IEWARD
The Gateway City of Interior Alaska Since 1903.
Seaport
Record
Seward's All-lFeather Port is Alaska?s Greatest Asset.
THE ONLY NEWSPAPER IN THE WORLD THAT GIVES A HOOT ABOUT SEWARD. ALASKA
VIII, No. 11
SEWARD, ALASKA, FRIDAY, JULY 27, 1951
Price 10 cents
e Story of
■WARD
By Jay Siauier
(Chapter XII Continued)
:iy Roosevelt's famous policy
■ak softly, but carry a big
i” had created new jobs for
battleships and cruisers in
Orient, and they were in the
ket for fabulous quantities
oal . . . just as cheaply and
near to their mid-Pacific
s as possible.
ie finger of destiny once
n searched the map, and
ed on a point marked “Res
ction Bay.’’ Here was a har
large enough and deep
jgh to shelter a hundred
leships at once; with a rail
1 already reaching more
1 half way to the Matanuska
! Soon the Navy was draw
up plans for large coal bunk
with a tentative location
: Fourth of July Creek,
it all this could mean to the
pie of Seward was almost
and imagination. Picture, if
can, Seward’s 4th Avenue
is with several thousand sail
in port! Then try to figure
t would happen to the city
owntown lots suddenly rose
'alues, to equal those of San
aciseo’s Market Street, or
ttle’s First and Second Ave
s! Wealth even greater than
of Alaska’s gold fields
ned about to drop into the
of Seward's early settlers!
hen, like a cheap alarm clock
ing away a beautiful dream,
eone back in Washington,
. called a halt. President
scvelt signed a proclamation
lovember of 1906, vvithdraw
all coal lands in Alaska from
ate entry. This meant that
ndividual, group or corporu
could own coal lands in
ska. It meant that no one
going to sell Matanuska coal
the U.S. Navy or anybody
. Of even more immediate
practical importance to Sew
and to the Alaska Central
iroad, it meant that coal
id not even be mined in
ntities sufficient to serve the
j physical needs of the rail
1 itself. Nothing . . . not even
plete destruefon by fire . . .
Id have done more damage
Seward’s hopes. The defeat,
the; earlier opportunity it
was not immediately and
y realized, or Seward would
e become a ghost town in a
fth. It was only the begin
; of Seward’s darkest days.
efore announcing the sub
of next week's chapter in
Story of Seward, this column
les to acknowledge with
iks the letter of Mr. Bob
Armond of Sitka. Mr. De
lond is a columnist who con
ates to numerous news
?rs, both in Alaska and Out
; his “Northern Notebook’’
nown throughout the Terri
. His letter says, in part:
think the series on Seward
ery fine and is the sort of
g other papers in Alaska
it well do, to help in ac
nting newcomers with the
•itory.” Mr. De Armond con
es: “Upon reading Part VII,
he naming of Seward, I re
>d having seen something on
same subject in the Washing
Historical Quarterly and
ed it up. In the issue of Sep
>er, 1909, (Vol. I, No. 3)
e is published a series of
rs, with the notation that
orginals are on file at
University of Washington
iry.
le first letter, dated June 23,
(Turn to Page 4)
Homer . . .
(By Carolyn Turkinglon)
Mrs. Jack Warren of Kodiak
is visiting the Bill Poland home.
She plans on vacationing here
for several weeks.
Mrs. Lonnie Scroggs returned
to Homer from Seward with her
new daughter. This is Mr. and
Mrs. Seroggs first child.
Mr. and Mrs. Walt Wilson and
Mr. and Mrs. O. C. Drake and
son of Anchorage were Homer
visitors last week. Mr. Wilson
has an excavating contract with
the government in Kenai.
Claude Rogers flew to Homer
last Wednesday evening in his
Piper Clipper for a short stay.
With him were Mr. and Mrs.
Grant Phillips. Both men are
employed by the A. R. C. in
Cantwell.
Orval Holmes returned from
Dillingham where he has been
for the past two months on busi
ness. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes are
teachers in the Homer School.
Mrs. Robert Kranich, Homer
Postmistress, left last week for
Montana to receive medical
treatment. Accompanying her
as far as Anchorage were her
son Ray and Mrs. Arthur Hew
lett.
Joel and Robert Moss have
as their guest for the summer
their father Mr. A. E. Moss of
Storrs Connecticut. Mr. Moss is
cooking on tne sons fishing
boat.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Turking
ton, Mr. and Mrs. Glen HicKer
son. and Donald Anderson went
to Ancnorage Sunday on a com
bined business ana pleasure trip.
Mrs. Estner Fenn or Anchor
age is vacationing with the Jim
Faulk iamily. She has made an
extensive tour oi the 'territory
during her vacation. Mrs. Fenn
and her mice Mrs. Earl Engel
visited Seidovia Monday. Mrs.
Fenn and Mrs. FauiK. will go
to Seward by bus Wednesday
tor a short visit.
Pat Frieue, owner of Pats
Garage in Homer and Seward,
was in Homer on business last
week. His young grandson join
ed him on tiie trip.
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Mead
are the proud parents of a new
daughter. The baby was born
July lath at Providence Hospi
tal in Anchorage. Mr. Mead is
employed in A n c h o r a g e and
plans to return to Homer in tne
future.
W. R. Benson left last weeK
for Anchorage and Parmer for
several days on a business trip.
Mr. Benson is distributor for a
new liquid coffee and is attempt*
ing to promote business.
Howard Kosbau oi Anchorage,
salesman for Heinz Co., was a
business visitor in Homer last
week.
Mrs. Stewart, mother of Ben
Walters and Mrs. John King, is
visiting with her son in Seward.
She will come on to Homer and
visit her daughter soon.
Attorney J. G. Rivers died in
his room in the Heady Hotel
July 2o. Arrangements were be
ing made to take him to Anch
orage when death came.
Mr. Rivers came to the Terri
tory in 1905. Mining was his
first love and he spent many
years in this business. When
mining slowed down he turned
to his profession as lawyer and
opened an office in Fairbanks.
He planned to spend his last
years in Homer and had recent
ly opened a small office here.
He was making plans for his
wife to join him.
Jack Brady passed away July
16 at the 183rd General Hospi
tal at Fort Richardson after a
long illness.
Mr. Brady was a veteran of
World War II and a trapper
from Nome to the Kachemak
Bay.
Fourth Avenue
Oiling Completed
The dust-laying job on Fourth
Avenue from the dock to Jeffer
son street is probably not news
to anybody in Seward by this
time. Several people have made
special trips to town just to
see what it is like to be able
to see shop windows. Expres
sions of satisfaction and approv
al are heard on all sides.
What may not be so well
known, is the work being done
on First Avenue. It is not pass
able yet, but in a short time
First Avenue will be open from
Adams to A street. Fill for the
section across the flume is being
taken from the excavation for
the new nurses residence build
ing, which will face on First
Avenue. By winter the entire
street will be open for traffic.
Sixth Avenue is also open to
traffic, although not entirely
graded. This broad Avenue, tree
shaded on either side from Ad
ams street to the Housing Area
is becoming the prettiest resi
dential block in the city.
The corner of D street and
Fourth is being surveyed today
for grading at the intersection.
A stop light will be placed at
this corner.
Reopen Negotiations
With Water Company
In a special meeting last night,
the c:ty council ana the Seward
Water Company, represented by
Mrs. Jean Thorne, owner and
Alex Petrovich, d.. .>.-J the im
port of engineers on the total
valuation of the system.
The report, made by Felix
Toner, a Juneau engineer in col
laboration with aeon suiting
firm in Seattle, included an ap
praisal of the present installa
tion and rehabilitation costs to
the firm or to the city. Edward
Arnell, city attorney, was also
present.
Alter lengthy and detailed dis
cussion of the report, Mrs.
Thorne and Petrovich agreed to
prepare a definite statcrn.nl of
intentions to be submitted at the
next regular meeting of the
council on August 6.
MANN CASE TO BE
CONTINUED IN ANCHORAGE
The dispute between Ross and
Sally Mann is to be continued in
Third District Court in Anchor
age.
Testimony of many witnesses
was heard here yesterday by
Judge George W. Folta, with
Wm. Renfrew representing Ross
Mann and Wendall Kay coun
sellor for Sally Mann. Testi
mony was taken here because
of the large number of sub
poenaes issued.
ELMS FAMILY LEAVING
MONDAY
Paul Elms and family are
planning to leave Monday for
their new home near Denver,
Colorado.
They have lived in Seward
for several years, and operated
a newspaper and printing busi
ness for a time. Their home
just outside the city limits was
purchased recently by R. E.
Baumgartner.
SEWER SYSTEM APPROVED
BY ALASKA PUBLIC WORKS
Seward’s north end sewer pro
ject has finally been approved
for construction by Alaska Pub
lic Works. There is no definite
word as to the probable date
for actual construction, but it
will definitely be done by next
year if it does not get under
way this summer.
Alaska's First Big
Industry To Be
At Ketchikan
JUNEAU (AP)—Alaska’s first
big year-round industry was as
sured today with word from Re
gional Forester B. Frank Heint
ziernan that a contract has been
signed in Washington, DC., be
tween the Forest Service and
the Ketchikan Pulp and Paper
Co.
Heintzleman said he was in
formed of these terms:
The company under the con
tract will be given 7,500,000,
000 board feet of timber, most
ly on the nor-h end of Prince
of Wales Island, west of Ket
chikan. A 50-year rotation
plan is called for.
The contract says the com
pany must produce 300 tons
daily, and within 10 years, 525
tons. The company must be in
production by Aug. 2. 1954,
which means construction of
its proposed plant at Ward's
Cove, six and a half miles
north of Ketchikan, must start
this fall or winter.
High grade rayon, cellophane,
and nitro-ceilulose will be pro
duced, but no paper.
The venture is backed by the
parent Puget Sound Pulp and
Timber Co., of Bellingham,
Wash., and the American Vis
cose Corp., of Philadelphia. The
latter, largest rayon producer in
the nation, has eight rayon
plants in the East.
The action reported by
Hcir-fsleman prompted South
eastern Aiaskans to observe
that the way is now clear for
other pulp producers to move
in. They predict that other
lumber plants, milling Alaska
cedar, will move to Ketchikan
eventually.
The new plant will employ
600 men, with another 600 in
the woods for year-round cut
ting. The firm may use railroad
car-ferries to take the pulp to
Prince Rupert. B.C., south of
here, thence cast by rail.
“The operation provides a
guarantee against pollution of
salmon streams,” Heintzleman
said.
He said he understood a mag
nesium oxide process would be
used to recover chemicals and
burn waste for electric power.
The “industrial incentive”
clause of the Territorial Prop
erty Tax Act was adjusted by
Tax Commissioner M. P. Mul
laney so only one-half of the
true valuation will be reckoned.
For trees intended for manu
facture or sale in other forms
than pulp or pulp products, such
as veneer logs or saw logs, it
agreed to pay S3 a thousand
board feet for spruce sawlogs,
$1.50 a thousand for cedar, and
S2 for sawlogs of hemlock and
other species.
After 19G4 and at subsequent
five-year intervals, the contract
provides for Forest Service re
appraisal of the rates.
The bulk of the timber coverej
in the contract is on the north
erly portion of Prince of Wales
Island. It is 75 per cent hemlock
with the balance mainly Sitka
spruce and some small amounts
of Alaskan and Western cedar.
Lawson P. Turcotte of Bell
ingham, president of the Puget
Sound Pulp and Timber and
Ketchikan Pulp and Paper Co.,
said it has not been decided
whether construction of the
plant will get underway this
fall or next spring. *
The plant’s major production
will be conraced for by Ameri
can Viscose Corp., with ir*uget
Sound being responsible for con
struction and operation, he said.
U.N. Demands Stiffen
Peace Talks
KOREA (AP) — The Allies
told the Communists today
where they want to draw the
cease-fire line in Korea—and
why.
Vice Adm. C. Turner Joy,
Chief United Nations delegate,
explained the Allied position in
detail as negotiators got down
to the meat of armistice talks
in their eleventh meeting at
Kaesong.
Admiral Joy talked 52 min
utes.
He gave the Reds two mark
ed military maps 'to picture
his position.
The five Communist gener
als made no comment. Instead
they asked for, and got, an
adjournment until 10 A. M.
Saturday (5 P. M. PDY Fri
day.)
The general understanding
is the United Nations is press
ing tor a demilitarized zone
roughly along the present bat
tle line. The Communists want
it along the 38th parallel.
REDS "HANGING ON THE
ROPES." OFFICIAL
ARMY STATEMENT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
Army claimed today the Allies
had the Communists in Korea
"hanging on the ropes” last
month but neld off trying to
deal a knockout punch in order
to show "good faith” in peace
talks.
At the same time, the Army
officially accused the enemy of
carrying out a “tremendous
buildup” of troops, supplies, and
weapons at the front since the
original peace proposal was
made June 23.
In contrast, the Army said,
one United Nations combat u
nit was pulled out of the battle
area and sent to Japan. The
unit was not identified.
The Army's report was given
in an unusual on-the-record
briefing for newsmen at the
Pentagon. Ordinarily, briefings
of this nature are held to give
reporters background informa
tion only but this time the
Army spokesman read a stat
ment for publication.
Late in May, it said, the Al
lies had just beaten off a major
Chinese Communist drive in the
"most disaterous defeat” since
the Chinese entered the war
last November.
The Chinese were "driven
back in confusion,” the Army
said, with losses of more than
100,000 men.
The Allies were in a good
position to follow through, the
statement continued.
U. S. AND CANADA IN
PLANE SEARCH
JUNEAU (AP) — Six Cana
dian and American military
and civic agencies were engag
ed in the search today for the
missing Korean Airlift plane
which vanished last Saturday
with 38 aboard.
Three Royal Canadian A4r
Force planes from the Sea
Island, B. C., Base joined the
search along with the 10th
Rescue Squadron from Anch
orage; the Fourth Rescue
Squadron from McCord Air
Force Base, Wash., the U. S.
Coast Guard, Canadian Paci
fic Airlines and the Civil Air
Patrol.
Wednesday 26 planes log
ged 196 hours of actual hunt
ing. Yesterday 21 search planes
were aloft in fair weather.
They scouted the territory
from Cape Spencer, West of
here, whence the missing plane
sent out its message, north to
ward the border beyond Yaku
tat, located in Alaska’s “arm
pit.”