The Wrangell sentinel. (Wrangell, Alaska) 1909-current, 1939-07-14
ECONOMIC LIFE AT KODIAK
REVEALED By W. A. TAYL0.

CORDOVA - A letter from War
rem A. Taylor, CordoYa attorney,
who has been located at Kodiak for
the past three weeks, contains al
number of interesting items regard
ing the development in that eicinity
There is a noticeable spirit of OPP
tImism in the town regarding It's fu-I
ture, he says, which, he believes, Isl
justified in view of the development
contemplated there by the govern
ment There IS considerable building
going on, both for new commercial
enterprises and for homes. Nearly
all available locations in and near
the town have been staked aud conf
siderable property has changed
hands recently. The town is not par
ticularly active Just at present, how.
ever, Mr.. Taylor states. as most of
the population is busy at canneries
at different parts of the island and
many of the men have gone to Bris-I
toll bay for fishing. There Is one
small floating eannery at Kodiak
but it does not employ many local
people.
High light quotations from Mr..
Taylor's letter give a good picture
of the activities of the locality,
where a $10,OOO.00O naval Develop
ment is being started;
The naval airbase is about six
miles from town and is connected
with a fair highway. have been
out to Buskin river, which is about
four miles toward the base, but have
not been at the base as the officer
in charge does not encourage visit
tors. No cameras are allowed in the
reservation. About the only work
being carried on there at the present
time is surveying, construction of
a dock, and well-drilling. It is eX-
pected that a large number of men
will be coming up from the navy
yard next month.
This is a very beautiful spot with
good climate most of the year. A
shortage of electric power is a draw
back to the community at the pres
ent time. I am informed, however,
that the lighting situation will be-
taken care of shortly as the Kodiak
Public Utilities district plans toI
give a franchise to a concern to-
construct a power plant which must
be furnishing light within six
months.
l understand that the Army
is coming in here soon to erect gun
emplacements for the protection of
the naval airbase There has been an
army captain here for some time
and he says that Kodiak is one of
the strategic points of the North Pa
cific and it is essential it be forth
fled. I believe they will construct
the guns at once but will construct
the emplaeements so they will be
ready at short notice. Roads will
have to be built to all of them.
There is a lot of surveying going
on all over the reservation and it is
expected that actual construction
work will commences within
month
The coast guard vessel Morris
came in here a few days ago and re-
ported they had put in at Perryville
and that the volcano is still going
strong. Lieutenant Garcia, the skip
per. said that two families and the
school teacher were the only ones
left in the village The ashes are
now about 10 inches deep around
there and the fumes of sulphuric
acid make breathing very disagree
able.
They brought a pail full of the
ash with them; it Is not like the
ash that fell on Kodiak in 1912, but
it is heavy black powder resembling
pulverized carbon. I suppose its
weight accounts for its not having
covered a more extensive area.