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THE MATANUSKA VALLEY PIONEER
^blished Thursdays at
^almer Alaska
Lack Allman, Editor-"hablisher
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PALMER, THE ORPHAN
If the manner in which the 135
tourists of the Los Angeles Chamber
of Commerce were given an opportun
ity to see ^almer last Saturday is
any indication of what future tour
parties will do then aimer is com
pletely out of luck. And this in
suite of the fact that many admit
tedly came on the tour express^ to
see what was going on here.
It is a cinch that no one saw
very much. Perhaps two dozen got
across the tracks into the Community
Center. One got as far as the hos
pital, then had'to turn and run back
in answer to the train’s impatient
whistling. Their fifteen minutes
were up.
The ride up from Watanuska by bus
and car had whetted t^eir appetites
for information about the colony,
but they had no time after arriving
here to get their questions answered
or see what had been done.
We don’t know who to blame, but
we are not convinced that the rush
out of Palmer represents the wishes
of the tourists themselves. Quite
the contrary. Said one woman while
rushing to catch the train: '“’Why
do we have to go back to Anchorage
for dinner? We’ve already seen
Anchorage. Seward too, and yet we
will be in Seward again all day to
morrow. "
That sounded like a good argument
to us, especially so when we found
that they were to stop over again
in Anchorage for their second meal.
That hour and a half could have been
spent here, with plenty of accomoda
tions for eating.
Was the itinerary discussed with
the Los Angeles C of C before they
started? Are Railroad schedules so
inflexible that the desires of the
tour parties can’t be considered?
Perhaps someone is ashamed of
Palmer. We aren’t. We are. proud of
it, and we feel that we are entitled
to some consideration when itinerar;
iss are suggested by the railroad
and steamship companies. Palmer is
to be the goal of many tour parties
this season. The tourist is enti
tled to more than 15 minutes here
and we are entitled to the opportun
ity of proving to them that most of
the howling they have heard about
the project' has no foundation in
fact. It can’t be done in fifteen
minutes.
SUGGESTIONS SOUGHT FOR
KNIK GLACIER ICE H)OL
The annual damming of Lake
George by the Knik Glacier is some
times snokon of as the eighth won
der of the world. Right here in
our hack yard we have the makings
of one of the greatest ice -cools
in the country.
The outlet of Lake George is
each year dammed by the slow and
irresistable advance of the gla
cier. Melting snows gather in the
lake, building it uc to a denth of
400 feet and backing the waters
for a distance of 25 miles. Then,
when the cressure is sufficient,
the 400 foot wall of ice gives way
The rush of water carries before i
great bergs the size of huge builc
ings, sending them rolling and tur
bling down the angry river.
Vic-Morgan, the guide from Mat
anuska, took the only moving nic
tures ever made of this automatic,
dam formed by nature. For weeks
he had waited for the wall of ice
to give way. Then.when the break
came, shaking the earth and sendir
an echo through the mountains tha"
sounded like the roar of angry gor
Vic stood there with his mouth one
so awed by the immensity o-f the c:
taclysm that he forgot to turn the
crank on his camera. -Re soon sna~
ned out of it, though, and got sor
really remarkable scenes.
Nov/ we would like to have sug
gestions on how the break of this
lake can be accurately timed. Han;
of the colonists have hiked to th<
glacier and have seen the wall of
ice closing in the lake.
Perhanswe could do as they do
in the $70,000 Nenana Ice Pool --
attach a wire to a clock. That
would entail the hiring of men tc
act as observers. For this first
year we would like to eliminate z
the exoense nossible. What sugge
tions have you? Leave 3/our idea
with Ed Cronin or at the 'PIONEER
office.
The following are the dates at
which the lake has broken free fc
the nast 11 years.
1925 Sent. 28
1927 Aug. 17
1929 Sent. 9
1931 Aug. 19
1933 Aug. 25
1935 Aug. 7
1926 August 11
1928 August 18
1930 August 18
1932 August 31
1934 August 23
1936 7 ? ? ? ?
Parents are asked to nleasc
warn children against shooting
skyrockets and other dangerous
fire crackers in the neighborhoo*
of tents.
And some adults need a litth
jacking up, too. Celebrants on
Saturday night were shooting of!
crackers among the booths in h-To
Eton's restaurant. A rather foci
business for grown-ups.