SEWARD’S
All-'Weatker
SEAPORT
Is Alaska
Greatest Asset
Alaska Historical Library
Museum
Seward Seaport Record
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1950
Vol. VII. No. 15
Price 10 cents
City Council
Approves
1951 Budget
Seward's City Council in reg
ular session last night passed
the budget for 1951 totalling
$154,000. This includes all pay
ments and interest on bonded in
debtedness and a provision for
future construction in the
amount of $20,000, which leaves
an unappropriated balance of
$24,000.
The sum of $18,000 was bud
geted for the police department
which is $882.94 less than the
actual cost of operation during
the past year, which was more
than $7,000 over the appropria
tion. The cost of operation in
every department was well over
the appropriations made, but
the greatest deficit was in the
police department.
The fire department was sec
ond with an over expenditure
of $5,908.97. The street depart
ment was $3,982.14 over; gar
bage disposal, $1,953.00 over;
city clerk's office, $575.86.
New equipment and a $5,000
appropriation for the new city
hall and fire department build
ing brought the total amount
to $26,904.01 over the estimated
budget for 1949-1950.
Renewal of most of the in
surance for a three year period
fell under last year's appropria
tions, and can be deleted from
the new budget. Figures as set
for the coming year are $904.01
less than the actual expendi
tures for last year, including
$20,000 to be set aside as a
reserve for future construction
plus S24,000 unappropriated
balance.
NEW WINTER SCHEDULE
FOR ALASKA LINE
A new Alaska Steamship Co.
triple-season reduced-fare round
trip tariff and an improved fall
and winter passenger steamer
schedule were announced last
week by H. N. Peterson, general
traffic manager of the line.
Beginning October 9 and con
tinuing through May 15, 1951,
a 20 per cent reduction in round
trip passenger rates will be
available to all Alaska Line
travelers between any two ports
served. Last year the company
reinaugurated reduced round
trip fares on voyages from Al
askan ports to Seattle and re
turn. This year for the first
time, the company will make
round-trip rate reductions avail
able to travelers from Seattle
and from and between all Al
askan ports.
The new sailing schedule
covers weekly departures from
Seattle from October 6, 1950
through March 30, 1951 and
represents a distinct change
from past winter schedules in
that all sailings from Seattle
are set for 5 p.m. Friday instead
of 11 a.m. Saturday.
New itineraries have also been
arranged under the new sched
ule. The Baranof, set to sail from
Seattle every second Friday,
will call at Ketchikan, Wrangell,
Petersburg, Juneau and Seward,
northbound, and at Sitka, Ju
neau and Ketchikan, south
bound. The Denali, sailing on
alternate Fridays, northbound
will call at Ketchikan, Juneau,
Sitka, Seward and either Valdez
or Cordova (alternating each
voyage). Southbound the De
nali’s ports will be Juneau, Pet
tersburg, Wrangell and Ketchi
kan.
BAKE SALE
The Lutheran Ladies Aid will
hold a bake sale next Saturday,
August 26, in McMullens Store,
starting at 12:00 noon.
200 Kids Consume
800 Hot Dogs At
Bartenders Picnic
Local small fry were groggy
Sunday night after 200 of them
consumed 800 hot dogs, 20 gal
lons of ice cream and 40 cases
of soda pop in 4j2 hours at the
Bartender's Union picnic ¥or
Seward children.
Cash prizes were given to
winners of every kind of race,
horse shoe pitching contests and
tug-of-war.
The picnic, an annual affair
was staged at the swimming
hole, or First Lake, by the Bar
tender's Union Local 883. A
dozen men rode herd on the
youngsters to keep them out of
trouble and to have them well
fed and entertained.
Refreshments were in charge
of Jack Janicula, assisted by
Ross Parkinson and Glen Ryan.
Walter Holben and Bob Trotter
did the entertaining, which was
completely satisfactory to all
concerned, even though the day
turned up with the first bad
weather this month. Many
youngsters braved the cold for
swimming. ‘'The air was cold,
but the water was swell,” ac
cording to Seward's irrepressi
ble youngsters.
Heavy rain showers brought
an end to the festivities at 4:30,
although the boys and girls
could get under cover of the
food stand to take care of the
quantities of good things to eat.
A number of parents had ac
companied the children to the
picnic, but when it was seen
that they were in good hands,
they left and the kids had a real
party without the restrictions
of watchful parents.
This year's picnic was pro
nounced a complete success by
i the donors and the kids.
i _
W.S.C.S. ANNUAL PICNIC
THURSDAY. AUG. 24
The Woman's Society of Chris
' tian Service will hold its annual
! picnic at Bear Lake next Thurs
I day afternoon, weather permit
| ting. If the weather is not suit
able on that day, the picnic
will be held at the Jesse Lee
Service Club.
Each member is asked to
bring a guest as well as the
I members of the family and to
| provide lunch for her party.
Those desiring transportation
are asked to call Mrs. Howell
at Madison 109.
The picnic begins at 2:00 in
the afternoon, with dinner being
served at 6:00.
EASTERN STAR GRAND
MATRON TELLS FISH STORY
OF THE YEAR
Mrs. Abbie Hanson, Most
Worthy Grand Matron Eastern
Star, while visiting in Seward
last week had the biggest story
of the year, which happens to
be true.
On Wednesday Bob Stearns
took a party out on the Bay
in his boat, Sea Urchin, with
Mr .and Mrs. Hanson for a day’s
salt water fishing. Mrs. Hanson
is a confirmed fishing addict
and was very anxious for a real
catch in Alaska.
While fishing from the dory,
Mrs. Hanson says that a huge |
silver flirted all around the
boat, front and back and both
sides, but refused her hook.
Finally she was about to give
up in despair and return to
the Sea Urchin when the silver
obligingly flung itself right into
the boat.
Mrs. Hanson has pictures and
the frozen salmon in proof of
her story.
Mrs. Nell Schnoeker, Seward !
Sanatorium, is a patient at the j
Seward General Hospital. At1
last report she was doing very j
well and expected to be home j
in a few days.
First Seward
Draftees Get
Summons
The first call for Seward boys
in the 21 and 22 age group ofj
eligible draftees came Saturday j
This was a call to report to Ft.
Richardson August 28 for physi
cal examination.
So far as we have been able
to check, six local boys received
the call: Richard Bogard, Gene
Kirkpatrick, William Green,
Earl Moore, Don Smith, and
Frank Sanders. There may be
others of which we have not
heard.
The calling of these younger
men was a little unexpected
here, although it seems likely
that the physical examinations
for all ages will be given early
so as to speed up the actual
drafting process. So far as is
known at this time, none of the
men in the 23 to 26 year age
group has been called into ac
tual service from Seward.
NATIONAL GUARD NOT
DRAFT INSURANCE
John L. McCormick, Terri
torial Director of Selective Serv- i
ice announced this* week that i
enlistment in the Nationalj
Guard under certain conditions
is not draft insurance.
Young men without previous
military service who now join
the National Guard are still sub-5
ject to being drafted into the
Armed Forces.
Any youth between the ages j
of 19 and 25 inclusive, who
joined the guard since June 24,!
1948, may be called up the same
as any civilian.
Recent talk has gotten abroad,
McCormick said, which gives the
erroneous impression that a
member of the National Guard
is “safer” from induction.
Only young men not subject
to call are those with previous
military service who are de
ferred under the present law,
and those who joined the guard
prior to June 24, 1948, and are
still enlisted.
KENAI FALL FESTIVAL
Kenai Homemakers , plan a
Fall Festival over the Labor
Day weekend. Beginning Sep
tember 2 there will be a bazaar
with home products booth, fan
ciwork and food sales booths
and carnival games.
Sunday, September 3, will be
the formal opening of the Kenai
Territorial School and a big
dance on the night of Septem
ber 4, Labor Day.
Kenai Scenic Bus Lines will
run a bus on each of the three
days, staying at Kenai any
length of time on each of the
days.
This is the first public affair
of such proportions attempted
in the community of Kenai, and
it is hoped that Peninsula resi
dents will attend.
WATCH YOUR DOGS
People living in the neighbor
hood of Second Avenue from
Adams Street to the beach are
warned to watch out for their
dogs if they value them. Several
good dogs in the neighborhood
have been made very sick with
in the last ten days with some
thing that resembles distemper
but is thought to be poison.
It has not been discovered
whether the dogs have picked
up rat poison or whether there
has been a deliberate attempt
to destroy the dogs.
It was reported that Joe Lyons
was found cuddling a dog, his
constant companion, which had
been dead for several hours.
Two other dogs have died re
cently with the same symptoms.
Labor Day Dance
Date Changed From
Saturday To Monday
The Labor Day Dance to be
given by the combined labor
unions in Seward has been
changed from Saturday to Mon
day, the night of Labor Day.
This is an annual union cele
bration for the children as well.
In the afternoon there will be
free skating for all the children
under high school age. All the
ice cream and hot dogs they
can eat. This is a children’s day.
The dance at night will be
open to all the public. A five
piece Army Band will alter
nate with the local orchestra to
furnish music for the dance.
It bids fair to be a big affair,
and will open the winter season
of dancing and entertainment.
BOYS WANTED TO TEND
VISITING DONKEYS
Joe Doyle wants 14 boys to
meet the freight train with him
tonight to help lead and tend
the 14 donkeys that will arrive
via freight for the soft ball
game Sunday.
Back in the States and in the
good old days, the boys flocked
around the circus to carry water
to the elephants. This is probab
ly the nearest thing to the old
days that Seward boys will ever
see.
Remember BOYS, see Joe
Doyle NOW, and arrange to
take care of the little donkeys
until Sunday.
The ball game will be played
near the Jesse Lee Home
grounds at 2:00 o'clock Sunday
afternoon. Players will be local
people, but they will ride to
the bases on the donkeys. Or
they will try to ride! Maybe
the donkeys will have different
ideas. Who knows?
LETTERS TO THE MAYOR:
The following letter was re
ceived this week by Mayor
Lanier:
Your letter of August 1st ex
pressing appreciation for the
visit of the USS Mahopac on the
Fourth of July has been re
ceived.
The Commandant wishes to
thank the Mayor and the people
of the City of Seward for the
kind invitation extended to the
Mahopac for a return visit on
Labor Day. However, due to
heavy operational needs which
must be met by all vessels of
this command, it is regretted
that a visit to Seward cannot
be made by the Mahopac on
that date.
The officers and men of the
USS Mahopac have informed
the Commandant of the splendid
hospitality and many courtesies
extended them on the occasion
of their visit to Seward and
they arc enxious to return as
soon as they can. The mutual
good will between the citizens
of Seward and the officers and
men of the Mahopac is a source
of pride to me and it will, there
fore, be a pleasure to resume
such visits when the vessel can
be made available.
Very truly yours,
C. A. F. Sprague
Rear Admiral, U. S. Navy
Commandant
17th Naval District
PIANO TUNERS IN SEWARD
FOR A FEW DAYS
Mr. Wm. G. Lofflin and Mr.
Milton Johnson, owners of the
L & J Music Store in Anchor
age, came in by plane Monday
and will spend several days
tuning and repairing pianos.
The firm has yearly contracts
for piano tuning in public
schools in Anchorage, Kodiak',
Cordova, and Valdez and come
to Seward well recommended.
Mr. Lofflin recently returned
from his yearly trip to the
Aleutians.
Rehabilitation
Appropriation
Requested
Dear Mayor Lanier:
As you will note by reading
the enclosed copy of Mary Lee
Council’s news-letter, the Inter
ior Department is making a very
serious effort to obtain money
for reconstruction of bridges on
the Seward section of The Alas
ka Railroad.
It is my understanding that
the budgetary request will be
supported strongly by the De
partment of Defense. There is
no guarantee, however, that the
money will be granted by Con
gress. It may take a while to
achieve that. That is because
the Department of the Interior
has consistently told the Appro
priation Committees that the re
quests for money for rehabilita
tion which were incorporated
in the 1951 budget would con
clude the general Alaska Rail
road construction program. So
1 suspect there may be some
reluctance to go along with this
latest request. But, in view of
the Korean situation and in
further view of the willingness
of the Department of Defense
to cooperate, I feel rather confi
dent that before too long money
will be appropriated for rehabil
itation purposes on the southern
end of the railroad.
With best wishes, I am
Sincerely yours,
E. L. Bartlett
From the News-Lelier:
The Department of Interior's
desire to maintain the Seward
Portage section of The Alaska
Railroad was confirmed last
week when President Truman
sent to Congress a request for
a supplemental luol liscai year
appropriation of SI.500,000.
The funds are requested prin
cipally for the repair or replace
ment of bridges on this southern
portion of the railroad to permit
safe operation. ‘The port of
Whittier,"’ the request stated in
speaking of the alternate south
j ern terminus of the railroad,
| "is unable to handle freight
shipments for both military and
civilian needs, thus making it
necessary to continue Seward as
an active port, particularly for
civilian benefit. Many of the
structures in the loop section of
the rail line have deteriorated
to such an extent that immediate
repair or replacement is re
quired.”
The House Committee on Ap
propriations is now in process
of hearing supplemental requests
to the 1951 budget, and it is
anticipated the supplemental
bill will be reported during the
week of August 21. It is under
stood that the Department of
Defense will give strong sup
port to the funds sought for the
rehabilitation of the Seward
Portage section of the railroad.
FRANK COOPERS PURCHASE*
COZY GROCERY
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cooper
have taken over the ownership
and management of the Cozy
Grocery on Third Avenue. After
alterations and new stock have
been laid in, the store will con
tinue as a general grocery busi
ness. Living quarters are in the
rear of the building.
Mrs. Rose Maxwell was ex
pected to arrive in Seward today
from Banning, California, to
visit her daughter Mrs. John
Coleman. This is Mrs. Maxwell’s
first visit to Alaska. She is also
in the newspaper business, being
connected with the Banning
Record.