125,000 PEOPLE
VISITED ALASKA
DURING 1955
More than a quarter of a mil
lion people were traveling to and
from Alaska during the calendar
year of 1955. This fact is reveal
ed by statistics on Alaska passen
ger traffic released last week by
the Alaska Resource Develop
ment Board.
These figures show that 124,
496 civilians entered Alaska in
1955 and that 130,094 left the
Territory during that year,
tion was carried by Alaska's air
The lion's share of this migra
lines which flew 73,854 persons
to Alaska and 84,748 from the
Territory with a total States-Al
aska business of 158,602. These
figures do not include travel
within Alaska.
Second in importance were
Alaska’s highways over which
39,560 persons entered Alaska by
car, truck, and bus and 35,437
persons departed.
With cessation of American
passenger steamer service to Al
aska, ocean travel was in last
place with 11,136 persons enter
ing Alaska and 9,909 persons
leaving. None of the above fig
ures include movement of mil
itary personnel entering and
leaving Alaska.
A1 Anderson, ARDB executive
director, said that while these
figures show an excess of out
bound traffic, statistically this
excess is not too significant. The
civilian population deficit indi
cated was just about off set by
the gain in births over deaths in
1955 which amounted to 6,420.
These facts and figures releas
ed last week are contained in a
pamphlet prepared by Ed Huizer
of the Alaska Resource Develop
ment Board staff. The pamphlet
is available to interested persons
through the ARDB.
New Insecticide
Approved by USDA
That perennial pest, the mos
quito, was subject to controT
this summer by the powerful in
secticide, malathion, thanks to
ruling of the U. S. Department
of Agriculture. The ruling open
ed a new era of control for spe
cies which have become resis
tant to DDT and other chemi
cals.
Federal acceptance means That
public health and sanitation ag
encies, resort operators, camp
ers, industrial concerns and
home owners will have available
at a low hazard and highly effec
tive insecticide for outdoor con
trol of all flies, mosquitoes and
mosquito larvae.
VALLEY FAIR SUPERS
OLD HANDS AT WORK
A large percentage of fair
goers see only the finished pro
duct. That is, they attend the
three-day Matanuska Valley
Fairs and exclaim over the won
derful displays, the skillful ar
rangements, the courtesy of at
j tendants and their willingness
to repeat information again and
again in regards to Valley pro
duce, products and general in
formation about the valley. Few
realize the hundreds of hours
that go into preparing for the
Fair—the majority of which is
donated by volunteer workers.
Among these “unsung” heroines
and heroes are the superintend
ents of the various Fair depart
ments, many of whom have de
voted free time over a period of
many years. The following briefs
were released by the Fair Asso
ciation this week about some of
the “old hands”. Some of them
have been with the Fair since it
began in 1936.
MRS. VERA RORRISON has
20 years of service with the Ma
tanuska Valley Fair and this year
will be assistant superintendent
of baked goods in Department
H. In past years Mrs. Rorrison
has helped with Homemakers’
booths, in the culinary depart-,
j ment, and has also worked with
the Northland Pioneer Grange
No. 1, which was instrumental in
starting the Matanuska Valley
Fair.
MRS. KARLA DUFF also has
a 20-year service record with the
Fair, She has assisted in the cut
flowers and plants departments
from 1936 to 1951; has been sup
erintendent of handicraft and
needlework for the past six years
and has helped in the Homemak
ers’ booth and has worked with
the Grange. Mrs. Duff will serve
as superintendent of needlework,
Department F, this year.
MRS. LILA NEWVILLE, an
other worker for the Fair since
1936, has served in the culinary
department since 1944, and has
helped in the Homemakers’
booth and with judging of 4-H
baking exhibits. During the 1956
Fair Mrs. Newville will serve as
superintendent of baked goods
and confections. Department H.
MRS. NINA STOCK has serv
ed the Valley Fair since 1940.
The past four years she has been
an assistant in the needlework
and handicraft department. She
has also helped with the Home
makers’ booth and the Grange.
Mrs. Stock will be assistant sup
erintendent of needlework, De
partment F, during the 1956 Fair.
MRS. LOREN McKECHNIE
who also has a 20-year service
record with the Fair has helped
in various departments since the
See a Genuine
$ 10,Q00 Bill
MATAHUSKA VALLEY FAIR
September 1-2-3
60 TO THE FIF EXHIBIT
<®>
Financial industrial Fund, Inc.
OUR SiNCEREST CONGRATULATIONS
to the
MATANUSKA VALLEY FAIR BOARD
AND OUR BEST WISHES
FOR A SUCCESSFUL
FAIR
Club 49
Mai art Mite
first Fair held in the school
building in 1936. At that time
she was a superintendent. This
year Mrs. McKechnie is assistant
superintendent of hand work,
Department E.
MRS. AL KIRSCH, superin
tendent of the booth exhibits of
Homemakers’ clubs' at the Valley
Fair, has served in that capacity
for the .past five years. She has
been active in homemakers’ club
work since coming to the Val
ley in 1950 and has served a
term as president of the Home
makers’ Council.
AL KIRSCH, who was born
and raised on a livestock farm
in Pennsylvania, has been super
intendent of the livestock depart
ment at the Fair for five years.
He moved to the valley in 1950
from Fairbanks where he lived
for 16 years prior to moving to
the valley. He was a livestock
showman through the New Eng
land states in 1928 and 1929.
MRS. MARY FREY is a new
comer in Fair activities, as this
is her first year as a superin
tendent for the Fair. The Freys
have been in the Valley for sev
eral years and Mrs. Frey is presi
dent of the Palmer Garden club.
She will serve as superintend-'
ent of hand work, Department E
this year.
MRS. MARGARET HARRI
SON is also a newcomer on the
Fair staff. She will serve as
superintendent of home canning,
Department R. Mrs. Harrison
was very active in her commun
ity in the States and has taken
on where she left off since com
ing to Alaska.
These women, and many more,
are what help make each Ma
|—
tanuska Valley Fair bigger and |
better.
4
SPECIAL TRAINS
TO THE FAIR
Again, as in past years, the Alaska Railroad will operate
special trains to the Matanuska Valley Fair at Palmer. Trains
will leave Anchorage daily at Noon, September 1, 2 and 3.
Trains will leave Palmer at 10 P.M. Saturday and Sunday and
6 P.M. on Monday. Running time in either direction will be
approximately two hours. Tell your friends to take the train!
ROUTE AND SHIP YOUR FREIGHT
VIA THE ALASKA RAILROAD!
TRAVEL "THE MIDNIGHT SUN"
BETWEEN ANCHORAGE AND FAIRBANKS!
See Our Friendly Agent
F. KRAUSE
Palmer Depot
Phone 3211
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4i&xt CGSl plOfft . . .
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