SEWARD’S
All-'Weatkcr
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Territorial Library
Seward Seaport Record
Formerly The Seward Polaris Sr Kcnai Peninsula/lleiitian Chain News
Vol. V, No. 58
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JAN. 21, 1949
Price 10 Cents
Episcopal
Bishop Here
Sunday
The Rt. Rev. William J. Gordon,
Jr., Episcopal Bishop of Alaska,
will be a visitor to St. Peter’s
Church this coming Sunday, Janu
ary 23. Bishop Gordon will admin
ister the Sacrament of Confirma
tion to a class of candidates Sun
day at 11 a.in.
Bishop Gordon was at one time
in charge of St. Peter’s Church.
Later he was transferred to Point
Hope, where he was Priest-in
Charge of St. Timothy’s Mission
until his consecration as Bishop of
Alaska last May.
At the time of his consecration
Bishop Gordon was the youngest
man of the Anglican Church to be
elevated to the Episcopate. Bishop
Gordon has his office in Fairbanks
and makes his yearly visits from
that point. This is the first time
he has been in Seward since 1943.
The public is invited to attend
this service at St. Peter’s Sunday.
COMBINED CHOIRS TO SING
PARTS FROM "THE MESSIAH"
Choirs of the Seward Memorial
Church and St. Peter's Episcopal
Church have combined to practice
for a concert to be given during
Easter week. Excerpts from Han
del's “The Messiah” will be sung.
The first meeting of the com
« bined choirs was held Wedne day
evening, January 19, at the Seward
Memorial Church, with 25 singers
in attendance.
Much interest has been aroused
in Seward concerning the concert,
which will be given for the plea
sure of all the people in the com
munity.
All interested people are invited
to attend the practice sessions be
ing held each Wednesday evening
at 8 o’clock in the Seward Me
morial Church.
No Smiths
Listed in City
Phone Book
> It is a situation more uncommon
than apple blossoms in January,
but it is a fact, nevertheless, that
there are no Smiths listed in the
Seward telephone directory.
There are two Browns listed and
two Jones, but not a single Smith;
not even of the variety commonly
called Schmidt. The‘nearest rela
tive to a Smith to be found in the
directory is a lone ‘‘Smid, Lt.”
Perhaps there is a telephone di
rectory somewhere else in the
United States that lists no Smiths,
but it is very doubtful. Except for
KUroy, there probably is no other
name in the world as well known
as that of Smith.
Several theories have been ad
vanced to account for this unusual
situation in Seward. The most
credible explanation is that there
are so many Smiths they have
their own telephone exchange.
[ Even so, it is scarcely likely the
{ Smiths would be so strong in n
town of merely three thousand
people.
Another theory, qdvanced by a
foreign power, is that the Smiths
are merely a downtrodden minority
in Seward. It is a known fact that
there are a number of Smiths re
siding in Seward and it is rumored
that the new telephone directory
will be “normal.”
HOUSE NUMBERS TO BE IN
NEW PHONE DIRECTORY
The new Seward telephone direc
I tory will list street and house num
bers as well as phone numbers, it
1 was learned yesterday.
Telephone subscribers are asked
to call the telephone office to give
their house numbers as soon aj
possible so they can be listed be
fore the deadline for printing the
new directory.
! Do you know your bouse number?
Alaska Dental Clinic
Proposed by Dr. Pope
What is probably the most pro
gressive and enlightened program
for dental health in Alaska has
been initiated by Dr. Horace Pope,
Public Health dentist for the Ter
ritory.
The seven point program of ob
jectives for dental health and an
11 point program for the role of
professional personnel in dental
work would correlate the efforts
of all groups interested in the pro
motion of health, and would de
pend a great deal on school teach
ers and Public Health nurses as
well as dentists.
An article in Alaska’s Health, a
publication of the Department of
Health, describes Dr. Pope’s pro
gram in detail.
“The extremely high incidence of
dental diseases in Alaska towns
and villages,” the article says,
“points up the tremendous need
for a more thorough and encom
passing dental program.
“The focal spot of such a pro
gram falls upon our school chil
dren, since this is the age at which
the most effective program’ oi
treatment and dental health edu
cation can be efficiently worked
out.
‘‘By and large the small group
of private practitioners in the Ter
| ritory of Alaska are kept much too
busy with services rendered tc
adults. Too small a percentage cl
these practitioners want to be trou
bled with children’s dentistry.
Thus we are confronted with a
situation which has no hope of so
lution unless a more effective pro
gram of dental health is effected
in our schools.’’
The article, from which the in
troduction is quoted above, then
describes in detail the measures
which must be taken by the
Health Department and all health
organizations if dental health is to
be promoted in the Territory.
The author, Dr. Pope, is well
known in Seward and has spent
the past several months here doing
dental work for the patients at the
Seward Sanatorium.
President
Takes Oath
Of Office
For 29 minutes on Thursday, Jan.
20, the United States had no chief
executive.
President Truman completed his
term of office at 12 noon, and it
was not until 12:29 p.m. that he
I _
vvtsdSSS IMP**
I
The President
Mrs. Truman
took the oath of office for the com
| ing four years.
A little longer time elapsed be
| tween the time President Roose
velt passed away anti the moment
Truman was sworn in as President
in April of 1945.
The most dramatic occasion of a
; vice-president’s taking the oath of
office following tlm death of a
; president was that of Calvin
Coolidge.
When President Harding died,
Coolidge was on a New England
! farm with his father. When the
news of HaTdmg’s death was made
known, Coolidge took the oath be
fore his father, a notary public, by
the light of a kerosene lamp.
The ceremony took place tins
year with the greatest pomp and
display of might in history. The
over-crowded national capital was
swamped with an influx of 500,000
visitors from all parts of the United
States and most countries of the
world.
Taking upon his shoulders the
new mantle of a president elected
in his own right, the President
spoke very sharply and strongly
on the subject of communism and
the great display of military
strength in the inaugural parade
added to his speech a strong flavor
of sincerity.
HEART FAILURE FOUND CAUSE
OF OLAF JOHNSON DEATH
The finding of the coroner's jury
inquest into the death of Oiaf
Johnson last Sunday evening was
that the death was due to heart
failure resulting from shock.
It was known that Johnson had
been in ill health for some time,
i and his death was no surprise to
his many acquaintances in Seward
The reason for the inquest was
that his death followed a slight
accident earlier in the evening, in
which he was found to have suf
fered no bodily injury.
Olaf Johnson had been known in
Seward for approximately 25 years.
He'is known to have come to this
country from Norway. It is said
that he has relatives there now.
Another report to the effect that
a sister of his is in Seattle has not
yet been verified. It is believed
that he served in the United States
armed forces during World War I.
At the time fo his death he was 68
| years old.
Great Advance
For Seward Seen
By U.S. Official
The prediction that the coming
year will be a period of great ad
vancement for Seward and the
Kenai area was made today in
Seward by Joseph T. Flakne, Chief
of the Alaska Branch of the Divi
sion of Territories of the Depart- J
ment of the Interior.
"I believe the coming year will
he one of great development for
Alaska,” he said, “inasmuch as
Alaska is entering upon its first
real post-war year, and is doing
away with war-time cost-plus
methods of production, and assur
ing fair, competitive bidding on
contracts for labor and materials.”
Contractors will be interested in
making each dollar reach as far
as possible when contracts are let
on a competitive basis instead of
cost-plus.
If contracts are to be let on a
competitive basis, as Mr. Flakne
says, this will greatly reduce the
costs of development, since on a
cost-plus basis, a contractor who is
not conscientious can boost the
cost to boost his plus profit.
Flakne said that this would also
mean that contractors would hire
more local labor since they would
be looking for men who were
known to be dependable, and
whose housing would not be a
problem.
He suggested that the people of
Seward take an inventory of past
• Continued on page 2)
‘Best Harbor
In Alaska’ —
Skinner
Carlton Skinner, Special Assist
ant to the Secretary of the Interior,
was in Seward today on an in
formal study of water transporta
tion facilities and warehouses. He
also asked for copies of agree
ments with the unions.
A party of six Seward business
men, including the mayor and the
president of the Chamber of Com
merce, escorted Mr. Skinner on his
tour of the waterfront. Tom Jones
of The Alaska Railroad was one of
the group.
Skinner’s visit was hurried. He
came in at 11:30. The luncheon
took place at 12:45, with the in
spection of the docks immediately
following. He departed by plane
from Seward at 3:00 p.m.
Immediately on his arrival at the
airport Mr. Skinner made known
that the purpose of his visit was to
examine all w'ater transportation
facilities on the Seward water
front.
He said that he had already
heard a great deai of the present
situation in Seward. In the first
minute or two of conversation he
stated emphatically that Seward
had been part of his itinerary from
the very beginning, and remarked
. that it would be impossible to pass
it up on his survey trip sinc^it is
one of our very finest harbors.
! His greatest interest appeared to
(Turn to Page 4)
Rainbow Girls Install
Officers for New Year
Seward Assembly No. 6. Order of
Rainbow for Girls, held installa
tion Saturday evening, January 15
at the Masonic Temple.
Beverly Seater, Worthy Advisor,
was installing officer, with Jean
Brattain installing chaplain, Patsy
Woods installing recorder, Margar
et Ann Lindsey installing marshal.
Mr. Thos. Howell assisted as mu
sician.
The following officers were in
stalled:
Beverly Abrahamsen, Worthy Ad
visor: Julia Hatch, Worthy Associ
ate Advisor; Jeanette Lind. Char
ity; Evelyn Gilbert. Hope; Margar
et Ann Lindsey, Faith; Phyllis
Dangler, Recorder; Jo Ann Milroy,
Treasure; Patsy Woods, chaplain:
Betty Hoogland, drill leader; Phyl
lis Baker, Love; Iris Smith. Re
ligion; Nancy Reichmann, Nnture;
Wilma Myers, Immortality; Eleanor
1 Salit, Fidelity; Ruth DeWolfe.
Patriotism; Jeanne Reed, Service:
Mary Rogers, Confidential Observ
er; Jean Brattain, Outer Observer:
Mary Thomas, Keeper of the Jew
els; Erlene Brooks, Keeper of Para
phernalia; Gail Jacobs, Choir Di
rector. Vera Lohman in the choir,
and Mrs. Dan Bedford as Mother
Advisor.
Those installed on the Advisory
Board were Mr. and Mrs. Thos.
Howell, Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Whip
ple, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Jordan, Mr.
and Mrs. Delbert Robbins, and Mrs.
Casey Cobban.
The newly installed Worthy Ad
visor, Beverly Abrahamsen, had
j her mother presented in the East
i for introduction and presented her
with a beautiful corsage.
Beverly Seater was presented
with her Past Worthy Matron’s
jewel from the assembly by Bever
ly Abrahamsen. On behalf of her
officers, Julia Hatch approached
the East and presented Beverly
Seater with a gift from her offi
cers. Beverly expressed her thanks
to the assembly for her jewel and
her appreciation to her officers for
their cooperation during her term
as Worthy Advisor. Mrs. Delbert
Robbins was then presented v/ith
her Past Mother Advisor’s jewel by
Beverly Seater from the assembly.
Mrs. Robbins expressed her ap
preciation and pleasure in working
with Rainbow. The girls gave Mrs.
Robbins two pieces of sterling sil
ver. Mrs. Howell approached the
East and presented Mrs. Robbins a
gift on behalf of the Advisory
Board. Mrs. Bedford also presented
a gift to Mrs. Robbins. Beverly
Seater was given a pen from her
mother and father and also a gift
from Mrs. Robbins.
Following the installation cere
mony cards and dancing were en
joyed by the large number attend
ing.
Refreshments were furnished by
the Rainbow mothers and served
by Mrs. Roy Seater, chairman, as
sisted by Mrs. Peter Hatch and
Mrs. Clarence DeWolfe.
n 1 .1 lit ANCHORAGE HIGH SCHOOL
DciSK6tu3.ll! SEWARD HIGH SCHOOL
*■
Adults 75c HIGH SCHOOL GYM
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22
MONDAY, JANUARY 24
Preliminary Starts 7:30
Students 50c