"News of oAmerica’s Last Frontier”
VOL. 5 NO. 16
KODIAK, ALASKA JUNE 16, 1945
PRICE 10 CENT!?
Boat Captain Drowns;
Sailor's Body Is Found
Walter Boxie Rourke, about
40, fell overboard from a cannery
tender at 12:30 am Tuesday in
Northeast harbor near Karluk
and drowned, according to a wire
received from the Parks Canning
company at Uyak bay. Mr.
Rourke was captain of that
company’s tender, the Frances,
and while leaving Northeast har
, bor he fell overboard from the
| forward deck when the boat
| lurched in hitting a large swell.
The tender stopped immedi
ately and a search was made for
several hours but the body was
not recovered. The search was
being continued the next day,
the wire stated.
Mr. Rourke, a cousin of Frank
McConaghy, local cannery offi
cial, was first employed by the
latter at Kukak in 1926 and has
worked in this area since. He
went to work for the Parks com
pany 3 years ago.
The deceased is survived by
^ his widow, Caroline; his mother;
a sister, Mrs. Vern Fisher, and a
brother, Ralph, all of Seattle.
The body of one of two Navy
enlisted men crowned with 4
women on March 24 near Afog
nak when a small boat capsized,
was recovered in that area June
3, naval officials reported this
week. The body was identified as
that of Elmer Bieson, of YVaver
ly, Nebraska, and was brought
here for services and interment
in the Army-Navy cemetery at
the base. The next of kin have
been notified.
Following the accident the
body of Jessie Nelson, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. A. Nelson, was
recovered. Unrecovered are the
bodies of I he other victims, who
included Mrs. Sophie Nelson,
Jean Gregorioff Michele, Augus
ta Gregorioff. and a second ser
viceman.
Sam Morrison, son of Mrs. Al
lieJSanders, and a high school
graduate this year, and Willard
Hall, employe of the Patrick
Lynch company, reported for
induction into the Army Thurs
day.
City Approves
School Budget
The school budget for next
year, for $45,560, was approved
by the city council at a special
meeting Ihursday evening. Of
this $28,395 will be provided by
the Territory, and $17,165 by
the city, with $1200 being re
funded by the Territory later for
out-of-town students tuition.
The budget last year was ap
proximately the same.
Military Asks City
AidOn Prostitution
A discussion of prostitution
was held at the city council
meeting Monday evening and
four representatives of the Mili
tary, including Comdr. Lowry
and Dr. H. D. Patterson of the
Navy and Capt. Carey, provost
marshal and bis assistant, Lt.
Seminick, of the Army, met with
the council to ask for coopera
tion in suppression of prostitu
tion in Kodiak.
Pointing out that controlled
prostitution increased venereal
i disease rate the military repre
sentatives said they were going
to continue to post “off limits”
signs on all houses which they
had reason to believe were such
a health hazard, until the occu
pants would be forced to leave
town.
The measure has already caus
ed 2 of 20 of the known prosti
tutes to leave, one of the mili
tary spokesmen said.
The off limits signs are posted
in certain areas of Mission road
and Shelikof highway and a
number have been torn down
and had to be replaced, the offi-j
cials explained. They also wan.-.
ed that destruction of the signs
is a federal offense as the signs
are government property, and
anyone caught removing them
will be prosecuted, they said.
The council promised full co
operation in any steps the mili
tary officials took toward solving
the prostitution problem.
New Catholic
Pastor Arrives
Father Vincent Edge, of the
Society of the Atonement, whose
headauarters are at Graymoor,
New York, arrived in Kodiak
this week to assume his new
duties as pastor of the local
Catholic church, Notre Dame de
Kodiak.
Father Edge came here from
New York City. He will conduct
his first services tomorrow.
Father Edgar Gallant, who
was stationed here temporarily,
expects to return to Skagway
■ bout Wednesday.
Diplomas for 8th grade gradu.
rtes have arrived and may be
tailed for at the school house or
uperintendent Hairy Holt’s
iesidence.
The Mighty 7th
A message of vital importance
to every citizen of Kodiak ap
pears on page 5. Turn to it now
and heed its message.
Arrangements For
Seeing ‘Joe’ Made
World Heavyweight Champion
T-Sgt. Joe Louis is still expected
at Kodiak next Friday, June 22,
and arrangements were complet
ed this week for civilians in town
to attend a boxing card to be
held in one of the hangars at the
base that Friday evening.
Transportation will be furn
ished and to take advantage
of the opportunity of seeing
Kodiak’s distinguished sport
world visitor all that it is neces
sary to do is register at the Red
Cross Center in town. In this
way Navy officials will know
how much transportation must
be furnished.
At the time of registration in
formation as to the time and
place for leaving lown will be
given. In this way it will not be
necessary for individuals to pro
cure passes, and no other ve
hicles will be allowed, either
private cars or taxis.
Registration will not start un
til Tuesday and will continue the
remainder of the week.
A special section is being re
served by Navy officials for all
the visitors fiom town.
A softball game, with Joe
Louis pitching for the Army, is
planned for Saturday afternoon
at 3 pm, and the same transport
ation for town will apply. Per
sons may sign for the game at
the same time as for the boxing
card. The Saturday busses will
leave at 2 pm.
Furniture Donated
For Hospital Room
Through the generosity of the
McGroder family of Buffalo,
New York, a private room in the
Griffin Memorial hospital has
been completely refurnished, in
memory of Mr. Patrick McGrod
er, who died recently. The furni
ture is in map e finish, with green
floral upholstery and window
drapes of the same material. A
bronze memorial plate will be at
tached to the door of tfce room
to perpetuate the memory of
Mr. McGroder, whose daughter,
Sister Joseph of the Sacred
Heart, is a member of the Grey
Nuns of the Sacred Heart, and
is stationed at D’Youville Col
lege, Buffalo.
The room has recently beeD
painted a pale peach color and
with the new furnishings is most
attractive. The semi-priv ate
room adjoining the McGroder
room has also been painted, a
pale blue, and it is hoped that in
the near future the wards can be
redecorated and tefu uished,
also.
Mrs Tom Gallagher and child
ren are visiting in Karluk this
week.
Governor Decries Deed
Set-up; Patent Is Issued
4th of July Funds
To Be Sought
Plans for a 4th of July celebra
tion were talked at the Chamber
of Commerce meeting Thursday,
and Frank Irick was appointed
as chairman of a committee to
make furthur arrangements. It is
planned to ask for donations to
raise money for a schedule of
events, planned especially for
child) en.
Following receipt of informa
tion that butter and cheese will
be sent to Alaska on a “meager
quota basis” the executive com
mittee wired the Secretary of
Agriculture asking greater con
si leratiou of the Alaska butter
situation.
The chamber also decided to
request action from proper offi
cials in seeming a teacher for
Cbignik, where 36 students have
been without a school since 1942.
A request is to be made to
Alaska Airlines officials to have
one of their converted DC-3
planes named the Spirit of Kod
iak.
R. H. Chadwick was appoint
ed secretary pro tern to replace
Mrs. Leif Norman, resigned, who
is leaving for the summer.
Men Under 30
Needed Most
Emphasizing that the needs of
armed forces are for men under
30 years of age, National Head
quarters of Selective Service has
announced that local boards are
being requested to liberalize oc
cupational deferments so as to
reduce the total number of men
to be inducted in the 30 through
37 age group.
The 4 main points covered in
the local board memorandum
are:
X. Need of armed forces for
young men.
2. Review by local boards of1
cases of 4F and limited service
registrants 18 through 25, and
forwarding for reexamination
those who there is reason to be
lieve may now be qualified for
military service.
3. Liberalization of deferment
policies for men over 30, especial
ly for those who are engaged in
work useful to the community.
4. The fact that cutbacks in
war plants will make older men
available for war production
jobs, thereby enabling the release
of younger men now occupation
ally deferred for military service;
and also that discharged veter
ans will be available in increas
ing numbers to replace younger
men now holding occupational
deferment p.
I The situation existing in Kod
iak in regard to granting of tax
free restricted deeds to natives
and unrestricted deeds to others
is described as an “injustice" re
quiring correcting by Congress,
m the opinion of Governor Ern
est Gruening, who communicat
ed his views in a letter to Mayor
0. A. Torgerson.
The Governor’s letter was \u
answer to one from the Mayor.,
explaining the effect on the
municipality of the restricted
deeds.
The introduction of an appro
priate bili to correct the situa
tion should be submitted in Con
gress, the Governor said, and his
letter continued:
“It seems clear to me that re
lief for Kodiak is called for and
that the present situation con
stitutes an injustice and a dis
parity between two classes of
citizens.’’
Governor Gruenmg said he
was seeding copies of bis corres
pondence to Delegate E. L. Bart
lett, who was also advised of the
situation by Mayor Torgerson
and who replied that he would
interview Department of Interi
or officials and advise.
The granting of a patent for
the townsite of Kodiak by the
U. S. Government was recorded
this week at the U. S. Commit#?
sioner’s office on receipt of the
document from Anchorage. The
patent, which vests the authority
to grant deeds, was granted to
George Parks, townsite trustee,
and is dated Aug. 19, 1944.
It is signed for the late Presi
dent Roosevelt, by his secretary
and covers “82 acres and 18 hun
dredths” or the townsite. The
United States reserves the right
to construct ditches and cans s,
and further reserves a provision
for rights-of-way for railroads,
telegraph and telephone lines.
Held up at one time at War
Department request, the docu
ment has been in process Binctr
1941.
Mrs. Josephine Coulsey was a
flu patient at the GM hospital
this week.
Funds Available
For Planning
Availability of $84,875 through
the Federal Works Agency to be
used for drawing plans for post
war projects in Alaska was re
ceived in a communication tr>
the city from Governor Ernes*
Gruening.
Projects selected for planning
should be one for which finan
cing is assured, the governor ex
plained.