MARCH OF DIMES
TALENT SHOW
School Gymnasium
January 27. 1953
The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MLATANU3KA VALLEY
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VOLUME 6, NUMBER 18
PALMER, ALASKA. THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1953
PRICE TEN CENTS
Man Killed, Three Iniured In Mine Accident
Ct?b Scouts Faced
With Accute
Leadership Problem
A special meeting for parents of
Cub Scouts and parents of boys
who wish to become Cubs, follow
ing the regular Cub Scout Pack
meeting to be held at the Palmer
School gymnasium Monday even
ing, January 26.
The special meeting is being
held to discuss the pressing prob
lem of lack of adult leadership
in the local Cub Scout program.
At the present time there are
40 registered Cubs in Palmer, with
many more waiting to join the or
ganization. However, there are
only enough adult leaders to prop
erly care for 20 boys. A success
ful Cub Scout program can not be
operated with so few leaders, the
committee pointed out. Previous
training or experience in scout
work is not necessary. Books,
pamphlets and instructions will all
be furnished any parent or adult
: who is willing to offer his or her
service to the organization.
The committee has stressed the
importance of a good attendance
at the meeting, asking their help
to solve and perhaps assure the
continuation of the Cub Scout pro- i
gram in the Palmer area.
Hospital Construction
To Start in Spring
‘ . O. K. Kincaid, Valley Hospital
manager, this week predicted that
construction of the new Valley
Presbyterian Hospital will start
this coming spring and that the
entire construction will be com
pleted and ready for occupancy
within 16 months from the date of
the contracts. .
Since the original hospital was
destroyed by fire several years
ago, all organizations and indi
viduals of the Matanuska Valley
have been giving their entire ef
forts toward the construction of a
new hospital, he pointed out.
When the first bids were opened
this past summer, they wej
found to greatly exceed fu
available. This necessitated i
* complete analysis of the situat <.
and for the past few months, the
entire building program has been
re-examined, Kincaid stated.
Now, he said, bids are being
r requested again, with the opening
date set for February 20, 1953.
Basic plans have been changed
* only in materials used, with very
few eliminations made which will
reduce the floor space, he said.
However, it is the belief of every
one connected with the program,
the sufficient changes have been
made which will assure the ' on
struction of the new hospital i <on
receipt of the bids on Febn :y
•20, he added.
Kincaid continued with he
statement that with the ini rest
shown in this project by evei jne
'in the Valley, along with tl of
the Presbyterian churches nro
ugout the States, it is impo sible
for the program to fail at this
time.
On Monday afternoon, January ;
19, the Board of Directors of the *
hospital met with Dr. C. Earl 1
Abrecht, at which time the con
i' struction program was again dis
cussed fully, Kincaid announced. '
Dr. Albrecht reassured the local ;
board of the full support which is ^
I ^nd will continue to be, given by
,as office and the Territorial
< Board of Heath. He again stated ^
'-hat the Palmer project was the 1
prime effort of the Department of (
Health in their present construe- 1
* tion efforts. 1
i "With all the factors concerning c
Continued on page 8 s
Charles W. Wilson
Marks 30 Years in
Civil Service Work
Charles Wilson, Territorial Con
servationist, this week completed
his 30th year in civil service work.
During the past five years, since
the Soil Conservation Service has
been represented by Mr. Wilson
and his co-workers in Alaska, far
Charles W. Wilson
mers have organized Soil Conser-1
vation Districts under Territorial
laws in eight separate locations, I
including Palmer, Wasilla, Fair-j
banks, Anchorage, Chugiak, Sal-1
cha, Kenai and Homer. These dis- j
tricts are farmer operated and
cover most of the areas in Alaska
now developing to agricultural |
use. The Soil Conservation Service!
provides assistance to farmers
through these districts.
Following army duty in the
first world war. Wilson graduated
in Civil Engineering at New York
City in 1922 and entered govern
ment service with the Bureau of
Public Roads in Portland in 1923,
serving as Locating Engineer,
Resident Engineer, Office Engin
eer and Superintendent of Con
struction on various projects in
Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska
and California until 1933. After a
year with the U. S. Forest Service
in California, and one year with
the Corp of Engineers on the
construction of the Bonneville
Ship Locks, he transferred to the
Soil Conservations Service in the
California region where he ser
ved in various engineering and
administrative assignments until
1942 when, during the war years,;
ae served as an Engineering Spec
ialist throughout the five western
dates. '
In 1946 Wilson was assigned as
Continued on page 8
With many perspective eyes
turning to the Matanuska Valley
n recent weeks, the question
vhat about the coal fields and
nines in the Palmer area have
3een heard many times. Do they
'eally have good prospects as
nany hope they have, and what
iffect will their development have
>n our future expansion.
Robert May, engineer with the
Bureau of Mines believes there
ire very good prospects and pos
iibilities in the Matanuska Val-I
ey coal mines.
Buffalo Mine
Pointing to the Buffalo mine,
ocated but ten miles north of
5almer, May said the recently re
irganized mine is making good
irogress in developing what is
ermed high-grade bituminous
oal. The company is going along
inth their original plans and
hould be in partial production
within a few weeks, May stated, i
A new washer, other elements and ,
equipment have arrived and are
being installed, he said.
Archie Browning, superintend
ent is doing a good job of handl
ing the problems encountered in
rehabilitation May stated. He is
ably assisted by Dorr Holloway,
mine engineer.
Actual full-time mining will
probably be in effect by mid-sum
mer, he speculated. Between the
period of de-watering the mine
and getting the washer in opera
tion, there will be a natural in
termediate stage of limited min
ing while in the process of clean
ing up the mine, May explained.
The existing mine is completely
de-watered and is in shape for
continued development, he added.
Prospecting in the Buffalo mine
was first started in 1939 under the
supervision of Frank Colobuffalo
who had various partners and fin
ally incorporated the property in
June of 1941 as the Buffalo Coal
Company. The military assisted
in the development of the prop
erty during the war. It had lain
idle since the close of the war
until the present re-organized
company took over in 1952.
A new demand for coal since
the speed-up of military installa
tions in Alaska brought about a
new study of the property with
the result that federal authorities
decided it was worth re-exploring.
Recent developments have
shown that a substantial tonnage
of high grade coal would be
available in a comparatively short
time—providing enough capital
-Quid be found to rehabilitate the
property.
Present indications are. May
aointed out, that this mine could
produce up to 500 tons daily for
several years, of a very good
grade of coal. This coal will be
suitable for power production,
and is also considered excellent
for domestic use. Further drilling
on the property, and possibly on
adjacent lands is contemplated for
the coming season, with the objec
tive of re-establishing large scale
mining in the Moose Creek area.
Baxter-Premier Mines
Production in the Baxter mine
was started in 1917 and in the
Premier mine in 1925. Operations
in this district were discontinued
in 1933, due to flooding with
combined production of the Bax
ter-Premier group was in excess
of 200,000 tons during that period.
Now, every effort is being made
to encourage re-opening of these
properties. Subsequent investiga
Continued on page 8
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ALL-VALLEY TALENT
SHOW PROMISES FULL
EVENING OF FUN
Advanced ticket sales for the
March of Dimes Talent Show to
be held in the school gymnasium
January 27 indicate there may be
a full house.
Many varied acts have been
planned by participants from all
over the Valley. Bill and Darlene
Cottrill will present a musical
skit; Joan Fancher and Gerry Ver
rall plan a dance and an instru
mental duet will be presented by
the Stricklands. Bridgie Wright
and Barbara Anderson will do an
acrobatic ballet; Doyle Smith will
present a tenor solo. These and
many more acts are in addition
to those announced in last week’s
issue.
Tickets are on sale at Palmer
Drug; Bert’s Drug, from Nina
Stock at the Palmer Fountain;
Mary Hale at the Frontier Liquor
Store; Phil O’Neill at Alpine Inn
and at the Jonesville mine. They
will also be available at the door.
Prices are; Adults, 75c; Students
over 12 years. 50c; children, 25c.
These low prices were estaiblish- j
ed, the committee announced, to |
permit each and every member of
the family to attend.
Scheduled to get under way at
eight o’clock, the Palmer High
School band will present several
musial numbers just prior to
eight o’clock and for a short time
after. ..
The talent show is being co
sponsored by the Palmer Kiwanis
Club and Theta Chapter, Beta Sig
ma Phi, and latter organization to
handle ticket sales at the door
ushering.
Donates S17.00
The Palmer American Legion
and Auxiliary donated $17.00 to
the March of Dimes this past
week, Bill Rempel, March of
Dimes director announced.
Another donation of $35.19 was
received by the committee this
week from a fund dating back to 1
1946. In that year, a fourth of
July committee had raised money
for activities. Recently while settl- :
ing the estate of the late C. C. 1
Brix, the money was discovered. ’
Mr. Brix and Ralph Moore were
among those on the 4th of July 1
committee and as the only known 1
committeeman remaining in the :
Valley, Moore, following a deci- 1
don made at recent Moose 1
Lodge meeting, authorized the 1
amount to be turned over to the *
current March of Dimes. “In as (
aauch as the money was origin- c
ally intended for community
■vork,’’ Moore said, “ we felt this *
vould be of the greatest benefit r
.o the community now.. £
Glenn Charged With
Rape of Young Girl;
Murder of Woman
Theodore R. Glenn was charged
today with rape of a 15 year old
girl in a warrant signed by U. S.
Attorney Seaborn J. Buckalew
and was scheduled for arraign
ment today.
This is the second charge filed
against Glenn within a week .On
January 17, Glenn was placed
under arrest by Jack Jenkins,
special investigator for the Alaska
Native Service and Deputy U. S.
Marshal Oscar Olson and charged
with the first degree murder of
Margaret Toloff, 48, whose mutil
ated body was found on a lonely
lane three miles south of Palmer
on September 19, 1949. He was ar
raigned before U. S. Commission
er Rose Walsh at Anchorage and
held in the federal jail in that
city.
A citizen’s tip to U. S. Marshal
Walter Huntley is said to have led
to the arrest of Glenn on the Tol
off murder. Marshal Huntley said
that Jenkins had spearheaded the
investigation and had talked to
Glenn on previous occasions.
Glenn asserts he had never seen
the murdered woman.
Mrs. Toloff whose home was in
Anchorage disappeared September
4. 1949 while in the Valley at
tending the Matanuska Valley
Fair. Her body was discovered
more than two weeks later cm- a
little-used lane. Position of the
body at that time indicated to of
ficials that she had been slain
elsewhere and the body taken to
the isolated spot.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
MAKES REPORT ON
VALLEY HOSPITAL
Following a recent inspection of
;he Valley Hospital by a represen
ative of the Alaska Department
)f Health, it was announced that
/alley Hospital is one of the few
territorial hospitals using an en
ire graduate staff. The entire
nedicaj personnel is in confirmity
vith Territorial regulations.
However, other comments were
lot so complimentary. Corridors
ire too narrow to admit easy pas
>age for stretchers; floor broken
hrough; access door without
veather stripping. These are a
ew of the comments made in
he report that not only hospital j,
'fficials and workers are aware1
if but also the patients.
Final recommendation made by i
he department was: Abandon- :
nent of present hospital facilities
t the earliest time possible.
SCASPAR REISER KILLED IN 175 FT. FALL;
OTHERS ESCAPE WITH MINOR INJURIES
Instantly killed shortly after 4!
p.m. Wednesday, was Kasper i
Keiser, 52, long-time Valley resi
dent.
Keiser, with Everett Pedersen,
TEACHERS ASK PAY
RAISES; VOCATIONAL
EDUCATION PROGRAM
Members of the Palmer P-TA
voted to go on record as offering
their support to a proposal the
Palmer Teachers Association will
send to the 1953 legislature. The
proposal would ask the appropria
tion of territorial funds in suffic
ient amounts to reactivate voca
tional education in the schools in
Alaska.
The 1935 statute authorizes
such appropriations be matched
by federal funds but as the
group pointed out in their pro
posal, there have been no ter
ritorial funds provided in recent
years and therefore no federal
funds have been received by the
schools.
Their recommended vocational
education program would include:
!1) Adequate shop facilities and
teaching personnel to provide ex
perience in such trades as car-j
pentry, electrical work, metal:
work and mechanical work. (2) ]
Mining courses and actual contact [
tvith methods of discovery and pro
duction of ore. (3) Agriculture and
homemaking courses and projects
utilizing such organizations as 4-H
Future Farmers of America, and
Future Homemakers of America.
(4) Professional courses in practi
cal nursing, typing and clerical
work. (5) On-the-job training pro
viding employment of 11th, 12th, :
13th, and 14th grade students at
a minimum wage. (6) A vocational
guidance program available to
high school and college students.
(7) Driver training.
In addition they will recom
mend that academic subject re
quirements for high school gradu
ation be lowered so that more
units of vocational education may
be incuded. Their proposal would '
further include: Fiscal Independ
ence for Independent School Dis- ,
tricts providing for self determin- ‘
ation by the district school board .
af hte amount of the tax millage
levy to be imposed, with a ceil
ng to 10 mills for operating pur- ‘
Doses plus a two mill potential for':
bond redemption. Increase in Sal-! j
uy: The Alaska Educators Asso
nation is sponsoring an $800 c
across the board raise for teach- '
?rs and administrators. The ter- *
•itorial scale already takes care of ‘
:he difference in cost of living in j1
Continued on page 8
Warren Rice and Harry Rice, all
of Palmer, were riding a mine
skip at the Buffalo mine when
the bucket-like affair suddenly
tipped, dumping Keiser and Ped
ersen out and down the 67 degree
shaft. Keiser dropped appoximate
ly 175 feet and was apparently in
stantly killed.
Pedersen’s fall was broken when
a web belt he was wearing caught
on a protrusion slowing him down.
Conscious while falling, he tried
to grasp timbers on his way down
and eventually came to a stop
about 30-40 feet above Keiser.
According to Dr. C. C. Bailey,
attending physician, Keiser’s
death was caused by multiple
head injuries. Pedersen received
multiple bruises and scratches.
Warren Rice, who with Harry
Rice, was riding on the bale of
the skip grasped a four inch pipe
line when thrown, while Harry
fell a short distance and grasped
a ladder, it was reported.
Helped to the surface, the in
jured men were given emergency
treatment by Dr. C. C. Bailey and
taken to the Valley Hospital
where Harry Rice and Pedersen
were held overnight. They were
both releasd from the hospital this
morning.
A Coronor’s inquest was held
at the accident site at 7 p.m.
Wednesday night by U. S. Com
missioner Dorothy B. S^xto?.. ,
Keiser had lived in the Valley
a long time and had worked in
various mines throughout the Ter
ritory. He leaves many friends,
but as far as can be ascertained,
there are no surviving relatives
in this country.
Exact cause of the accident had
lot been announced although it
was thought the car rails might
possiblly have spread, causing the
skip to tip over.
HEALTH COUHCIL
ASKS HEALTH TAX
Unanimously approved by all
nembers present was a proposi
ion by the Matanuska Valley
lealth Council at a meeting Janu
ary 19 with Dr. C. Earl Albrecht,
i'erritorial Commissioner of
lealth.
The proposal suggests an equit
ible means of obtaining needed
unds for health activities
hroughout the Territory of Alas
:a. It is hoped by the Council that
ther organizations in the Valley
rill back the proposal by asking
hat it be enacted into a Territori
1 law. The proposal is as fol
aws:
That a $5.00 Health Tax be
ollected by the Territory in the
ame manner and at the same
ime as the School Tax.
“That if by referendum vote the
eople of an area shall have es
ablished a Health District, the
lealth Tax shall be returned to
ach District.
‘That if a Health District does
ot exist, the tax monies shall be
aturned to the area in which it
ms collected and the expenditure
f funds shall be administered by
>cal health bodies.
“That where local health bodies
0 not exist, funds shall be dis
ursed through the Alaska De
artment of Health.”
Among guests at the meeting
ms Miss Dolores Mattila, new
ublic Health Nurse for the Ma
inuska Valley area. She was in
duced by Dr. Albrecht who an
ounced Miss Mattila will be on
uty within a week. She has
)ent three years in the Juneau
•ea where she was working with
1 the school system in the city
id recently returned to the Ter
tory following additional school
ig received in the States.