VOL. II.
PALMER, ALASKA MAY 26, 1949
No. 25
3,000 Visitors Due For Celebration
Miner Shot Down
In Social Hall
At Jonesville
Lars “Slim” Peterson of Jones
ville died of gunshot wounds
late last Friday afternoon, when
Piero Vukovich pumped five
shots into his body as he entered
the employes recreation hall at
the Evan Jones mine after com
ing off shift. Vukovich waited
for the 31-year-old miner in the
hall, shooting him down in front
of several witnesses from a
range of less than five feet.
Peterson was wounded twice
through the left forearm, one
shot pierced his shoulder and
entered the chest cavity, anoth
er entered his abdomen and an
other his lower back. Rushed to
Palmer by ambulance, the big
miner succumbed en route to the
Valley, although Dr. R. E. Gar
rett rushed to-meet the vehicle
and was working over the
wounded man as the ambulance
travelled toward Palmer.
Dr. Garrett said later that any
one of three shots fired into
Peterson’s body would have
proved fatal.
Vukovich, a Jugoslavian, 54
years of age, immediately sur
rendered himself to Tom McFar
land, mine superintendent. He
was brought to Palmer to appear
before U. S. Commissioner Doro
thy Saxton at a preliminary
hearing and later taken to An
chorage. A first degree murder
(Continued on Page 8)
Fire Destroys
Goat Creek Mill
F'ire which broke out at the
Goat Creek Mill at 3:30 last Sat
urday morning, destroyed the
mill and saw before it was con
trolled. Employes who fought the
blaze succeeded in releasing the
waters of a small stream above
the mill in time to save the plan
er. The light plant also was sal
vaged with slight damage.
Flames are thought to have
started when winds whipped
sparks from a burning trash’pile
toward the mill.
Owner Vic Vubonich said he
planned to be back in operation
again within two weeks, if he
can secure the necessary parts
needed to rehabilitate the sal
vaged machinery. The mill has
been cutting lumber on Army
contract, and will be seriously
delayed in their work schedule
because of the fire.
PROGRAM
SATURDAY
9:00 P.M.—Special train arrives from Anchor
age.
9:00 P.M.—Dance sponsored by Valley Volun
teer Fire Association begins in Palmer
Gym.
1:30 A.M.—Special train returns to Anchorage.
SUNDAY
12:30 P.M.—Special train arrives from Anchor
age.
1:00 P.M.—Raising of colors.
1:15 P.M.—Music by Palmer High Band.
2:00 P.M.—Introduction of guests.
2:15 P.M.—Address by Gen. Nathan Twining.
3:00 P.M.—Tug-of-war between miners and
farmers.
3:00 P.M.—Trapshoot sponsored by Matanus
ka Valley Sportsmen begins. »
3:00 P.M.—Concessions open.
3:00 P.M.—Valley tours by bus, taxi and plane
begin.
3:00 P.M.—Softball game between two Palmer
teams begins.
3:10 P.M.—Games and races begin.
4:00 P.M.—Free barbecue will be served.
5:00 P.M.—Music by Palmer High Band.
7:00 P.M.—Night in Reno begins at Palmer
Gymnasium.
10:30 P.M.—First section of train leaves for An
chorage.
12:30 A.M.—Second section of train leaves for
Anchorage.
MONDAY
1 1:00 A.M.—Memorial services conducted by
American Legion at Palmer Cemetery.
2:00 P.M.—Baseball game between Palmer and
Jonesville.
2:00 P.M.—Outboard motorboat races at Lake
Wasilla.
9:00 P.M.—Dance sponsored by American Le
qion in Palmer Gymnasium.
WHEW!
Valley temperatures this week
bore out a fact which is nothing
new, so far as the Frontiersman
editor’s experience is concerned,
and that is that Palmer is often
the hottest spot in all of Alaska.
Monday, one of the cooler days
locally, topped all recordings in
Alaska with a high of 63, but
there were hotter days than that
last week.
Weather woman Mrs. Oscar
Beylund caught the mercury at
a peak of 73 on both Friday and
Saturday, and at a slightly more
frigid 71 on Sunday. It is report
ed that Mrs. Beylund has been
substantially bribed by Colony
Day committeemen to produce
similar temperatures this week
end.
BULLETIN
Members of the various
Valley Homemaker’s clubs,
who hold ticket books on the
comfort to be given away on
Colony Day, are asked to
turn in their tickets and
stubs no later than May 27,
it was requested this week
by Mrs. Bernice Johnson of
the Extension Office. The
records may be given either
to Mrs. Katherine Wilson or
Mrs. Amy Irwin.
OUR ERROR
The Frontiersman cut a part
ner out of his share of the
Shamrock Bakery in last week’s
open house story. We regret we
completely overlooked owner
Leo Michalek in that story. We
are sorry, Mr. Michalek.
FULL PROGRAM
IS PLANNED ,
FOR HOLIDAY
“Plans are now complete and
final preparations are being
made for the biggest Colony Day
celebration ever held in the Val
ley,” chairman L. C. Stock an
nounced this week. Mr. Stock, in
company with committee mem
bers Russell Felzien and Bob
Johns, has scheduled a three
day program of activities which
is expected to draw at least 3,000
visitors to the Valley over the
weekend holiday of Saturday,
Sunday and Monday.
This fourteenth annual Colony
Day will be opened with a Sat
urday night dance in Palmer’s
Gymnasium. This dance, spon
sored by the Valley Volunteers
Fire Association, will begin at 10
p. m. and last until 2 a. m. A
special train from Anchorage
will arrive here at 9 p. m. on
Saturday. Schaefer’s Orchestra
will play for the dancing.
Sunday’s events, when most of
the official program is planned
to take place between the hours
of 1 and 7 p. m., also will bring
two trainloads of visitors from
Anchorage. Anchorage buses are
planning special excursions to
the Valley throughout the day.
The program gets under way
at 1 p. m., with the raising of the
colors. There will be music by
the Palmer High School band
until 2 o’clock when the day’s
addresses are scheduled to be
gin. Guests will be introduced at
2. and General Nathan F. Twin
ing, commander general of the
Alaskan armed forces, will speak
at 2:15.
Special Guests
Seated on the platform as spe
cial guests of honor, will be 17
of the Valley’s oldest settlers.
They include A. A. “Tex’* Cobb.
Carl Engstrom, Gust Haller, Mr.
and Mrs. C. Thorp, S. Flecken
stein, J. J. Bugge, Jim Hanson,
Ben and Charles Marino, Mrs.
Mary Cornelius, Mr. and Mrs.
Ashley Egvet, G. Gustafson, P. N.
Johnson, J. R. Springer and Mrs.
Fanny Werner and family.
At the conclusion of General
Twining’s address, the entertain
ment features of the Colony Day
program begin.
The trap and rifle shoot spon
sored by the Matanuska Valley
Sportsmen will get under way at
the trap site at 3 p. m. A tug
of-war between Valley farmers
(Continued on Page 6)