Seward seaport record., 1953-09-04

tlrSt steam engine cnugged ana puffed over the rails to the Sew ard Depot.
 And now all those who had been working toward the com pletion of the railroad were ju- bilantly singing, I've Been Working on the Railroad
 Alaska Nellie's famous mu scum at LaWing was then well known Alaskan roadhouse and a stopping place for train men and gandy dancers alike. In tribute to Alaska Nellie, a true sourdough and landmark of Seward and the Kenai Penin sula let's sing-'Nellie Won't You Blow (to 'Dinah Blow Your Horn.O
 But let's not forget another Seward personality - Gabe at Mile 2, who in his time also worked on the railroad and to whom the hungry railroaders heading for home now sing 'Gabe Won't You Blink?'
 Seward had it's share of mod ern luXuries-the drug store was advertising the latest in wind up victrolas, the Empress The atre was packing them in with star attraction of Charlie Chaplin in 'Shanghied' and the Seward Trading Co.,, new gro cery concern, was selling 112 pound jars of Alta coffee for 50 cents a pound and choice hams at 35 cents a pound with a money back guarantee if not completely satisfied.
 The years sped by marked by events that no one can for get-Charles Lindberg made his nonstop flight to Paris; and then the most staggering news of all, the stock market crash of '29 resulting in a depression that soon became worldwide, but which never deterred the pro gressive people of Seward who went on building for the future and out of the depression and the W.P.A. came the tunnel which diverts the water from Lowell Creek through the noun tain and forms the beautiful waterfall which is now one of Stewards leading tourist attrac- tions.
 During the depression years the Matanuska Settlers came through Seward on their way to the Matanuska Valley as did hundreds of other farsighted and adventurous people who were steadily Altering north to further the building of Alaska. And then, in 1889, supplies be gan to pour across the Seward docks, as the gigantic task of arming and defending Alaska began. Thousands of construc- tion workers and military men poured in and military installa- tions went up in a hurry and when the war ended in 1945 the many wonders of Alaska were the favorite topic of conversa- tion among the hundreds of G.Is and construction workers who had seen it for themselves and couldn't wait to get back to the Golden North and settle down for life.
 So they came over the Alaska highway, by giant swift planes and by sea, just as the new set tiers came 50 years ago.
 And now in closing this brief tribute to the Golden Anni- versary of Seward I want to sing you a song:
 Thanks for the memory Of Seward of the past,
 The railroad built at last, Of men and dreams and hopes
 and schemes
 And how the die was cast Oh, thank you so much. Thanks for the memory Of sailing ships and masts, Winters chilling blast,
 Docks and trains and mushing
 teams
 And then the aeroplaneS- How lovely it was.
 Many's the time that we loathed
 it,
 The snow and the ice and the
 slush.
 We dreamed of the winters we'd
 spend Outside
 But put it off for later time. And thanks for the memory Of snow up to our knees, Toes and feet that freeze, Dust that chokes and stoves
 that smoke
 And busted water mains