Kodiak Vignettes, 1940
Material Plentiful For Writing
Personal Column During Days Of 1940
Although the 1940 editor of the
Kodiak Mirror never had his col
umn syndicated, but he had the
local gentry, and the fair sex, too,
no doubt turning to his column
every week.
How he escaped geing tarred
and feathered and ridden out on a
rail is beyond us—except there
were no trains and consequently
no rails in Kodiak. It was of the
Walter Winchell or rather the
Uncle Billy Wizzbang variety of in
timate reporting.
A review of the 1940 days would
n’t be complete without some samp
lings of his lusty efforts along
this line. The column was entitled
“Around-About.” Here are a few
taken at random:
. . . Folks, the epidemic is with
us, for I have just heard that two
more couples will exchange yesses
in the most matrimonial fashion
next week. Better hurry up with
that hospital, Doc.
. .. Was wondering who that gor
geous buxom blonde was that I
saw in the streets of Kodiak—with
deep limpid brown orbs, a pensive
mornful look in her eyes, with sin
uous and seductively curved waist
line, sallying back and forth on the
street. Who? (Got you this time.
Ah! Fanny, the cow.)
... I am still wondering what
made that charming little lady—
member of the Yeomanettes—miss
the boat the other night. Was you
there, Charlie, I mean Stan . . .
Who is the most recent heart-throb
of a certain charming brunette res
taurant employee? He wouldn’t be
p bartender in a certain tavern in
town, would he?
. . . As I look over the pages of
my little black book, it makes me
realize that our genial Commis
sioner has been a very busy man
during the last seven days, what
with all those marriages, trials and
hearings that he has been conduct
ing . . . and fellow sinners, did you
hear about that beau brummel man
of figures (mathmatics, I mean)
seen just constantly in company
with a charming lady of here
abouts, buying first a wrist-watch
and then a home on Russian Hill.
Boy, is he carrying a torch . . .
Merrill looking very calm and se
rene in his nice new office, says
that business has picked up very
much lately, too, since moving into
the new quarters . . . And was
Billie excited the other morning
when she received an attractive
rew pair of bedroom slippers for
her birthday. By the way Billie,
ihow many times do you celebrate
that auspicious event of the year?
... I wish I knew the name of that
certain little lady who comes in
from the base twice a week looking
for letters from her latest heart
throb. She’s awfully cute.
Say, is a certain man-about-town
going to have his hands full with
the problem of three of four ladies,
now? Am enthusiastically awaiting
the flying of the fur . . . i>on t tea
me the hottest romance in town is
beginning to cool off, what say Les?
... Always get a kick out of “How’m
1 doing” at those Saturday nite
drags, inquiring about his own
personal condition . . . And I was
surprised to hear or overhear a
charming femme make this reply
to a man about town: But I refuse
to be a kept woman (and then I
left) ... I wonder if At can be true
that a popular young girl recently
wed, is considering filing a com
plaint at the next floating court?
.. . And what pretty girl said very
candidly the other day in science
class, that she would love to marry
her boy friend BUT he breathed
so loudly when he kissed her ... I
came upon a beautiful secluded
grassy glen. There in the center pf
it was the remains of a picnic fire
—an empty bottle or two—some
food wrappers AND last, but not
least, a very dainty piece of ladies
underlovelies—frightfully intimate
with initials P. H. embroidered in
silk of contrasting colors — Now
who could that be, me wonders?
Owner can have same by identify
ing them. Needless to say a certain
bus operator was glad to have his
better half return to Kodiak lately
. . . and to see his lips and mouth
yesterday, was positive proof he
was trying to catch up with a lot
of lost “time” . . . More power to
you. buddy. Sitting in my little cub
icle the other night I was positively
astounded by the agility that a cer
tain recently-married lady dis
played when climbing down a 20
foot ladder from a certain “nush
nek” in a closeby cocktail bar. An
irate hubby was waiting at the
door of said “nushnek” with arms
akimbo, fully prepared to deliver
a vitriolic denunciation of her—
that was the reason for the escape.
And she was warned about it by
another lady—wife of a well known
bartender hereabouts. (After wait
ing an hour or so hubby discovered
her gone, and was his face red ...
This could go on and on and
does, but this should give you
enough of the samplings to give
you the idea that life here in those
days was rough and ready, free
and easy . . . but the guy had a cir
culation of 1,700 in a much smaller
town than Kodiak is today . . .
Sometimes I wonder ... He signed
himself “Bye-Now” and those were
his last words.
More Chronology
(Continued lrom Page 5)
well as of the rolling timbered hills
of Kodiak Island.
Week of October 11, 1941
R. R. “Red” Shaw and son Mike
left on the “Cordova” for Anchor
age, where Shaw will locate in the
future, having disposed of his bus
iness here in town.
Miss Lois Cook, cousin of Mrs.
Fred Henton, arrived from Seattle
last week and has joined the Ko
diak Mirror staff. She will act as
both society and local reporter.
Griffin Memorial Hospital Guild
announces the first annual benefit
dance and bazaar will be held in
Blinn’s Hall November 7. Among
articles to be raffled off are an
apron with many pockets, each
filled with silver coins; a genuine
Russian samovar and a turkey.
Holden’s orchestra will furnish
music for dancing.
The first military band concert
ever to be held in Kodiak drew a
crowd of several hundred citizens
last Sunday afternoon when Coast
Artillery musicians from Fort
Greely played a half-hour concert
at the Bank comer.
The event was brought to Kodiak
at (the instigation of Ray Martin
of the Kodiak Rotary Club.
Although some owners of roving
cattle were fined in Magistrates
Court last week, their bovine stock
are again ranging within the city
limits, causing much damage to
lawns and gardens.
One home owner, Les iNlachtweih,
impounded five cows and one bull
in his fenced-in back yard and held
them, legally, until the owner of
the cattle came and settled for dam
ages sustained.
November 15 has been desig
nated as Hospital Day to commem
orate the first anniversary of Grif
fin Memorial Hospital.
The Ladie’s guild will sponsor
an open house from 2 to 5 p. m. and
7 to 9 p. m.
Week of November 8, 1941
Stuart S. Nucklos has received
word of his appointment by Gov.
Gruening as a member of the Na
tional Reemployment Committee.
Miss Alice Gibbs and Tom Frost,
Jr. have been added to the post of
fice staff to assist Postmaster A1
King. Work was begun immediately
on a backlog of mail three weeks
old.
Mrs. Gertrude Raumaker has
joined the Kodiak Mirror staff: She
comes from Boise, Idaho, and will
be in the mechanical department.
Mr. and Mrs. H. S. Danielson of
Uganik arrived on the “Cordova”
this week after a three-weeks trip
(to Anchorage, where they visited
rMs. Danielson’s sister and family,
Mr. and Mrs. Nels Peterson.
Mayor Chadwick has been limp
ing about on his duties this week
as a result of a severely sprained
ankle.
Mary Frost, daughter of Mr. and
Mr. Tom Frost, Sr., underwent an
operation for removal of her tonsils
last Saturday.
Week of November 29,1941.
A son was bom on November 17
to Mr. and Mrs. August Heitman
at Griffin Memorial Hospital.
A son was born to Mr. and Mrs.
Scoat Stream at Griffin Memorial
Hospital on November 26.
The Women’s Club of the Rus
sian Church thanks everyone for
their help in making their benefit
dinner such a great success.
Miss Theo Malutin, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Senafont Malutin, be
came the bride of A1 Chouinard
at the Russian Church Monday eve
ning, with Rev. Gregory Gleboff
officiating.
WM. DAMERY
MARINE SURVEYOR
HULL — CARGO — MACHINERY AND
CONDITIONS SURVEYS; COM
PLETE DIVING SERVICE, UNDER
WATER INSPECTIONS AND RE
PAIRS.
SERVING KODIAK ISLAND
AND THE WESTWARD
ANOTHER VIEW OF KODIAK
Mrs. William Robertson acted as
matron of honor. Bridesmaids were
Irene and Helen King, Mary Sar
gent, Jean Nelson, Janet Naugh
ton, Mary Frost, Anna May Skin
ner, Rika Hansen, Mary Meyers
and Edna Anderson. lone Norton
and Beatrice Malutin were flower
girls.
LeRoy Hewitt served as best man
and crown holders were A1 King,
Thomas Frost, Jr., Joseph Halutin
and Ralph Hansen.
A reception was held at the home
of John R. Malutin, with more than
a hundred guests present.
Kodiak’s unusual cold spell con
tinues unabated. Icy streets cause
bad falls, cars and trucks are in
ditches. Three restaurants were
forced ito close for a short time due
to lack of water.
“Mukluks, parkas, ski suits,
scarfs, mittens, ear muffs, fur hats,
long underwear, pajamas, 3 sweat
ers, 2 jackets, 1 overcoat and 7
blankets are being worn this sea
son.” (Ed. note: 1941 or 1961?)
High school honor roll—Seniors:
iNick Frost, Ilrzel Smith, Janet
Naughton, R. Holmes Johnson.
Juniors: Edith Haves, Mary Frost
Sophomores- Beverly Hamm, Mar
garet Carpenter. Freshmen: Mar
iam Harvey, Jo Ann Eriken.
“Whiskey Bill” died of a heart
attack November 25 at the age of
76. His real name, unknown to most
people in town, was William
Shreve, but he also used the name
of “Clemons.”
Week of December 6, 1941
The Kodiak Press Club held it’s
first meeting. The twenity-seven
members represent the Kodiak Mir
ror; Williwas, published by the
Navy; Fort Greely Sun, an Army
publication, and Shopping News.
Week of December 6,1941
Customers at Blinne’s Dance Hall
have magic hands now that a new
device is being used as a pass-out
check on customers. When a ticket
is purchased the word “Blinn’s”
is stamped in invisible ink on the
back of the patron’s hand. Nothing
can be seen until the hand is placed
under a special lamp, when the
word stands out clearly in purple
print.
Twin daughters were born Satur
day to Mr. and Mrs. Ward Ellis at
the Naval Station.
Miss Anita White was hostess at
an evening bridge party at the Ben
Kraft home. Guests were Mrs. Fred
Ilenton, Mrs. J. W. Cook, Mrs. John
Rothchild, Mrs. William Bensing,
Mrs. Jack McCord, Miss Lois Cook
and Miss Stella Easey.
Hearing of the case of Shirley
George on a charge of assault and
battery filed in a complaint by
. Emidie Goss has been postponed
until Monday afternoon.
Week of December 13, 1941
Hearing in the case of Shirley
George has been postponed a sec
ond time because the marshall’s
office is busy with war work. (Eld.
note: In the January 3, 1942, issue
we found that charges were
dropped in this case by the plain
tiss, so we never learned the de
tails.)
Under the instruction of Mrs.
Whalley, territorial field nurse,
Griffin Memorial Hospital Guild
members have completed a nursing
course and are qualified to do
everything but surgical and skilled
nursing.
Included in the group are Mrs.
Frank Lahtonen, Mrs. Cyril Craw
ford, Mrs. R. L. Clifton, Mrs. For
est Ayres, Mrs. Tom Oxford, Mrs.
L. M. Boekman, Mrs. Norman Sut
liff and Mrs. Tom Cole. The hus
bands of these women will act as
stretcher bearers. Among the reg
istered nurses in town who are
ready for emergencies are Mrs.
Flood, Mrs. A. Holmes Johnson and
Maxine Roberts.
Margaret Nigh, Worley, Idaho,
and Ralph Shupp, Kodiak, were
married December 8 by Rev. Mor
ony. Attendants were J. Mershon
Kessler and Kenneth Shupp, the
groom’s brother.
Gas masks were being carried in
“clever little knapsacks” by wom
en from the Naval Air Station.
They were issued by the Navy to
all women on the base.
“We wont mention any names,
but of all the things we’ve heard
since the war began, this is the
favorite. And it’s true, too. A cer
tain woman in town is not cleaning
house, and only doing enough
dishes for each meal because she
can’t see any use in doing more if
the Japs aire coming!”
Residents are urged to construct
bomb shelters near their homes,
if nothing more than a trench dug
into the slope of a hillside, with
sufficient room for the entire fam
ily.
Wek of December 10, 1951
A taxi driver’s license was issued
to Carol Huebner, making her the
first woman taxi driver in Kodiak’s
history. She is driving for Star
Cabs.
NOTICE—A City ordinance pro
hibits and provides a fine of $50
for anyone throwing refuse or gar
bage around, under or between
buildings within the city limits.
Violators will be prosecuted with
out notice, (s) Dr. A. Bates Jones,
City Health Officer.
Week of December 27, 1941
Mr. and Mrs. William Lamme en
tertaised members of the Kodiak
Mirror staff at a Christmas party
Tuesday evening in the apartment
in the Kodiak Publishing Company
building.
Guests were Victor Malutin,
Charles Marshall, Val Morrison,
Billy Shurvloff, Bill Robertson,
Sam Morrison, Nick Anderson and
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Raumaker.
MERRY CHRISTMAS