Weather
High Low Precip.
Oct. 2 . 42 32
Oct. 3 46 33 Trace
Oct. 4 48 36 1.15
Oct. 5 48 43 1.15
Oct. 6 47 41 1.89
Oct. 7 .45 41 .92
Oct. 8 . 44 38 .61
EWARD
$ e a P o r f
Record
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
Seward’s All-Ik'cather Tort is Alaska's Greatest Assct.
Only newspaper in the
world that gives a hoot
about Seward, Alaska.
Vol. X, No. 15
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1953
Price 10 Cents
T
Former Seward Boy,
Richard Barnes,
Aboard 'Hiawatha'
Among the five survivors of
the wreck of the fishing boat
Hiawatha a week ago was lti
year old Richard Barnes, who
lived in Seward four or fix.
years ago with his grandmother,
Minnie Barnes.
The boy, now staying with
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Kielcheski,
lost all his clothes and papers in
the wreck.
In telling of his experience
he said the boat ran into a storm
on the way to Ketchikan. The
boat began to leak and the
pumps could not keep ahead of
the water accumulating in the
hold. It finally killed the en
gine, Richard said.
They put back to Hinchin
brook, but about 10 miles from
Hinchenbrook Light the crew
was forced to take to the boats.
A handfull of potatoes, some
onions and a haunch of bear
meat, with a few blankets, were
all the men were able to take
ashore. They built a crude shel
ter of blankets and huddled
around the fire for two day-.
During the night, the man Bur
dette McGill walked off a c! ff
and was killed.
The Coast Guard Cutter Clo
ver brought the survivors and
McGill's body in to Seward. At
the time no one was certain of
the man's name, but U.S Com
missioner Southard reported t >
day that he was identified from
papers on the body as Burdette
McGill, "single and unattached
alcoholic.” He will be buried
here next week.
Quake, Thunderstcrn:
Beset Seward
An earthquake at 6:110 and
another thunder storm later i:,
the evening Thursday s< folks
wondering what in the world to
expect next from the weather
man.
The quake, of medium int. is.
ty but long duration, was rather
startling to anyone seated at
the time. Houses creaked and
pictures swayed.
Three hours later the third
thunderstorm in two weeks fur
ther upset the nervous ones.
Thunder in this area was un
heard of for many years. The
last storm affected radios for
several seconds after the flash
of lightening was visible. Sound
track in the theater also seemed
to be affected.
FIRE CHIEF WILL
INSPECT HOMES
Fred Kielcheski, S e w a r d's
Fire Chief, has announced that
he will inspect any home for
fire hazards, upon request.
Walker To Head
Republican Club
Mark C. Walker was elected
president of Seward Republican
Club at the annual meeting held
Wednesday night in the Luther
an Church basement.
Phil Durant was elected vice
president: Mabel Lewis, secre
tary, and Sylvia Sexton, treasur
er. a position she has held for
several years.
Paul Robison, Territorial sen
ator from this division and a
member of the Legislative Coun
cil, was guest speaker at the
meeting.
Robison proposed a change in
legislation which would divide
the Third Division into regions
giving populated areas a conclu
sive right to elect representa
tives from each area. Tlius,
Kenni Peninsula, the Cordova
Valdez area, and other sections
•of the division would have the
surety of a local representative,
rather than having all ten elect
ed from the Anchorage area. He
suggested the passing of a reso
lution to that effect to be passed
through channels for legislation.
Mr. Robison also gave a gen
eral summary of present and
proposed legislation in the Ter
ritory.
Big Transport Docks
Here For First Time
Although Sewardites have be
come accustomed to seeing Navy
vessels in port during the past
. uiumer. tlie ship that docked
this week attracted general no
tice because of its size.
The USNS General C. C.
Morton docked Tuesday. She is
a P2 type transport manned by
a civilian crew, transporting
military personnel. There is a
military staff aboard also, in
clui mg a Lt. Commander.
This is the first trip into Sew
ard for the General Morton,
however her skipper was here
in 1941. Captain William Bang
said he saw some changes in
the town, but taking it "bv and
large" found it "much the same
old Seward.”
IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE —
In last Friday's issue of the
Record. Solly's ran a nice ad
vertisement extoling the virtues
of Kinsey blended whiskey.
The intent of the ad was to sell
the product, and at a very mod
erate price. It was so effective
that Solly actually caught a fel
low pilfering, or counterlifting,
one pint of the product.
Police were summoned and
the chap turned over to the law.
lie has ten days in which to
think it over.
Motto: It pays to advertise;
but it does not pay to shoplift.
Seward Voters Go 'All Out'
For City Manager Plan
McKinley Park Hotel
Challenges Seward
Authorities at McKinley Park
Hotel are challenging Seward to
repeat its performance of last
year at the Alaska Day celebra
tion next week.
Walt and Vi Sipprell walked
off with three prizes for their
unusual costumes. Walt, dressed
as a cave man and armed with
a stone-axe bludgeon, dragged
Vi into the ballroom by her hair.
She was clothed like Oola in
a leopard skin. Their pictures
went all over the country.
The celebration this year is
the weekend of October 16 to 18.
Reservations must be made soon.
Mike Stevens Home
Burned Sunday Night
About 6:30 last Sunday
night local firemen were noti
fied by radio of a blaze at Mile
S'-a on the highway, at the home
of Mike Stevens on Clear Creek.
The family was in town at
the time. Neighbors and volun
teers were able to save part of
the house, but one end was
destroyed.
Recreation Group To
Organize Officially
All organizational groups in
Seward have been, or are in the
process of being contacted this
week for representation on a
recreational committee.
In addition to the regular or
ganizations, everybody interest
ed in a supervised recreation
program in Seward is requested
to be present at a meeting to
be held October 15 at 8 p.m. in
the City Hall. At this time of
ficers will be elected and a pro
gram will be developed along
the lines of preference as shown
by the questionnaire which was
circulated last week.
This is not a sponsored group,
but just a few parents and per
sons interested in a program of
recreation for teenagers and
young people. It is open to all
who are interested in perfecting
such a program.
School Promises
Evening of Fun
Plans and preparations for the
school carnival—to be held Oc
tober 23 in the school gym—
are shaping up very well. All
committees have been appoint
ed and are proceeding to get
right to work.
Many of the prizes have al
ready been obtained and it is
felt that the quality of prizes
this year will be better than at
any school carnival in the past
years. Just to name a few, the
following are some of the prizes:
Satin quilt, wool blankets, bone
china, linens, towel sets, lamps,
pottery dishes, kitchen utensils,
gifts, etc. The prizes for the fish
pond and grab bag are also per
haps better than at any time in
the past.
The proceeds from the carni
val will be used for new basket
ball uniforms which have al
ready arrived and which will be
on display next week.
For an exciting, enjoyable
evening, with an excellent op
portunity to win some good
prizes, come to the school car
nival—Friday evening, October
23.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WOMEN'S WEEK
OCTOBER 11-17
The majority of the 2850
member clubs in the National
Federation of Business and Pro
fessional Women’s Clubs, Inc.,
are located in small towns in
the United States.
All of these clubs will ob
serve National Business Wom
en’s Week in some manner. Sew
ard club • does not meet until
the following week when they
will have as their guests the
women teachers in Seward
schools.
That Seward citizens want the
city manager farm of govern
ment was indicated with no
room for doubt in the municipal
election held Tuesday.
Voters set some kind of record
in the number turning out to the
polls this year, when 76 per cent
of the registered voters cast their
ballots. This was the largest
strictly municipal election ever
held here, and incidentally, the
largest per cent of any city in
the Territory.
Figures on the returns are as
follows.
CITY MANAGER PLAN
For 402
Against 104
MAYOR
Thorwald Osbo . 188
Russell Painter 301
COUNCIL (2-Year Term) Three
Gilbert C. Anthony 221
Robert E. Biggs .149
N. Frank Planchard 116
Patrick VV. Bogan 111
George E. Giardina 42
Neville F. Hodson 224
Perry R. Stockton .391
Mark C. Walker .... 61
Gus Werner . 92
Frank L. Woods 87
COUNCIL (1-Year Term) One
O. T .Blair 442
UTILITY BOARD (5-Year Term)
H. J. Amend 443
UTILITY BOARD (3-Year Term)
John Rosness * . 435
SCHOOL BOARD (5-Yr. Term)
Leon D. Lewis 437
SCHOOL BOARD (3-Yr. Term)
Mrs. Elsie Whitmore 453
HOSPITAL PROPOSITION
For . 297
Against 110
PAVING PROPOSITION
For . 356
Against .58
SEWER PROPOSITION
For . 341
Against . 64
Statistics Show
Home Fires Up
Residential fires are on the
increase.
In making this announcement
the National Board of Fire Un
derwriters urged householders to
eliminate home fire hazards dur
ing Fire Prevention Week,
October 4-10. The Board cited
statistics for 1932, which list
300,566 residential fires in cities
of 2,500 and over—6,790 more
than during 1951.
Pointing out that careless use
of matches and smoking mate
rials continues to be the leading
cause of fires, the National
Board stressed the importance of
taking the following precautions:
1. Provide plenty of large ash
trays, and be sure they are used.
2. When emptying ashtrays, be
sure every match and butt is
cold.
3. Never toss a lighted match
or cigarette info a wastebasket.
4. Before going out or going to
bed. be sure no butts are burning
on tables cr under sofa cushions.
5. Never smoke in bed!
While there are many other
specific rules for home fire safe
ty, basically fire prevention is
simply a matter of keeping the
three elements of fire—heat, fuel
and oxygen—apart. This means
seeing that actual and potential
sources of heat (flames, sparks,
electric wiring and appliances,
furnaces and heaters) never
come in contact with combus
tible materials (wood, paper,
flammable fabrics and liquids).
Or, if the source of heat and the
combustible material are already
in contact (as in the case of oil
soaked rags, which can ignite
spontaneously), it means cutting
•off the supply of oxygen (keep
ing the rags in tightly covered
metal container).
The National Board suggests
that every householder make a
thorough check of his home and
his habits with this basic fire
prevention principle in mind.
Juneau
News-Letter
PROGRAM FOR ALASKA
Governor B. Frank Heintzle
man left on Tuesday, October 6,
for Washington, D.C., where he
will meet with Douglas McKay,
Secretary of the Interior, Mc
Kay's assistants in the Interior
Department, and other high level
government officials to discuss
Alaska's needs, both long range
and immediate.
In Washington the Governor
will present long range develop
ment plans he has been working
on since he took office in April.
Included in his proposals are
the use of Forest Survey funds
to develop use of timber in the
Interior, economic and engineer
ing studies of power develop
ment at a number of sites, revi
sion of land laws and procedures
to make it easier for individuals
and business firms to secure
Alaska land for development,
and an increased road program
for both main highways and
mining and farm access roads.
The Governor will also urge
measures to increase mining ac
tivity in the Territory, including
more intensified minerals ex
ploration, revision of leasing
laws and regulations to make oil
and gas exploration more at
tractive, a study of broader tax
incentives and means for attract
ing wide-spread prospecting by
individuals.
Alaska’s immediate need, win
ter work for fishermen who may
suffer because of the poor fish
ing season, will also receive a
major share of the Governor's
attention in Washington.
"It has beajv frequently stated
by the people most concerned
that they are not looking for a
dole,” the Governor said in Ju
neau. “I think we can arrange
for work programs which will
also assist in the future develop
ment of the Territory.”
The Governor's office, through
Federal and Territorial agencies,
has been gathering information
on actual economic conditions
in the various communities
along Alaska's coast and this in
formation will be presented in
Washington.
The Governor said that while
he will explore the possibilities
of securing relief funds from
Washington, he does not have
great hope of assistance from
that source.
“While we know that a good
many Alaskans will be in need
of work this winter, it is going
to be hard to convince Washing
ton that we have had a ‘disaster’
compared with the Texas
drought, mid-Western floods and
other such occurrences,” the
Governor said.
He pointed out that Alaska’s
tax collections have reached a
record high, that the Employ
ment Security Commission re
ports a new high level of em
ployment During the summer,
and the salmon pack, while it
reached the lowest level in many
years, was less than 20 per cent
below those of 1952 and 1951.
These facts, the Governor said,
make it difficult to convince
Washington that we have had an
economic disaster.
The Governor said he believes
sufficient funds can be provided
through regular channels to in
sure opportunities for work
where it is needed this winter.
The Governor's Office, the
Alaska Development Board and
the United States Forest Service
have worked out a program to
enable Southeastern Alaska fish
ermen to engage in hand-logging
during the fall, winter and
spring. This opportunity, it is
hoped, will provide income for
some of the area's fishing com
munities this winter.
The B’orest Service will set up
the special timber sale areas
where hand-loggers may oper
ate. The Ketchikan Pulp Com
pany will buy hemlock logs for
S25 per M board feet, delivered
at the mill at Ward Cove.
The Governor's Office and
Development Board has asked
the Alaska Native Service to
take over administration of local
logging programs in the com
munities where the ANS is oper
ating cooperative canneries or
has other representation. It is
anticipated that the ANS will be
able to help provide tools and
(Turn to Pjjge 4)
Evangelistic Team
Here From Texas
Rev. and Mrs. W. S. Haley
of Beaumont, Texas will begin
evangelistic services here for
the Seward Baptist Church Sun
day, October 11. Services will
MR. AND MRS. W. S. HALEY
begin at 11 a.m. Sunday with
an evening meeting at 7:45. and
continue every evening through
October 25.
Rev. and Mrs. Haley work as
a team with Mrs. Haley con
ducting the musical program.
There will be special music
every evening. Mr. Haley is an
able preacher and a successful
pastor who has come to Seward
as a part of the simultaneous
revival effort throughout the
Territory. Each of the 21 Bap
tist churches and missions in
Alaska will be conducting re
vival meetings at the same time.
Mr. Haley will speak on KIBH
every afternoon from 4 to 4:15
o'clock. Rev. B. I. Carpenter
invites the public to their meet
ings.
FIRE DAMAGES
CENTRAL GARAGE
Fire in the parts room at Cen
tral Garage on Fourth and Madi
son caused estimated damage
of S500 last Tuesday. The alarm
was sent in at about 4:50 in
the afternoon.
It is thought that no one was
in the building at the time.
NEW UNIFORMS FOR
SEWARD'S 'SEAHAWKS'
New uniforms for the Sca
hawks arrived this week. They
are a gorgeous satin in emerald
green and gold.
Two sets were purchased, one
with green predominant and the
other with gold as the main
color. This is done, Coach Dal
berg says, to avoid confusion
with other schools which also
use green and gold. In addition
to the shorts and jerseys, the
uniform includes “warm up
pants” or slacks and lined jack
ets. The jackets have big sailor
collars bearing the words “Sew
ard Seahawks.”
NEW COUNCIL TO BE
SEATED OCTOBER 20
The new members of the city
council and the mayor will be
sworn in and take their seats
on Tuesday, October 20 at 8
p.m. Announcement was made
by the city clerk today.
Although Tuesday is not the
regular meeting night, this date
was set because of the holiday
for Alaska Day on the 19th.
CARD OF THANKS
We take this opportunity to
express our heartfelt gratitude
to all for their kind assistance,
and sympathy extended at the
time of our recent bereavement.
Gene Breitenbach
Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Jones
Mr. and Mrs. T. R. Jones
Seward people who met Frank
Kalbaugh last Tuesday were de
lighted with the new general
manager of The Alaska Rail
road. “Affable, jolly and pleas
ant” were terms used to describe
the impression made on people
here.
Mr. Kalbaugh made an un
announced visit to Seward.
Word was received in the morn
ing but not in time to announce
his arrival publicly. The Cham
ber of Commerce asked Mr.
Malin to arrange for a gathering
in the afternoon. Telephone calls
and word of mouth invitations
went out. Ladies prepared a
beautiful tea table and a good
crowd was present to meet and
become acquainted with him
upon his arrival at about 5:30.
A few months ago, Seward
showered Secretary of Interior
McKay with letters and tele
grams demanding a “real rail
roader” for general manager of
the government owned railroad.
The concensus of opinion at the
tea Tuesday afternoon was that
their request has been granted.
In fact, Kalbaugh stated that
he is not a politician but a rail
roadman. “But,” he declared,
“I am here to make tfie railroad
pay!”
The route to Seward was over
the track from Portage which
has been declared so many times
to be in particularly bad con
dition. This track HAS to be
completely rehabilitated, Kal
baugh declared.
He also stated that there is no
other logical place to unload
freight but in Seward. Although
it has not been decided yet
where the dock will be built, it
is now quite clear that there
will be one, and that the need
for a new dock is obvious, Kal
baugh declared. Much thought
is going into the survey and
plans for the kind of dock which
would be best.
The new manager is leaving
this week for Washington for
a conference with Secretary
McKay. He will try to persuade
the Secretary to make a visit
to Alaska before Congress con
venes, but at any rate, Mr. Kal
baugh assured the people of
Seward, he. will ask for an ap
propriation of over $9 million
for rehabilitation and dock con
struction.
New School Board
Members Seated
Wednesday Night
Mrs. Elsie Whitmore and
Leon Lewis, newly elected and
re-elected members to Seward
School Board, were seated offi
cially Wednesday night. They
took the oath of office in the aft
ernoon from Mrs. Sigrid Stearns,
city clerk.
The annual reorganization of
the Board and election of oi'!i
cers was also accomplished at
the meeting, with Mrs. Beryl
Wagner being ramed preside it.
Thos. Howell was re-elect.;d
treasurer and Leon Lewis was
made clerk of the five-member
board.
After examining the bills,
amounting to some $300. they
were passed for payment. T ic
Board then discussed hot lunches
fur children in Bay view School.
It was decided finally to put a
bus on at noon to bring those
children in to the cafeteria at
school, as there are not adequate
facilities in the Bayview build
ing to prepare lunch there. All
school lunches will be increased
five cents in cost as of next Mon
day. That means that children
up to the fourth grade will now
pay 30 cents, and all over that
grade will pay 35 cents per meal.
This is still the lowest cost lunch
program in Alaska.
The Board then witnessed a
demonstration of automatic fire
detection equipment and ask -d
for bids on the cost of installing
the device in the Bayview buil i
ing as well as in the central
school structure.
Other subjects discussed were
housing for the new buses, main
tenance of the buses, and driv
ers. These subjects were tabled
for a later date for final decision.
.-Carl R. Carlson, superintend
ent, was authorized to attend the
Territorial conference of school
superintendents at Juneau later
in the month, and the meeting
adjoured at 11 p.m.