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XVIL, NO. 10,324 SECOND SECTION TO JUNEAU, ALASKA, WEDNI PAGES | TO 6 SDAY, _ Rebuilt Goldstein Block Is Asset To Juneau Construction Fir m's Chief - Gives Recreated Structure "Unlimited’ Life of Service SHORTAGES, WEATHER IMPEDED REBUILDING Scarcity of N—Iawrfl)ower Add- ed Handicaps to Con- tractor’s Job “With a reasonable amount of up- keep the Geldstein Building has an unlimited life of service.” Arthur O. Peterson, Alaska Con- struction Co. manager in Juneau, made the flat staiement in his of- fices on the third floor of the newly rebuilt structure. A lean, greying man with weather- hardened features, he occasionally closed his eyes as he studied each question before answering. “Even after all these years since they were first constructed, and in | spite of the fire, the outer walls were amazingly hard. Boring through the old masonry to set clinch anchors for the new construction was a rough job in itself.” Asked what difficulties he had en- countered in the construction, Mr. Peterson winced and grinned rue- fully. “Let’s not bring that up,” he begged. “I'm trying to forget.” (Centinued on Page Two) — e Parsons Electric Co. Has Choice Location In Goldstein Corner Offering complete electrical ser- vice to Juneau, is the Parsons El- ectrical Co. now in its new location in the Goldstein Building. The store, under the management 4f Ernest Parsons, offers Westing- house and Philco appliances, the Eazy electrical line, Premier vacuum cleaners and Kohler and Universal lighting plants for homes and ship lighting. In a departure from the custom- ary electrical service in Juneau, Par- sons offers all types of electrical motor rewinding in a newly equipped shop, as well as all other types of electrical and radio repairs. The corner store, which includes a show room in front and offices and shops in the back, covers 2 550 (Continued on Page Two) Garvin Show Career Inspired Formation 0f "Home Beautiful” Twenty-five ié;s’m show busi- ness, with all the attendant duties of decorating, furnishing and drap: i ing theaters, was Homer Garvin's inspiration in the formation of Home Beautiful Inc. % Occupying the space just south of the entrance to the new Gold- $t4in Building, the store offers complete decorations and furnish- ings for the home. This, according to Mr. Garvin, is unique in the city, since no other store specializes in home furnishings. “We feel that in bringing most of the household requirements under one roof we are offering a real ser- vice to Juneau,” Mr. Garvin said. “We are sure our customers will get better home decoration results if they are able to buy matched pieces instead of random purchases.” The store occupies main floor space 20 feet wide and 100 feet long with a mezzanine extending 65 feet from the rear of the building. Fluourescent lighting in alternate daylight and white tubes provide true color reflection for the match- ,.ing of fabrics. Special fixtures and * displays designed by Foss and Mal- colm, architects, were installed by . Walter Stutte. Mirrers Add to Depth A unique departure in mercantile deccrations is the use of huge wall ! mirrors, 14 feet high by 18 feet long. along the front side walls to add depth to the floor displays. “While it may be some time be- fore we are able to secure all we hope for in our newly perfected mer- chandise, we have been able to get a surprisingly complete stock for our opening,” Mr. Garvin said. “We are exercising great care in the se- lection of our lines. Our eventual success depends on the complete A {“Cm;r;;dho;xwfiuqe Three) Chas. Goldstein Is Enferprising Alaska (ifizen For seven years Charles Goldstein | has been reminded of calamity by the broken shell of what was once he biggest and finest building in |the Alaskan Territory—the Gold- | stein Building Built in 1914, | y in concrete in a few was gutted by fire on Feb. 8, 1939. It was cal- amity in the direst sense of the word for in that fire were destroyed | over $250,000 in rare furs which were not protected by surance. H At the time of the fire Goldstein enrcuie home from fi vacation in r 50 years.| He ived the n aboard steamer Princess Norah. just after leaving Ketchikan, He admits he was shaken by the rews. But when a friend, hearing f the disaster, remarked on his! ;alm acceptance of the tidings | scldstein’s only wer was: “Do cu expect me to jump overboard ;crnus: of it?” It was enough to make many me: | jump overboard. When he left {c his vacation in Mexico he left feel- | ing that over 20 years of work had | | paid off. Extensive building im- provements had been completely paid for and he could reascnably lcok forward to a period of placid prosperity. Few Flaming Minutes Now everything had been wiped out in a few flaming minutes. | And now, sweeping across the | northland like wind on the ‘undra, came the revert that Charles Gold- stein was finished. Where travpers | and fur dealers met, the word went ! laut in rising clamor: oldstein is | tirough—Goldstein won' be buying | | furs-——Goldstein is broke.” | | Within two weeks Ch: stein*was flying throughou ritory buying furs and chariering ‘adio time to broadcast the lie to reports of his failure. In the course of his trip his plane crashed. His first message after| reaching wire facilities was to his! wife. It read: “Just had a smash |up. Am through flying. Be ncme | { »n the next plane.” | There was actually no need to| hegin again. He had the insurance | j(rom the building. While his lu-:.i {had been great he would still be | sure of a comfortable livitz. But at | 70, Goldstein was rebuilding. H Born In London ‘ Charles Geldstein was born in London, England in 1869. In his ear- | y childhood his parents emigrated to Canada and settled for a time in British Columbia. The boy first | saw Alaska at the age of 14 but after | a brief stay the family moved to; the first Alaska was his utside rles Gold- the ter- " (Continued on Page Three) OVERDUE ALCLAIM NOW RENDERED 10 GOLDSTEIN VISION Although the reconstructed Gold- stein Building has been occupied for some weeks by officesyand mer- chants. only now is the building considered ready to be declared of- ficially open. Still, some items required to fully complete the rebuilding and bring the fine structure into complete ac- cord with the architect's drawings jand specifications are pending de- livery from the manufacturers. But, though some of the occupants may vet be a trifle discomoded by some- thing missing that will eventually be in place, the Goldstein Building is | now fully capable of serving its ten- ants and Juneau as a modern office ; \puilding that fills a need of many years. Tenants too, particularly merch- | ants, have met with difficulties and delays in equipping and stocking their quarters, and, in conformance with Charles Goldstein’s wish that ! his building not be hailed as a com- pleted project until it is so, or is most nearly so, this special edition of the Empire, published to acclaim | the resourcefulness and faith in Ju- |neau that has achieved the new {Ooldsoeln Building, also has been delayed until now, PRICE Tl RK RESTORED smot De ing ! 5 fice theu with nearly ictre in hundreds nd prevented wide s throughout the t farflung E A Lo s maged 1 1 ¢ i pein to impel dred: e royed n under 194 labor of the cot Bad and Six Alarms Scunded believed mouldering matt 5 By ion annd D ssisted by volun-~ 1014 e busine at block a cost was built in and local » sounded be- dis- mtil 7 left he from t W iter > {ir 1d Alaska > Juneau Medical and ed the victir dry building headquarters e PROGRE ZEN faith 1T Juncau, whose e first Goldstein Alaska dorn in buildin niting loyalty te rests of and ht o that is or Juncan b on in the five- Lin: hov story Al bout ils recre m concerete edifice chief sourc: £ pride. £ ¢ 3 ¢ built in 1914. While the building it ol ds I e onal and busi proj of fur 260,000 by Mr GOLDSTEIN cemmenced | THE structic building now rebuitt at a cost of $339,000, first Territory than $ conerete structure It was valued 0,000 at the time o Reconstruction and moderniza its facilities are reperted to in the neighborhocd of au civic and business leader: t.at § A lon of 1y epplauded the opening of the ve cost 000, The lding as anocther new step ferward in the progress of the city. 1is period o building occupies th Alaska Furs Await Transporfation fo Markefs of World . . . . ¥ L okt LADY, TAKE YOUR CHOICE—from these furs worth several hundreds of thousands cf doliars, the traiped cye can pick cut marten, mink, fox and many other furs native to Alaska frem this scenc which is like a peek into Charles Goldstein's Juncau fur vault at the height of the fur season. Hanging from racks 2nd piled on the fleor, they eveke a vision of fur-decked lovely Jadies in the biggest, brightest cities cf the world. Some, regarding this camera sk can picturc from it the romance, the hardship and the history that lies behind these heaps of pelts. i in the | ; SHELTERS ASHAN UNITS t corner of Sewara and Second and contains five floors with 43,000 square feet. cording to lerated by the fition of the walls left following the fire and the it debris had been cleared he site. truction work was done by Construction Co. accord- drawn by Foss & Mal- Plans included use wills lP.,IT stand- wstrous fire and the iticn, The walls have thened inner walls, beams and floor joists of reinforced concrete we trects v total The wea of truetion, was ac by der REBUILT BUSINESS BLOCK HAILED 1 Juneaw, on which recon- his five-story store and office 1 destreyed by fire in 1939, is All metal doors on stairwell and elevator entrances provide safety insurance against a recurrence of While the all-metal and con- tete intertor is fireproof, additional ety factors Include two fire hose n each flcor of the building is the cream colored contrasting agreeably with the rich, dark finish cf the woodwork. Floors are laid with a heavy com- position material. The entire structure is heated by m furnished by a large oil-burn- 2 boiler. The boiler room is seg- ted trom the rest of the baso- nent area, thus providing an addi- tional safeguard against fire. While it was originally planned to install all-metal door and window frames, material shortage made the [ ect impos: e and hardwood 5 were substituted. These rep- the of exposed wooden in the entire building. ldstein store which occu- space at the extreme right entrance includes a display offices and fireproof safety Yvaults for the storage of precicus furs. An ultra modern touch is added to the front of the building by the » which shelters store and entrances. The marquee is stepped d 1 following the slope 0 the street. Other stores on the main floor in- clude Parsons’ Electric, the Peter Weoed Coffee Shop, the Native Arts and Craft Shop, Home Beautiful, Inc. and Royal Typewriter Shop. The building will provide office space for three Federal agencies in- cluding the Veterans' Bureau on the 1d and third floors, the U. S. iployment Office, on the second or, and the U. 8. Native Ser- vice on the fourth and fifth floors. Territorial offices include the Al- wska Unemployment Compensation Cerunissicn and the Territorial Tax Commission, both on the third floor. Other offices include Dr. John H. dentist, second floor: Foss colm, Architects, third floor; Peter Wood Publications third floor, Among other facilities are a large pace provided tenants in the and two elevato: one enger, and one plung type freight elevatcr which will operate between the street level and ment A new wrinkle in insulation is pro- vided by the of double-paned, welded in all windows facing south he double panes provide a dead air ace which effectively locks out cold winds. The new building was being planned by Mr. Goldstein almost be- e the ashes of the old were cold. Wartime restrictions and lack of ma- t 1 and labor held up construc- ticn until February, 1945 when triple A priorities were issued for the con- struction by the federal government., (Continued on Page Fodr)