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Seward
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
$ e 0 P 0 r t
Record
Seward’s All-Weather Port is Alaska's Greatest Asset.
Only newspaper in the
world that gives a hoot
about Seward, Alaska.
Vol. X, No. 9
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 1953
Price 10 Cents
All Alaska Land Owners Must
Register, Says Att. Gen.
Issued by the Office of the
Governor for information and
publication.
Department of Public Lands
The land registration program
provided in Chapter 134 of the
laws enacted by the 21st Alaska
Legislature cannot become oper
ative at once, Land Commission
er W. A. Chipperfield has an
nounced.
Chipperfield, who has gone to
" Anchorage to open the head
quarters office of the new De
partment of Public Lands, said
he decided against trying to ini
tiate the registration program
after receiving an opinion from
the Attorney General of Alaska
regarding it.
Tile Land Commissioner
sought an opinion as to whether
lands within incorporated muni
cipalities and school districts
could be excluded from the reg
istration required by the new
law. The Attorney General ruled
that they could not be.
In his opinion, the Attorney
General said:
“You ask primarily whether
0 the Land Commissioner or the
Recorders could excuse the fil
ing of a land registration state
ment by the owners of real prop
erty within incorporated towns
and school districts. Your ques
tion is based on the grounds
that the ends sought by the reg
istration law have already been
accomplished within such in
corporated areas and hence the
filing of statements by the own
ers would be an expensive and
duplicatory process which the
authorized administrative facili
ties are not equipped to handle.
“Section 4. Chapter 134, SLA
1953, specifies that 'It shall be
the duty of each owner of real
property in Alaska . . to make
and file registration statements,
with certain exceptions not rele
vant to the immediate problem.
It is clear from this language
that no distinction between the
owners of land within and with
out incorporated towns and
school districts as to the duty
of filing a statement could be
made by executive determina
tion, the Legislature having stat
ed explicitly that each owner
has the duty to so register his
ownership. The duty to file, of
course, is placed upon the land
owners, and neither the Land
Commissioner nor the Recorders
have any function to enforce the
duty.”
The old land registration law
enacted in 1945 did not require
registration of land ownership
within incorporated municipali
ties. The Land Commissioner has
estimated that the registration
program, if confined to lands
outside of incorporated towns
and school districts, would cost
about S12.000 for the remainder
of the current biennium. If lands
within incorporated areas are in
cluded, the Commissioner esti
mated the cost at $35,000. which
is the total amount appropriated
for all programs of the Depart
ment of Public Lands for the
current biennium.
Road Commissioners to
Ask Special Session
The Territorial Board of Rond
Commissioners, at its recent
meeting in Juneau, decided to
request the Governor to call a
special session of the Legisla
ture during the coming winter
to consider the following recom
mendations by the Road Com
missioners:
(1) That the Territorial Po
lice appropriation of $759,000
from the motor fuel tax fund
(Turn to Page 4)
Seward Schools
Undergo inspection
By Commissioner -
Mr. Donald Dafoe, Alaska
Commissioner of Education,
dropped in at the Seward High
School Thursday at about noon.
He was accompanied by his wife
and little daughter Judy.
Although they stayed in Sew
ard only a few hours, Mr. Dafoe
made an inspection of the main
school building, Bayview, and
the new annex still under con
struction downtown.
Mr. Dafoe’s visit was chiefly
to discuss school transportation.
He remarked that the school
board was wise in purchasing
new buses rather than used
ones. The GMC buses ordered
are identical with the first elev
en put into operation in An
chorage while he was superin
tendent of schools there, he re
marked, and they had proved
to be sturdy, economical and
efficient.
A.S.C. Debates Cut Of
Passenger Service
Alaska Steamship Company
passenger service will be con
tinued with sailings from Seattle
through October 30 and from
Seward through November 5,
pending final determination of
passenger service studies now
under way, the company vice
president and general manager,
D. E. Skinner, said this week.
This statement was made in
connection with recent company
reports indicating a likelihood
that The Alaska Line would dis
continue passenger service.
“The decision to continue pas
senger sailings through October
was made in view of the interest
of civic groups, unions and pub
lic officials in Seattle and Al
aska in our efforts to find ways
and means to perpetuate this
service,” Skinner pointed out.
In earlier statements Skinner
has made it clear that unless
some means is found to increase
passenger vessel revenues or cut
expenses it would be necessary
for the company to eliminate
this service in view of the con
tinuing heavy losses. It has been
pointed out that one way to
meet the situation would be for
the Military Sea Transportation
Service to use The Alaska Line's
passenger service for transport
ing military personnel and their
dependents to and from Alaska.
Reduced Rntes
Effective Sept. 1
Passenger fare reductions 3 to
15 per cent become effective on
Alaska Steamship Company ves
sels effective September 1. H.
N. Peterson, company general
traffic manager, announced yes
terday.
Reduced fares apply on all
one-way and round trip trans
portation between Seattle and
Alaska and between Alaska
ports, it was pointed out.
While The Alaska Line is
completing studies on its un
profitable passenger service, it
announced this week that this
service would be continued
through October and that it
hoped to find some solution that
would enable it to continue to
provide Alaska year around pas
senger service.
“The new reduced fares will
apply on all scheduled sailings
and give travelers a special op
portunity to use our vessels,”
Peterson said.
H. H. Leonard Rites
Held Friday A.M.
Funeral services for Herbert
Hugh Leonard were held at 10
a.m., Friday, August 28. in the
Sacred Heart Catholic Church,
Father Custer officiating.
H. II. Leonard, born in Muske
gon, Michigan, January 22, 1888.
was a familiar figure in Seward
where for 35 years he has been
a plumber. During the summers
Mr. Leonard spent much of his
time prospecting and had several
claims for various minerals
about the Kenai Peninsula. He
was more generally known as
“HH,” or “Hardrock’’ than by
his name. He had been ill for
several weeks in Seward Gen
eral Hospital where he died on
August 26.
Pall bearers were friends of
long standing. They were Irwin
Dyer, Charles Sheldon, Forrest
Kennedy, Arthur Brooks, Carl
Orlander, and Charles Cameron.
Mr. Leonard is survived by his
sister, J/Irs. Florence L. Heaston,
whose home is in Anchorage;
and a brother, Francis J., of
Balboa, Canal Zone.
Heart Failure Cause
Of Jean Barrett Death
Funeral services will be held
Monday, August 31 at 2 p.m. in
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for
Mrs. Charles G. Barrett.
Jean A. Barrett died at ap
proximately 1:45 p.m. in her
hotel room in Seward. Cause of
death was pronounced as heart
failure.
Friends say that she com
plained at about 9 o’clock in the
morning of not feeling well, but
no one knew that she was very
ill. At about 2:30 her husband
returned from work to find her
dead in their room.
Mr. and Mrs. Barrett were in
the restaurant business in Sew
ard for several years, but left
about three years ago. They
have just recently returned and
had not yet found a place to live.
Seward Schools Start
September 8
Enrollment of children enter
ing the first grade will take
place on Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday, Sept. 2, 3 & 4, at
the office of the Superintendent
of Schools. The office will be
open from 10 to 12 a.m. and
from 1 to 4 p.m. for that pur
pose.
A child must be six years of
age on or before November 1,
1953, to be eligible to start
school this year. Parents are re
quested to take some document
verifying the child’s age when
enrolling the child. This docu
ment may be a birth certificate,
a notarized statement verifying
the child's age or a baptismal
certificate, if the date of birth
is given thereon.
Parents are also requested to
have beginners given a physical
check-up by one of the physi
cians in Seward before school
opens.
A deposit of $1.50 for books
and other equipment is required
of all pupils at the Seward Ele
mentary School, if they wish,
parents may pay this fee when
they enroll their children. If
more convenient, the lee may be
paid when the children begin
school the next week.
The Seward Public Schools
will begin the 1953-1954 school
year on September 8, with pu
pils reporting at 10:30 a.m. Pu
pils in grades 2 through 8, and
students in the high school will
enroll at that time. There will
be no afternoon session on the
opening day.
Book deposits for high school
students is $2.50: in the grades
the book deposit is $1.50. These
deposits should be paid at en
rollment.
Kindergarten
Registration for kindergarten
will take place at the school
on September 2, 3 and 4, same
hours as lirst grade enrollment,
according to Mrs. O. L. Gilbert.
Classes will start September 8.
Auctioneer Opens
Business On 4th
Don Richardson, formerly of
Anchorage and Seldovia. has
opened a store at Fourth and
Jefferson. It is called the “Inlet
Outlet."
Mr. Richardson is originally
from Wenatchee, Washington,
but has been in the Territory for
the past year and a half.
lie is buying used furniture
and other items now, with the
expectation of holding an old
fashioned auction sale.
Crew Reporting
Reinstated By
Coast Guard
The reinstatement of crew re
porting requirements for certain
inland vessels will be effective
on the 1st of September, 1953, it
was announced this week by the
17th Coast Guard District Com
mander, W. W. Kenner.
Operating under a waiver of
law, masters of tnese vessels
have for a number of years been
permitted to employ and dis
charge their crew members
without notice to the Coast
Guard. This waiver has been
cancelled and will cease to be
effective after August 31st, 1953,
thereby causing the original pro
visions of the law to come back
into force on the 1st of Septem
ber.
Under the above change the
master of every merchant vessel
of the United States of 100 gross
tons and upward, engaged in
trade on bays, sounds, harbors
and other inland waters of Alas
ka (except rivers) will again be
required to submit reports to the
Coast Guard covering the em
ployment, discharge or termina
tion of services of all seamen.
The first crew report is re
quired on the 1st of September.
Subsequent reports are to be
submitted at the end of Septem
ber and at the end of each cal
endar month thereafter. All such
reports from masters of vessels
in Alaskan waters should be
mailed to the U. S. Coast Guard
Marine Inspection Office, Box
2631, Juneau, Alaska.
All forms and instructions
needed to comply with the rein
stated reporting requirements
may be obtained at the above of
fice or at the U. S. Coast Guard
Marine Inspection Office, Fed
eral Building,-Ketchikan.
Floyd Johnson is expecting
wife Maude and little daughter
home sometime this weekend.
Maude has been Outside visiting
relatives for about two months.
Reporter's
Notebook
Lutheran Sunday School chil
dren will have two weeks vaca
cation. No classes next Sunday
or the one following, August 30
and September 6. On the third
Sunday, September 13, the new
year will start with Rally Day.
Worship services will continue
as usual at 11 a.m. each Sunday.
A1 Weber will be in charge this
Sunday.
New school teachers are be
ginning to arrive. Mr. Lee John
son, from Colorado, is here with
his family. He is the new shop
teacher. Miss Eleanor Tobey,
also from Colorado, is booked on
the Denali for next week.
Mrs. Kathryn Galen and Miss
Lilly Stevens drove to Valdez on
Tuesday of this week. They ex
pected to be gone about a week.
Valdez was Mrs.- Galen’s first
home in Alaska. She was deputy
clerk of the U.S. District Court
there in 1911. She says the town
had a population of (1000 in those
days.
We heard that a nephew of
Wm. H. Seward was among the
Methodist group who visited
here Wednesday and Thursday.
No one could tell his name, how
ever.
Bill Weston's brother “Dude"
stopped in on his way south
from King Cove a few days ago.
The brothers had not seen each
other for seven years. Dude will
be back next month.
Mrs. A. H. Mattson was a visi
tor here this week. She moved
to Kodiak a few months aeo, and
just came over to Seward for a
visit.
Julia McCann is a patient in
Seward General Hospital.
Mrs. Cal Brosius is back from
Anchorage. She went up to the
statehood hearings held this
week.
Ed Goreson is back from the
Army. He spent 15 months in
Korea, and was discharged at
Fort Lewis, Washington. Back
in time for moose hunting.
Willard Dunham is also back
from the Army. He and his fami
ly have settled down for the
winter in a house on Fourth Ave.
Marge Murkowski got word
this week that tier brother was
killed in Japan in the explosion
of a plane a few weeks ago. He
left a wife and two children who
are now in Japan but will be re
turned home soon.
Pat McNavish. a former pa
tient at Seward Sanatorium,
came back to visit friends this
week.
Mrs. Ray James and her
daughter Jane left Friday morn
ing for a trip into Canada. They
are motoring and will have time
to see paints of interest along the
highway.
Ed Renwald, Jr., is a patient
at Seward General Hospital this
week, for surgery.
Mrs. M. H. Sidener returned
this week after a vacation trio
Outside.
Rachel Pucket is back home
after a buying trip to Seattle.
She arrived home Thursday
night.
Instead of a fish fry at the
Legion Club this Sunday, ladies
of the American Legion Auxil
iary will serve spaghetti and
garlic bread. Sunday supper
time is from 4 to 8. All you can
cat for SI.00, if the same rules
prevail as those governing the
fish fries.
The Monday class in First Aid
will be postponed to let class
members go hunting. It is hoped
that none of them will have oc
casion to use their newly found
knowledge.
Billy O’Brien will spend the
winter with his father in Colo
rado. He went to Anchorage and
flew Outside.
Tickets for the Ambulance
Corp’s Hallowe’en Dance will be
on sale soon. All members of the
Corps will have them.
Sewardites arc getting their
daily exercise these days, espe
cially with Fourth Avenue torn
up. Business has slowed down
considerably. Good time to go
moose hunting! t
Forest Service Opens
Commercial Sites
Tin Can-Lyon Creek Ski Area
The United States Forest
Service is interested in develop
ing under Special Use permit a
ski area in the Tin Can-Lyon’s
Creek section of the Chugach
National Forest. This area is lo
cated at approximately Mile 68
•on the Seward-Anchorage road.
In order to gain a year's ex
perience in operation and deter
mine the feasibility of a ski de
velopment in this area, it is de
sired that a temporary Special
Use Permit be issued for the
coming winter's use. It is de
sired that portable tows be used
this winter and that a tempor
ary shelter house be erected. The
shelter should be erected as near
the highway as is feasible in
order to cut down the amount
of snow removal.
Anyone applying for this Use
should submit a plan of their
proposed development, a finan
cial statement and references.
It is intended to make selection
of the individual securing the
Use at an early date so that
some development can be made
before winter. It is to be under
stood that this is only a tem
porary permit pending deter
mination that it is desirable to
have a ski development at this
point.
Applications for the above
commercial development will be
accepted by the Division Super
visor, Cox 123, Seward, up to
and including Sept. 15, 1953.
Further information may be ob
tained at the Kcnai Lake Danger
Station.
Quarlz Creek Commercial Site
The Forest Service is also in
terested in offering a Special
Use permit for a business site
at the junction of the road lead
ing into the Quartz Creek Rec
reational Site and the Seward
Homer Road. Persons interested
in obtaining this business site
should make application to the
Division Supervisor, Box 123.
Seward.
It is desired that the business
at this point includes the follow
ing: grocery store, gas pump,
and lunchroom. In connection
with the lunchroom, there may
be a bar. however the bar must
be in conjunction with lunch
room and not be the major
source of business. In addition,
•overnight cabins should be pro
vided.
The establishment will have
(.Turn to Page 4)
Sourdough's Memoirs
Reveal Weird Tele
New York, N.Y.—The glamor
and excitement of the Alaska
gold fields provide the backdrop
ror Harry D. Colp's bizarre story
of his adventures with the night
marish "devils” of Thomas bay.
Already a legend among the
prospectors-and other adventure
loving folk of the gold country,
it is published posthumously in
book form by Exposition Pi ess,
New York publisher, under the
title “The Strangest Story Ever
Told.”
The adventure begins when
the author and three friends,
who set out to stake a claim to
a rich strike of gold quartz at
Thomas Bay, are beset by evil,
gruesome figures, whose true
character remains a mystery
even today. All but the author
are driven to the brink of in
sanity. Mr. Colp’s account of his
continuing efforts to identify the
horrifying inhabitants of the
Thomas Bay area, in Southeast
ern Alaska, and his description
of the exciting events which
climax the whole frightening
episode, have the compelling au
thenticity of a personal narra
tive, and are enriched by his in
timate knowledge of the life of
an Alaskan sourdough.
Harry D. Colp, who was born
in Montivideo, South Dakota, in
1882, is remembered by his
fellow Alaskans as an exception
ally colorful figure. Beginning
his career in 1838 as a prospec
tor, he turned to fox farming
in 1818. Moving to Petersburg
in 1927, he became a shrimp
fisheiman, performing the work
until a few years before his
death in 1950. The original man
uscript of "The Strangest Story
Ever Tcld” v.-as recently discov
ered by Mr. Colp's widow among
his effects.
FT/E SEWARDITES CALLED
FOR GRAND JURY DUTY
Five local residents were call
ed for grand jury, fall session.
They aic Augustine Tine, Fern
Burke, Jack Garrett. Frank Gib
bons and Everett House. '
Jurors are required lo report
in Anchorage at 10 a.nu Sept. 8.
Methodists On Alaska Tour
See Church Expansion
Dedication of Seward
Nurses' Residence
Three ranking Methodist
churchmen conducted the simple
ceremony of dedication Wednes
day night, August 26, at the
new nurses' residence on First
Avenue. The institution will
now be officially known as the
Wesleyan Service Guild Nurses’
Residence, named in honor of
the group of women with mem
bers all over the United States,
whose contributions made the
residence possible.
These members are profes
sionally employed women who
agreed to raise the $74,000 nec
essary to meet the requirement
for amounts provided from Ter
ritorial and Federal funds.
The building is strictly mod
ern, fire and earthquake resist
ant and unquestionably the most
beautiful building in Seward.
Plans for its construction were
started when the nurses’ quar
ters at Seward Sanatorium burn
ed in 1949. It was completed and
occupied last winter. This is the
first project of its kind under
taken in Alaska by the Wesleyan
Guild.
Officials Report On
Methodist Work
Miss Emma Burris, an execu
tive secretary of the Woman's
Division of the Board of Mis
sions of the Methodist Church,
and Mrs. J. N. Rodeheaver,
chairman of the department of
work in the United States, in
cluding Alaska, Hawaii, Santo
Domingo, Puerto Rico and the
Virgin Islands, in the Woman’s
Division, gave the following
items of interest regarding Sew
ard General Hospital, Jesse Lee
Home, Seward Sanatorium, and
the Nurses’ Residence, all of
which are under the auspices
of their division.
The Home Department of the
Woman's Division is responsible
for 316 institutions throughout
the above named territory.
The auditor’s report of the
Sanatorium shows that it oper
ates on an annual budget of
over half a million dollars, with
a payroll which is over $300,000.
In 1946 there was an operating
deficit of over $20,000. which
W'as made up by the Woman's
Division of Christian Service.
Since then the picture has al
tered until the red figures have
changed to black under the cap
able management of the Sana
torium personnel. The total con
tributed by the Woman's Divi
sion since 1946 has been over
$214,000. Any surplus remaining
after operating costs have been
cared for, remains as a backlog
to care for unexpected emer
gencies and necessary expansion
which are always arising in the
conduct of a medical institution.
Seward General Hospital also
shows the results of careful
management. It has an annual
budget of approximately $75,000
and employs an average of 15
people. The Woman’s Division
makes an annual contribution
to the supplies and operating
expenses. Any surplus remain
ing in the hospital operating
budget is kept here for meeting
necessary emergencies, as far
as possible.
Jesse Lee Home cares for an
average of *0 dependent chil
dror, with approximately a total
of 100 cared for each year. Total
receipts there are about $81,000
annually, with $53,000 provided
by the Woman’s Division. Due
to the age of the buildings many
replacements in equipment are
needed and the representatives
of the Woman’s Division hope a
way can be found to meet them.
The staff of 14 does a fine job
in earing for the children. They
are kept very busy, all of the
time.
Official notice that $12,500
has been appropriated by the
United States Congress for
painting the buildings at Jesse
Lee Home, has been received.
Dock, R.R. Facilities
Inspected By Officials
William Strand, Department
of Interior, and Mr. Gighlioni,
Alaska Road Commission, spent
a short time in Seward Tuesday
afternoon. They inspected dock
facilities and the railroad yards.
It was late afternoon before
they arrived, as they had made
an inspection in Whittier before
coming to Seward. Mr. Strand
made no comment on what he
saw while here.
The Steamship Baranof ar
rived some three hours late with
a capacity load—137 in all—of
Methodists Wednesday evening.
The church people were travel
ing on the Methodist Christian
Advocate cruise, for which the
Baranof had been chartered.
Leaders of the group include
Bishop J. Ralph Magee, retired,
formerly of Seattle, now of
Evanston, Illinois; Grant Ver
hulst, managing editor of the
Christian Advocate magazine
and director of the cruise, of
Chicago; Dr. Earl Brown, exec
utive secretary of the division
of national missions of the
Methodist Church, of New York;
and Rev. P. Gordon Gould,
superintendent of Methodist
work in Alaska.
While primarily a pleasure
cruise, the tourists, Methodists
from all over the country, are
interested in the expanding ac
tivities of their church in Alaska
and will have opportunity to see
it in Anchorage and Valdez on
their return to Seattle.
Local Methodists had made
preparations to serve dinner at
the church for the visitors. They
would have had moose and bear
meat as well as silver salmon
and other seafoods. Late arrival
of the ship, however, (because
of heavy fog on the Gulf, they
said) cancelled the dinner. The
visitors were shown Jesse Lee
Home, helped in the dedication
of the Nurses’ Residence, and
enjoyed an evening of music at
the church.
The group left early Thursday
morning for the day in Anchor
age, returning by train Thurs
day night. The ship left before
midnight, after giving the visi
tors the merest glimpse of West
ern Alaska.
Health Survey Team
Visits Local C. of C.
Dr. Thomas Parran and oilier
members of the Department of
Interior Health Survey team
were guests of Seward Chamber
of Commerce here Tuesday. Dr.
Parran is the former Surgeon
General of the U.S. Public
Health Service and now dean of
the Pittsburgh Graduate School
of Public Health.
Other members of the team
are Dr. James A. Crabtree, pro
fessor of public health practices;
Dr. Antonio Ciocco, professor
and head of biostatistics; and
Walter J. McNerney, assistant
professor of hospital adminis
tration.
Dr. Parran had high praise
for Seward Sanatorium and the
work of Dr. Francis Phillips
there. His work is known and
followed with great interest all
over the country, Dr. Parran
stated. He also commended the
work done by church missions
in Alaska.
Dr. Crabtree took a great
deal of kidding about fishing in
Alaska, at which he said he has
the greatest enthusiasm of any
on the team but the least skill.
Dr. Ciocco commented that
the team has not had opportu
nity to make anything but a
preliminary study, which will
prepare them for intensive work
next year.
Jhe survey is being made
under a contract between 1he
Department of Interior and the
University of Pittsburgh Grad
uate School. It is the result of
requests directed to Douglas
McKay, Secretary of Interior,
by the Alaska Legislature and
by many individuals in the Ter
ritory. The agreement between
Pittsburgh University and the
Dept, of Interior provides for a
collection and analysis of avail
able data on the general health
and hospital problems of the
native and contiguous white pop
ulation. Particular emphasis will
be placed on studies of tubercu
losis, pneumonia, maternal and
child health and crippled chil
dren’s services.
Mental health, dental services
and other major health prob
lems in the Territory will also
be studied, and environment fac
tors contributing to these prob
lems will be evaluated.
The team left Seward on the
Baranof for Sitka and south
eastern communities.
Other Visitors
Other visitors at the Tuesday
luncheon were Dr. Hittson and
Miss Lottie Hirsh; Mrs. J. N.
Rodeheaver and Miss Emma
Burris, both of the Methodist
Women's Division of national
missions.
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