“GIVE YOUR HOUSE
A RAINCOAT,”
SCIENTIST SUGGESTS
Tight construction and a good
•coat of paint used to be consid
ered the best protection against
^weather damage to wood used in
(buildings. But these frequently
prove inadequate, as anyone
knows who has struggled with
problems of blistered paint and
Totting wood on the exterior of
his house. Now an extra “rain
coat" is available. It’s a water
repellent wood preservative.
The preservative, according to
C- Ivan Branton, agricultural en
gineer for the Alaska Agricultur
al Extension Service, is pentach
lorophenol, often referred to
•simply as “penta”. This may be
purchased under various trade
names, already mixed in water
.repellent solution, or as a con
centrate to be mixed according
to directions given on the label.
Tests carried out at the For
rest Products Laboratory of the
U. S. Forest Service at Madison,
Wise., show that wood siding
readily absorbs moisture when it
is subjected to a driving rain or
water running down over it. .Blue,
'to capillary action—the tendenpy
of a liquid in contact with a solid
'to flow upward—raindrops actu
ally climb up under the siding.
On a newly painted house a paint
film may stop this action, but
the slightest crevice permits the
joints to soak up water like a
sponge. When this happens paint
blisters or, as the water drips
out the same way it entered, it
leaves streaky stains from wood,
•building paper or rusty nails.
In replacing rotted sidihg,
soak or dip the new wood in a
rpenta solution, suggests Bran
ton. Or if boards are sound and
the house simply needs repaint
ing, scrape and sand blistered
■areas. Then, before new paint is
applied, brush a penta, water-re
pellent preservative into over
flap joints and butt ends. Joints
Midnight Sun”
Returns to Service
On October 6
Fall and winter schedules for
The Alaska Railroad passenger
trains, operating between Anch
orage and Fairbanks have been
announced.
Starting September 3, trains
Nos. 5 and 6, .the “AuRoRa”, will
be as follows: Leave Anchorage
8:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays; leave Fairbanks
8:30 a.m. Wednesdays, Fridays
and Sundays.
This schedule will operate dur
ing the month of September. hTe
final run of the “AuRoRa” will
be from Fairbanks to Anchorage
on October 6.
- On that same day the rollowing
schedule will be placed in ef
fect: Trains Nos. 7 and 8, the
“Midnight Sun”, leave Anchor
age 8:30 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays
and Thursdays; leave Fairbanks
8:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays.
When the “Midnight Sun” re
turns to service, the railroad will
again operate its pullman sleep
er cars on the run between Anch
orage and Fairbanks. During
their first two years of opera
tion, the §leeper cars were found
to be favorites of commercial
travelers in Alaska.
paint has loosened. Excess penta
that runs down over the paint
should be wiped off with a cloth
dampened with paint thinner.
Allow the penta to dry thorough
ly before the house is repainted.
If you are building a new
house, Branton suggests that you
ask your contractor about the
possibility of obtaining treated
lumber. More and more lumber
yards are installing equipment
to soak or pressure treat wood
with pentachlorophenol. Life ad
ded Jo the wood and repair bills
saved justify the expense of
treatment, says Branton.
on door and window trims and
house corners should be treat
ed too, especially where old
We Salute the
Matanuska Valley Fair Board of
/Directors and other Fair Workers
and Wish Them a
Most Successful 1957 Fair
North Palmer Store
CONGRATULATIONS
and
BEST WISHES
to the
MATANUSKA VALLEY FAIR BOARD
Hartley Motors Inc.
Success and Heartiest Best Wishes
For the Biggest and Best
Matamtska Valley Fair
GENERAL AUTO REPAIR
ATLAS
TIRES AND ACCESSORIES
Kirk's Sales & Service
NEW BIBLE CAMP
COMPLETES SEASON
The Sunny Knik *Brble Camp,
located near Wasilla, closed with
two weeks of perfect camping
weather.
August 6-11 was Girls’ Camp
with ages ranging between 7 and
14. Fifteen girls from Wasilla,
Palmer, Chugiak, Spenard, and
Anchorage attended, as well as a
California girl who was visiting
relatives in Spenard. She is
Gloria Black and was chosen for
best camper award in the older
age group. Linda Newby of Pal
mer was named best camper in
the younger group.
Pastor Rex Lindquist of the
Church of the Open Door, Spen
ard, was guest speaker during
the August 11 afternoon services.
Awards were given at the meet
ing for those learning their
scripture verses, for best cabins
and for best campers. Special
music was furnished by Charles
O. Huntley of Palmer, the camp
staff and the campers.
Guest speaker during the girls
camp on August 9 was Pastor
Paul Riley of the Wasilla Chap
el. Other evening speakers were
camp staff members and coun
selors.
From August 13-18 boys camp
was held with 25 in attendance
from Palmer, Wasilla,'- Spenard,
and Mountain View. Robert Car
penter of Spenard was chosen
best camper.
On the 18th Pastor James Ri
ley of the Mt. View Baptist
Church was guest speaker. Joel
Bardwell, student of Prairie
Bible Institute provided special
music, assisted by the camp staff
and campers.
All camp councelors, with the
exception of one, were Bible
school or high school students.
Most of these youths will return
to school in October.
Camp director, Olaf Backman
is leaving soon for Winlock,
Wash, where he will visit rela
tives and friends before going
to New York headquarters and
training center of the Bible
Christian Union. He is looking
forward to going to Europe un
der this mission.
Friends, parents, and relatives
visited at the Sunny Knik Bible
Camp during the camp sessions.
A cordial invitation is extended
to all interested persons to visit
the camp.
»
i
lNS
-Horticulturist Joins
University Staff
Harold W. Pillsbury of Litch
field, Conn., fills me newly
created post of horticulturist
with the University of Alaska
Agricultural Extension Service,
Arthur Buswell, associate direc
tor has announced.
The newest specialist will help
district agricultural agents with
horticultural questions from
local farmers and gardeners, will
edit publications and assist with
getting horticultural information
to the public. Before this full
time post was created, horticul
Tural problems were referred to
research staff members of the
Agricultural Experiment Station,
Buswell explained.
Pillsbury received his bachelor
of science degree in horticulture
this June from the University of
Connecticut, almost 20 years
after his gra luation from high
school. While he spent his boy
hood on farms and worked in
New Hampshire orchards, he
studied printing and then went
into wildlife work. During the
war years he worked in a ship
yard, returning, to wildlife re
search and refuge management
in peacetime.
In 1952 Pillsbury decided to
work for a college degree. Mrs.
Pillsbury began a five-year stint
as housemother at Connecticut
Junior Republic, a boys’ school.
Pillsbury worked either full or
half-time while carrying hiS col
lege courses and commuted 60
miles each weekend to be with
his wife, son George, and daugh
ter Mary Elaine, in Litchfield.
During one year at the univer
sity, Pillsbury worked fulltime
in vegetable research and took
one course a s#nester, Progress
toward a degree was too slow
this way, so he switched to half
time work so he coild carry a
full academic course. He contin
ued to work under agricultural
research men.
Pillsbury arrived last week
on the University , of Alaska cam
pus, an# made a visit in the
Matanuska Valley. His family
will join him later. For the next
several month** he will work
with horticulturists of the Agri
cultural Experiment Station in
College and Palmer. His head
quarters will be in the Exten
sion office on the University of
Alaska campus.*
FOR FAST RESULTS TRY A
FRONTIERSMAN CLASSIFIED
M
CONGRATULATIONS
and
BEST WISHES
to the
MATANUSKA VALLEY FAIR BOARD
Johnson Fuel Service
STANDARD OIL PRODUCTS
CONGRATULATIONS
and
BEST WISHES
lo the
MATAKUSKA VALLEY FAIR BOARD
r '
Ketchikan Spruce Mills
Alaska Concrete Products Co.
Box 97 Anchorage - Phone 37402 Post Road
Concrete Block
FOR BASEMENT-FOR FARM BUILDINGS - FOR HOMES
Concrete Pipe
FOR SEWERS-FOR DRAINS-FOR WELL CASINGS
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PORTLAND CEMENT - MASONRY CEMENT - LIME
SPLIT SHEPPARD STONE No. 200 - FIRE BRICK
FLUE LINING - CHIMNEY BLOCK - HEATFORMS
THOROSEAL - QUICKSEAL - WATERPLUG
© K-WEB BLOCK REINFORCING
Masonry Construction is Good Construction for Alaska
It is Speedy - Durable - Economical -• Firesafe
BUILD WITH BLOCK