E WARD
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
Seaport
Record
Seward's All-lFeather Port is Alaska's Greatest Asset.
. VII, No. 100
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1951
Price 10 cents
)e Story of
EWARD
VII
»W THE TOWN OF SEWARD
WAS NAMED
The landing of the first party
permanent settlers on August
1903, develops into a most
cresting story which deserves
i will receive further re
rch during this series. Some
the original party, in addi
n to M**. Brownell, are still
ing. and we want to record
*ir stories as well as his.
But while these additional ac
ints are being gathered, the
itter of the official naming of
ward has become of immedi
1 interest because of this
■ek’s visit of the National Edi
‘ial Association. Among the
legates to this convention was
ta N. Dunphee, representing
2 Blue Valley Blade, of Sew
d, Nebraska. She informs us
at Seward, Nebraska, is a town
approximately three thousand
pulation, centered in a pros
rous farming area. Mail ad
essed to Seward, Nebraska,
ten is sent to Seward, Alaska
. especially during the annual
st office Christmas rush, she
ited.
We are going to ask our news
per friend from Nebraska to
ok up the story of the naming
Seward, N bra ska for us, but
eantime, here is the story of
e naming of our town:
Mr. John E. Ballaine, as re
ted in last week's episode,
me to the townsite on the
earner Santa Ana, along with
s brother, Frank Ballaine, and
considerable party of laborers
id miscellaneous boomers. In
>01 he had wished to name the
uthern terminus of the rail
tad for the famous Secretary of
ate in President Lincoln’s
abinet, who had been more re
>onsible than any other for the
jrchase of Alaska.
But he learned later that two
isignificant settlements, one a
nail mining camp on Lynn
anal, and the other a tinv sum
ier fishing camp on Bristol Bay,
ad already assumed the name,
ad his application the Fourth
ssistant Postmaster General for
io name of Seward for a Resur
jction Bay post office was
lerefore denied.
But John Ballaine was obvi
isly not a man who gives up
isilv. As soon as the workmen
ere started building the first
Dck and the. first sawmill. Bal
ine departed from Resurrec
on Bay direct to Washington,
.C., and the office of T. R.
’eddy) Roosevelt, who was
resident at the time.
He wanted two things ap
roved. and he wanted them ap
roved fast. First, and most im
ortant, he wanted a Depart
lent of the Interior approval
f his railroad location survey,
•om Resurrection Bay to the
anana Valley. But the Interior
•epartment was already 18
lonths behind in its work, and
efused to take up any matter
xcept in the order of the time
f filing. Mr. Ballaine realized
lat this would mean complete
tilure for his project, since
(Turn to Page 4)
Get Heavy Fines For
Illegal Beaver
Two Army officers from Fort
Richardson were apprehended
Wednesday of last week in the
vicinity of Juneau Lake, about
fifteen miles from Cooper Land
ing, by local Fish and Wildlife
Officer C. M. Carson for illegal
possession of beaver illegally
killed.
Carson brought both men be
fore Commissioner Anna B.
Southard last Saturday after
noon. One man pleaded guilty
to three Alaska Game Law viola
tions, taking beaver by illegal
means, taking beaver during
closed season, and possessing fur
animal illegally taken, and was
fined $100 on each of the three
counts and also given a 30-day
suspended sentence.
The other man was round
guilty on only one count, pos
sessing fur animal illegally
taken, and was fined $100 on
that count.
The only explanation offered
by the men for killing the bea
ver was based on the fact that
they had mistakenly thought the
object which they saw in the
water late in the evening was a
bear.
Several disastrous accidents
have been caused by eager hunt
ers who have mistaken human
beings for animals upon seeing
movements in the brush. The
public is cautioned against shoot
ing at any object whose identity
may be uncertain.
Pubiie Urged To Meet
On Plans for Fourth
The 4th of July Committee
urges the public to meet with
them Sunday night at 8 p.m. in
the City Council room to discuss
the community celebration for
the 4th of July.
The Committe is swamped,
discouraged, and some of the
members are ready to give up
the whole thing. “If the people
want a good celebration, we
must have help,” is the word
given out by the Committee.
Everybody with an idea, with
the will to help and a dollar to
push it with, is urged to be pres
ent. THIS IS IMPORTANT!
JOHNSON SCHOOL TO OPEN
JUNE 18
Kathryn Johnson, talented
dancer and teacher, will open
her School of the Dance June 18
in the Oddfellow’s Hall.
In addition to dancing, Mrs.
Johnson is planning a little thea
ter group for adults, and train
ing of children in dramatic pro
ductions for group entertain
ments.
Mrs. Johnson asks that any
persons, men and women, who
are interested in little theater
work, contact her for parts in
the play Life With Mother.
“There is more fun in the pr p
aration and production of a
play by amateurs than people
have any idea of, until they
have tried it,” Mrs. Johnson
said.
A number of Sewardites have
had just that experience in the
past, and it is well known that
an experienced and professional
director like Mrs. Johnson in
spires confidence in the rankest
amateur.
Hail and Farewell!
Ii is iruly Hail and Farewell on the part of Seward to
you good people of the newspaper world. Good people?
With your devils and hell-boxes? Of course! Ask any news
paper man.
We are sincerely sorry that you were not given time
to see the beautiful Kenai Peninsula, which is acknowledged
to be ine most scenic pari of Alaska. We hope, however,
that you have seen enough to whet your appetite for more,
and that next time you may be able to see the real life of
Alaskans by visiting among us personally.
Our very best wishes go with you all, for many pros
perous years to come.
SEWARD SEAPORT RECORD
—__
Stateside Editors To
Arrive 11:30 P.M.
Latest word from the railroad
on the special train bringing
members of the National Editor
ial Association back to Seward
gives the time at 11:30 tonight.
The visitors will board the
Aleutian immediately. Anybody
wishing to have a last minute
visit with friends can meet the
train tonight, and board the boat
for a short ime.
Tentative preparations were
afoot this afternoon to charter
a bus and meet the train in
Moose Pass and ride on to Sew
ard with the visitors. If plans
work out, the bus will leave
Matanuska Valley Lines station
at 8 o’clock sharp. Persons with
out reservations may still have
a chance to catch last minute
cancellations for the trip by call
ing Main 103.
HOUSING EXPEDITER TO
VISIT TERRITORY
Housing Expediter Mr. Tighe
Woods will arrive in Alaska
next week to complete a study
of the rental housing situation
by a personal inspection of the
areas.
He will consult the military
authorities and business leaders
during his trip and will review
the recent work of rent advisory
boards and district offices in the
Territory.
Rent Director A. Bandettini
said this week that it was ex
pected Woods will arrive in the
Territory on Tuesday, June If),
or Wednesday, June 20. He is
scheduled for appearances with
community and service clubs in
Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchor
age during his stay. It is antici
pated that his stay will allow
ample time for an extended sur
vey of rental neighborhoods in
the principal cities of the Terri
tory. .
VOTERS TO BALLOT ON
EXCLUSION PLAN JULY 16
July 16 has been set aside as
the day for a special ballot on
the exclusion of a small section
of land from the city limits.
Registration books are open in
the city hall every day from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the regis
tration of all eligible voters.
Every taxpayer in the city of
Seward, 21 years of age, a resi
dent of the Territory for the
period of 12 months, and of
Seward for 30 days is eligible to
vote in this election.
Tender Arrives Here
For Local Cannery
The Grebe, 110-foot sub-chaser
type boat, property of the Resur
rection Bay Company of Seward,
arrived here at 5:45 p.m. Thurs
day from Seattle after making
the run from Cape Spencer to
Seward in 22 hours.
The Grebe, according to Mr.
Marvin Viale of the Resurrec
tion Bay Company, will be used
as a tender for the local can
nery.
A crew of six, captained by
Bill Everitt, partner of Viale,
brought the boat to this port.
Among the crew members were
two Seward men. Bob Bern and
Fred Brossow who will operate
the company’s fishing boat Mara
thon during the current season.
MORE COLLEGE FOLKS
BACK FOR SUMMER
Forrest Bogard is back in
town. Mildred Hansen is vaca
tioning at home from Washing
ton State College.
Jack Erwin is to be seen about
town, and Patsy Woods got in
this week. Eleanor Salit came
in last week. Although we have
n’t seen him, someone said that
Keith Gray is in Seward. His
parents left two weeks ago. Bob
Morgan is batching at the Cass
home. Anyone else?
CUB SCOUTS CIRCUS
BIG ATTRACTION
Coming as it did on a holiday,
the Cub Scouts Circus Thurs
day afternoon was a big affair.
Hot dogs sold so fast that the
vendors could hardly keep up
with the demand. Cool aid and
the grab bag were also busy
stands. A hundred children of
all ages milled around the big
tent waiting for the “acts” long
before the opening time.
The Cubs first circus was a
big success.
STIFF FINES FOR
DAMAGING ROAD SIGNS
Bud Himes, Archie Himes and
Lewis Kissner were fined $50
each and received suspended 30
day sentences for damaging
highway signs.
The men were arrested by the
highway patrolman in this dis
trict and brought before Com
missioner Southard. All three
were found guilty of shooting
up road signs at Deep Creek,
near Ninilchik.
Big Crowd Expected
At Policeman's Ball
The first annual Policeman’s
Ball tomorrow night is expected
to draw a big crowd. Many tick
ets have already been sold, by
the enthusiastic, hardworking
cops, taxicab drivers and busi
ness houses.
A special invitation is extend
ed to all military personnel in
cluding the visitors at the Ptec
reation Center. It is not a formal
dress affair, although ladies are
invited to wear long dresses it
they care to. Seward dances are
always mixed as to formal attire,
but many slacks are seen as a
rule, among the long dresses.
The hall is beautifully decorat
ed in red, white and blue. Any
one who dropped in yesterday
to see what was going on did
not leave without lending a help
ing hand on the decorations.
Elks to Close for Dance
Word came today that the
Elks Club will close during the
evening in deference to the Po
liceman’s Ball. The Club will re
open at midnight.
Information For
Prospectors
With intensified prospecting
for radioactive minerals antici
pat d in the Territory this sea
son, the Alaska Development
Board has available for distribu
tion, under special arrangements
it has made with the Atomic
Energy Commission, a selection,
of literature which may be of
help to the individual prospec
tor.
Included in the selection, in
addition to official regulations,
are the following titles:
“Impact of Atomic Energy on
Economic Geology,’’ “Pitch
blende - The Primary Source of
Uranium,” “Uranium Resours
es,” “Uranium Procurement Poli
cies,” “Uranium and the Petro
leum Industry,” “List of Selected
Publications Concerning Urani
um Minerals and Prospecting,
"Use of the Geiger - Mueller
Counter," “List of Manufacturers
of Geiger Counters for Prospect
ing.” Copies may be obtained
without charge from the Alaska
Development Board, Box 50,
Juneau.
The Development Board was
advised by Jesse C. Johnson,
Director, A EC Raw Materials
Division, that radioactive ore
samples discovered in the Terri
tory should be sent to Helmuth
Wedow, Alaskan Trace Elements
Unit, U. S. Geological Survey,
P. O. Box 1088, Fairbanks, for
examination. Samples will be
examined without cost and pros
pectors will be furnished a re
port on the results of the tests.
The Territorial Department of
Mines also is cooperating with
AEC, Mr. Johnson told the
Board, and samples may be for
warded for examination to any
of their assay offices at Ketchi
kan, Fairbanks, Anchorage or
Nome.
GLENN WILLIAMS TO MOTOR
OVER HIGHWAY
Glenn Williams is leaving soon
with two cars to drive over the
Alaska Highway. Anyone who
wishes to go outside this way
should contact Mr. Williams.
Otherwise, he plans to drive
one car with the other in tow.
Don't forget! —
POLICEMAN’S BALL
blVIC CENTER SATURDAY NIGHT JUNE 16