EWARD
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
$eapotf
Record
Seward’s All-Weather Pori is Alaska's Greatest Asset.
ol. VII, No. 104
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 1951
Price 10 cents
The Story of
SEWARD
X
SEWARD DURING THE
SECOND AND THIRD
YEARS
Without closing the pages of
the years 1903 and 1904, our
scries moves forward to cover
some of the more important
events of 1905 and 1906, years
during which much was accom
plished in stabilizing the little
city, notwithstanding the fact
that the population had not
greatly increased.
It must be remembered that
Seward never had a mushroom
growth like that of Nome in
1900-01, during which more than
20 thousand gold-seekers gath
ered for a brief period, then
scatterred once again to the four
corners of the earth, leaving lit
tle but a few hundred makeshift
shacks behind to mark the spot.
Unlike Nome, unlike many other
Alaska towns, the settlers of
S e vv a r d came to stay. They
brought with them small but
substantial savings, determined
to enter business and build a
prosperous city regardless of
what might happen. They in
vested their savings, and m most
cases built with their own hands
many of the business houses
which have lasted down to the
present day.
More than once, it was this
same dogged determination, tins
same laun m me luiure u\ oew
arcl’s pioneer businessmen, winch
saved the town from extinction
during the clarx days when work
on the railroad was actually sus
pended, and there seemed nttre
hope of its completion.
Let us examine some of the
reasons for this optimism. In
1904, Seward had its three or
four general stores, its share o.
cheap frame saloons, sawmill,
and miscellaneous tents and
shacks. But even in 1904, the
Ballaine Brothers started a small
waterworks, depending on see
pages from the rocks near what
is now the Resurrection Bay
Company Cannery. This water
was piped to the lower part o.'
4th Avenue, and provided the
convenience of running spring
water to the main part of the
town. Also, in 1904, Frank Bal
laine established a small news
paper, the original Seward Gate
way, under the editorship of a
man named Kemp, whose initials
are forgotten. The first school
opened in Seward under Miss
Louise Kurth, who was sent here
to teach by Rev. Sheldon Jack
son, during the winter of 1903
04.
From this it is easy to see that
tiny Seward already had facili
ties of a permanent character
during its very first year of ex
istence. And during 1905, a num
ber of other important steps
were taken. The Bank of Sew
ard opened its doors on Febru
ary 0, 1905, with deposits of
$5,000. In this,same year, work
was begun on the present Epis
copal Church; a permanent full
time Methodist Minister arrived
in Seward, and the U. S. Army
Cable from Valdez to Seward
was begun by the old “Wamcats,”
the predecessors of the present
ACS. Many new businesses too,
(Turn to Page 4)
ARR Boosts Seward
July Fourth
Celebration
Special from the Alaska Rail
road—It's always good weather
in Seward on the Fourth of
July—well almost always.
The official weather reports
indicate that the popular Seward
Fourth celebration has catered
to sunny skies for the past 11
years. And good weather is al
ready on order for the 1951
festivities.
The annual Seward celebra
tion is rated as among the finest
in Alaska. Last year nearly 600
people travelled to the Gateway
City in one of the largest Alas
ka Railroad passenger trains in
history.
The town is being turned into
a virtual circus ‘ midway'’ with
concessions and stands along the
street. The highlight of the af
fair is the big foot race up Mara
thon Mountain.
A new novel event has been
added this year that should at
tract widespread attention. A
young lady named Godiva will
ride up Fourth Avenue on horse
back.
Other Fourth of July events
planned at Seward include a
parade, tug-of-war. gr<_as: d pig
contest, a fireman's burlesque,
peep show, games and fifii.
Meanwhile, the Gateway City
is planning to open its doors to
western Alaska with one of the
biggest Fourth celebrations in
years. And the weather will bo
superb—the Seward Chamber of
Commerce says so.
Mt, Marathon Race
il J W 4i '«r «l v : (4*> W. L
Three radio sets s,t up by
the Engineers will broadcast the
Mt. Marathon race as it is in
progress. One set will b_ at the
top of the mountain, one half
way, and the other on the stand
at Washington and Fourth Ave
nues.
In addition to these two items
of interest, the Engineers, under
the direction of Captain Henry
Bloom, Special Service officer,
are giving invaluable assistance
in the setting up oi stands and
tents, loan of fielti kitchens, and
some of the boys will worK along
all day as “barkers’’ and at any
other jobs they may be asked to
do.
It was upon the promise of
this assistance that members of
the 4th or July Committee agreed
to go on with preparations for
the celebration.
The Alaska Railroad is send
ing a special train again this
year. A special rate is being
offered to the people of Anch
orage and servicemen who anti
cipate the trip. The train will
leave Anchorage promptly at
8:00 a.m. on the morning of the
4th, arriving here at 12:30.
Many of the most interesting
events of the day will be held
after the train arrivel. Race time
has been set as 4 o clock.
1951 LICENSES DUE
Three sets of lie:rises arc due
July 1. City driver s license to
operate a car, expires June 30.
The dog tax of $3.00 for-Jemale
dogs, $2.50 for male dogs, must
also be renewed by July 1.
All resident licenses for hunt
ing and fishing must be obtained
by the first of the month.
Money Orders
Available Monday
For the past week it has not
been possible to purchase a
money order from the local
post office. The reason given was
the lack of old money-order
forms pending the installation
of a new system, which goes in
to effect July 1.
The new orders will be issued
at all post offices in the same
manner as the present orders
are issued, except that they will
not be drawn on a specific post
office, and will supersede the
present paper form. Then money
orders may be cashed at any
post office or bank within the
period of one year.
Basis for the new form is a
money order form printed on a
tabulating card prc-punched to
designate a regional post office
and serial number.
The new system is designed to
reduce the cost of handling post
al money order business and
speed up the service.
Seattle C of C Board
Aleutian for Home
Forty-seven tired and sleepy
people, the Seattle Chamber of
Commerce, visitors to Alaska,
lett the train at 4:30 this morning
to board th SS Aleutian for
their return trip.
The train, which was delayed
several hours leaving Anchorage,
was h Id in Portage for a second
engine to get the long train
over the mountains.
Seward people visited the Se
attleites aboard snip tins morn
ing before its departure. Many
visitors vv. it; s-. i n on uiu streets,
enjoying the rainless morning.
Several ladies seemed particu
larly intrigued by the long stem
med dandelions found here. One
visitor had a blossom with a
stem measuring 30 inches.
Cearcn /or Drowned
Men Ended
A last official search was made
Wednesday for the bodies or a
poss.ble survivor of the drown
ing accident last Sunday in Res
urrection Bay.
Several men including local
law enforcement officers, Fish
and Wild Life Service agent,
and the ARR special agent,
searched both shores of the Bay
afoot. Buildings on Caine’s Head
were carefully investigated. Les
ter Mize, one of the men who
survived the accident felt that
the man. Frank Matousek, might
have reached shore. He was last
seen swimming for shore with
the aid of an empty gas can.
Nothing was found, however to
indicate that either man reached
safety.
ARMY ENGINEERS TO
DISPLAY EQUIPMENT
A display of the equipment
being used by the 30th Topo
graphical Engineers on Kcnai
Peninsula will be set up on the
school grounds July 4. Automo
tive equipment and aircraft, in
cluding helicopters will be open
to public inspection. The map
ping process will be explained
and “weasels” will be on the
job. The weasel is a small am
phibious tractor, which makes
the eyes of the kids gleam with
anticipatory light—they all wist
fully hope for a ride someday.
Alaska Methodists
Double in Two Years
Rev. P. Gordon Gould, speak
ing to the Alaska Mission Con
ference now in session in Sew
ard stated today that the growth
of the church in Alaska has
doubled in the past two years.
Rev. Gould u the director of
Methodist work in Alaska.
His statement was based upon
the reports of ministers and dele
gates at the conference. The
number of ministers serving
Alaska communities has increas
ed 100 percent as well as the
membership, Rev. Gould stated.
“As we look forward to our
program for next year, empha
sis will be on evangelism and
making the local church more
effective in its service to in
dividuals, families, and the com
munity,” the director stated.
Announcements of the pro
gram for 1951-52. and the new
appointments will not be made
public until later in the confer
ence.
Saturday, the entire delega
tion will be entertained by the
Seward Recreation Center, Cap
tain ,J. Carr, Port Commander,
and Captain Sam Bistany, will
be hosts. The party will spend
the day on Resurrection Bay,
paying a visit at Bear Glacier
and other points of interest.
Upon their return, the disting
uished guests will have a weiner
roast on the proposed site of
the college at the end of the Bay.
Rcc Center Gets
This Week's Prize
This week’s prize for the
greatest improvement to house
and grounds was awarded to the
Seward Recreation Center by
unanimous acclaim of the com
mittee.
The buildings at the Army
Rec Center wt re freshly painted
earlier in the spring. Their
grounds are spic and span. Two
small plots are inclosed by white
picket fences. One labelled ‘'Sun
Beach," the other contains a
rock fireplace where the guests
of the Center can barbecue the
results of their fishing trips.
The $5.00 merchandise prize
is given by Seward Hardware
this week. Honorable mention
was made of the grounds at the
O. L. Gilbert home, 314 7th Ave.
DON'T FORGET THE
FIREMAN'S BALL SATURDAY
Approximately 300 persons at
tended the Police Ball June 10.
Of that number, everyone seem
ed to be having a good time.
Everything was quiet, no dis
turbences of any kind. Which
was good advertising for what
can be done at Seward dances.
The Fireman’s Ball tomorrow
night will be run on the same
order. Ladies are asked to wear
old fashioned costumes if they
have them, formal dress if they
prefer, but to go to the dance
anyway.
THEATER FIRST TO
DECORATE
The first decorations for the
4th of July noticed about town
is the Liberty Theater Building.
All windows on the Adams
Street side are dressed in attrac
tive front, which is very notice
able.
Biggest Load of
Cement Now
At Marine Ways «
The barge “Attu Island,” own
ed by Ocean Tow Co., of Seattle
arrived at the bulk handling
plant of Superior Portland Ce
ment Company here Thursday
at 5 p.m. It carried 20,184 bar
rells of bulk cement, the biggest
cement load ever to have been
delivered in Alaska.
This makes a total of 86,172
barrells and 55,428 sacks of ce
ment handled in the local plant
so far this season, which opened
the last week in March.
In addition to the tremendous
cement handling job being done
by the Seward Fish & Cold Stor
age Co., the fish processing plant
has handled 438,000 pounds of
halibut this season. The steam
ship Aleutian is taking out a
cargo of 128,000 pounds of hali
but today.
Both the cement and fish pro
cessing plants are handled by
the Fish & Cold Storage Com
pany at the old San Juan dock,
now leased from the city of Sew
ard, which also includes a ma
rine ways. The triple facility is
operating night and day to keep
pace with the demand of busi
ness.
Conference Delegates
Visit Parents Here
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Leege,
of Juneau, with their daughter
Nancy, 14, and son Don, 12. are
visiting Mrs. L ego's parents,
Mr. and Mrs. John Goss.
Three members of the family
are dt legates at the Methodist
Conference now in progress. Mr.
Leege is a church delegate, Mrs.
Loege is delegate for Woman’s
Society of Christian Service, ami
Nancy represents the young pro
pie of her church.
Mr. Goss is manager of the
S ward Meat Market. He is as
sisted by his wife. Although they
have not been in Seward ior
long, they are rapidly becoming
acquainted. T'n y live on Second
Avenue now. Their grandson and
his father will stay in town for
the 4th of July celebration, but
Mrs. Leege will mturn to Juneau
Sunday.
ENTRIES FOR BOAT RACES
TO CONTACT OLIVER AMEND
Oliver Amend, is handling all
entries for the boat races on the
4th of July. Boatmen are instruc
ted to contact Mr. Amend.
The races will begin at 7:30
in the evening from the west
side of the city dock to Lowell
Point. Standby boats will be
furnished by the Recreation Cen
ter.
No operators will be allowed
on the race course unless wear
ing life jackets, according to Mr.
Amend.
KANSAS PROFESSOR TO
RUN MARATHON
Professor Harold Walker, a
physical education instructor and
coach from Kansas, will enter
the Mt. Marathon race as a con
testant.
Mr. Walker is visiting in Sew
ard with Mr. and Mrs. Harold
Davis. He entered tlie race once
before, about four years ago, and
is now training on the mountain
again.
xml
SATURDAY, JUNE 30
SEWARD CIVSC CENTER
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8:03 P.M.