Seiffert Sends
Protest Letter
To Seattle Editor
(Editor’s Note: The following letter, sent to the edi
tor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer by V. G. “Bink?
Seiffert, local councilman, is self-explanatory-:
Editor, Seattle Post Intelligencer,
Seattle, Washington. .
Dear Sir:
A clipping, which caused unfavorable comment in
this district, was taken from the Post-Intelligence:
dated March 5th or 6th, which arrived in Nome yester
day and was headed, “Food Sent to Nome Left on
Beach, Spoils”. The article then continues with some
of the most outlandish untruths I have ever read.
It seems to me the staff of the
P. I. would investigate some of
these stories before publishing
them.
Quite some time ago, your pa
per printed another article that
lpft a very bad taste in the
mouths of the residents of this
community. This article had
tp deal with the great number
pf “bars” and “saloons” in
Nome.' Also the ‘rowdyism” of
the population in flmetral. If
I remember correctly, this ar
ticle was written by a reparter
that spent some time in Nome.
In this, I may be mistaken.
}
1 However, if I am correvt, all I
[can say is that your reporter
could have found some of the
i nicest homes in America, and
met some of the most hospitable
people in the world, if he had
but chosen to do so, instead of
“hanging” over some Nome
“bar”, as evidently was the
case. “Bars”, “Rowidsm”, Gamb
ling’’ and so forth, can be found
even in Seattle, according to
articles and storiiss prfnted in
the Seattle Post Intelligencer,
and which I have read. So much
for that.
Getting back to the real rea
son for writing this, I have this
to say, which is, to my knowledge
there has not been one pound of
emergency supplies, that were
sent to Nome, wasted, spoiled or
other wise destroyed due to hav
ing been frozen. I am in a posi
tion to know what I am talking
about in regard to this statement.
In regard to the acutal ton
nage mentioned, that was ship
ped to Nome, I cannot comment.
I do know however that all food
stuffs were stored and taken
care of. The milk is stored in
the basement of a building which
is not far from where I reside.
The pears, butter and other
freezables are also in warm stor
age, and have been since the first
cold weather set in.
I will say that I think there
was considerable more toilet tis
sue and vinegar and salad oil
shipped in than what was really
needed. But if an emergency
does arise. I do know that it will
all eventually 'be used, and to a
good advantage.
In regard to there being only
400 persons here, that is also a
bold-faced lie. Only two weeks
ago, I attended a dance which was
held here, and there were over
400 persons attending. As you
well know, everyone in a town
or city does not attend a dance.
So there evidently is really more
than the 400, wb.ch you quoted.
1 would like to know7 who these
so-called Alaskans are. if cne of
them had ever been in Nome,
and had done any investigating,
they would know better than to
say there is room f : only 50 tons
cf warm storage I personally
know of one building, that with
a small amount of weak could be
made to handle 500 tons. This
building is now empty and nas
been for some t.me. Also recnem
ber that all these tons you are
quoting are in measurement and
not in weight. If storage space
had not have been available, I
: know for a fact that the resi
; dents of Nome would have stored
perishables in their own homes
and living rooms, rather than to
see it spoil, as you are trying to
convey.
Of these emergency supplies
that came to Nome, there has al
ready been over 60 tons in
weight, which included coffee,
rolled oats, canned fruit, butter,
etc., transported to one ontlying
town, which received no supply
on the last boat owing to the
fact that the Bering Sea “froze
over” before the last boat could
, get in there. Thus emergency
food was delivered by Caterpillar
tractor train and was a danger
! ous undertaking at this time of
the year. However, with depend
able equipment and the seasoned
and experienced men, this food
stuff arrived at its desstination ni
: first class shape.
The “joke” as your prominent
Seattle-Alaska business man, who
did not want his name mention
ed, is a “joke’’ only to those who
want to make it such. I'll wager
that this Seattle-Alaska business
man is not from Nome, and is
talking about something of which
he knows nothing. This ship
ment of supplies was not for
Nome people alone, but for all of
the population of Seward Penin
sula, and Nome was chosen as
the distributing point. Consider
the number of people on Seward
Peninsula and then figure out for
yourself how much of a “joke”
this thing is.
I think that it is a “slap in the
face” to the Nome and Seward
Peninsula citizens, also the gov
ernment officials, and especially ,
to the men and officers of the
U. S. Army, for you to even let
them think these supplies spoiled
on the Nome beach.
I was born in Nome, raised in
the Territory and I have trav
eled from Point Barrow to Ket
chikan. I have seen 68 and 70 de
grees below zero weather and I
have yet to see brine butter
freeze hard enough so that it
would burst a barrel. The resi
dents of the north country keep
their canned supplies frozen as
they do not have the warm stor
age space, and I have yet tc
learn of any of it being “spoil
ed”.
I cannot say or common* on the
condition of the supplies that
were sent to Galena, but I will
wager that the people of that
community would see to it, that
it would not lay out in the wea
ther and spoil. If they did, tney
are certamly of a different cali
ber than the Alaskans from other
parts of the Territory.
You mention the saImon indus
try as being the chief :<: jpaticn
01 NujS.o. I nave 'Otcr. .n N~.
iato, times too numerous tc men
tion, and I have never seen a
case of salmon “packed” there.
All the salmon that is “packed-’
there is enough for the native
dogs, and this is just dried ir.
the sun. Nulato needs canned
salmon just as much, if not more,
than Seattle. From what I am
able to learn, all salmon canned
around Bristol Bay, which is
the closest dannery to Nulato,
had to be shipped “Outs.de' be
fore any of it could 'be sold in
the Territory.
You also mention in your arti
cle that Nome and Seward Penin
sula merchants had already re
ceived a year’s supply of food
stuffs. This is true, but do you
know the year's supply that was
received was far below the reg
ular shipment, and if the boats
with civilian freight are late in
arriving here |hi^ 'spring, our
food supplies are going to be very
low.
We have at present time all
we need. Some things are low.
and some articles are sold out.
This has been the case in Nome
since l&OO. Due to the war the
merchants and the citizens of
Nome have voluntarily agreed to
go on a ration system. We are
eating regularly and will con
tinue to do so for some time to
come. Howeer, as 1 have men
tioned before, if the merchants
do “run out” all of the foodstuffs
that were sent in for an emer- ;
gency, and which by some seems
to be a “joke”, will come in very
handy, if (and we hope it don't
an emergency arises.
This foodstuff was sent in for j
an emergency, and if an emer
gency did arise Galena ,s one
■place supplies would be badly
needed.
I could go on with this further,
but think I have said enough,
so will close, hoping that in the
future you will give more con
sideration to articles published
•by you about this district.
Very truly yours,
“BINKS" SBIFFEJvT.
Oh, Diana.... _Small Talk
WHY NOT JOIN TH* /
APPLE CORE!
giggle giggle GOSH 1
r— ■■I'XiiUJ
Scorchy Smith....
! tl LEFT THEM^Y'thEY MUST \
AT THE DOOR!) HAVE FOUND )
s-1/—7^ OUS PRISONERS
r (^ey NOW/ LET'S 001
(f
K'
r„
A^A a6a A^A a4a A^A A^4. a6a
WHALEY
HOUSE
"ALL THE COMFORTS
OF HOME— IN NOME!
There’s Always a Waiting List,
but it’s well worth waiting for
MAIN 33
MRS. B V. WHALEY
A^A aJEA AftA a^A aWEa A^A A^A A^A aT4
Ty
a6a A&A A^A aSa A^A a6a aSa a6a a6a.aSa.aSa aSa
"a" "a" "a" "a" "y "a” "Jf "a™ "a™ TUT
COMPLIMENTS
—OF—
BOB KITE !
SCAVENGER
aSa aSa iWh imk aSa aSa A^4 aSa a*a A aK
WWj
PROFESSIONAL
DIRECTORY
HENRY JOSEPH
LALLEY
ACCOUNTING, INCOME TAX
AND SOCIAL SECURITY
P. O. Box 156 Nome. Alaska
IRA D. ORTON
Attorney At Law
Boom 1—Nevada Building
Nome, Alaska
Seattle Office:
1912-13 Smith Tower
Telephone Elliot 8200
O. D. COCHRAN
Attorney At Law
Phone Main 131
Nome, Ahuka
N. STRAND
NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY
Phone Black 53
NOME, ALASKA
HAGEN
JEWELER AND OPTICIAN
Coart House is Opposite Us
Phone Main 49
ARCTIC CLIP,
HOLDS DANCE
—
Saturday evening was a gala
affair of the events of the season.
The Arctic Club dinner dance
was a fine party and a huge sue- j
cess. Arctic Club member^ and
their friends enjoyed the dinner j
music, and the varied, almost pro
fessional type of entertainment.
which was interspersed through- j
out the evening.
Other parties will be planned •
during the winter season. The :
committee in charge of the party
is to be highly commended.
AIRWAYS
Pan .American .Airlines
Captain Ken Penman arrived
i Saturday -*.in Sgt. Eiam and
Edward J. Nelson civil engineer,
under direct orders from Gen
era: Summerville.
Outgoing passengers were Car!
Holm, Louis Carpenter, Ray
Brest! and .Arnold Hildreth.
Captain Larry Muggett arriv
ed Saturday with mail and Cap
ta.r Edgar and returned to Fair
| banks with Albert Rhodes, Ken
i Rude. Albert Burrell and Lee
McCloy, as.saver for the Miners
& Merchants Bank at Nome.
I All of the above passengers
made direct connections to the
States on the plane which was
wait.ng at Fa.rbam-ts.
Captain Howe was scheduled in
today with mail and will return
to Fa.rbanks with Neill Stevens
of the Bureau of Mines and
Steve Kassler. of the OPA.
Wien Alaska Airlines
Herb Hager brought in the
Stinson t: -motor Saturday aft
ernoon with Frank Hildown.
Harry Darwins, Henry Hansen
and Herman Keno. Returning to
Fairsbanks Sunday with Nels
Swanberg, Jr., Richard Roell.
Mae Hurley, August Wheeler. J.
L. Fritch and J. A. Gaard.
Captain Herb Hager is sched
uled to return to Nome Tuesday.
Alaska .Star Airlines
Captain Gordon MarKenzie left
for Anchorage Friday with Mr.
and Mrs. J. A. Fairweather, I
agent of the Alaska Steamship
Company; V. R. Nichols and Lt.
Edward Newman.
| On this you can |
l depend in spite |
of wartime
shortage!
fe J
& Wartime conditions af- |
feel the supply hut not 3
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