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Vol. 14
Palmer, Alaska.
torch 9» 1951.
No. 10
Throe plane loads of about sixty Palmer
people v/ere carried to Cordova last Friday
by the Pacific Northern -irlines. .. singli
DC-3 3huttled back and forth, making the
three round trips in about seven hours..
The fastest time reported v/a3 from Palmer
to Cordova in forty-five minutes. The
route followed was over the Iuiik Pass, and
as the day was clear, a wonderful view of
the Lake George, ice gorge was obtained.
The hnik Glacier was. fully visible to its
head in the high mountins. ..t this time
of the year Lake George is a big sheet of
ice and snow, but the channel between the
mountain and the glacier if plainly visibli
..fter crossing the hump, the big glacier;
on the Prince William Sound side were seen
the largest and most interesting of which
is the Columbia Glacier. From the plane's
elevation we were able to see the long
string of ice that feeds the glacier. Col
umbia Glacier .finally breaks off into salt
water, the place being plainly visible
where excursion steamers go to view the
ice wall.
From the Glacier on, the route, crosses
many islands that are surrounded by un
frozen water, and, just before getting to
Cordova we crossed big Hawkins Island. The
plane flew over Cordova and landed about
13 miles up the river, and cars were used
to drive back to Cordova. The Copper Rive]
flats are in full view from here, and the
old line of the railroad is visible for
some distance up the valley. High, snow
covered mountains, feed glaciers that join
with the old railroad bed, and were the
cause of much trouble to railroaders in
the old days.
Rctlmer people were surprised to see so
many large buildings in Cordova, and were
puzzled as to how automobiles can climb
the steep grades in the city's streets.
The small-boat harbor was visited and
scores of fishing vessels were observed,-,t
least five feet of snow was lying on the
unused parts of the city's streets and a
bulldozer crew was pushing snow into the
bay, three blocks away.
On the first evening, two basket-ball
games were played, the Rockets losing to
the Imperials of Cordova, by one point,
and the Matanuska Hotel team winning fr«m
the Cordova Moose,
One of the high-lights of the evening
was the personal appearance of the I/htanus
ka Valley cow on the basket-ball floor, be
continued on page 4
SECn ROD FERTILIZER REPORT
Seed end fertilizer have been ordered
for some time now, and will be shipped the
last of this month if present plans are
followed, ..cccrding to the questionuires
received it appears that there will be
more seed and fertilizer needed this year,
than ever before. The farmers of the Val
ley are very fortunate that the -Jiaconda
Co. and Lilly's Seed Co. of Seattle ore
providing all of the fertiliiers that were
.asked for in the original order. Fertil
izers are scarce in t>he states this year
and many farmers there will not be able to
get the amount that they have asked for.
..mmonium titrate and the Supv-r phosphates
are in short supply, however, it appears
th^.t the farmers in the Matanuska Valley
who sent in their requirements before the
first of the year, will be able to get all
they have asked for. ..s there was con
siderable more ordered by the Co-op than
this list showed, we believe thu.t everyone
can be satisfied. In regard to the second
order sent in, it was impossible to get
any more .mmonium Nitrate and Calcium Nit
rate was substituted. If this article is
as good as it has been recommended, it
should take the place of the ..mmonium Nit
rate. Prices in some instances, are high
er than last year, but, generally speaking
will be about the same.
Brcme Grass is considerably cheaper this
year. Grass seeds are from the North
Coast Bead Co. in rortland, Oregon, and
'./ill arrive about the same time as the
other products.
Seed and fertilizer will be handled the
same us l^st year. .. 10/2 discount will be
given to all persons who will get their
stuff from the car and pay cash. It ap
pears that there will be about l6 to 18
carloads, with the total Vc-lue of the seed
in the neighborhood of seventy-five thous
and dollars. It is important that pur
chasers be on hand to get th^ir orders
within a limited time, so that demurrage
will not accumulate on curs and the .tare
house can determine the amount that will
have to be placed in the warehouse.
RETURNS TO ANCHORAGE
Opal Lu Smith, editor of the /alley F-rcn
tiorsmen, will leave Palmer on i-^rch 15th.,
for ..nchorage, where she will assume her
duties with radio station KENI. She will
have charge of "liukLuk Telegraph", a feat
ure of that Station.