SEWARD’S
All-cWeather
SEAPORT
Is Alaska’s
Greatest Asset
Vol. VI, No. 83
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1950
Price 10 Cents
Seward Offered Program For
Armed Forces Day, May 20
Sgt. Williams, ACS, and city
officials are working together
on a tentative program for a
celebration on Armed Forces
Day, May 20, which has been
proclaimed a national holiday
by President Truman.
Word was received this morn
ing from General Nathan Twin
ing, Hdqts. Alaska Command,
that assistance is available in
the setting up of a program,
such as a detachment of soldiers
for a parade, a public speaker
and possiblly a navy destroyer.
The Alaska Command is mak
ing a special effort to acquaint
the people in communities of
1000 or more population, in
which there is now no type of
military installation, with the
work of the various branches
of the services. Inasmuch as
there are only three soldiers in
Seward aside from those in ACS,
this city sees very little of any
thing military. For many years
before and during the war, Sew
ard received frequent visits
from Naval vessels, and there
was always a ship in port on
the 4th of July. In February,
1949, the local officials succeed
ed by dint of much correspond
ence and effort, in persuading
the U. S. Navy to send in two
tenders, the Salisbury Sound
and the Suisan. The city enter
tained the crews, and the ships
entertained the townspeople.
Since that time Seward has had
no acquaintance with the Navy
at all, seldom sees a military |
plane, and has had no visit from !
the Coastguard for several
months. Consequently it is the I
general opinion that the city,
will be more than glad to co
operate with the Alaska Com- j
mand to celebrate Armed Forces j
JJay.
In reply to General Twining’s
communication, the Committee
has requested the public speak
er, a detachment of soldiers,
providing that they will be sup
plied with sleeping cars, since
there is no longer adequate ac
comodation for so many. They
will also ask for a visit from
a Navy destroyer or other type
vessel, and for a squadron of
planes or jet fighter-planes to
fly over the city during the
parade. Arrangements will be
made for a dance at night if the
proposed plans materialize.
REPUBLICAN CLUB MEETS
FRIDAY NIGHT
A special meeting of the Sew
ard Republican Club which was
scheduled for Wednesday night;
of this week, has been postponed
until Friday, April 21 at 8:00
p.m. in the Lutheran Church
basement.
'Round 'N' 'Bout
Mrs. Fannie Kirch returned'
Friday from Billings, Montana, j
where she has been visiting her j
brother. I
The “Boss” is laid up, and
the printer’s devils put out the
paper today. Don’t say it! We
know it looks like it! But if you
will bear with us maybe we’ll
learn.
Councilman Don Wilson, who
has been very ill is in Seward
General Hospital, is recovering
and expects to be back at his
desk in the American Express
Office before very long.
Miss Ernestine Zollman, Child
Welfare Director of the Veterans '
Administration in Juneau, is in
Seward for a few days.
Miss Marion Munson left town
last week for an extended va
cation Stateside.
Civic Groups Assist
Red Cross Campaign
Seward Boy Scouts, Rainbow
Girls and loyal women about
town are assisting the Red Cross
drive for funds this week.
The Scouts set up all the
posters, all day Saturday the
Rainbow Girls attended the
booths in the grocery stores, and
will take over again next Sat
urday.
During the week, ladies of
the town have volunteered to
attend booths so that none of
the four will be left alone for
any length of time.
The response has not been
too good so far, but coming as
it has between pay days, finds
people not prepared or in cir
cumstances to make contribu
tions until next week. The Chap
ter feels sure that the end of the
drive, April 27, will bring in a
full quota. Whatever the amount
may be, large or small, this two
weeks will end the campaign.
Seward has not fallen down on
any of its obligations in the past
few years, and the National
officers have been assured that
it will not do so now.
Letters to the Editor:
April 2, 1950
To the newspaper at
Seward, Alaska
Twenty-five years, one quar
ter of a century, seems like a
long time but the years have
gone swiftly for us and as I look
back it brings to me a wealth
of reminiscense.
In July, 1924, my wife and I
sailed from Seattle on the Alas
ka Steamship Company’s liner
“Yukon” for Seward, to us seem
ingly into the unknown, and re
mains one of the most enjoyable
adventures of our lives, one
that brings fond memories and
the never to be forgotten friend
ly people of Seward.
We arrived at Seward on the
following Saturday morning and
were met by Mr. and Mrs. Leon
Urbach, who owned the clothing
store where I was to work for
the next 16 months. For a short
time, we lived in the Urbach’s
apartment, which was up over
the newspaper office, then we
moved into a three room quar
ters over Graefs Hardware Store.
Mr. and Mrs. Urbach had taken
a trip westward with that fine
old skipper Capt. Johansen. Mr.
Urbach was a very considerate
employer, allowing me time off
for fishing and hunting trips,
or just plain sightseeing tours.
These trips were for ptarmigan
on Marathon Mountain, also for
grouse in the mountains across
the bay, beyond the Naval Sta
tion radio towers. Most of these
trips were made with my very
good friend, Dr. A. R. Roberts,
who was the dentist at that time,
and a very good one, too. One
fishing trip that I recall was
for dolly, varden trout with the
owner of the hotel, whose name
I can’t remember. He wore golf
knickers most of the time. This
was to a stream about two miles
from town.
Other friends who might still
be in Seward were Martin Lan
ning, the police and fire chief,
Mr. and Mrs. Rucker, a lawyer,
Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt, who had
a bakery—incidentally my wife
worked for them for a few
months. Then there was “Pistol
Pete”, the old prospector that
Mr. Urbach was always grub
staking, but Pete was unable
to find anything worth while;
iTum to Page 4)
Mayor Proclaims
Month of May
'Clean-Up Month'
A PROCLAMATION . . .
Every adult and child of
Seward can enlist in the drive
to clean up our City, Mayor
Eugene N. Lanier stated today
in issuing his proclamation offi
cially designating the month of
May as Clean-Up Month.
During the past winter months
the City has been strewn with
papers and rubbish by the winds.
The melting snow has uncovered
trash of all kinds leaving our
City in need of some spring
housecleaning. With warm wea
ther coming this becomes im
mediately necessary to avoid a
health hazard. Therefore the
following proclamation:
“Whereas, trash and rubbish
litter our alleys, streets and va
cant lots and constitute a major
health hazard: and
“Whereas, the general debris
scattered around our City is un
sightly to the public view; and
“Whereas, it is Spring;
THEREFORE, I, Mayor of the
City of Seward, Alaska, do offi
cially designate the period from
May 1st to May 31st, 1950, as
CLEAN-UP MONTH in the City
of Seward, Alaska, and do urge
the residents of Seward to sup
port the Clean-Up Drive.
“Eugene N. Lanier,
Mayor of Seward.”
BOY SCOUTS WILL HELP
The Seward Boy Scouts are
working very hard on a project
to provide uniforms for the
whole troop before the 4th of
July. The people of Seward can
help them by calling upon the
boys in this clean-up campaign
to clear off vacant lots and ad
joining streets. All debris, when
piled either at the front or on
the alley, will be collected by
city trucks. Debris consists of
stumps, logs, and trash — but
NOT stones.
This is the opportunity to
clean up the town, and at the
same time to lend a helping
hand to the Boy Scouts on their
uniform drive.
SPECIAL MEETING OF
COUNCIL TO DISCUSS
WATER SITUATION
The City Council will meet in
special session Thursday, April
20, to discucc the city water
situation. Members of the Sew
ard Water Supply Co. are ex
pected to be present, and Ed
ward Arnell, City Attorney, will
attend the session.
The public is invited to hear
the discussion and to present
any complaints or suggestions.
BUILDING PERMITS
NECESSARY
With the spring building pro
gram about to get under way
the City Clerk reminds towns
people that according to City
Ordinance No. 31, all buildings,
whether new or additions and
improvements, require a Build
ing Permit.
The permit can be purchased
from the City Clerk at a nominal
fee.
— NOTICE —
The Sterling Road will be
closed from April 15 to May
1. 1950.
No traffic will be permitted
and violators will be prose
cuted.
The closed area is as fol
lows: from Henlon's Lodge
at Russian River to Kenai;
from Kenai to Kasilof; from
Kasilof to Homer.
ALASKA ROAD
COMMISSION
Ralph Soberg,
General Foreman
George Puckett,
Highway Polrolman
College Decision Delayed By
Methodist Board of Education
P-TA To Discuss
Hot Lunch Program
The topic to be discussed at
the Parent-Teachers’ meeting
this coming Friday evening,
April 21, at 8 p.m. in the Study
Hall of the High School, will be
the establishing of a Hot Lunch
Program for the coming school
year.
Information and data has
been gathered on this program
as requested by many parents
of the lunch-carrying students,
and it is to the benefit of the
parents of these children and all
others interested to be on hand
at the meeting to lend their full
support if a Hot Lunch Program
is to be put into efect. Otherwise
the project will be dropped.
A motion picture in techni
color entitled, “The School that
Learned to Eat,” will be shown.
This film, besides being highly
interesting and entertaining, will
be of valuable help in furthering
our own Hot Lunch Program.
The highlight of the social
hour will be a talk on and an
exhibition of translucent semi
gem specimens by Mr. Russell
Norton. Mr. Norton, who is an
excellent lapidarist and an au
thority on gems, has prepared
his specimens so that the audi
ence may view them under fluor
escent light. He will also pro
ject transparancy slides he has
made by slicing the rock so
thin that it can be projected on
the screen in all its lovely color
and formations.
An interesting evening has
been planned for the parents’
enjoyment and if you have not
attended any meeiings of your
school P-TA, it is hoped that
you will be able to attend at
this time. All other town folks
are cordially invited.
There will also be a discussion
on playground equipment, now
that there is a new and enlarged
playground to put it on. The
meeting will be closed with
refreshments served by the sixth
grade mothers.
! REGISTRATION CLOSES
NEXT FRIDAY
This is the final week and
the last chance to register before
the Primary Election in the Ter
ritory. The registration books
will be closed at 3:00 p.m. Fri
day, April 21.
By law it is necessary to reg
ister every calendar year to vote
in Alaska. No matter what one’s
politics may be, for the good
of Seward, every eligible voter
should get his name on that
register and cast his vote in
the Primary on Tuesday.
SEWARD BEARDS
BEGIN TO SHOW
In spite of the groans and
cries of anguish arising from the
feminine contingent as well as
from the agriculturists (or would
it be horticulture?) the beards
are beginning to sprout in
Seward.
By decree of the Fourth df
July Committee, the men of
Seward will prove their man
hood by growing long, luxurient,
or straggly beards to advertise
the coming celebration.
Passengers coming off the
ships may not know the differ
ence. Maybe they will expect
to find sourdoughs of Alaska
tripping over their beards. If
so, they will not be disappointed.
We hope to see the entire long
shore crew with their beards
tied up out of danger by the 4th
of July.
What men will sacrifice for
a cause!
Rev. Paul Irwin, in a tele
phone ronversation with his wife
list night reported that he met
with the Methodist Board of Ed
ucation in Cleveland yesterday,
concerning the locating'of a lib
eral art college in Alaska.
After discussing the matter at
great length, the board came to
the decision that the project ap
pears too large to be undertaken
by any single church organiza
tion. It was therefore recom
mended that other church groups
be contacted with the idea of
making the institution an inter
denominational responsibility.
So far as is known, a delega
tion of the enlarged or mixed
group will visit Alaska in Sep
tember to continue the investi
gation of the Territory for a
suitable location.
The question does not seem to
have been dropped, as the need
for a liberal arts college is ac
knowledged by the Federation
of Churches in America. Sew
ard’s fight for the cause is not
lost, according to Rev. Irwin,
but there is nothing more to be
done by the board until fall.
I Rev. Irwin is expected home
' in a few days. More details of
the conference will be made
public soon after his return.
I
Paul McMullen To Be
Soloist in Concert
Word has been received here
that Paul McMullen, son of Mrs.
Ray James of Seward, will be a
baritone soloist in the concert to
be given by the Whitman Col
lege choir in Walla Walla, Wash
ington, May 6, at 12:30 p.m.
Alaska time.
The concert will be released
over more than 550 stations of
the Mutual Broadcasting Com
pany in the States at 2:30 p.m.
Seattle time, which will make
it 12:30 noon, Alaska time.
Whitman College has a choir
of 60 voices, and has been se
lected os one of the 35 best col
lege choirs in the United States.
Two Alaskans are members of
the choir: Paul McMullen, who
graduated from Seward High
School last year, and Jean Vaara
of Anchorage, who is an alto.
Paul has been a general favor
ite in Seward all during his high
school days, his voice being the
backbone of all musical events.
He is truly Seward's own, and
the townspeople feel a posses
sive interest in him.
It is not known yet whether
Alaskan stations will carry the
broadcast, but efforts will be
made to bring the recordings to
the Territory.
BIRTHDAY PARTY
SURPRISES PAIR
April 12th was the date for
a surprise birthday party for
Mrs. Charles Anderson and Win
ston Carter.
The celebration took place
at the spacious home of the
Emil V. Nelsons. Tables of
canasta and pinochle were set
up after the many gifts were
opened.
Barbara was especially pleas
ed with a framed finger paint
ing by her first grade god-son,
Emil V. Nelson, Jr. The paint
ing was very effective. Although
there was a little controversy
over the top and bottom, there
was a soft allure about it not
found in the majority of modern
paintings, with their grotesque
eyes and scrawny fingers.
The traditional name cakes
were served with home made
ice cream after the other re
freshments.
A very nice evening was en
joyed by the many guests.