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8 F, WARD’S
All-Weather
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Is Alaska’s
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THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD, ALASKA
Vol. VII, No. 53
SEWARD, ALASKA, TUESDAY, JAN. 2, 1951
Price 10 cents
Berger Co. To Carry!
Westward Mail
The Berger Transportation
Company, Seattle, has been
authorized to take over the mail
to the Islands and Westward by
eontract under the provisions of
Section 97.8, Postal Laws and
Regulations.
It is not kno vn here whether
the Garland will return to this
service or some other vessel.
The Berger company had the
contract in 1949 and part of
1950, running the motor vessel
Garland over the route between
Seward and Nikolski and inler
* mediate points, a distance of
P 1219 miles and back once each
' inonth.
At the beginning of the fiscal
year, 1950-1951, another com
pany. the Aleutian Steamship
Co., also of Seattle, was award
ed the contract, which after con
1 siderable delay sent the motor
vessel Pomare on its first trip,
arriving in Seward August 17.
The Pomare made only one or
two trips before going on the
rocks, suffering considerable
damage, and was ordered back
to Seattle by the Coast Guard.
'• She did not put in to Seward on
L this return trip. There has been
I no mail or freight to the West
' ward since that time, however,
and this week announcement
was made of the new contract
with the Berger Transportation
Company by tiie Post Office De
partment.
The conlracf calls for Iho
"carrying of all mail offered
by a schedule satisfactory lo the
Department to leave Seward
after receipt of mail from the
steamer from Seattle or or be
tween the boat and each contract
point of call, and to furnish
adequate space for mail, passen
gers and freight of a type satis
fc factory .to the Postmaster Gen
| eral. from January 1, 1951 to
L to June 30, 1954."
BAYVIEW PUPILS OBSERVE
CHRISTMAS
Pupils of Bayview School ex
changed gifts, received treats
from their teachers, and partici
pated in programs before closing
for the holiday vacation.
Each of the three rooms had a
large tree brought in from the
woods and decorated by the chil
dren. Songs, recitations, and
short plays were given by the
primary pupils of Mrs. Frarnp
ton and by the intermediate
grades of Mrs. Borden. The up
per grades in Mrs. Rager’s room
gave a Christmas play, “The
Shoemaker,” directed by Rose
Parks. Clarence Mahle as the
shoemaker had the leading part.
After the programs the teach
ers were hostesses to the staff of
the Jesse Lee Home. Tea was
served by Marie Devine, Jane
Hawkins, and Marianne Miller,
eighth grade pupils.
Pupils of school age at the
Seward Sanatorium were given
a party by their teacher, Miss
Goldie Busko. Ambulatory pa
tients were permitted to take
more active part and all children
enjoyed treats and gifts.
Both school were to resume
regular schedules January 2.
Councilman Richard (Dick) j
Myers returned home Monday
after a visit to the bedside of
his father in Colorado. Mr.
Myers said that he left his father
much improved. He had a nice
visit with his daughter Wilma,
student at Colorado Women's
College, and saw his brother
Tye, who is well remembered,
by older Seward residents.
Pays Fine For Killing
Cow Moose
C. M. Carson, Fish & Wildlife
enforcement agent announced
today that Lawrence Lancashire,
farmer, nine miles, this side of
Kenai, was convicted of killing
a cow moose near his home and
transporting same to his house
for consumption.
Lancashire was convicted on
four counts Friday in Paul Wise’
court in Kenai and paid a fine
of $200 and received six months
suspended sentence. He also for
feited his rifle, license and the
moose meat. Two unborn calves
were a part of the evidence
found at the scene of the killing,
which occurred in the moose
reserve.
EXAMINATION FOR
BARTLETT POSTMASTER
An examination will be held
for the position of postmaster
at Bartlett. Alaska, applications
to be filed on or before February
15. 1951. Although the position
to be filled is at Bartlett, actual
residents of Seward. Alaska,
who meet all requ rements. may
file applications.
An applicant must hav ac
tually resided witain the deliv
ery of the post off ce at Bartlett
or within the city or town where
such office is situated, for at
h ast one year immediately pre
ceding the date or the close
of receipt of app ications. Due
to the inability to obtain quali
fied applicants, it has become
necessary to extend the zone of
competition to include the office
named above. The resident re
quirement. theref« re. is modi
fied so that a person who has
the one year's actual residence
at the above named offices may
file applications for this exam
ination. Salary. S2J70.
This position is already filled
on a temporary appointment,
which probably gives the in
cumbent some preference if be
so desires.
TRAPPER SUFFERS
BROKEN RIBS
Ephraim Brewster, known to
all travellers between Seward
and Anchorage by sight, if not
by name, was brought into Sew
ard General Hospital last Thurs
day suffering front ribs broken
in a fall.
Mr. Brewster is the 1 rapper
who can be seen from all trains,
standing in the doorway of his
little cabin just north of the
Johnson siding, waving a friend
ly salute and wearing a cheery
smile day or night. He never
misses a train when he is not
on the trap line.
Reports from the hospital are
that Friend Brewster is doing
well.
REWARD INDUCTEES
HOME ON LEAVE
Five of the first group of in
ductees arrived by plane New
Year’s Day on 10 day leave.
The first day of their leave was
spent in Anchorage trying to
get a plane out, but everything
was grounded. They all look
well and fine in uniform. Some
have gained weight.
A couple from King Cove,
Alaska, stopped in at Seward to
day to be married by U. S. Com
missioner Anna B. Southard in
her office. Edward Mack and
Elizabeth Gould, r.ow Mr. and
Mrs. Edward Mack, will con
tinue on their way Outside for
a honeymoon.
•New Year's Day
Plane Crash
Injures Two Men
John Strickland, age 19, and
Harry Jenkins, age 25, members
of the Alaska Railroad bridge
gang at Johnson, were severely
injured when their plane, an
Aeronca, piloted by Jenkins,,
crashed in the fog at Mile 20.
The men were circling the j
train wreck at Mile 13 and ap
parently had attempted a land-i
ing in the fog, a short distance !
from the cabin of Andy Simons,
trapper and guide.
Dick Thomas of Seward and
another man, also circling the'
neighborhood, spotted the I
downed plane through the fog,
and seeing a figure working,
around it, made a difficult land-,
ing to investigate. They found
Mr. Simons working to extricate ;
the passengers from the plane. ;
He had succeeded in rescuing,
one of them by the time Thomas :
arrived on the scene.
The office of the Highway
Patrol in Seward was notified,
and Officer Bert Kellogg drove
out to the scene, returning w-ith
the injured men to Seward Gen
eral Hospital, where it was dis- ]
covered that they are both se- i
verely injured. Jenkins suffered
multiple fractures and brain
concussion. Strickland has one!
or both legs broken and head
injuries.
The plane, owned and piloted !
by Jenkins, is said to be 85 per
cent demolished. Neither man
is in condition to recall just
what happened, hospital atten-,
dants state.
Little has been learned con
cerning the families or homes j
of the crash victims, except that |
Jenkins is from Minnesota and J
is thought to have lived in Al- j
aska about five years. Strick-1
land is said to be from Colorado, i
and may live in Kenai.
KIDS "BACK TO THE
OLD GRIND”
Children trudged back to
school today, some of them not
too cheerful, with the slogan
“back to the old grind” on their
tongues, a week's holiday all
too short.
Six Jesse Lee Home children
returned by train this morning,
ready for school after a visit
to parents and relatives in An
chorage. Rose and John Parks,
Betty Wood, Ruth and Kenneth
Watson and Leona Kohler were
all excited after their train trip
alone. *
Many of the older children
spent New Year's Eve at the
Watch Night service of the
Methodist Church.
ALASKA ICE NOVELTY
IN NEW YORK
Seattle (Special) — A clipper
cargo shipment more than a mil
lion years old arrived in Seattle !
Dec. 29 on a Pan American plane
from Juneau. (There probably
are persons here and there in
the Territory of Alaska who
would be moved to sneer, “Well,
that’s Pan American for you,”
but the plane wasn’t late—not
that late at least.)
The shipment consisted of two
one-hundred pound chunks of
ice from Mendenhall Glacier—
ice estimated to be at least a
million years old, and probably
much older. The glacier chips
were on their way to New York
City, to be used to cool drinks
served at the annual banquet of
the world - famous Explorers’
Club.
The million-year-old Alaska
ice was ordered for the explorers
by Maynard Miller, director of
the Juneau Ice Cap Research
Project, and himself a member
of the distinguished club.
Devel. Board Makes
Year-End Review
Engine Leaves Tracks
At Snow River Bridge
A double header freight left
the tracks at Mile I8V2 just
past the Snow River Bridge at
approximately 9 a.in. N e w
Year's Day, injuring fireman
Carl Botz of Anchorage.
Dragging pony trucks on the
engine" is said to have caused
the derailment on the flats. The
engine capsized into Kenai Lake,
causing other cars to leave the
track.
Botz, badly shaken up but
with no broken bones, was taken
to Seward General Hospital,
where he is being held for ob
servation.
Wrecking crews working all
day and night Monday, have
the line open again for regular
rail traffic.
HOPES FOR ADDED SCHOOL
BUS ARE DIMMED
Seward's hopes for added as
sistance from the Territorial
Board of Education for transpor
tation of out-of-town school chil
dren are dimmed by the report
of Dr. James C. Ryan, Alaska
Commissioner of Education.
Dr. Ryan returned recently
from a series of conferences in
Washington, reported he antici
pated little assistance from the
Federal aid legislation passed by
the 81st Congress, according to
word from, J uneau.
Ryan said that anticipated aid
for school construction in areas
affected by Federal activities
has been considered, *and S46
million appropriated for the en
tire nation. This being the case,
Alaska is likely to come in for
a very small amount, if any at
all. of this appropriation.
Parents of 18 children outside
the city limits of Seward, and
off the regular school bus line,
have been much concerned
about bus transportation into
Seward for their children. They
petitioned the City Council for
funds two months ago. The
Council agreed to pay the sum
of S90 a month for 3 months, or
until. February 1. If by this time
the legislature has not arranged
for the added transportation
costs the children will again be
without transportation, except
by private arrangement.
SELDOVIA PATIENT FLOWN
TO SEWARD HOSPITAL
A mercy mission by Alaska
Airlines brought Mrs. Doris
Avery from Seldovia to Seward
General Hospital Sunday. Mrs.
Avery, suffering a broken ankle,
was ordered to the hospital by
Dr. J. H. Shelton, who flew his
own plane to the coastal village
Saturday. He was unable to
make the return trip because
of weather conditions and the
larger plane was sent in to bring
her to Seward. Dr. Shelton re
turned Sunday.
ACTING YARDMASTER
AND AGENT
While L. H. Millerman is Out
side on leave, A. V. Leslie is
temporary yardmaster in Sew
ard railroad yards. The Miller
mans are visiting their son in
Corpus Christie, Texas.
Irwin Dyer, general agent, i^
also on leave. His job is being
filled by O. T. Blair as acting
general agent.
Park Smith, popular in Sew
ard social circles and an old
railroad employe, has been or
dered to rest for several months
by his physician. His work is
being done by Gale Shingleton.
Juneau—Production in 1950
from the Territory’s fishery,
mineral, timber, fur, tourist and
construction industries was val
ued at approximately $430,000,
000, a record high, according to
a year-end review by the Alaska
Development Board released this
week.
Coupled with the 'Board's
summary of 1950 business and
industrial activity was a fore
cast that, barring the outbreak
of world-wide hostilities, Alas
kans can look forward in 1951
to another of the most prosper
ous years in the Territory's his
tory.
Significant among 1950 devel
opments, according to the Board,
was a substantial increase in the
value of mineral production.
While all information regarding
the value of this basic Alaska
activity is not yet available, the
Development Board estimated it
would total about $17,500,000,
which is $2,200,000 greater than
last year and the highest level
reached since World War II.
Gold mined in 1950 increased
almost $2,000,000 over the pre
vious year, the Board estimated,
while the production of non
metallics such as sand and
gravel also was greater owing
to the expanded construction
program.
Construction proved again in
1950 to be the largest single
field of productive activity in.
Alaska, with more than $279,
000,000 being expended by the
military, by civilian government
agencies and private companies
and individuals for new works
and buildings in the Territory.
The 1951 construction pro
gram for Alaska has been esti
mated at more than $300,000,
000 on the basis of announce
ments already made. Most of
this will center in the Anchor
age. Whittier and * Fairbanks
areas, although important pro
jects are scheduled for almost
every locality in Alaska.
Efforts looking to the estab
lishment of large basic industry
of types wholly new to Alaska
continued through 1950, the De
velopment Board stated. Several
of the contemplated develop
ments, including the advent of
electrochemical and electromet
allurgical industry in the Terri
tory, are expected to figure
prominently in the required ex
pansion of national production
to meet defense needs.
Fishery production in 1950
was valued at $100,000,000 or
about the same as in the pre
vious year, although the salmon
pack was in volume much re
duced. The prospect for further
price increases for fisheries pro
ducts and large military pur
chases make the outlook in this
field bright for 1951, according
to the Board summary.
Timber produced in Alaska in
1950 was valued at about $4.
000,000, the Board announced,
the cut for the year totalling ap
proximately 52,600,000 f.b.m.
While the cut was down about
3,000,000 feet from the previous
year the value of products in
creased approximately $150,000.
With lumber requirements ex
ceeding 100,000.000 f.b.m. for
the 1951 Alaska construction
program alone, a substantial pro
duction increase from the Ter
ritory's mills is expected in the
new year. Plans are afoot, ac
cording to the Development
Board, for manufacturing new
limber products, including ply
wood, in Alaska as pari of iha
national defense production pro
gram.
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