MORE ABOUT . . .
Story of Seward
(Continued rrom Page 1)
already filed to guarantee an
“unlimited traffic.’’ However,
most of these previous claims
were later held to be illegal and
fraudulent, and at last it became
apparent that Seward’s railroad
could not even be sure of fuel
for its own use. The situation
became utterly confusing when
the U.S. Navy proceeded with
plans for a colliery at Seward,
in apparent anticipation of an
early lifting of the Alaska coal
ban. I”, fact, the Executive Order
was later modified to permit the
leasing of a maximum of 25t>0
acres of coal lands to a single
individual or corporation. Cut
capital still held out for a larger
maximum, since the leasing ar
rangement would have allowed
only a normal profit on invest
ment. and ruled out a specula
tive rate of return.
The people of Seward, how
ever. could see only one thing in
this whole complicated question,
and that was that the Executive
Orders on coal lands stood be -
tween them and prosperity. It
appeared that the lifting of these
prohibitions would result (1 > in
the immediate resumption of
work on the railroad (2) the es
tablishment of a U.S. Naval
coaling station at Seward, (3) the
development of Seward as a
great-circle coaling station for
the major portion of the Oriental
commerce, and (4) that Seward
Ra*?'s
OIL
SERVICE
Stove Oil
Furnace Oil
Light Fuel
Phone Monroe 150
DAY OR NIGHT
Prompt. Courteous Service
Certified Meter Delivery
Give Us a Call—
Office at 228 4th Avenue
Phone Main 171
Ray Seferovich, Owner
DIRECTORY
Meets 2nd and 4th Mondays
I.O.O.F. Hall - Adams St
N. G.. Art McKeough
V. G.. George Kipsgard
Sec., Tom Jones
Meet 2nd & 4th Wed. of Month
OPEN DAILY 5:00 P M.
United Brotherhood of
CARPENTERS and JOINERS
Seward Carpenters’ Union 230*
Meetings at Lutheran Church
affiliated With A F. of L
Meeting 2nd Tuesday of Monft
W. C. Knaak — President
R. M. Bevan - Fin.-Sec. & Bus. Agt
International Longshoremen's
and Warehousemen's Union
Local 39
Meets First Tuesday of Each Month
7 p.m. — Union Hall
President — John Rose
Meets
lst-3rd Wed of Monti
Legion Log Cabin
SEWARD POST
No. 5
B. P. O ELKS
1773
SEWARD
would become the supply point
for the coal fields themselves,
an area perhaps supporting a
population of many thousands of
new residents.
On November 19, 1910, the
Seward Commercial Club (Cham
ber of Commerce) adopted the
slogan “Let us mine our own
coal.” Buttons carrying this slo
gan were soon provided for all
members, and large streamers
carrying the same plea were used
to greet every boat entering the
port.
In March, 1911, Oscar G. La
baree, who was then president
of the defunct Alaska Northern,
urged the people of Seward to
make a direct appeal to Presi
i. nl Cal't for the opening of the
coal iields. By this time, the coal
dispute in Alaska, had become a
national issue, tied in with the
Ballinger-Pinehot battle on Con
servation policy in general. Sec
retary Fisher of the Department
of the Interior visited Seward
in September, 1911, accompan
ied by Dr. Holmes and Dr.
Brooks, and by newsman J. J.
Underwood, who later wrote the
book “Alaska—an Empire in the
Making." Needless to say. Secre
tary Fisher and his party were
m a d e thoroughly acquainted
with the Seward point of view
on the coal question. Later the
“arch villain," Gifford Pinchot,
the author of Conservation Poli
cy. also visited Seward, and felt
Lie full effect of the local pres
sure.
A:i amusing incident is related
regarding the arrival of Mr.
Pinchot. Sylvia Sexton of Sew
ard had a small dog who used to
spend most of his time playing
aiound the dock, making friends
with the crews of visiting steam
ers. He used to pick up small
sticks or other light objects and
lay them at the feet of the sea
men. inviting them to throw' so
he could retrieve. During the
moment of disembarkation of
Gifford Pinchot, during the
handshakes of the welcoming
committee. Sylvia's dog stopped
the show by innocently running
up to the distinguished visitor
and laying at his feet—a lump
of coal! Mr. Pinchot is reported
to have smiled rather sheepishly,
and remarked, “Even the dogs
are against me.”
Although the hopes for a coal
PASSENGER SERVICE
from Seward
SS DENALI
Thursday
Dec. 13
Valdez
Juneau
Petersburg
Wrangell
Ketchikan
Seattle
3S EARANOF
Thursday
Dec. 20
Sitka
Juneau
Ketchikan
Seattle
FREIGHTER SAILINGS
FROM SEATTLE
SS VICTORIA
December 18
Seward
SS JOHN QUICK
December 19
Seward, Valdez
SS GEORGE PRENTICE
December 26
Seward, Valdez
For Information
PHONE MAIN 125
W. W. Sipprell. Gen. Agt.
ALASKA
STEAMSHIP
COMPANY
boom faded away during the
years that passed, Seward kept
up the agitation. For more than
a decade, a huge lump of Mata
nuska coal was displayed at the
Seward depot, to remind each
and every visitor of the great
resource at Seward’s back door.
Gradually, the conversion of
steamers and commercial plants
to oil lessened the possibility of
any large-scale coal development
in Alaska, and to this day the
Federal policy has also operated
against the development of coal
exports from Alaska. Yet the
coal question remained “hot,”
and, as we shall see later, had a
great deal to do with the devel
opment of Anchorage. Yet the
slim possibility of a coal boom
has always been a “bird in the
bush” for Seward, supplement
ing the “bird in the hand” that
provided actual livelihood.
(Next week: S. ward and Idit
arod Gold.)
MRS. JOHN C. GRIFFIN
BURIED HERE THURSDAY
Funeral services were held in
Seward Memorial Church Thurs
day, Dec. 1). for Mrs. Esther Grif
fin, nee Tannahill, wife of John
C. Griffin of Silver Tip Main
tenance Camp, Bur.au of Pub
lic Roads.
Mrs. Griffin died December 1
in their home at the camp. She
was born November 23, 1902. in
Curtis, Oklahoma. She came to
Alaska three years ago with her
husband, who had been with the
forest service in the Payette Na
tional Forest near McCall, Idaho,
before coming to Alaska with
the BPR.
Mrs. Griffin had been ill for
several months before her death.
She is survived by her husband
and a daughter, Mrs. Doris Stor
er. who had been attending her
mother during her illness.
SUPPLY FIRM TO EXPAND;
WAREHOUSE IN SEWARD
Paul Gagnon of the Dahlquist
Auto Supply arrived in Seward
today by plane on business con
nected with extending the activi
ties of his wholesale firm
throughout the railbelt and the
Kenai Peninsula area.
A complete line of wholesale
auto accessories and Quaker
State motor oils will be ware
housed with Farnsworth Freight
Lines here in Seward, according
to Mr. Gagnon, and will be avail
able for prompt delivery to ga
rages and auto supply stores
from Homer to Fairbanks.
Road Trips or Light Hauling—
U-Drive Jeep Station Wagon
MAIN 54 or MAIN 55
TAX EXEMPTION
CEILING RAISED
Dependents for whom an ex
emptioii is allowable for income
tax purposes may now have in
rome nn to $600 instead of the
$500 ceiling previously in effect,
it was announced recently by
Internal Revenue Collector. This
change was made by the Reve
nue Act of 1051 and is effective
for 1951 and subsequent years.
Parents, for instance, whose
children have been employed
after school or during the sum
mer months may claim the $600
exemption providing the child’s
total earnings for the year are
less than $600. If the earnings
are $600 or more the child may
not be claimed as a dependent
but must file his own return.
A dependent whose income is
under $600 for the year should
file a return to recover th? with
held tax even though he is being
claimed as a dependent on an
other taxpayer's return.
LEGION AUXILIARY TAKES
IN FOUR MEMBERS
Seward Unit, American Le
gion Auxiliary initialed four
new members at the regular
meeting last Wednesday night.
Helen Stevens, Arreta Blid
berg, Lucille Faust and Kay
Johnson were made members of
the Auxiliary with Vera Parkin
son acting as initiating officer.
All other regular officers were
present to tak part in the cere
mony, which was in formal
dress.
A buffet supper was served
after the meeting.
KIBH MANAGER LEAVING
AT END OF MONTH
Lee Norton, manager of radio
station KIBH since September,
has resigned and is leaving for
Seattle shortly after the end of
this month. A replacement has
not yet been announced by the
Alaska Broadcasting Company.
Help Fight TB
BAY SERVICE
Main 171 228 4lh Ave
Call—
ANDY'S
Oil Delivery
# Stove Oil
O Furnace Oil
AS YOU WANT IT—
WHEN YOU WANT I
Madison 143
NORINE
SAY
"Half the fun of holi
events is in 'dressing up'
the occasion!
"You'll be surprised
economically it can be dc
too, with my glamorous
formal and cocktail ski
paired off with one of the
tering new evening blouses
"The skirts—in black cr
or taffeta; the blouses -
white or black or high she
of red, trimmed with mete
or sequins.
"And here's a SPEC!
NOTE for Christmas shops
Norine's will be open
Monday evening till 9 o'clj
from now until Christi
★
Werner's Market has
Christmas CANDIES and NUTS
Special Selection — All Fresh and Tasty!
© Club Mixture ©
& Fancy Filled Mix ©
# Pyramid Chocolates ©
# Monster Gum Drops #
© Dol!ar Mints ©
Mukilteo Mix
Di^rnt Peanuts
Climax Chocolates
Fancy Royal Mix
Peanut Brittle
© holiday Chocolates
SPECIAL QUANTITY PRICES ON CANDIES AND NUTS FOR
CHURCHES. CLUBS AND LARGE PARTIES
And be sure to remember LANGENDORF FRUIT CAKE!
for yourself and for gifts! Three sixes, plus a special
Deluxe Gift Pack.
Phone
MAIN
199
YOUR HOLIDAY TREAT STORE!
WERNER’S
MARKET
?hon<
MAII
1991