Seward
The dairway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
£ e a P o r f
Record
Seward's All-lVeather Port is Alaska's Greatest Asset.
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, MAY 23, 1952
Price 10 Cents
Vol. VIII. No. 77
Coroner's Jury Finds
Neglect Factor In
Death of Child
“Shock resulting from a vio
lent blow to the left side of the
abdomen, causing paralysis of
lhe intestines, source unknown,
but with indications of gross
parental neglect evident,” was
the v.rdict given by Coroner's
jury Thursday at the inquest
held on tne death of little Nancy
LePrell. The child was the 21
month old daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Samuel William LePrell,
living at Mile 25. She died in
her bed on Monday, May It).
Jurors were revolted and sick
ened at sight of the battered
little body, covered with cuts,
bruises and burns. Dr. Joseph
Diesher was the coroner's pny
sician; jurors were J. E. Kirk
patrick, John Coleman, Rev.
Cnaries Maiin, Clarence Keating
and H.nry Frost.
The LePrells came to Alaska
during the summer of 1951 from
Florida. At that time they had
a large truck in which they had
made the trip. They did not live
long in Seward, but moved to
the small cabin on the highway,
where LePrell worked for a road
construction company.
MOOSE PASS WOMAN
INJURED IN AUTO ACCIDENT
Mrs. George McDougal of
Moose Pass was injured Satur
day. May 17, in a collision witn
a car driven by Ralph Gros
wald of tms city. Mrs. McDougal
was thrown through the wind
shield by the impact and sui
iered severe cuts about the face.
The accident occurred at
about Mile 4 on the highway
near Clear Creek bridge, accord
ing to reports. Mrs. McDougal
was removed to S. ward Gen
eral Hospital for treatment.
LAST WEEK OF CLEAN-UP
Residents are reminded that
there is only one mure wees, in
the annual cleanup month of
May.
Trash can be hauled onto the
city dump without special per
mit or if piled in available plac
es, city trucks will make the
pickup.
During the winter visitors re
marked on the “primitive” look
of Seward. Sewardites know that
most of the primitiveness is on
the outside, but visitors and
tourists can not be aware of
that fact. They can only judge
from the condition of yards and
the exterior appearance of
buildings.
Skeletons of discarded auto
mobiles, scattered lumber, paper
and tin cans, in yards and lots
do nothing to impress tourists
with the idea that this is really
a busy and important Alaskan
city.
MORMONS ORGANIZE
SEWARD CHURCH
The Relief Society of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints was organized in
Seward May 13 by James A.
Jensen, Presiding Elder.
Officers elected were: presi
dent, Mrs. Carl Empey, Sr.; first
counsellor, Mrs. J. J. Carroll;
second counsellor, Mrs. Tom
Bennett; secretary-treasurer,
Mrs. James A. Jensen.
The next meeting of the mem
bership will be Wednesday, May
29 at 8 p.m. in the home of Mrs.
Jensen, 307 Second Avenue. An
invitation is extended to anyone
wishing to attend.
URGENT APPEAL FOR HELP
ON SWIMMING POOL
jack Jeffery and a committee
from the Seward Volunteer Fire
L)epui unent iiukc an urgent ap
peal lor help in clearing and
cleaning First Lake lor swim
ming this summer.
At a meeting held f nursday
night. Stan Niegemann, rorrcSt
Kennedy, Oliver Amend, Fred
KielchesKi, and Eugene earner
made a survey 01 waul will be
neeued to put the pool in condi
tion for saie swimming. It was
agreed that the project lacing
them this spring is:
1. Dig oul the ditch leading
from the lake so that the level
of the lake can be lowered.
2. Make forms and pour a
cement penstock with a wooden
gate so water level can be main
tained and also drained at will.
3. CL an out the lake and
spread sand on bottom.
•fiie tirst item will take the
longest and be the hardest," re
mained Mr. jetfery, "since there
is only just so mucii room m tne
diten. ft aoesn t take any en
gineering—omy hard work,
uenetdi wan r or Manpower
"Alter the level or tne lake
is lowered and it is determined
just wnat we are up against,
tbe committee states, "mere will
be a general call lor manpower,
r u st, to clean out tne pool, then
to load trucks with sand and
spread it on the bottom. This
last should oe accomplisneu
easily m a day li there is enough
help. ’
,wr. Niegemann and his Boy
Scouts expected to start work
on the ditch and cleaning up
around the lake on Friday, a
lew other men have indicated
tney will help on tne duen. tins
first item can be worked at by
the individual during day time
hours or in the evening, and
anything he would do (.except
fill up the ditch) would be rignt,
Mr. Jeffery says. "So from right
now on," tlie Firemen state, "if
anyone is interested he can go
out to the lake and get to work.
Ev n Sidewalk Superintendents
are welcome as well as anyone
(Turn to Page 6)
AIRPORT CLEARING
UNDERWAY
After many years of expect
ancy the new Seward ajrport
is underway. Clearing was oe
gun this week under direction
of Victor C. Rivers.
Because the contract was bid
in well under the nrst official
cost estimate, Seward will bene
fit greatly by the long wait, Mr.
Rivers stated some time ago.
More can and will be done at
this time than could have been
possible a year ago.
FAITH CHAPEL SPONSORS
FILM MAY 27
Seward Faith Chapel is spon
soring an admission tree film,
“Out of the Night,” a document
ary motion picture of Chicago's
Skid Row' filmed in sound and
color, at the IOOF Hall May 27
at 8 p.m., it was announced to
day.
CATHOLIC CHURCH GETS
NEW COAT OF PAINT
In keeping with the city-wide
cleanup campaign during the
month of May, Sacred Heart
Catholic Church and rectory are
receiving a new coat of paint
this week.
Cream color paint with bright
green trim improves the looks of
the church property 100 per
cent, and adds to the impression
of the whole block on Fifth Ave.
BULLETIN
According to a wire received
at the local office of the Alaska
Steamship Company late today,
the SS Aleutian sailed from Se
attle today, a few hours late, in
dicating that the strike-bound
condition had been alleviated.
The ship will arrive in Seward
next Thursday on schedule, it
was announced. The Aleutian
is carrying 126 passengers for
Seward discharge, 25 round trip
pers to return immediately, and
20 round trippers to return on
later ships.
ARR ANNOUNCES SUMMER
PASSENGER SCHEDULE
Euective June 3 The Alaska
Railroad will run throe passen
ger trains between Seward and
Anchorage.
Trams will leave Seward at
7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday and
Fiiuay, arriving in Anchorage
at noon.
Trains will r turn on the same
days, leaving Anchorage at 3:30
p.m.. arriving in Seward at 3:0b.
SHIP PUTS Back to port
as Or'i ICEL SURFERS
hEAiVf A if A -iv
The John W. Burgess, a Coast
wise Line freighter, put back to
poi i 'inurs.ay several hours
ai„er moving S. ward.
Captain Charles C. Graham
Ui o.uliit. Gups pilot, liuu sui
te red a heart attack soon alter
tno ships departure. Radioing
tneir lcairn, the snip stood oil
the Army dock alter making an
unsuccessiui attempt to dock.
An Army J-Buat was sent out
by Capt. J. Carr, Port Com
mander, to bring the sick man
ashore. He was met by the city
ambulance ana taken to Seward
General Hospital where Capt.
Gr aham is r. ported improving.
the snip continued immedi
ately on its return trip to Port
land.
ALASKANS WARNED OF
HAIR REMOVER tnAUD
Alaskans are warned this
week b\ Inc Bureau oi Customs,
to avuid a product known as
“Saca-Pelo," which is claimed
by the manufacturer to be a hair
removing salve.
It is nothing more than lard
and minute amounts oi suppery
eun and magnesium oxide. The
Score costs less tnan two cents
an junee to make. Samples sent
to LLS. Laboratories are stamp
eu "r RAUL) ’ by the U.S. postal
authormcs and returned to the
sender.
Helene Lorbeer, owner of the
Canadian Lorbeer Laboratories
making the product, has operat
ed mostly in the States, but has
just recently moved into Alaska.
Several advertisements have ap
peared lately in Alaskan news
papers ottering the fraudulent
product tor $l/.oU per ounce.
Sewardites are hereby warned
to steer clear.
STICKMAN AND HATCH TO
COMr'ETR ON MARATHON
Word has been received by
the 4tn of July Committee Mt.
Marathon race chairman that
Don Stickman of Ruby, Nulato
and Fairbanks will run the
mountain climbing race again
this year.
Stickman took the title away
from Ralph Hatch last year with
the clocked time of 56:38 min
utes. Hatch is training again for
an attempt to regain the title
which he held for five consec
utive years previous to 1951.
OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY
AT POWER PLANT
All Seward residents are in
vited to Op: n House at the Sew
ard Electric System power plant
on Seventh Avenue Sunday, May
25 from 2 to 5 p.m. Probably not
more than 3 out of 5 persons
living here are familiar with the
inside of a power plant. They
do not know how spic and span
clean tm rooms look, how the
roar of engines deafens the visi
tor, how clocks and dials are
watched for deviations in power,
etc. It is really worth while to
make a visit while the oppor
tunity is given.
Open House has be<?n declared
so tiie public can view the big
new Cooper-Bessemer diesel gen
erating equipment which will
be put into the line Sunday. It
is a late model engine, with dry
type radiator instead of the
evaporative cooling arrangement
of the others.
The new generator has 11,501)
horse power, generating 8 00
KW's. This practically doubles
the power output in the Seward
plant, making the total plant
capacity approximately 10 0 0
KW's. During the past winter
the maximum power used at
peak periods was from 950 to
1000 KW's. The coming year
and winter is estimated to run
from 12oU to 13uu K'vv s at peax.
Ai pres, in < 00 is me maximum
of power used in town.
The new plant extension in
cluding the building addition
cost the people of Seward about
$200,000. It should be interest
ing to tax payers and power
users to see what they get for
their money. No extra employes
will be necessary to operate the
enlarged plant. Seward Electric
System employs nine, including
the outside crew and office help.
Everything will be open for
inspection Sunday with someone
on hand to explain details of
operation and costs. Mr. C. R.
Jones, who has installed the
generator for the Cooper-Besse
mer Company will be there also
to discuss operation with in
terested visitors.
DELINQUENT TAX LIST
TO BE PUBLISHED
Harry Southard, Seward tax
assessor, announced today that
the delinquent tax roll for 1950
51 is ready for puplication.
For lack of space, it will not
be published this week but will
appear in the May 30 issue of
this newspaper.
Incidentally, the delay in pub
lication will give delinquents an
opportunity to pay up during
the next week.
GOES OUTSIDE FOR
MEDICAL TREATMENT
Mrs. Fran DuBeau will leave
Monday by plane for Seattle
with her youngest son Al, aged
nine. Mrs. DuBeau is seeking
medical aid for her son. They
will stay with Mr. and Mrs. Al
Noyes, former Seward residents,
while in Seattle.
Accompanying Mrs. DuBeau
will be nine year old Peter
Aylen, who will spend the sum
mer with relatives.
Donald Strutz will also go
to Seattle with the party. He
will continue to California to
visit relatives, then join the
U.S. Navy. Don graduated from
Seward High School May 16.
He is the son of A. C. Strutz
of this city.
Hiser Held For Grand
Jury On
Assault Charge
Donald O. Hiser was held for
tlie grand jury after a prelim
inary hearing before Commis
sioner Anna B. Southard Mon
day, May 19.
Hiser was charged with il
legal entry with attempted rape
and murder. He was arrested
at 2:14 a.m. May 17. Several
witnesses testified to having:
seen Hiser in the hall and to
catching him as he ran up the
stairs from the basement apart
ment of a Fourth Avenue build
ing after they had heard the
little girl scream.
A pair of scissors was pre
sented as evidence and identified
by the nine-year-old child as
the ones which Hiser had used
to stab at her, inflicting a 3-inch
scratch on her check. She caught
the points in her teeth and jerk
ed the weapon away from the
man, according to the child's
t _ stimony.
Hiser made no statement in his
defense, saying only that he
could not remember anything
about the night. He is held in
lieu of S10.UU0 bail.
"DAYS OF '98" PROGRAM
NEEDS HELPERS SATURDAY
Do you know that the build
ing of the school tennis courts
under the sponsorship of the
P-TA will soon be a reality?
Do you know that one-third of
the money has been raised dur
ing the winter by giving various
evenings of entertainment to
wards its support?
Do you know' that another
one-third of the money was
pledged by all the business men
and women in Seward?
Do you know that on May 31
the Lions Club is putting on a
gala evening entitled "The Days
of '98'’ and that they are shar
ing their take with the school
tennis court fund?
Do you know that every boy
and girl in Seward is eligible
to use these tennis courts?
Do you know that there is still
time for you. the parent who
lias not as yet thrown in your
lot, to lend a helping hand to
wards these tennis courts?
The Parent-Teachers Associa
tion is assisting the Lions Club
in their “Days of '98" and is
in need of a few parent helpers
for that evening. If you will
please phone Mrs. Lewis at
Adams 40, she will thank you
graciously and give you a job.
The old saying, "Many hands
make light work” still holds and
the so very few who have work
ed and pushed this project all
the way from its beginning will
appreciate your help.
NAZARENE MINISTER TO
ATTEND CONFERENCE
Rev. and Mrs. L .C. Hopkins
left on the Baranof this week.
They were selected as delegates
from the Alaska District ox the
Church of the Nazarene to the
general convention to be held
in Kansas City, Missouri June
19 to 25.
They will represent Alaska at
the Nazarene Young Peoples So
ciety and also the Women’s For
eign Missionary Society at the
conference.
Before returning to Seward
sometime in July, Rev. and Mrs.
Hopkins will visit with their
parents in South Dakota. They
have lived in Seward for the
past two years.
Days of 498
SEWARD CIVIC CENTER — SATURDAY EVENING
Gomes — Dancing — Food and Prizes
May 31