Seward Seaport Record
Formerly The Seunird Polaris & Kcnat Peninsula-Aleutian Chain News
Vol. 5, No. 25
SEWARD, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 29, 1948
Price 10 Cents
Boys’Police
Gets Boost
From P-TA
To avoid the ever-imminent dan
ger of accidents to children, the
Parent-Teacher Association acted
to institute a junior police force at
its meeting last Friday evening.
As in most other cities, the young
traffic police will be furnished with
belts, badges and whistles. But be
cause of local weather conditions,
they will also have rain coats and
hats.
Lon Gray was detailed to request
the power company to make a
check on the lighting facilities in
the school, especially in regard to
eyestrain.
The room set aside for the Pub
lic Health Nurse will be converted
into a badly needed teachers’ rest
room.
It was reported at the meeting
that with the 800 volumes donated
to the school library by the Red
Cross, the school has met all re
quirements of the Northwest
School Association. The Seward
Public School was provisionally
accredited by the association a
year ago.
Mrs. Ralph Reed Is
New Librarian
Seward has a very capable and
experienced Librarian in the per
son of Mrs. Reed, who succeeded
Mrs. Roy Thurston in that office
at the Seward Community Library.
Mrs. Reed has been a resident of
Alaska for twenty years. She
helped to organize the library at
Moose Pass some years ago. The
local library is very well organized
and well stocked, she found.
No new books have arrived dur
ing the past week, but tiie public
will be informed through The Re
cord concerning new reading mat
erial available.
She asked, that book borrowers
be reminded that books may be re
turned by placing them in the slot
in the library door when the li
brary is not open.
Shortage of Piling
Delays Work
On Waterfront j
Lack of piling is holding up the
work on the Small Boat Harbor
as well as the large new Stand
ard Oil dock. Engineer Bill Estes
stated that application has been
made for the purchase of piling!
from local Army Stores.
Since the Army could use the
harbor, it would be to its advant
age to sell piling to the city if
available. The request was made
to Col. W. E. Potter. Fort Richard
son.
No Official Word
On Barge Trip
A telegram from M. L. Davies j
Company, a produce dealer in Se
attle, offering cargo space on a
barge at 25 percent higher rates
than regularly charged, has been
received by Bernie Spain, manager
of the Kenai Co-Op.
According to Mr. Spain no men
tion was made of the name of the
barge nor of the company operat
ing it. The reason for the 25 per
cent increase in rates, although
not specifically stated, is probably
due to unusual difficulties in hand
ling cargo at this particula time.
The cargo space offered was
deck space, in which event extra
expense might be entailed in pro
tecting the produce from weather
on the voyage.
Neither Northern Stevedoring
nor The Alaska Steamship Com
pany have been able to confirm or
deny any news of such sailings.
The Alaska Railroad has been in
formed that at least one barge is
preparing to leave Seattle, but
notification of departure has not
been received.
L. R. Lorang, local agent of The
Barge Line, said he could give no
information beyond the fact that
his office had received no word
that any barges of his company
had left Seattle.
Bears Active But Baffle Hunters;
Destroy Government Weather Data
The bears on Montague Island
?.re very uncooperative either with
the United States government or
with its citizens in general.
That is the opinion of Marion
"Doc” Allen, Gus Grames, Claude
Starkey and Verne Hall who re
turned aboard Capt. Slagle’s Uncle
Sam Monday evening.
“Doc.” who makes the Anchor
age to Fairbanks run as head of
the A.R.R. dining car service, was
following bear tracks up a mount
ain side three miles from McCloud
Bay when he found what was left
of a government weather obser
vation baloon launched from Mer
rill Field on April 24, 1948.
“All that was left of it was the
tag,” said “Doc” who displayed it
;ust before he took off yesterday
morning aboard a 6-place plane
of the Christiansen Air Service—a
special plane sent down to handle
six passengers and the hunter’s
trophies.
“The bears,” said Mr. Allen, “had
completely destroyed the para
chute and the observation instru
ments that went along with it. At
first I was reluctant to touch any
thing, thinking it might be some
sort of bomb, but then I’saw the
tag, read it and will turn it in to
Merrill Field weather bureau as
soon as I get back to Anchorage.”.
The tag was issued by the ,
! Weather Bureau Radiosonde Re-1
onditional Center of Joliet, 111., and !
■ bore barely legible instructions
asking the finder to return the in- ;
' struments to the government,
i Gus Grames, the Anchorage res- i
I taurant proprietor who accompa
! nied the local business men on the
I hunt, says there was plenty of
1 evidence of bears—.tracks every
i where, but none of the party saw
one.
“They were watching us, '
though,” he said. “We got two
deer and a mountain goat. The
first deer we made the mistake of
hanging up in a tree. When we re
turned to the Uncle Sam to sleep
that night, a brownie got away
with the deer. After that we took
no more chances.”
Mr. Starkey described the hunt ■
as almost perfect.
“The weather was fine,” he said, ;
“except for a slight blow and the
fact that it rained all the time we
were on the island.”
Capt. Slagle was prompt at set- [
ting at rest rumors that the party !
had met with shipwreck or other
disaster.
“How the story got started, I
don’t know,” he said, “but we en
countered absolutely no difficulty
other than could be expected at
this time of year.”
I
Navy Offers
College to
2300 Boys
Many young men of Seward who
have completed high school and
are looking for further education
may find their problems solved by
the Navy College Training Pro
gram. released September 26.
College aptitude tests for the se
lection of approximately 2,300 can
didates for 1949 college scholar
ships under the Naval Reserve Of
ficers Training Corps program will
be given throughout the United
States, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto
Rico and the Canal Zone on De
cember 11, 1948.
The deadline for submitting ap
plications for the tests, which will
be given in 550 cities in the 48
states, is November 15, 1948.
Candidates selected will be given
a four-year, government-subsidized
college education. The Navy De
partment pays for tuition, books,
and normal college fees, and in ad
dition, provides the student with a
$50-a-month living allowance.
Male high school seniors and
(Turn to Page 3)
Mail Comes
Through Whittier
The Army is transporting Alas
kan mail through the Port of Whit
tier during the present shipping
strike. Tom Howell, acting post
master in the ab^gnce of Charlie
Sheldon, had orders to send all out
going mail to Anchorage for trans
shipment.
The postal authorities have re
quested that all Christmas pack
ages going outside Alaska be
mailed especially early since Army
ships do not hold to any regular
schedule.
Bowling League
Opens Season
Paulsteiner's Lumberjacks opened
cap Bowling League by taking two
games from Bob Morgan’s Wood
Butchers and dropping one game.
It was the first match of the
short seven week season, and
judging by this first sample, rival
ry will be keen throughout the
season.
Results of all matches will be
published in The Record. League
standings and averages will be
published weekly.
The men have several teams in
the league, and the eighth team,
named the Cow Elks, is a ladies’
team, with Willna Hendrickson as
captain.
The other seven teams are,
Wood Butchers, captained by Bob
Morgan; Paulsteiner’s Lumberjacks
with Chuck Cole for captain; Army
captain. Irish Selvy; Seward Hard
ware team, with Father Turner as
captain: Joe Doyle has the Sham
rocks; Lloyd Calvery captains the
Bull Flks. *and Bill Estes roars for
the Lions.
This Week's Bowling Schedule:
Monday—Lumberjacks vs. Wood
Butchers.
Tuesday—Army vs. Seward Hard
ware.
Wednesday—Shamroks vs. Bull
Elks.
Thursday—Cow Elks vs. Lions.
Sgt. Charles Gunn will leave
Seward Thursday morning. Sept.
30, for Fort Richardson. Sgt. Gunn j
will receive his discharge after six
years’ service in the Army, eight
months of which were spent in
Seward. He will make his home in
Riverside, California.
Railroad Speeds
Upkeep During
Strike Emergency
i
i
The Alaska Railroad is making
good use of extra time on its
hands due to the lull in shipping
activities to catch up on mainten
ance and administrative work.
Forest Kennedy reported that he
has a full crew of 20 men for the
first time this summer, and the
best crew he has had since he has
worked for the railroad. He stated
that more men are needed at1
Hunter and other points on the I
line. All efforts are being made |
to get the line in first class con
dition before the freeze-up.
Marvin Viale
Republican Head
Marvin Viale, well known man
ager of the Resurrection Bay Co.,
was unanimously elected president
of the Seward Republican Club at
its annual election held Friday,
Sept. 24, in the I.O.O.F. Hall.
Other officers elected were: Tom
Osbo. vice president, who filled the
office of president during the ill
ness of the late Thos. Erdmann:
Mrs. Mildred E. Kirkpatrick, secre
tary: Miss Sylvia Sexton, treasurer:
Lloyd Rogers, Paul Wangley and
Mrs. Helen D. Brosius, executive
board. Mrs. Brosius is treasurer of
the Territorial Central Committee.
The meeting was well attended,
and plans were laid for the enter
tainment of J. C. Morris, Anchor
age, candidate for Territorial Sen
ate: and Olaf A. Olson, candidate
for Territorial House of Repre
sentatives along with our own Tom
Osbo.
Morris and Olson have been tour
ing the Bristol .Bay district this
; week and plan to spend a few days
i in Seward before the October 12th
j election. The club officers and the
j precinct committeeman will have
ample notice of their visit, so that
I friends will be able to meet, and
talk with these men concerning the
i issues at stake.
j MRS. KAY McCANN
i ENTERTAINS
| Mrs. Kay McCann was hostess
j at a birthday party for Mrs. Marge
I Murkowski and Helen Gerwer on
Monday. Both guests of honor re
I ceived gifts and a lunch was
served. Other guests present were
Doris Doyle. Annetta Gillespie.
Esther Werner. Mabel Lewis. Max
| ine Kelly, Gen Chancey. Ginger
Gay, Martha Hoffman, and Janet
Shatter.
, Mrs. Gillespie entertained the
group by reading fortunes.
i
i ——— —■ — .
Care Urged
To Bar Polio
In Alaska
Dr. R. O. Sellers, City Health Of
ficers, says the general health con
ditions in Seward are excellent at
present.
He warned, however, that a se
vere Polio epidemic is rampant on
the West Coast and is slowly
working itself northward. This is
a particularly vicious type of polio.
It attacks the brain instead of the
spinal cord, and the mortality
rate is extremely high.
Los Angeles County Hospital r.e
ports receiving from fifty to sixty
cases every day.
Dr. Sellers suggested that chil
dren be given either cold shots or
vitamins in sufficient quantity to
ward off respiratory infections
which are often the prelude to po
lio cases.
He also suggested that mothers
carefully examine their children
each evening for evidences of head
lice. There have been a number of
cases of lice among the school
children. If any are found, either
the teacher or the family doctor
should be informed.
Dr. Sellers stated that head lice
are very easily controlled by any
of several preparations on the
market at the present time.
Society of Christian
Service Meets
The Woman’s Society of Chris
tian Service met last Thursday
evening in the church parlor with
Mrs. Areta Howell and Miss Anna
Martin hostesses for the occasion.
An interesting program and devo
tional service given by Miss Ruth
Leichliter and Mrs. Ruth Cassell
preceded the business meeting.
Coming events on the club’s ag
•genda includes a bazaar which
will be held in the Seward Memor
ial Church during the latter part
of November. Booths of various
items for sale will be displayed and
entertainment and refreshments
will be on hand. Mrs. Annie Hatch
has been appointed general chair
man of the bazaar. Others working
on the committee will be Mrs. Lu*
by Chesnutt and Mrs. Helen Jor
dan. The refreshment committee
includes Miss Ruth Murrell, Mrs.
Mae Metcalf, Beth Muller and
Jerry Noyes.
The next regular meeting of the
Woman’s Society of Christian Ser
vice will be held Thursday. Octo
ber 28, at the Jesse Lee Home with
Mrs. Myrtle Wright and Mrs. Helen
Malcolm hostesses for the evening.
4-H Club Achievement Program
To Be Held Saturday Evening
The Seward Council of 4-H Clubs
will hold an Achievement Day Din
ner in the Parish Hall of St. Peter’s
Episcopal Church, Saturday, Oct. 2,
at 6:30 p.m., for members of the
various clubs, their parents and
guests, one of whom will be Miss
Marilyn Johnson, Home Demon
stration Agent, and Territorial 4-H
Club Director.
After the dinner the general pub
lic is invited to attend the program
of music, display of club work,
demonstrations of the work, and
the presentation of awards for per
sonal achievement.
The Seward Women’s Club
makes an annual au^ard of $5.00:
each to the outstanding boy and
girl. The Junior Women present
ribbons, which are the coveted evi
dence for future prizes, and the
Council makes cash awards to the
winners of entries in baking, sew
ing, knitting, photography, room
improvement, poultry, gardening,
and other projects.
This city carried off more grand
prizes last year than any other
community in the Territory. These
prizes are well worth working for
and the competition is keen. A $100
bond given by Montgomery Ward
& Co., and two $50 bonds given by
Kraft Corp., were won by Seward
young people, is well as the all
expense trip to the National 4-H
Congress whih was won by Rich
ard Dangler.
It is hoped that more children
from the age of ten up will be in
terested in the work for the next
year, enrollment for which will be
gin immediately.