entomology, is also mak
ing the study to help the govern
ment health service prepare Alaska
against the possibility that the
little eubicoides might carry dis
eases which could break out into
uncontrollable epidemics.
LUTHERAN SERVICES
Lutheran services will be held
on Monday, July 11, at 8 p.m. at
the Seward Lutheran Church. The
Rev. A. O. Odegaard will officiate.
The regular meeting of the Lu
theran Ladies Aid will be held on
July 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lutheran
Church. This will be the first of
the evening meetings which have
been arranged because some of the
ladies could not attend in the after
noon. Mrs. Albert Baumberger and
Mrs. Clarence Larsen will be host
esses for the evening.
Bert Walker and his family ex
pected to leave Seward Thursday
evening aboard the SS Aleutian.
They planned to sail to Valdez and
drive over the highway to the
States from there.
The Territory's General Fund was
short $907,004.04 to meet its obli
gations at the end of June, accord
ing to a statement issued by Treas
urer Henry Roden.
Alaskan Vets Fail to
Take Advantage of
Available Benefits
Alaska veterans are not taking
advantage of the benefits they
have earned, according to infor
mation from the Commissioner of
Veteran’s Affairs.
An official of the commission
stopped in Seward recently and
loft application forms for Alaska
veteran’s benefits. They were left
at the American Legion Club and
are available at the Seaport Record
office.
Requirements
Any one who lived for a full
year in Alaska before entering the
armed services, and who has served
lor a full year in the service, is
eligible for a loan, provided he
has an honorable discharge and
has returned to Alaska to live.
Repay Bonus
The veteran may receive up to
$2,500 on a promissory note for
business or domestic loan. Up to
$10,000 may be borrowed on 90 per
cent security. If a veteran has re
ceived a bonus he must repay it
with interest before borrowing, or
if he borrows money he may not
receive hte bonus.
Sanatorium Accepted
By Medical Ass'n
Mrs. Mae Gutekunst. adminis
trator of the Seward Sanatorium,
announced Wednesday that the
Sanatorium has been accepted by
the American Medical Association
and is now on the list of registered
hospitals.
Since there are a great many
standards to be met before the
American Medical Association will
approve a hospital, this acceptance
represents a great deal of progress
for the sanatorium since it was es
tablished three years ago.
Dr. Lawrence Lowell is the doc
tor in charge at the sanatorium and
is assisted by Dr. Marich.
Roehm Reappointed
Associate Mining Eng.
The reappointment of John C.
Roehm to the position formerly
held by him as associate mining
engineer on the staff of the Terri
torial Department of Mines was
announced last week by B. D.
Stewart Commissioner of Mines at
Juneau.
Mr. Roehm is now enroute by
automobile from the states via the
Alaska High w a y to Fairbanks,
which has been designated as his
headquarters. There he will assume
the duties formerly assigned to
Bruce I. Thomas, who resigned
from the position last fall in order
to accept the management of the
Brinker-Johnson dredging opera
tion on Caribou Creek in the
Salcha district.
Mr. Roehm first joined the staff
of the Territorial Department of
Mines as associate mining engin
eer in 1935 and, with the exception
of a two year period during which
he was employed in a similar capa
city by the mining department of
the state of Arkansas, he served
continuously as such in Alaska un
til the fall of 1947. At that time
illness in his family required their
returning to Arkansas where he
since has engaged in private prac
tice as mining engineer and geol
ogist.
During his long period of service
in Alaska Mr. Roehm conducted
field investigations for the Terri
torial Department of Mines in
nearly every part of the Territory,
which has familiarized him with
the mineral resoufces and mining
conditions of all sections and en
abled him to build up a very wide
acquaintanceship among prospec
tors and miners. His past exper
ience in Alaska greatly augments
the value of the services he will
be able to render to the public
under his new assignment. It is
expected that he will reach Fair
banks this week.
Explorer And
Lecturer Takes
Photos Here
Neil Douglas, famed explorer and
lecturer, was in Seward Tuesday
making two new adventure films
in color for his 1950 lecture pro
gram. Douglas is one of the very
few explorers who collect scientific
information on the live tidal-front
glaciers and this year’s expedition
is gathering most important data ’
on the little known Prince William
Sound glaciers. In addition to ex
ploring and naming a number of
outstanding features of these re-’
gions for scientific publication and
for new forthcoming maps, Mr.
Douglas records his adventures so
that the public may enjoy the
beauty of these magnificent re
gions.
A number of unusual features
of Seward will be included in the
films Mr. Douglas is building this
year as well as other outstanding
cities and territories as far north
as Point Barrow and as far west
as Wales and Kotzebue.
Neil Douglas is one of the first
to use sound-on-wire for recording
the discharge and thunder of gla
ciers. He discovered and made the
first ascent of a new mountain
ridge in the Muir region of Glacier
Bay which he has named "White
Thunder Ridge.” He explored and
visited for the first time a new
major glacier body in the Prince
William Sound area which be
named “Lafayette.”
Those names and new geograph
ical information accumulated on
his five expeditions into the terri
tory are being accumulated by the
American Geographical Society and
the American Geophysical Union.
He has recorded in sound and on
film his very unusual experiences
with brown bear and giant dis
charging glaciers to make his
Eastern Platform Lectures, out
standing adventure tales, which he
calls “Visualventures."
Mr. Douglas is a very active
member of the Appalachian Moun
tain Club, a Fellow of the Amer
ican Geographical Society, the
American Polar Society and of the
Arctic Institute of North America
and a member of the famous Ex
plorers Club. This, his fifth ex
pedition into the Territory, will
be his most extensive and com
plete. He is accompanied by a
staff of six members who plan
trips this summer to the Pribilof
Islands for seal pictures and Wales
to obtain pictures of native life
in the far north.
COMMITTEE CALLS FOR
ALL BILLS ON FOURTH
OF JULY CELEBRATION
The Fourth of July Coniittee had
its post-celebration meeting Thurs
day evening to call in all out
standing cash and bills so a final
account can be made.
While the committee is reluctant
to make a statement before all
accounts are paid, the outlook is
very optimistic. When all bills are
paid an itemized account will be
published.
The committee is very anxious
that all bills be submitted imme
diately.
ERDMANN-SMITH NUPTIALS
Nora Lee Erdmann of Seward
was married to John P. Smith of
Spokane, Washington, by Acting
Commissioner Anna B. Southard
in a quiet ceremony in the office of
the commissioner Tuesday after
noon.
Mr. Smith, who has been in the
real estate and construction busi
ness for a number of years in Spo
kane, will take over the operation
of the Erdmann Real Estate
Agency here.
Mrs. Smith, who wore a gray
suit and rose corsage at the w’cd
ding, said she will go back to
keeping house.
Many Assessment ,
Forms Are Now
Overdue in City
It was learned Thursday that
only a little more than half of the I
assessment forms for this tax year '
have been turned in so far. These i
forms were due to be turned in .
at the City Hall by July 1st.
This date was set so that the
assessor would have time to pro
cess them and compile the assess
ment rolls- by July 15. To do this
it is necessary to have all the
assessment forms completely filled
out and properly signed. f
The city urges that all who have
not filed their completed forms
with the assessor shall do so im
mediately so that the assessment
roll may be approved by the eoun- j
cil and then entered on the assess-!
ment rolls.
The method of using the new j
forms was instituted for economy,
since, with the cooperation of the
taxpayers, the work may be com- ,
pleted with a great deal less ex
pense. The method of using these
assessment forms is provided for
by Territorial Jaw, which means
it is the legal responsibility of j
every taxpayer to file a complete
and true return over his signature.
Methodist Bishop
Visits Seward
Bishop Gerald Kennedy of the
Methodist Church is visiting in
Seward with Mrs. Kennedy. This is
the first Alaska visit of the Bishop,
whose province also covers Oregon,
Washington and Idaho.
On the way to Seward Bishop
Kennedy visited Ketchikan and
Juneau and dedicated the church
j at Douglas last Sunday.
From Seward he will travel to
Nome, then to Fairbanks and back i
to Anchorage, where there will be
a conference of all ministers and
one layman from each parish, from
July 15 to 17.
On Thursday, Bishop Kennedy
visited Seward General Hospital
and Jesse Lee Home. A visit to
' the Seward Sanatorium was to be
I made before leaving Seward.
Report Salmon Catch
On Increase
In its weekly report of July 2.
the Resurrection Bay Company re
ported that it had packed 81 cases
of Red salmon, 124 Pink, and one
each of Coho and Chum for the
seven day period. These were the j
first Pinks, Chums and Cohoes!
reported.
I On Saturday the cannery re- |
ceived its first sizeable load of i
fish—over 3200 Pinks and a few j
Reds. They were delivered by the !
new cannery tender, “The Eagle.” |
The pack is now slightly larger j
than last year at this time but the 1
values are less.
CHANEYS WIN CITY
BEAUTIFUL AWARD
Mr. and Mrs. Rex Chaney were
recipients of the weekly city beau
tiful award of five dollars in trade
at Brown and' Hawkins for this
week.
The Chaneys have not only
painted and remodeled their quon
set so that it is outstanding in
appearance, but Rex Chaney even
borrowed a bulldozer to grade the
street at the intersection of Sixth
Avenue. Previously the street had
not been cut through at this point.
The stones, which had littered ,
the landscape, are now used as
retaining walls to hold the top
soil Chaneys had hauled in to
make a very attractive garden.
The committee also considered
the home of Mrs. William O’Brien
is worthy of mention for its neat
ness and well kept appearance, also 1
that of Lon Jones. The committee
made it clear again that prizes are
not given for the best appearing
homes, but the ones w’hich show
the most improvement. For this
reasoned only gives honorable men
tion to some people who may have
the finest homes in the city.
Werner Begins
lew Locker
Plant Building
Construction on a completely
modern cold storage locker plant
was begun by Jack Werner this
week on the west side of Fifth
Avenue below Adams Street.
The building will be 80 feet long
by 30 feet wide, of cinder block
construction, with large plate glass
front. Built specifically as a locker
plant, it will have a capacity of
300 lockers and holding rooms.
Extra Protection
The best type of thick cork insul
ation will be used throughout, and
the freon system will be operated
by two compressors, each capable
of cooling the entire plant alone.
Both compressors will be kept in
operation, so that if one should
break down the other will auto
matically assume the full load.
Long Estabished
Since it is scarcely possible that
Doth compressors would be out of
operation at the same time, frozen
food in the lockers will be well
protected at all times, even though
repairs on one unit should take
several days.
Jack Werner has spent many
years in Alaska, and on March 3,
celebrated the eighth anniversary
of the opening of Werner’s Market
here. His father, Hinie Werner,
operates Hinie's Liquor Store.
Transfer Functions of
Army Engineers
Except for dredging the Wrangell
Narrows and the construction of
the sea wall at Nome, all civil
functions of the U. S. Army Engin
eers will be transferred to the dis
trict engineer's office at Anchorage
effective after July 1,
After the contract is awarded for
the sea wall at Nome the contract
will be transferred to Anchorage.
Civilian functions of the engineers
include all investigation and sur
veys for flood control work, the
construction of these works when
authorized by Congress, collection
of commercial statistics and per
mits for structures in navigable
waters.
Fish Trap Permit's
In the future, applications for
permits for fish traps and for the
construction or placement of ob
structions or structures in navi
gable waters of Alaska should be
sent to the district engineer at
Anchorage. Requests for permits to
change location or ownership of
fish traps should also be sent to
the Anchorage office.
FIRST D. P. FAMILY ARRIVES
The first family of Displaced
Persons of Europe arrived in Sew
ard aboard the Aleutian Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Vilis Arins and two
small sons, Walter and John, aged
8 and 10, are from Latvia, but
since the war have been living at
Entin in the American zone in
Germany.
Mr. Arins is a cousin of Mrs. Wm.
Pege, associated with Seward Fish
and Cold Storage Company, and
the family will live with the Peges
until they get settled into a life
in the Territory.
LEGION HONORS PAST
COMMANDERS WEDNESDAY
At its regular meeting Wednes
day evening the American Legion
Seward Post No. 5 honored past
commanders of the post and pre
sented them with Past Com
mander's Pins. Those receiving the
pins were H. Everett Hoy, Joe
Doyle and Charles Sheldon.
Sheldon, who has been a member
of the local Legion for many years,
was also given a life time member
ship.
At the meeting reports were
given by the members who had
been delegates to the Legion Con
vention at Mt. McKinley Park last
month.