Published every Friday at Palmer, Alaska,'for the ^atanuska Valley
Farmers' Cooperating, Association -for th'e pux*pos,e of giving neW3 of the
Associations work, problems, and accomplishments. v ■
SUBSCRIPTION BY MAIL $1,75 ... BOX $1.00 SINGLE COPY 'lO^
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During the early days of the settlement pf~ the Valley. many were in
spired to write a few verses. To avoid the use of the word -Colonist",
we v;ill say at the time of the influx of populati on , in 1935. The Editor
in scanning through past issues of the Valley papers found those in the
"Matanuska Valley Pioneer” and decided to reprint some of thi m during
our tenth year in order to compare the trerfd c£ ideas'at that time and
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A COLONIST'S PRAYER
Lord... if you have time to spare...;
Please look upon humble me.
Do grant me a little share
From your gr at generosity.
Give me, in this valley wide,
Some place to call my own,
And there let me reside • 1
In c place I can call my v*Home J"
Give me strength to work and toil..|
From year unto year;
Let me r'ap from-thrS rich soil i
A living... full or cheer. j
I
But let no politicians arrive, j
To caus^ mo doubt and pain;
Just let me in peacereside,
Outside of their domain.
J.G.Miller
And here Is another with no name
or title.
I will start anew this morning with,
a higher, fairer creed; I
I will cease to stand .complaining oj
my ruthless neighbor's greed;
I will cease to sit repining while I
my duty's cell is clear';
I will waste no moment whining, and I
my heart shall Snow no fear. j
I will not be swayed by envy when I
my rival's- strength is shown; 1
I will not deny his merit, but I'll
strive to prove my own.
I will try to -see the beauty spread
before me, rain or shine;
I will cease to preach your duty,
and be more concerned with mJ>n(
• -••• -Krs»E4ner Huseby
In 1935 Aloskn
one fifth the size of th£.United i
States with 590,000 square milts* ‘ f
had a population of sixty
thousand slmost equally divided
between whites and natives.'".;.
Latest figures are not available
but we will venture to say that
thev much exceed that figure.
THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
En Alaska fur away, .
The Matnmisko still holds sway,
?ar and wide on either side
The fertile lands are stretching
wide,
iere’ has come a colonial band,
To till the soil..suteduo th land
?rom far away, across th' foan,
They have come to build a home,
Phe land of fortf acre tracts
Must be surveyed to meet contracts,
ind so with level, rod and chain,
We* survey out the -last U.3. domain,
* tented city over ni^ht,
Has sprung within our very sight.
Jike Pilgrims of an earlier day,
A church was built without delay,
Che first bright Sunday's text
Was Abraham's call to the distant
west,
bnd the forest falls beneath the sway
Of wielded axe throughout the day,
•'lowers grow on every,’- hand
’Throughout this charming northern
land.
’urrahts wild and cranberries high,
Are found in woods by rofdside nigh.
Phe mountain stream with trout abound
And in *their season tho salmon found
Larjemoose, wild bear and c- ribou,
May sometimes come within their
v i ew.
Vnd still the north holds :ut its
lore
Of Future gold land to explore,
Jo here's a hand to the happy ones,
Who have settled down to see it won.
toy the years that cone and g<*
Reap’a bounteous harvest from the
seeds you sow
'hat a future empire may be built
By hardy men who will not wilt,
ilaskajA salute to. the norther 'and
’hat has found a home for thig
„ colonial band.
Surveyor---- , .O'1 Hnlvorsen