Weather
High Low Precip.
July 24 . 82 58
July 25 .flO 55
July 26 . 68 50
July 27 67 50
July 28 . 65 56
July 29 . 65 52
July 30 . 63 54
Seward ^
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
A RECORD
Seward’s All-ITeather Port is Alaska’s Greatest Asset.
Only newspaper in the
world that gives a hoot
about Seward, Alaska.
Vol. X, No. 5
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 31, 1953
Price 10 Cents
Alaska Scouts Enthusiastic
Boosters Of Homeland
Peter Wagner and Dan Rose,
Seward’s Star Scouts who have
been attending the six weeks
tour and National Jamboree of
Boy Scouts are expected to re
turn this week end.
A 1 a s k a's contingent of 70
Scouts and leaders participated
in the third National Jamboree
at Irvine Ranch in southern
California. Franklin T. Unruh
and Maurice F. Powers of An
chorage ~are scoutmasters of the
two troops, known as troops 2
and 5 of section 23.
Each troop is made up of four
patrols of boys, with troop 2's
leaders being Jimmy Anderson
of Anchorage, Sandy Blanton of
Juneau, Pete Wagner of Seward,
and Allan McClain of Fairbanks.
The group left Alaska June
20, traveling to Seattle by char
tered plane from Anchorage and
regular service from Juneau and
Ketchikan. After gathering at
Seattle, they spent four weeks
touring the western states, trav
eling by bus and spending one
or more nights at Spokane, Mis
soula, Yellowstone Park. Ogden,
Salt Lake City, Denver, Phil
mont Scout Ranch, Albuquer
que, Phoenix. El Centro, San
Diego, and the Jamboree. Over
night stops were made at
YMCAs, churches, colleges, and
at tourist cabins, with meals be
ing taken at restaurants ^nd oc
casionally being furnished by
church groups. Due to the short
age of housing for such a large
group, several times they slept
on gymnasium floors in Ameri
can Legion meeting places, and
at military bases. At Wicken
burg, Arizona, they were met
by a special posse of golden
shirted Chamber of Commerce
men, who treated them to a
western holdup and a special
program of entertainment in
connection with their brief stop
there.
Grand Canyon National Park
proved to be especially interest
ing to the Alaskan boys, where
the cooler weather made them
feel more like home than the
sweltering heat which they ex
perienced in New Mexico and
Arizona. At Salt Lake City they
were guests of honor at a spe
cial worship service on the
grounds of the Mormon Taber
nacle and were housed through
the courtesy of the University of
Utah. Swimming in the great
Salt Lake proved to be an in
teresting experience to the boys
from Alaska, although they
found that it was easier to float
than to swim in it.
Along the way boys met
countless relatives and friends.
They distributed hundreds of
pamphlets and souvenirs of Al
aska and proved to be an en
thusiastic group of supporters
for their home country at the
Jamboree where countless visi
tors thronged their campsites
and asked innumerable ques
tions about Alaska and its op
portunities.
Part of their program of ad
vertisement included a copy of
an authentic Eskimo dance, as
learned by the scouts from Fair
banks and taught to others in
the group, and a popular blanket
toss with a genuine oogorook
broueht from Fairbanks for the
purpose.
One of the highlights of the
Jamboree was the Sunday nieht
Convocation at which 40,000
scouts and leaders joined in an
expression of spiritual unity.
National ’coders of Protestant.
Catholic. Mormon, and Jewish
faiths snoke briefly, and Vice
President Nixon brought greet
ings from the government to
the assembly.
Following the Jamboree, Al
aska’s delegation spent a final
week in touring the west coast,
going to San Francisco for two
days, and then came north to
Seattle. They toured the big
Weyerhaueser mill at Longview
on their last day out.
The six weeks trip was paid
for by boys and their families,
with scouts participating from
all over the Territory. Alaskan
boys have traded gold nuggets,
pieces of ivory, pebbles from
Mendenhall Glacier, and souven
irs of all kinds from the Terri
tory for horned toads, snakes,
neckerchiefs, neckerchief slides,
and camp patches from scout
camps all over America.
Boys have made friends with
scouts from the 48 states and
have added much to the under
standing of Alaska and its fea
tures by boys throughout Am
erica. Despite the hot weather
and dust, Alaska’s scouts made
a fine showing and enjoyed the
Jamboree trip a great deal.
Field Representative
Gives Pointers
To Seward Sorority
Miss Alyce Vetter, Field Rep
resentative from the Internation
al Offices of Beta Sigma Phi,
arrived on the SS Alaska Tues
day and has been guest of honor
at a round of social and business
functions by the local Iota Chap
ter.
The Executive Board wel
comed Miss Vetter with a lunch
eon at Tony's Cafe on Tuesday.
A semi-formal chapter dinner
was held at the Diner the same
evening for members to meet
her and following the dinner she
joined with them in the cele
Miss Aiyce Vetter
bration of the Chapter birthday
with the traditional birthday
cake and ice cream being served
at the home of Bonnie Southard
on Fourth Avenue. Slides of Al
aska were shown during the eve
ning by Margaret Hodgkinson,
president of the Seward Chap
ter, and Miss Vetter spoke to
the group regarding her tour
plan of the Territory.
On Wednesday evening a
work shop was held at the Ervin
home in the Cliff Addition. Miss
Vetter presented to the local
Sorority many new Chapter
ideas direct from the Interna
tional Office and assisted the
members in setting up future
Chapter plans.
Miss Vetter spoke briefly over
KIBH during an interview and
explained briefly th(T scope of
Beta Sigma Phi. Sorority sisters
escorted her on a tour of the
town.
Thursday evening a dinner
was held at Wolfe Trail Lodge
for Miss Vetter and Committee
work shop forums followed at
the Ryan residence on Seventh
Avenue.
Miss Vetter was to leave here
Friday for Anchorage and offi
cial visits with the Chapters
there. Her tour of the Territory
will include visits in Palmer,
Fairbanks, Nenana, Nome, Ju
neau, Sitka and Ketchikan.
Wagon Wheel Goes
Up In Smoke
The Wagon Wheel, night club
at the end of the Airport Rond,
was completely destroyed by
fire Sunday, July 26.
The place had been open for
business all night, but was closed
when fire was discovered at 10
a.m. Sunday. Seward fire trucks
responded to the alarm but were
unable to check the blaze. The
building was a total loss.
The Wagon Wheel was locat
ed about two miles from town
with no fire fighting facilities.
Owners were N. E. and Emma
Wiley.
HEALTH SURVEY TEAM TO
BE HERE AUGUST 26
The health survey team, work
ing under a contract between
the Department of Interior and
the University of Pittsburgh
Graduate School of Public
Health, is now in the Territory.
The survey results from re
quests directed to Douglas Mc
Kay, Secretary of Interior, by
the Alaska Legislature and by
many individuals in the Terri
tory. The agreement between
Pittsburgh University and the
Interior Department provides
for the collection and analysis
of available data on the general
health and hospital problems of
the native and contiguous white
population. Particular emphasis
will be placed on studies on tu
berculosis, pneumonia, maternal
and child health and crippled
children’s services.
The team is to arrive in Sew
ard and points on the Peninsula
August 26. They will leave the
next day by ship for Sitka.
Few Show Interest In
Recreation Problem
Wednesday evening, July 29,
a group of parents and interest
ed citizens met at Seward’s Civic
Center to discuss ways of im
proving recreational facilities in
the city.
Discussion was held concern
ing a practical long-range pro
ject for permanent, year-round
planned and supervised play for
children of all ages. This might
include dances, roller skating,
parties, picnics, swimming, ice
skating, skiing, etc. It was men
tioned that older children should
also take part in the planning
and execution of each affair.
It was also suggested that
each organization in Seward
should be invited to send a dele
gate to the recreational council
to support plans and take infor
mation back to the organization.
Since the first turnout was
small, another meeting was
scheduled for next Thursday
night, August 6, at 8 o’clock in
the Civic Center and all parents
with growing children are asked
to come and help with their
ideas and support. A large
enough group must show inter
est if the nlan is to materialize.
Entertainment is planned and
refreshments will be served at
the Thursday meeting.
Washington
Ner's better
July 23, 1953
FEDERAL AID AIRPORT
PROORAM
The one item in controversy
between the House and Senate
rf laying congressional clearance
of the bill making appropria
tions lor the Commerce Depart
ment involves the controversial
federal aid airport program.
The Truman budget had called
for S30 million for the program,
§350,090 of which would have
been earmarked for Alaska, but
the Eisenhower budget eliminat
ed the entire sum. The House
went along with the new admin
istration’s recommendation, but
the Senate restored $12V2 mil
lion, earmarking $175,000 for
the operation of the program in
Alaska. All differences on the
appropriation bill were resolved
in conference with the exception
of this item, with the Senate
and House conferees standing
firm on their respective posi
tions.
ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEM
In reporting the Defense De
partment appropriation bill to
the Senate this week, the Senate
Appropriations Committee ap
proved the installation of a sub
marine coaxial cable between
Haines and Prince Rupert by the
Alaska Communication System.
The Committee went along
with the House in approving the
appropriation of $11,185,000 for
construction, maintenance and
operation of the ACS. Of this
total amount, $7,004,449 would
go for improving the telephone
and telegraph facilities to in
clude expansion of long lines
facilities between Anchorage
and Haines Junction, Canada,
and between Haines Junction
and Haines, in addition to the
submarine coaxial cable.
EUDWORM INVASION
Delegate Bartlett has called
upon the Forest Service to use
emergency funds which might
be available to control the bud
worm invasion now attacking
trees in the Juneau area of the
Tongass National Forest.
“If warranted,” Delegate Bart
lett urged Forest Service Chief
R. E. McArdle, “I am hopeful
that what is normally consider
ed a three-year cycle for these
pests might be cut down by arti
ficial control through immediate
use of spray before any serious
damage is done to the trees and
to prevent the laying of eggs
to hatch next year.”
OPERATION OF HEALTH
FACILITIES FOR INDIANS
The House has received with
the approval of the Interior and
Insular Affairs Committee leg
islation which would transfer
the responsibility for health
services for Indians in the States
and Alaska from the Bureau of
Indian Affairs to the Public
Health Service.
The bill in addition to auth
orizing the transfer to the De
partment of Health, Education
and Welfare of which the Public
Health Service is a part would
authorize the Secretary of that
department to transfer the
health responsibility to political
subdivisions or to private non
profit corporations “whenever
satisfactory arrangements for
such transfer could be agreed
upon.”
(Turn to Page 4)
"Taboo" Survives
Fire Along
With Typewriter
Extensive damage was suf
fered in the fire Saturday night
which gutted the rear apartment
on the second floor of Seward
Hardware building.
The apartment was occupied
by Mr. and Mrs. Stan Kerka.
They lost all their personal be
longings except the pet skunk,
“Taboo” and a typewriter. Mrs.
Kerka said she had a hard time
making firemen understand
what she was talking about
when she began wailing about
her skunk. Finally Jim Kirk
patrick calmed her down enough
to tell him what it was all about,
and he went in and got the
skunk which has survived the
experience. A registered canary
belonging to a friend of the
Kerka’s was lost, however.
Two volunteer firemen, Jack
Kelly and Perry Stockton, were
slightly injured fighting the fire.
Some damage to other apart
ments in the building and to
merchandise in the store below
was caused by water. The build
ing is owned by Gus Johnson,
a member of the Volunteer Fire
Department, but he was out of
town at the time.
Mrs. Kerka said she was grate
ful to Carl Orlander who gave
them a place to stay until they
can get settled again.
HEADQUARTERS
SUB PORT OF SEWARD
Seward, Alaska
28 July 1953
Mayor Russell Painter
Seward, Alaska
Dear Sir:
Speaking tor the command
here in Seward, I would like
to express our sincere apprecia
tion to all those who aided in
the attempted rescue of Pvt
James Miller on 23 July 1953.
The cooperation and willingness
exhibited by the people of Sew
ard to save this boy's life was a
credit to your city and will long
be remembered by the members
of this command.
The brotherhood shown by
these men exemplified to the
army personnel at Seward the
fine spirit that exists within
your city. Kindly express our
gratitude to all that helped.
Sincerely yours,
FRANK R. POSTMA
1st Lt TC
Detachment Commander
Per Osmcir Loses
Supplies In
Clem Gulch Fire
Per Osmar, known to many
here as a former resident, lost
his quonset hut storehouse at
Clam Gulch by fire Wednesday
night, July 15.
He does not know how the
fire started, Osmar states. It
was discovered at about 9 p.m.
and neighbors from miles
around came to help him fight
the blaze. His well soon ran
dry and fire fighters were forced
to carry water several miles.
They were able to save the main
building which is store and
home, but lost the light plant
and storehouse.
Osmar valued the contents
of the quonset building at $3500.
It was filled with a new ship
ment of lubricating oil, tires,
parts and some new bedding
for cabins.
MINING CONGRESS NEXT
MONTH IN SEATTLE
For the first time in its 56
year history, the American Min
ing Congress will meet in Se
attle, Wash., Sept. 21-24, when
the 1953 Metal and Nonmetallic
Mining convention will be in
session.
Matters important to the min
ing fraternity will be discussed
by leading citizens, government
•officials and leaders of the in
dustry from Alaska, Canada and
the United States.
Because of the importance of
the mining industry to each of
the areas in Alaska, many Alas
kans, including some from the
Kenai Peninsula, are expected
to attend.
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL
WOMEN TO MEET
The regular dinner meeting
of Business & Professional Wo
men will be held at the Diner
Tuesday, August 4, at 6:15 p.m.
Subjects for discussion will
be results of the investigation
of the waterfall ramp and plans
for the charter dinner and art
show to be held in August. All
members are urged to attend.
Senator Hugh Butler
Gets Invitation
Senator Hugh Butler, Repub
lican from Nebraska and the
strongest opponent to Alaska's
statehood, will visit Alaska this
month. The Seward Chamber of
Commerce has issued a eordial
invitation to visit this city and
to discuss affairs other than
statehood with Seward residents.
Senator Butler is chairman of
the powerful Insular Affairs
Committee in Congress which
controls much of the economic
interests in the Territory.
This is not the first visit of
the Senator from Nebraska. He
visited here in August 1947.
Since people from his home
state of Nebraska were recent
guests here, and seemed to be
well pleased, with Seward peo
ple, it is hoped that the Sena
tor’s attitude will be as warm
as theirs. His party is to leave
Seattle August 11, according to
information received today.
Reporter's
Notebook
Congressman James I. Dolli
ver, from the 6lh Iowa District,
has been visiting his daughter
here for the past two weeks. The
daughter, Miss Peggy Dolliver,
is a member of the staff at Jesse
Lee Home. Her father conduct
ed the congressional investiga
tion on transportation held in
Seattle this spring. J
Mrs. Alton C. Dowling ar
rived from Massachusetts Thurs
day to attend the wedding of
her daughter Phyllis next Mon
day. This is Mrs. Dowling's first
trip to Alaska. She finds it rath
er dusty.
Miss Margery Anthony is vis
iting her brother Gil Anthony
and family in Seward. Miss An
thony is a professor of biology
at the University of California
at Chico.
She has spent some time at
Mt. McKinley Park and other
parts of Alaska, but is now back
in Seward for the rest of her
vacation.
H. H. Leonard is still a pa
tient in Seward General Hos
pital, where he has been for
several weeks.
“Scotty” McPherson is also
still in Seward General recup
erating slowly.
Herbert S. Johnson, who was
a patient at the hospital, has
gone home to Mile 22.
The Rainbow Girls have been
cleaning lip the cemetary. This
project has to be taken on each
year. The girls are doing a nice
job, we are told.
Ladies of St. Peter's Episco
pal Church guild met at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Ives
on the highway this week. They
went Tuesday night and had a
very pleasant time.
When you start out in a car
to go to a certain place in Sew
ard these days, it is well to be
armed with a chart or map or
some other route of travel.
Otherwise you can cover most
of the town before finding a
street that is open. Your report
er discovered at noon Thursday
that it was necessary to walk
a block to get into the house
after arriving home. The ditch
was dug between 8 o’clock and
noon. No one complains very
loudly, however. Too glad at
the prospect of water by winter
time.
While we are talking about
such things, might as well com
ment on the unusually long
dusty spell this year. If we were
chickens there should be no
trouble with indigestion!
Mrs. Mary Ann Balmat Brown
gave a bridal shower for her
new daughter in law, Mrs. Don
Balmat, Sunday at the Legion
Club. The bride received many
nice gifts and guests all com
mented on the beautiful arrange
ments of the party.
Bernie Trakowski and daugh
ter Susan arrived Monday night.
They had driven up by Alaska
Highway. They arrived tired
out and planned a week of rest
before visiting friends, Bernie
said. —
An earthquake at 7:55 this
morning shook us up a bit. Es
pecially those who were rushing
around in the last minute before
going to work. This is one thing
your reporter could very well
do without!
Dock, Paving & Truck Route
Questions Arouse Townsmen
Concert Committee
Schedules Meeting;
'53-'54 Plans Proceed
A meeting of the Seward
Winter Concert Committee has
been called for Monday evening,
August 3, at 7 p.m., in the Com
munity Library. All members
are urged to attend.
Inquiries of Maxim Schapiro,
organizer of the Alaska Music
Trails, have brought word that
he is at his home in Mill Valley,
California, for a brief vacation.
His artistic activities are to
continue throughout the sum
mer, however. On July 14 he ap
peared as guest artist with the
New York Philharmonic Or
Maxim Schapiro
chestra, under the baton of
Pierre Monteux, at the Lewisohn
Stadium in New York. He will
be back in California in time to
be twice soloist with the Bach
Festival Orchestra during the
Carmel Bach Festival, and on
August 25 he will be guest ar
tist at the final concert of the
San Francisco Symphony’s sum
mer series under Arthur Fiedler.
In September Schapiro will
embark on a South American
tour, followed by his third tour
in Europe.
Seward School Board
Calls For Bids
On Two New Buses
A meeting of the Seward
School Board is scheduled for
Thursday, August 6, at 8 p.m.
in the school building.
At the last meeting, bids were
prepared for advertisement of
purchase of two school buses for
operation this winter. The
Board has decided to take ad
vantage of a new ruling made
by the Territorial Board of Edu
cation this year, permitting
Boards to operate their own
transportation system.
Bids will be opened at this
meeting.
American Legion
Erects Flag Poles
At Club and Hospital
Many people have admired
the two tallest flagpoles in town,
which were erected past week
by Seward Post No. 5. American
Legion. On" is at the southwest
corner of the Legion Club, the
other at Seward General Hos
pital. The tall poles are covered
with aluminum paint which
makes them very imposing.
S16.500 ROLLS ROYCE ON
BOARD SS ALEUTIAN
Mr. and Mrs. Chester G.
Moore will arrive on the Denali
next Monday or Tuesday. They
are touring Alaska by car—
Rolls Royce. This is probably
the first car in its class to ever
be seen in Seward.
Several remarks have been
heard about being sure to see
that "maroon colored boat”
taken off the ship and tried out
on Seward streets.
Although the Moores are arriv
ing on the Denali, the Rolls is
aboard the Aleutian, two days
later. The Moores plan to drive
back to Chicago over the Alaska
Highway, which will be an ex
perience indeed for the lordly
Rolls Royce.
Dr. and Mrs. Russell Wagner
planned to go to Anchorage Fri
day to pick up son Pete, who has
been Outside at the Scout Jam
boree.
Mayor Russell Painter was
asked by members of the Cham
ber of Commerce Tuesday if
there is any possibility of paving
this year. Painter replied that
there is a rather remote possi
bility of paving Third Avenue,
but that it depends upon com
pletion of the water line and
a plan for financing the project.
Contractors have now moved
their equipment farther out the
highway, Painter observed,
which will increase the cost of
such a project.
TRUCK TRAFFIC
Other questions brought up at
the meeting were the rerouting
of truck traffic and information
on dock improvements.
The Mayor also replied to
these questions. A plan is being
studied, he said, to reroute
trucks over Seventh or Railroad
streets to Monroe, then north to
Third Avenue and out of town.
With streets torn up for water
mains just now, it is impossible
to order traffic to follow any
given route, Painter said. He
promised, however, that by Sep
tember 7. or the opening of the
school year, trucks would be off
Third and Fourth Avenues in
the school block.
DOCK APPROPRIATIONS
In regard to appropriations
for work on dock improvement,
Mr. Painter observed that no in
formation has been received by
the City other than that already
published. SI,500.000 was ap
propriated for Seward dortts.
but none of the money asked
for rehabilitation of the railroad
was allowed. Just what is to be
done on the docks other than
investigation and survey is not
known. The City Council and
Chamber of Commerce are now
waiting for added information.
The statement made by the
Mayor, to the effect that Stan
dard Oil stopned work on Sew
ard improvements, scheduled to
cost $500,000, was later denied
by Company officials. A state
ment from Standard Oil is ex
pected for publication in the
near future.
Jacque Roth presided at the
meeting in President T. Bie’s
absence. More information is ex
pected for the luncheon next
week, he stated.
The only new business taken
up by the Chamber of Commerce
was an invitation to Senator
Hugh Butler ER. Nebraska),
chairman of the Insular Affairs
Committee and opponent to Al
aska Statehood, to include Sew
ard in his itinerary and visit
here next month.
OPS Pious Full Week
With Visit of
Stateside Official
Mrs. Futh A. Jones, Most
Worthy Grand Matron of the
Order of Eastern Star in the
United States will be the guest
■of Seward Chapter next week.
Mrs. Jones will arrive Tues
day morning by plane. At 1 p.m.
officers of Seward Chapter will
honor the guest at luncheon at
the home of Mrs.. Troy Rogard.
The menu is to be all Alaskan.
At 6:30 Wednesday evening
a banquet will be served in the
dining hall of Seward Sanator
ium. to be followed by Chanter
meeting and initiation at Ma
sonic Temple.
School of instruction will be
held Thursday at 2 p.m. for offi
cers and members. This will be
followed bv a tea. On Thursday
evening Rainbow will meet and
hear Mrs. Jones’ talk on “Reli
gions Education for Youth.”
A picnic for Eastern Star and
Masons will be the feature of
Friday entertainment. It will be
held at the Maluirin home in
Forest Acres.
Reservations for the banouet
can be made by calling Jeff. 487.
KAISER-FRAZER SALES
AND SERVICE UNDER
NEW MANAGEMENT
Jack Langford, formerly of
Oregon, has taken over man
agement of thf\sKaiser-Frazer
sales and service~trr—Seward.
Langford has been in AT?r?k«.
at Valdez and Rig Timber on
the Richardson Highway for
several months.
He has had 30 years experi
ence as a mechanic and offers
repair service of all kinds at
the new plant operated until
recently by Mitch Faulkner of
Seward.