SEWARD
1 The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
Seaport
Record
Seward's All-ITeather Tort is Alaska's Greatest Asset.
THE <yNLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
|l. VIII. No. 2
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 6, 1951
Price* 10 cent9
IED COMMANDERS
he Story of
EWARD_
By Jay Stauler
XI
E VISIT of GOV. HOGGATT;
low Mining Helped the Town
>f Seward Over a Tough Spot
n last week’s chapter we con
ued on the early growth of
»vard, and learned something,
, of the ups and downs of
Alaska Central Railroad,
ich eventually was re-organ
d and re-financed under the
■porate- name of the Alaska
rthern Railroad.
!t may seem to some of our
l-timers that too much ein
asis has been placed on the
lroad and real estate promo
ns of the Brothers Ballaine
d their associates. To counter
this impression, and to keep
' story of Seward a little bet
balanced, this week's episode
11 d al main I; with the min
\ activities 01 the Kona Penin
a, most of which were ceil
ed around the town of Sew
.1 as a base of supply and
eration, even if tlie mines
imselves were located at a
itance from the little city,
ter on, we ll try to pick up
>re information on Kenai P, n
;ula mineral projects, as well
on coal, fisheries, fur trap
lg and fur farming, big game
nting, and other sources of
tome which contributed to the
iwth of Seward.
We have already indicated
it sometime prior to 19U2. a
; load of hydraulic pipe was
loaded at the site of what is
w Seward, and a rough wagon
id cut through from Resur
rtion Bay to Cooper Creek,
Lake Kenai. This particular
aject, started by a man named
ackleford, who may or may
t have been the same L. P.
ackleford who was a key ern
jyee at the famous Treadwell
nes, near Juneau, was later
rorporated as the Kenai Min
; Company. Bits of that huge
pment of steel pipe are still
be found around Seward: Mr.
ownell believes he has a sec
n in the chimney of his pres
t home. This early large-scale
eration never paid off, and
s finally abandoned.
The gold rush to Hope and
nrise, dating from about 1899
1901, had a very great in
ence on Seward, in more
ys than one. Prospectors,
ning out all over the North
l half of the peninsula, had
n staked out and filed claims
an most of the hillsides and
eks, from Resurrection Bay
Kern Creek, from Chenega
Prince William Sound to
nai on Cook Inlet. Most of
se mining claims amounted
nothing, but soon a tidy little
d industry grew up around
ose Pass and along the rail
t. Both quartz and placer
aes were operated originally,
the quartz veins proved far
re permanent and profitable
this area.
Quartz mining is far more ex
lsive than placer, and takes
| (Turn to Page 4)
Committee Asks
Restoration of
Public Works Money
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
Senate Appropriations Commit
tee has recommended increases
of more than $2,000,000 in Alas
ka items in the Interior Appro
priations Bill.
The biggest increase over
the House-approved bill is $1.
500,000 reinstated tor public
works, bringing the total to
$8,500,000. The Senate version
represents a compromise be
tween ihe House-adopied fi
gure and that originally re
quested.
The Senate committee also in
creased the item lor operation
and maintenance ot roads to $2,
huu.Ouo. This was an increase oi
$2dO,oOO over the House figure
and is to be used, tiie committee
said, for "major roads.”
For the Bureau of Reclama
tion's Eklutna project the Sen
ate recomnr nded tne lull $a,
704,400 requested in the budget
estimate. The House cut the item
to $o, r7o,040.
No changes were made in
ihe House-approved figures
for road construction or Tns
Alaska Railroad. These items
remain at $2,6CG,GGJ and S2,
000,000, respectively,
Tiie Senate committer, how
ever, proposes to change from 25
to 2J per emit the amount of
road construction money which
may be spent for work on a
force account or hired labor
basis.
The reinstatement of Public
Works appropriations will in
sure the construction of Sew
ard’s north-end sewer proj.ct.
Tiie city's application is now at
the head of the list for construc
tion, which will probably be
started in early 1952.
Three Trains Carry
1075 To Seward
Official tabulation proved
the number of excursionists to
the Seward Mt. Marathon race
reached the all-time high of
1075. Many others were visit
ing friends in town, and had
come before the 4th.
Another record broken on the
4th of July was the weather. A
temperature of 84 degrees short
ly after noon was the highest
ever recorded here. It was also
the hottest spot in Alaska that
day.
Besides tlhe crowd on the
streets, the swimming pool was
crowded all day with people
seeking temporary relief from
the heat and dust of down-town
streets.
Thousands of spectators were
thrilled by the magnificent arial
show put on by the 30th Topo
graphical Engineers at 6 o’clock.
Two L-19A’s piloted by Captain
Nicholas G. Eckert and Lt. Bill
W. Nielson put on a magnificent
show for the benefit of the many
watchers. During the day four
helicopters added their share
of thrills for the spectators also,
and placed the race judges
atop Mt. Marathon.
(By The Associated Press)
Communist commanders gave
final approval today to arrange
ments lor preliminary cease-fire
talks—five hours before their
emissaries were scheduled to
leave for Kaesong.
In a midnight message, the
top Red generais acknowledged
the United Nations guarantee of
safe conduct lor their emissaries.
The Allies already were put
ting the pledge into effect
when the Red Pyongyang ra
dio broadcast the eigntn mes
sage in the series of radio ne
gotiations.
U.N. warplanes were ordered
to keep away from the highway
down which Communist negoti
ators will travel today for cease
fire preliminary taiKs in Kae
song.
Lt. Gen. O. P. Weyland, Far
East Air Forces commander, is
sued the order a Kw hours alter
opposing commanders completed
arrangements by radio for a
Sunday meeting—and guaran
teed sale conduct to the emis
saries.
The Communist delegation
leaves Pyongyang, ihe
Korean Capita^, c-i 5 a.m. Sai
uruay (midniglii PDT lomgni).
The Communist convoy will
fly white flags as it travels down
tiie benib-pjeked Pyongyang
Sariwon Namc.oagjo.a highway
to Kaesong, three miles south oi
parallel 33.
x'ne oraer carried cui ihe
p edge cf sale conduct made
earlier in the day by Gen.
Matthew £. Rxugway. U.N.
Commander, and it banned
Allied bombers from one oi
iheir favorii . targets. Ti e
highway :s a main Red supp.y
artery io ihe western front.
It has been under almost con
stant attack tor months. Bombs
have cratered it badly, and it is
liberally seeded with tetrahed
rons— sharp, four-pointed cast
iion devices for puncturing tires.
Bombers and fighters also
were ordered to make no attacks
within a five mile radius of Kae
sogn once the Red delegation
reaches it. This carried out an
other pledge Ridgway made.
The two delegations meet
Sunday fo arrange for a cease
fire session scheduled to start
in Kaesong Tuesday.
The shooting will continue un
til an agreement is reached at
the second meeting, and ap
proved.
Air scouts spotted half a doz
en people in Kaesong today but
couldn't tell whether they were
Reds, Allies or civilians. A U.N.
patrol headed for the city for
the third successive day while
engineers swept mines from the
“peace road” the U.N. delega
tion will travel if it goes by jeep.
Forty-four U.N. planes
blasted a Rod stronghold on
the western front 20 miles
northeast of Kaesong. It was
one of throe mass air strikes
Friday. The others were by
American jets on two Reel air
fields. One is 40 miles north
of Pyongyang and the other 40
miles southeast of the Red Ko
rean capital.
Without firing a shot—or be
ing shot at—an armored U.N.
patrol rumbled up the western
side of the “iron triangle” to its
tip and entered Pyonggang. 95
miles southeast of Pyongyang.
DON STICKMAN OF RUBY WINS RACE IN
56 MINUTES, 38 SECONDS;
SECOND BEST TIME IN TEN YEARS
Don Stickman from Ruby and
Fairbanks, took the Mt. Mara
thon title Wednesday with the
best time made in the past 10
years. He was clocked at 56 min
utes 38 seconds. Ralph Hatch
came in second with 58:33.
Third place was taken by a
visitor from Mullinsville, Kan
sas, Harold Walker, who made
the race in 64 minutes. 33 sec
onds. Mr. Walker is athcletic
director and coach in his home
town.
Stickman, an Athabasca In
dian, comes from Ruby, Alaska.
He has been working in Fair
banks, pilots his own plane,
and races dog teams in the win
ter. He weighs 142 pounds, and
is 30 years old. In racing circles,
a man is said to be at his prime
condition at the age of 30. He
has been training for two months
but only arrived in Seward last
Thursday. He made a few train
ing trips up Maratko i. n
winner said that he planned to
beat Hatch to the top because
he doesn’t believe there is a
man living who could beat
Hatch on the descent.
Spectators watched him pass
Hatch near the top and he had
started down before Hatch reach
ed the judges stand.
Walker was an easy third. He
is visiting his sister, Mrs. Ross
Miller at Hope, but was staying
in town last week. He went up
the mountain once before the
race. He might have made bet
ter time also, but was somewhat
tired because of a trip in from
Hope, arriving just before race
time.
Both Hatch and Stickman
showed some nervousness be
fore the race, They were keyed
to a high pitch. They both came
in without evidence of severe
exhaustion how ver, and run
ning hard down the last stretch.
The 1951 race was intensely
exciting. People seeing it tor
the iirst time, shook their heads
in amazement. Many on aments
were h ard to the effect that
even seeing was hard to believe.
Melhodkjts />pp*>?>•■»
Pastors for Aiaska
The Alaska Mission Confer
ence just completed in Seward
it..-lilted in the appointment cu
Id pastors in the Territory. One
of these, Rev. Cecil Wyant wul
taive over the new church lo be
established in Homer, liev. Gene
L.iioit will continue with the
mobile parish on the Kenai Pen
insula, using the station wagon
which was a gitt from the Meth
odists or Arkansas.
Rev. Charles Melin (pro
nounced Mail-in) who was ap
pointed io tne Seward cnarc.i,
arrived with his wife fluid and
2 year oid son Vernon by the
SS Baranof eariy Thursday
morning. Rev. Malin is from
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but
his last charge was at Columbia.
Pa.
Other appointments were
made at Ketchikan, with Rev.
Wyburn Skidmore in charge.
Miss June Marks is parish work
er there. Rev. Fred McGinnis
at Juneau; Rev. Robert Rings,
Douglas: nev. Bruce Groseciose,
Anchorage.
Rev. Oscar Olson was re
turned to Seldovia; Rev. Robert
Treat, Nome; Rev. LeRoy Heil
brun, Unga and Rev. Keitii
Vvhittern, Unalaska.
At the special elections, the
Rev. Robert Treat was made
Alaska Delegate to the Western
Jurisdictional Conference with
Rev. Skidmore as alternate. Rev.
McGinnis will represent the
Territory at the National Family
Life Conference in Chicago in
October.
Emphasis was laid on visita
tion evangelism, with the Metho
dist goal to double the member
ship this year. The number of
ministers in the field has been
doubled in the past two years.
Fourteen outstanding Metho
dist ministers in America will
visit the Terrtory throughout the
year to assist in the program.
Abrams Family
Expresses Tbanks
Airs. Emiice Abrams, her son
Robert, 12, and daughter Linda,
9, leit Seward today for their
lorraer home in Los Angeles.
Mrs. Abrams wished to make
public expression of her grati
tude to tiie business men and
ldsuients of Seward for the gift
of $700 which she received
yesterday. It was a total sur
prise to her.
“1 am sure that the people of
Seward did not realize tnat this
will make it possible for me to
return to my own little place
in Los Angeles,” Airs. Abrams
said.
She also wanted to thank
everybody personally who had
taken part in the search for her
husband who was drowned in
Resurrection Bay June 24, and
the rescue of her son Robert,
who saw his father drown.
“There were so many who help
ed us, that I will never know
all of them,” Airs. Abrams con
tinued. ‘‘Will you give all my
heartfelt gratitude for all that
has been done for us.”
Eidridge (Tex) Abrams, and
Frank Matousek were drowned
when their small boat swamped
off Caine's Head. Abrams’ 12
year-old son and Lester Alize,
other members of the fishing
party, were rescued by the
freighter George Olson after 7
hours in the numbing cold
waters of Resurrection Bay.
The family came to Seward
only two months ago. Mr.
Abrams had no insurance, and
the memorial gift raised tby
friends in town enabled the
family to return to California.
ANYBODY LOSE A PAIR
OF SPECTACLES?
A pair of heavy lens, rimless
spectacles was found Wednes
day, July 4. Thev are at the
Seaport Record office waiting to
be claimed.