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V
TOE ISLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY
Sig J. Digree, Editor and Publisher
Betha Digree, Executive Secretary
MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to the use or republics
tion of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in
this paper and also the local news published herein.
Published every Saturday at Kodiak, Alaska
Yearly Subscription Rate $3.00
Entered ki the Postoffice at Kodiak, Alaska as Second
Class matter under act of Congress of March 3,1878
, So Yon Like To Read About Sin?
Those of you who lived in the
Calvin Coolidge era remember the
years in the White House follow
ing his inaugration as President,
August 2, 1923, after the sudden
.death of Warren G. Harding.
Ooolidge was noted for his cryp
tic style of speaking and as a man
of few words.
The story goes that Coolidge re
turned- fironji attending church one
Sunday and his wife asked him
what the preacher’s sermon was
■^oat. *3hiw replied Coolridge.
' V/iiUt did he say about it?” Mrs.
CooUdgje asked. “He was against
it. ‘ was the reply.
I ^gaiess we do our share of sin
ning in this sin-fested world. It
takes various forms—most of them
harmless, if there- is such a thing
as harmless sinning. Sinning can
he a transgression against God or
it can be an act against man.
it is not ordinarily in the prov
ince of a newspaper to record the
act of sinning against the .Divine
Being. Transgressions of man
against man are handled in dif
ferent ways by different news
papers. Fortunes have been made
by publishers because you, the
reader, likes to i^ead about a man’s
.sinful ways—especially if he sins
in a dramatic, spectacular or sen
sational way. The eye is attracted
to the bold red banner which pro
claims a brutal murder. Avidly you
read the gory details.
We gained the impression re
ently following the publication of
a story in an Anchorage newspap
er of a courtroom episode here,
wherein the story was captioned
with a front page banner headline
—in RED. Since we didn’t go to
press for a few days, and by that
time the story had received more
than enough publicity in our esti
me>'on, wr didn’t publish it at all.
Each Editor evaluates news
worthiness according to his own
standards. If we had published the
same day, the story would have re
ceived merely a small space at
best.
Are we on the wrong track?
Should we dish up the tasty tid
bits of news, the Hors d’oeuvres,
as it were, along with the more
substantial fare?
We can only judge the measure
of our success by our circulation.'
Ours remains remarkably constant,
with a slight increase over the
years.
Maybe the scrapes John Doe of
Kodiak gets into with the law; his
traffic misdemeaners; his court ap
pearances, and such, should be
published.
We would have one reason and
one alone for doing it: we wouldn’t
want to be accused of suppressing
the news for any individual’s sake
or the sake of any organization or
agency—wrongdoing should be
brought out into the open.
We believe that to be a mandate,
and a mandate we will abide by,
but don’t ask us to scream it at
you. We don’t have any red ink.
Here There Everywhere
Facts and Facets
* * - PICTURE NOT BRIGHT.
Looking ahead at the economic
prospects for the region (North
west)—no-significant improiwMmmt
is expected before spring. The
vigor of the spring pickup will de
pend largely upon national devel
opments—particularly the expan
sion of national defense spending
and the loosening of credit for
mortgages.”
The above is a quote from a re
port just released by the Bureau
of Employment Security, U.S. De
partment of Labor, Seattle office.
Call it what you may, the Nation
is experiencing an economic down
ward adjustment in one form or
another. It ;s sometimes called
‘retrenchment,” “rolling readjust
ment,” or “recession.” It spells
unemployment and employment
cutbacks,
The report further states: ‘ If
the Pacific Northwest is not only
an accurate barometer for fore
casting national economic trends,
but also reflects the degree of
severity of the economic adjust
ments that lie ahead, the nation
can expect—based on Pacific
Northwest unemployment fig
ures—romething more in the na
ture oi the 1949-50 adjustment
rather than the more mild 1953-54
'
economic dip. The volume of un
employment insurance benefits
ballooned to the highest December
level on record. Unemployment
rates were higher in all metro
politan areas, in the report. This
included Seattle, TacOma, Spokane,
Portland-Vancouver. The intensity
of unemployment in Seattle re
mained well below the other
metropolitan areas, according to
the report.
The report concludes its find
ings- with the statement that
Pacific Northwest economic re
covery will depend on national
events—the 1958 housing market;
on how recent international and
scientific developments affects
armaments production program;
on the market for aluminum and
aluminum products; on progress
in the Federal highway building
program; and on the general level
of business throughout the nation.
* * * DEVELOPMENTS 1 N
ALASKA. For the first time the
Labor report includes an analysis
of the economic outlook in Alaska.
“Alaska is the fastest growing part
of the nation,” it stated, “and it
ut^y well be its most important
reservoir of undeveloped resour
ces.” With a population of 206,000
in mid-1956, in December, 1957,
employment in the Territory was
down to 40,900, according to the
Report. Unemployment jumped to.
7,700 in December, 1957, increase
of 25.9% above the December,
1956 total of 5,950.
The bright spot, according to
the booklet, is the development of
the territories natural resources.
This includes mineral, oil and gas,
forest products, shellfish and bot
tom fish (.more hopeful than the
exploited salmon). The tourist
trade was cited as an ever growing
industry, with an estimated 57,000
visitors in 1957 and prospects
bright for a substantial increase.
Basing its prediction on a
number lof big “Ifs”, the report
concludes by stating that Alaska
may well pull out of this period
of economic adjustment in advance
of the Pacific Northwest States
and the rest of the nation . . .
(Ed. note) Statehood in 1958 may
well play a part. bringing this
about.
* * * tin CAN NATION. We
use 237 tin , cans apiece every
year, according to statistics. 40
billion cans are produced annually
in the United States. One man witn
the figures stated: “If all the cans
made in one year were laid end
to-end they would circle the earth
almost 100 times.
“You can’t can in anything else
like you can can in cans”, ought
to be the slogan of the canning
industry. Cans can be filled and
sealed faster than other type of
package—as fast as 1200 per
minute, and at lower cost.
“Tin cans” contain very little
tin. In 1957, the industry used
about four and-a-haif million tons
of steel and a very small
of tin. Millions cans have no
tin coating whatsoever, and in the
others, four-tenths of one per cent
is tin.
• * * “WE’VE GOT ONE UP
THERE” was the headline of the
Anchorage Ti,mes -trouncing
the launching of the satellite
Explorer. The Army probably
said that too, when it was seen to
go into orbit. I.t was a big boost
in morale for the Army, and much
needed.
* * * HOW TO KEEP SLIM. “A
friend of ours used to stay in trim
by scattering a handful of pen
nies in his bedroom every morn
ing and stooping for them. Now
he’s getting fat—says there's no
incentive in it anymore. He’s go
ing to try dimes next week.”
Beaver Falls, Pa., News-Tribune
. . (We remember the days
it would have taken at least
quarters for an incentive in
Alaska.
* * •* Wife reading her hus
band’s fortune on -> weight card,
“You are dynamic, a leader of men
and admired by women for your
good looks and strength of
character... .it’s got your weight
wrong, too.”
It’s nice to have both ends meet,
but we would like to have them
overlap a little.
* * * The U. of A. Polar Star
prints a few newspaper heads with
typographical errors—errors that
sometimes creep in even with all
precautions to avoid them. Here
are a few samples: SENATE PAS
SES DEATH PENALTY—Measure
For Electrocution For All Persons
Over 17 (from the Lansing State
Journal... .WILD WIFE LEAGUE
TO MEET TONIGHT (Wheeling
Intelligence).MAN IS
FATALLY SLAIN (Los Cruses
(N.M.) paper.The one we like
is this: WOMEN ARE BECOMING
MORE BEAUTIFUL MEN: ALSO
LOOKING BETTER (Paper in
Scranton* Pa.).
Card of Thanks
We deeply appreciate the many
expressions of sympathy received
following the death of Kathleen
Ann.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sowder
and family.
Eye-Witnesses Recall Aslt Downpour
At Historical Society Meeting
By Helen Hall
The Kodiak and Aleutian Is
lands Society members and guests
were treated to an especially in
teresting program Wednesday
evening when Rev. Roman Stunn
er interviewed Mrs Annie Chris
toffersen and Mr. Efram Shuravl
18 saouauadxo jioiji Suip-reSoj jjo
the time of the’ eruption of Mt.
Katmai on June 12, 1912.
Mrs. Christoffersen related that
she felt no fear and her main con
cern was to go about her play as
usual. The residents were taken
aboard boats to be ready for evac
uation from the area and while
aboard they subsisted mostly on
rice. After the ash subsided they
returned to their homes where the
women and girls went about the
task of sweeping the very thick
blanket of ash from the roofs.
It was several years before vege
tation returned to its normal state
and fish and fowl killed in great
numbers were somewhat slow re
turning to their natural haunts.
The fishing season that year was
especially poor and the residents
of Kodiak were aided by govern
ment food gifts until they were
able to return to their normal pur
suits of livelihood.
Mr. Efram Shuravloff, who is
now 89 years of age, related his
experiences in his own language
and Rev. Sturmer acted as inter
preter. He was watchman at the
Kadiak Fisheries Cannery which
was then located at the site of the
present City Dock. He said many
of the roofs of the houses were
caved in by the tremendous weight
of the ash, and several houses
were practically filled with ash.
The lakes which were located at
the present site of the Community
Christian Center and Tony’s Bar
were gradually filled in by the tre
mendous drifts of ash.
Mrs. Ella Chabitnoy from Woody
Island volunteered that they had
to sweep away great amounts of
ash in order to attempt any gar
dening at all, and Neil Sargent
said his mother had remembered
the pungent odor of sulphur which
ALONG THE WATERFRONT
(Continued from Page 1)
tween Willapa Bay and Cape
Spencer, Alaska.
Grounds off Masset on Queen
Charlotte Islands and off 'Prince
of Wales Island in Southeastern
Alaska will be opened for one
year only.
The commission reported that
1957s halibut catch was worth
more than 11 million dollars to
the fishermen and that the annual
catch has averaged more than
65,000,000 pounds during each of
the past four years.
USO OFFICIAL
(Continued from page 1)
Greene, who is making his first
visit to Alaska, expressed his sur
prise at the temperate weather
here and compared it with that of
New York which, the past two
months, “has been for the birds!”
He went on to say, “I like the
Territory so well that I should be
put on the payroll of the Alaska
Chamber of Commerce payroll as
a booster.”
He spent Thursday meeting
with City and Naval Station offi
cials to discuss various problems
pertaining to the operation of the
USO here, and left yesterday for
the Mainland.
NOTICE
There will be an Eastern Star
benefit bake sale .today at Donnel
ley and Acheson store beginning
at 10 am. 8-ly
lasted a long period Of time after
the eruption of Mt. Katmai.
In addition to the enjoyable
program, President Clegg pre
sented two stone lamps, two stone
sinkers and one knife sharpener
to the Museum, gifts from Dr. E<1
Stachowiak at the Adak Naval Sta
tion. Miss Virginia Mowry also pre
sented the Musemm with a tape
recording of Rev. Roman Sturm
er’s recent address to the Civilian
Wives Club.
The Historical Society is open
to new members and visitors are
welcome at all meetings which are
held the first Wednesday of each
month in the downtown school
science room.
LOOP ROAD
(Continued from Page 1)
Works Department are both favor
able to an early programming ©
substantial highway construction
in the Kodiak area as soon as it
can be done in am orderly man
ner.’\
Edris was also advised that work
will resume on the rock slide by
pass road just south of town on
the Base Road in late winter or
early Spring as weather and
ground conditions permit.
The Committee is composed of
Edris, John Gibbons and Dorothy
Clark. Edris expressed great satis
faction that the many letters writ
ten by the committee and the work
entailed will result in the con
struction of the road, a project of
the Chamber for several years.
Edris also called attention to
the new cut-off north of town,
linking Mission and Mill Bay
Roads. The road, also one of the
committee’s proposals, is now com
pleted. “This fine strip of road,
leading as it does through one of
Kodiak’s most beautiful virgin
forests, should make for some very
choice homesiles. We are grateful
to the Bureau for the construction
of this road, and to “Smoky” Sto
ver, ARC Supervisor here, for a
fine job,” Edris concluded.
NOTICE
The Christian Science Society
of Kodiak holds services & Sun
day School every Sunday at 11 a.m.
in the Chapel Annex on the Base.
Policy Pointers
By Art Brooks
In this day of high cost of
living can you imagine a policy
that protects you up to $10,000
for only $10.00 premium?
Thats exactly what a Com
prehensive Personal Liability
will do for you.
1. It provides a minimum of
$10,000 to pay judgements
against you.
2. It investigates the facts,
takes full responsibility and
pays all costs of defending you
as the case goes to trial.
If you are at fault, it tries to
settle the claim out of court.
(This office effected claim in
November for one of our as
sureds for $250.)
3. It provides a minimum of
$250 to pay medical expenses of
any injured person, whether
you are responsible for the ac
cident or not.
For less than $1 a month, you
and your entire family are pro
tected.
Qualified Counsel
Kodiak Insurance &
Building Corp.
Phone 3401 or 2561