Seward Seaport Record
Formerly The Sc-ward Polaris & Kcnai Peninsula-Aleutian Chain Netvs
Vol. 5, No. 37
SEWARD, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 10, 1948
Price 10 Cents
Marine Ways
Prepare for
Rush of Work
Floodlights were used the past j
several days at the Marine Ways
when preparations were pushed to j
completion so that the ways would
be ready to take the Army fireboat
which is due to arrive from Whit
tier for repairs.
This will be the first boat
brought to the ways for repairs!
since it has been under the pres
ent management, Mr. Tom Riley
said. The cradle has been put in
shape, and rollers on one track ]
have been replaced.
Mr. Riley said that other boats
are expected to be in for repairs
in the near future. He said, too,
that the ways are to be open for
rental use of other bidders on re
pair jobs. One competitor has sig
nified that he may make use of j
the city’s facilities, Mr. Riley said. ,
The four partners who have
leased the facilities believe that
their operation will bring business
to Seward because of the supplies
they use, as well as those used by
the boats and individual purchas
ers.
While some additional help will
be needed for work of repairing
boats at the Marine Ways, at pres
ent the only additional men re
quired will be skilled workers.
Seward Fish Go To
States by Air Freight
Quite a large consignment of
frozen halibut steaks from the Sew
ard Cold Storage plant went by rail
to Anchorage this week for air
shipment to Billings, Montana.
The fish can be shipped economic
ally in this manner, it was stated,
because the planes fly at an alti
tude where the air is cold enough
to make unnecessary any refrigera
tion. Besides, the cargo can go di
rectly to its destination without
further handling, which further re
duces costs.
While some scales and machines
have been purchased for the pro
duction line work of slicing, glaz
ing, and packaging the fish, the
firm will have to secure much
more equipment in odrer to do an
efficient job of handling the large
orders coming its way.
By next summer it is expected
that a full scale production line
will be in operation. So far the
firm has been able to hire a few
local workers, and it is hoped that
employment will be possible for1
many more by next year.
NEW METAL SHOP BEING
ERECTED IN SEWARD
The basement of the large ce
ment block building being erected
on Fourth Avenue at the top of
the hill will be the home of Earl
Cass’ Sheet Metal Shop. It will be
a two-story building 70 feet long
and 28 feet wide.
The large basement will be used
for Mr. Cass’ metal working shop,
while the first floor will be occu
pied by a store with an apartment
in the rear.
The metal shop is being housed
in the old bomb shelter at present
and is well equipped.
Mr. and Mrs. Franki R. Bums re
ceived word that they have a new
grandson, born on November 4.
Hie child is the son of their daugh
ter, Mrs. Harry J. Gedeney of
Sweet Home, Oregon.
Weather-Bound Couple Find
Skeletons, Cows, Food, Machinery
On Chirokoff Island Inspection
Bob Martin, Seward bush pilot,
returned Monday from a stormy j
trip to Chirokoff Island to bring |
Mr. and Mrs. G. W. McCrary of
Anchorage back to the mainland
The McCrarys had gone to Chiro
koff September 17 to inspect ma
chinery abandoned when the Navy
left the island. Jack McChord iiojds
the lease on the island.
When Martin did not come for j
the McCrary’s October 48 as ex
pected, Mr. McCrary starting get
ting ready for what might have
been an extended stay on the
island. McCrary’s lived in a build
ing left by the Navy and used sup
plies left behind by the service
unit when they abandoned the
installation. The food was ample
though, according to McCrary, not
exactly the variety a person would
wish to live on for any length of
time.
Mr. McCrary repaired an engine
and hooked up a generator to get
power for lights in the house, uti
lizing fixtures taken from an
abandoned Caterpillar. He had just
finished digging out the well and
installing an old pump to get run
ning water in the house when Mar
tin flew in to pick them up.
The 12 days preceding Martin's
arrival had been so stormy that
flying to the island was out of the
question. In fact, McCrary said, the
wind blew so hard at times that
he expected their living quarters
to be torn from the foundation.
Martin landed at 4 p.m. on Oc
tober 31 and the party took off
one hour later, not daring to wait
till the next day. They flew to
Port Heiden and were weathered
in there for a week. They spent
one night at Naknek and praise
the CAA personnel there for their
hospitality. From Naknek they
came to Seward and Mr. and Mrs.
McCrary plan to go on to Anchor
age in a few days.
Chirokoff Island, it will be re
membered, was the site of a Rus
sian prison of the pre-U.S. days in
Alaska, and McCrary says evidence
of the old Russian days still exists,
including many human skeletons
scattered along the beach.
According to McCrary there are
about 700 Russian Hereford cattle
on the island, descendants from the
original stock left by the Russians.
The cattle are very wild, but good
sized, estimated to weigh from
1200 to 1300 pounds each when
grown. The pair would at least
have had plenty of fresh meat had
they been forced to spend the win
ter on lonely Chirokoff.
McCrary believes the wind blows
more and harder at Chirokoff than
anywhere in the world.
The couple were none the worse
for their experience and McCrary
said the main worry he had was
caused by the shortage of tobacco.
OUT OF WORK? APPLY
FOR COMPENSATION
There is always more unem
ployment in winter months. We are
again approaching the season
when many Alaskans find them
selves jut of work.
If you have employed for the
past several months in covered
employment, that is, working for
an employer who comes under the
Alaska Unemployment Law, and
now find yourself unemployed
through no fault of your own,
and if you are able and available
for and actively seeking work, you
should go in person or, if too far
away, write to your nearest Ter
ritorial Employment Service Of
fice and ask for the proper forms
for registering for work and filing
an initial claim for unemployment
insurance, providing of course, no
suitable work is available for you.
The maximum you may be en
titled to is $25.00 per week for 25
weeks; the minimum, if you are
eligible for any amount at all, is
S3.00 per week for 8 weeks.
Take advantage of your rights
under the Unemployment Services
Offices located at the following
towns: Ketchikan, Wrangell, Jun
eau, Cordova, Kodiak, Anchorage,
and Fairbanks.
MUSIC AT THE
LEGION CLUB
In order to liven up entertain
ment at the American Legion Club
a program of music is to be on the
program on Friday and Saturday
evenings. Mrs. Barbara Manos will
be at the piano and Sid Urie will
play drums.
* This week’s winner of the Ster
ling Silver Club at J. Vic Brown
and Sons was Mr. Bob Trotter.
S-Sgt. Larry Hume Joined his
wife here Saturday after getting
his discharge from the Army at
Whittier.
Wildlife Pictures To
Be Shown at H.S. Gym
On Sunday, 14 November 1948, at
eight o'clock in the evening in the
High School gym there will be a
showing of Alaskan Wildlife pic
tures filmed by the Fish and Wild
life Service. U. S. Department of
the Interior.
The showing will take approxi
mately two hours. There are five
separate subjects, all in color, but
without sound. Titles are:
Alaska Sport Fishing, Wildlife
of the Aleutians, Alaska Game
and Fur Bearers, Niobrara Wild
life Refuge, and Birds of Woody
Island.
CITY TO GET
NEW DRAGLINE
The owner of the power barge,
Rosemary, has agreed to pay the
city a sum of money equivalent
to the cost of a new dragline
bucket and cable to replace the
bucket and cable which the barge
pulled loose from the city equip
ment and lost in the bay this sum
mer.
The Seldovia man who is own
er of the barge at first believed
i the bucket and line could be found
at low tide after his power barge
left Seward. Fred Kielcheski re
ported, however, that he and other
j city employes had searched the
shore line at extreme low tide
with no results. It might be pos
sible to drag the bottom for the
equipment, but if it took several
days work, or if the equipment
could not be found in this manner,
it would only add to the cost. The
barge owner will receive a bill for
the equipment probably ^amounting
to two hundred dollars.
> Mrs. Art Brooks left on the Satur
day morning train to visit her son,
Martin Kay, in Anchorage.
Patronise Home Industry
Beached Barge in No Banger,
Says Railroad; Will Continue
Trip to Seward; Tugs to Aid
I
I
Armistice Holiday
Declared by Mayor;
Stores to Close
i
Tomorrow, November 11, being!
the 31st observance of Armistice j
Day—day set aside for honoring ;
the memories of our World Wai*
dead—it is fitting that the City of ;
Seward observe it as a legal holi- j
day in remembrance of those who j
have made the supreme sacrifice |
that we may live in Peace.
Now, Therefore, I declare Thurs- I
{day, November 11, 1948, a Legal;
' Holiday in the City of Seward, di-;
reet that city offices be .closed, ex-1
cept those required in emergency, j
request the merchants of Seward j
to observe the day in fitting man- !
ner and ask that flags be displayed ■
at half staff until 11 a.m. when we !
should pause in silent tribute to
i those who are not with us. *
GENE N. LANIER, j
' Mayor
I
Cafeteria Lunch To Be
Feature of Bazaar
Don't you sometimes wish you
could step into a nice cafeteria
and choose your lunch from a var
iety of foods on display? Well,
your chance is here! Beginning1
at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November!
27, a cafeteria featuring home
made foods will be given in the
Methodist Church social room.
T Ii e r e will be a variety of hot
dishes, fresh rolls, tempting salads,
desserts and beverages. Plenty will ;
be on hand for all and it is hoped ;
that business people, workers, j
shoppers, one and all. young and j
old, will remember the date and j
have a good sociable lunch hour
together on that day. Prices will J
served as long as there are any ,
left.
The bazaar will continue on all j
afternoon and into the evening. |
Booths will display home made i
gifts, novelties, a fish pond for
the kiddies, and a bake sale with ,
plenty of home made pies, cakes j
and other tasty foods. Come early |
and stay late! 1
I
At the Hotels . . .
| At the Van Gilder—Jake Ravnik J
and James Griffin, Mile 58; Stan j
Brown. Seattle; Fred Ponknof, F. '
I
E. Melham, Fairbanks, Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Roehl, Homer; Mr.
and Mrs. J. Iff. McCrary, Anchor
age; Charles B. Nelson, Anchor
age; H. B. Shaffer, Munter Con
■ struction Co.; John H. Davis,
1 Moose Pass; J. W. White, Mile 58;
George Mooney, Seward; Albert
| Schmidt, Anchorage; Sam Bray,
Fairbanks; Frank Lyhn, Mile 58;
G. O. Nelson, Portage; Mrs. M. j
Decker, Mile 23.
At the New Seward—S. F. Ber
ber, Everett, Wash.; Harry Da toff,
Anchorage; Pete Anderson, Alfred
O. Steen, Anchorage; Ralph So
berg, Alaska Road Commission;
Louis Hendricks, Anchorage; C. E.
Whitney, Mr. and Mrs. Dale S.
Johnson, Moose Pass; Virgil O.
Dahler, Kenai; Evan Zakoff, An-<
chorage. I
The Alaska Railroad barge 738,
rumored yesterday afternoon to
be on the rocks at Fern Harbor
near Cape Spencer and Cross
Sound, was reported by the Al
aska Railroad as not in danger of
being lost.
Two planes flew over the site
yesterday afternoon and reported
to railroad officials that the barge
was upright on the beach at Fern
Harbor and apparently not being
buffeted to any great extent.
Word from the Coast Guard
Cutter Hemlock was that two men
aboard the barge were safe, ap
parently having been taken off the
craft.
The Railroad Traffic Depart
ment yesterday afternoon dis
patched two tugs from Seattle to
pull the barge off the beach and
assist in getting the craft under
way. Capt. Gouchee, who was in
Seward with the first Railroad
barge several days ago is being
flown from Seattle to Fern Har
bor to help direct operations
there.
Seward will receive 178.6 tons of
cargo, plus mail, aboard the barge
No. 738, is was announced by the
ARR Traffic Department.
The barge was due here today.
Consignments are also due for
south Railbelt points such as for
Woodrow, Lawing, Lakeview’,
Moose Pass, and Portage. The
barge carries a total ol' 2203 tons
of cargo.
Tire first Alaska Railroad barge
No. 754 is due back in Seattle
tli is week for another load. The
third barge, No. 742. is scheduled
to leave the latter part of this
week from Seatle. It will carry
Christmas goods as part of its
cargo.
The wooden motorship, North
Star, on charter to the ARR, is also
loading in Seattle. The vessel can
carry 227 tons of cold storage
goods and perishables in addition
to over 900 tons of other cargo.
Local merchants can place con
signments by contacting their Se
attle shipper, who, in turn, contacts
tiie Alaska Railroad, Pier 50, Se
attle.
Bowling Champions
Determined Tonight
When the Shamrocks go kegling
tonight they’ll be rolling for the
championship. They hope to pull
down the high-flying Seward Hard
ware bowling team with three
straight games. But if the Hard
waremen win only one game they
still have the championship
cinched.
As far as the handicap goes they
will be just about on even terms,
with perhaps a few pins either
way, depending on the line-up pre
sented by the teams for this meet
ing. The largest crowd of spec
tators for' the season is expected
to view the game.
The Hardwaremen have climbed
to the top with a total of 16 games
won and only two lost. Joe Doyle’s
Shamrocks, on the other hand,
have managed to eke out 14 wins
compared to four losses. But if
they manage to take <all. three
games they can still come out one
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