ONE OF THE LARGE BARNS OF THE ALASKA TRANSFER
ALASKA TRANSFER
RAPID GROWTH HAS
BEEN PHENOMENAL
The gradual growth of the Alaska
Transfer, of Seward, is very simi
lar to the continuity of a movie in
that the story assumes added interest
as the time goes by. Beginning with
a small concern on October 19, 1909,
the business has progressed steadily
to such proportions that today it is
ranked among the largest of similar
concerns in the Territory.
Messrs. H. V. Hoben and A. L. Davis
vis, prior to their entree here, were
established in the Hope-Sunrise dis
tricts, running pack trains and freight
ing outfits and in mining on Bear
Creek. Coming to Seward they pur
chased the Alaska Transfer business
from Charles Christensen and Joseph
Laubner, who had been conducting a
general transfer business for a con
business assumed greater proportions
siderable period. The growth of the
from that time.
The present firm in those earlier
days branched out conservitively, em
barking in the logging and contracting
business. They also purchased and
built many homes, at the present time
owning and renting out seven of the
most modern homes in the town. In
more recent years, in 1922, to be ex
act, the construction of the Arcade
building was launched. This building
is without an equal in Alaska. Con
struction work was started in June of
1922 and completed in December of
the same year. In the fall of 1924
foundations were laid for the building
of an annex to the Arcade building, i
and actual work on’ its erection began
last May. The annex is now practi
cally completed. The entire building
is described in another column of this
issue. During the past summer the
company further enlarged its holdings
when the taxi service of H. E. Ells
worth was purchased in its entirety.
Included in the equipment of the
concern is found at least forty wagons
of all descriptions, every one in per
fect working order, about twenty
sleds, many head of horses, five auto
mobiles, a large barn of two stories,
cl blacksmith shop, paint shop, -wagon
sheds, coal and wood bunkers, a cor
ral, and a large two-story storage
building 60 by 100 feet in size. The
•entire property occupies more than a
city square block. Two offices are
maintained, one at the yards and the
other in the heart of the business dis-*
trict on the ground floor of the Ar
cade building.
Seward is the closest port to the
great Portlock halibut banks, and is
also in the center of the banks extend
ing south to Cape Spencer. It is the
logical place for a cold storage.
SEWARD LAUNDRY
RENDERS PUBLIC
In Alaska since 1909, it is doubt
ful if anywhere in the Territory one
could find a more staunch or more
consistent believer in the ultimate
greatness of this vast empire in the
making, than Harry Kawabe, pro- j
prietor and manager of the Seward !
Steam Laundry. With this convic
tion behind every thought and busi
ness move, Mr. Kawabe, who began
the present business in 1915, has
gradually increased his assets until
today he is rated as being one of the
large property owners of the town.
The Seward Steam Laundry plant
has been situated at its present lo
cation since its inception. It is abso
lutely modern throughout having the
best of machinery procurable for gen
eral laundry work. The service ren
dered is most excellent and advan-!
tageous especially to the travelling
public who desire laundry returned
the following day. The ocean going
liners, which are constantly plying
into the port of Seward, find the
Seward Laundry on a par in com
parison with work produced in the
huge laundries on the Pacific Coast.
Practically everyone of these large j
vessels, handling thousands of tour-1
ists each year, immediately upon ty- •
ing up at the Saward dock, discharge !
the soiled linens, sending them to!
the Seward laundry. And the steam- j
ship companies are extremely care
ful in the attention paid this branch |
of their huge business. Having the
confidence of the large concern, Sew
ard residents express their apprecia
tion of the commendable business es
tablishment by sending their entire
household -wash to the laundry each
week. And this includes the finest
wearables as well.
Such public service could not be
rendered "without an efficient corps
of assistants and Mr. Kawabe has
that. On the average eight employes
are on the staff permanently. H. L.
Lien, a thorough laundry mechanic
and engineer of many years’ practical
experience, is chief engineer of the
plant. Miss Mabel Hutton, who has
been connected with the business for
the past five years, is in charge of
the women employed, all of whom
have had considerable experience in
first-class laundries in the states.
Prior to coming to Seward Mr. Ka
wabe conducted a laundry business
in Cordova. That was upon his en
tree into the Territory in 1909. Four
years ago he made a trip back to
Japan, the land of his birth, and upon
his return brought back a lovely
bride, who has proven a wonderful
helpmate.
Marathon Cafe
THE HOUSE OF HOME COOKED FOODS
YOU’LL LIKE IT!
Mrs. Josie Emswiler, Prop.
SEWARD ALASKA
SPORTSMEN FROM
ALL OVER WORLD
HUNT PENINSULA
KENAI PENINSULA STEADILY
GAINING RECOGNITION AS BIG
GAME HUNTER'S PARADISE.
From the British Isles, India, Ger
many, Austria-Hungary, France, Bel
gium, Russian and Australia, and
from practically every state in the
Union sportsmen have come to Al
aska and procurred big game trophies
on Kenai Peninsula, which has been
termed as the big-game incubator of
Alaska. Seward is the port of en
tree of the Kenai Peninsula.
In the pioneer days of big-game
hunting in this region, a party rep
resenting the School of Natural His
tory of New York City, secured some
choice varieties of specimens. As
guide to this party, John Gilpatrick
since retire^, and who makes .liis per1
1 manent home in Seward, was given
all the credit for the large bag of
trophies secured. These included
thirteen sheep, two brown bear and
seven moose. The horns on one of
these moose measured 73 inches.
Then there was the expedition from
the Field’s Art Museum of Chicago.
They came out of the region with a
collection of many moose and sheep.
The largest moose head had a spread
of 76 inches.
In later years Andrew Berg, resi
dent of this district, claims to have
procured the record moose trophy,
when he found a dead moose with a
spread of horns measuring 84 inches.
In more recent years Douglas Bur
den of New York took a moose with
a spread of 72 Inches.
Moose and sheep have been hunted
on Kenai Peninsula for over twenty
years and instead of diminishing in
numbers are said, according to li
censed guides who make Seward
their headquarters, to be on the in
crease. There are still many cari
bou on the table-lands and rolling
hills of the peninsula, better known
as Caribou Hills between Tustamena
Lake and Kachemak Bay. It is re
ported these hills would make excel
lent feeding grounds for herds of rein
deer, as moss on which these animals
thrive, is found in abundance. Deer
from Southeastern Alaska have been
placed on the peninsula anad accord
ing to reports received from game
warden A1 Hardy, they are doing
well. Some mention has been made
of importing elk from the State of
Washington.
Last season there were nine Dig
game hunting parties in the field, j
wlhile other parties also hunted on j
Kodiak Island and other Westward
points. Without any exception every
hunt was most successful and those
comprising the parties, mostly east
ern people, stated upon departing for
the States, they were already plan
ning on future hunts on the peninsu
la. Among these parties was P. 0.
Beaulieu, a carpet and rug manufac
turer of New York. Upon his return
to Seward from a month’s hunt he
reported seeing a white moose. It
is quite possible nature played such
a prank on one or more moose, hunt
ers and guides agree.
In 1904 Andrew Berg, and an In
dian boy, discovered near Kenai lake
the skulls of two bull-moose with the
antlers interlocked. The heads are
now a part of the “combat collection”
in the Head and Horns house of
Bronx Zoological Park, New York
city. The late Charles H. Seniff, a
hunter and sportsman of New York,
provided the means whereby the park
acquired them.
Seward is the logical headquarters
for big game hunters. Here outfits
can be purchased just as reasonable
as anywhere in the States and from
this point, transportation facilities
radiate to all the hunting grounds.
(Seward is also the home of the great
er majority of the licensed guides in
the Territory.
ALASKA RICH IN CATTLE FEED
On practically every part of the pe
ninsula district west of Seward grass
stands often from waist to shoulder
high, and is rich and nutritious. The
hills are rolling and could be used, for
grazing purposes. This country is
interspersed with many fine lakes, and
the climate is no more severe than
that of Kansas.
CAPT. JOHANSEN
IS BIG ASSET TO
TOWN SEWARD
An outstanding figure in Alaskan
marine circles is Capt. O. A. Johan
sen, master of the steamship Starr,
who thirty years ago joined the Alaska
Commercial Company, then the dom
inating factor in Alaskan trade and
operating exclusively out of San Fran
cisco. It was young Captain Johan
sen who advocated the establishment
of steamship service between Seattle
and Seward, then largely neglected,
1
CAPT. O. A. JOHANSEN,
Master of Steamship Starr
as Skagway and Nome were the gold
camps in those days, and the mecca
for the stampeders.
S
In 1900 the A. C. Company put the
Bertha in service with Capt. Johansen
in command to run during the sum
mer months. The service has not
since been abandoned, which demon
strates Capt. Johansen’s judgment,
although other companies and larger
steamships are now operating.
In command of the steamship Starr
Capt. Johansen carries the United
States mail each month to fourteen
westward points out of this port. He
is an ardent booster for Seward and
all matters connected with Alaska,
and a member of the Seward Cham
ber of Commerce.
Circulating Library
Growing In Popularity
Among Local Citizens
That Seward has a fine circulating
library, with over 1500 volumes of
history, fiction and science, is due to
the foresight and energy of one man.
Several years ago Mr. Leon Urbach
placed a few dozen volumes of fiction
on his shelves, more as a personal
hobby than for any other reason, as he
was a great reader himself. Many
residents saw the books and to accom
modate them Mr. Urbach organized a
club with a $1.00 membership charge,
and a further charge of 15 cents to
take a book from the shelves and read
it at home. The $1.00 was refunded
the person when leaving the city or
lesiring to discontinue membership.
The convenience of this enterprise
can only be understood by those who
lave spent a long winter in Alaska,
it is one of the greatest pleasures our
citizens have.
Ogle’s Garage
Steam Heated - Fireproof
»«s,>3d|p£r3«
TAXI SERVICE
DAY and NIGHT
GASOLINE - ACCESSORIES
LUBRICATING OILS
PHONE—Madison 66
SEWARD ALASKA