Vol. 1, No. 64
Palmer, Alaska, May 12,1948
Ten Cents
Plumber Plans
To Construct
Plant Here
Still another new building to
house another new business is
planned for immediate construc
tion in Palmer, it was announced
last week by Charles Newton,
now of Anchorage. Mr. Newton
is head of the newly-organized
Matanuska Plumbing and Heat
;~ng Co., which will be headquar
tered in Palmer just as soon as
a building can be constructed
to house it, he said .
Mr. Newton said he had pur
chased the lot directly behind
the Steve Ward Building, and
he hopes to begin work on con
struction there within the next
two weeks. A possible two story
and basement structure is
is planned. The business shop
will be located in the basement
while the first floor will be giv
en over to the showroom and
office. It is possible that apart
ments will be added as the build
ing’s second story.
At present located in Anchor
age, Mr. Newton plans to make
his home in Palmer as soon as
he can move his business here.
It is possible that he will retain
^ representative in Anchorage,
aut he plans to make Palmer the
ausiness headquarters.
He said the firm already was
n a position to submit bids on
any new construction planned
n Palmer. It is a policy of the
vlatanuska Plumbing and Heat
ng Co., to submit a free esti
nate on any new construction.
.Vhen bids are submitted, they
ire on a definite lump sum for
ob basis, and are not submit
ed as estimates, Mr. Newton
aid.
Mr. Newton has been engaged
n the plumbing and heating in
dustry in Alaska for several
ears. He is thoroughly experi
nced in the installation of all
he latest types of heating equip
ment. He is at present head of
he Anchorage plumbers’ local
nd an official in the territorial
labor organization.
Grange Contest
Entries Dally
Entries in the Grange-spon
ired home beautification con
"ist are trickling in slowly, it
-'as announced today by a mem
er of the planning committee.
farm owners are remind
ed that they have only until May
0 to return the entry coupon, a
bpy of which is printed else
hcre in this paper.
Those who do not register for
le contest prior to that day will
p ineligible to compete for the
’cal cash prizes offered. A corn
fete list of prizes is expected to
released later this week.
1 The completed coupon should
bailed to Mrs. L. C. Stock,
Ither than to Mrs. R. E. Brock.
,rs. Brock recently resigned her
jisition as Grange secretary,
ice she plans to go Outside
ylS .summer. Mrs. Stock has re
cced her in that capacity, and
hi be in charge of all contest
'tries.
Valley Digs Deep for 154 Bonds
Valley residents bought a to
tal of $15,400 in hospital bonds
during the month-long drive
which ended last Friday evening,
drive chairman W. C. Mau an
nounced at the banquet which
closed the campaign. That fig
ure includes both cash and pledge
subscriptions.
Mr. Mau disclosed that the
Valley's, leading bond salesmen
were I. M. Sandvik, Lou Henke
and Joe Loyer. Mr. Sandvik
sold 37 bonds, Mr. Henke 22,
and Mr. Loyer 16. Many of the
drive captains returned more
than $1,000 apiece in bond sales,
Mr. Mau said.
Although the official drive
closed last Friday, most of the
solicitors in the campaign asked
permission to keep their mate
rials in order to revisit some of
the Valley homes which were
unable to make a contribution
within the drive dates. They said
they had received many, many
promises of bond purchases la
ter in the spring.
The bond-selling committee
now plans to turn its attention
toward selling bonds in Anchor
Merchants Ask
Police Title
For Patrolman
Palmer’s merchants were sign
ing John Henry’s to still an
other petition this week. The
latest request, addressed to Os
car Olson, territorial treasurer,
asks that W. C. Allen, Palmer’s
merchant patrol officer, be giv
en the courtesy title of territorial
law enforcement officer.
This position was created by
act of the recent legislature, but
has never become active because
no funds for salary were appro
priated.
The petition asks that Mr. Al
len be given the requested title,
without salary, in order to give
him proper police powers as Pal
age, Mr. Mau said Friday. He
explained that no effort had been
made to reach purchasers out
side of the Valley, until '/alley
residents had shown they were
wholeheartedly in support of the
drive which will result in a new
Valley hospital.
Victor Rivers, Anchorage ar
chitect and engineer who was
guest speaker at Friday’s ban
quet, said he believed “that for
every dollar raised in Palmer,
you will probably be able to
raise an equal or even double
amount in other parts of the
territory.” He pointed out that
the SI5.000 sum also gives Pal
mer a substantial backlog to
point to, when requesting both
Federal and territorial aid to
help finance hospital construc
tion.
Federal funds must be
matched, two for one, but ter
ritorial funds, when available,
are an outright gift.
Mr. Rivers spoke encourag
ingly of the Valley’s future, say
ing that he felt the construction
of a new hospital in Palmer and
the development of the Palmer
mer’s police officer. His salary
would continue to be paid, as
it is now, by subscription of the
merchants.
The petition points out that
it appears quite possible that
Palmer wil become an incor
porated town before the next
legislature convenes, thereby ob
viating the necessity for the con
tinued appointment of a territor
ial law enforcement officer here.
The petition, drawn up under
date of May 7, had been signed
by 16 local merchants at press
time. Other businessmen who
wish to add their names to the
petition will find a copy at the
office of the Palmer Cold Stor
age.
Porcupines have been known
to nibble on dynamite for the
small amount of salt it contains.
BEVERLY LARSH IS
QUEEN OF PROM
Looking as winsomely sweet
as a miniature of grandmother’s
days, Beverly Larsh of this year’s
graduates stepped through the
figures of a dignified march as
queen of the junior prom last
Saturday evening. Her royal
partner of the evening was
Duane Huntley. Both were chos
en as prom rulers by ballot of
the senior class.
As her costume for the eve
ning, Beverly wore an off the
shoulder model of rich green
taffeta. Her curls were piled
high in an upswept coiffure, and
she wore as a necklace a nar
row band of green velvet rib
bon tied in a perky bow.
Coronation ceremonies took
place shortly after 10 o’clock in
the gymnasium. Beverly was es
corted to a golden chair on the
stage, where Norma Loyer, presi
dent of the junior class, pre
sented her with a gold crown
and a bouquet of flowers. Court
attendants chosen from the jun
ior and senior class took their
places on either side of the stage
as the ceremony began.
Ladies of the court included
Georgia Small, Nancy Smith,
Gayle Eckert and Leann Wade.
Two small crownbearers, Randy
Frank and Eleanor Falk, com
pleted the royal party. At the
conclusion of the coronation Bev
erly and Duane left the stage to
lead all dancers through the pat
terns of the Grand March.
Juniors, working almost the
entire week on decorations for
the prom, transformed the gym
nasium into an outdoor flower
garden. Rows of tiny evergreen
trees outlined the dancing floor.
Dancers led their partners out
on the floor through four ever
green arches through which hun
dreds of colorful flowers had
been twined. Closely twined
streamers of blue festooned the
ceiling, while evergreen trimmed
draperies hung from every avail
able wallspace.
The student diningroom of the
school, scene of the senior ban
quet which preceded the prom,
also was garlanded with ever
greens and gayly colored flow
ers.
The formal gowns of the danc
ers, of every imaginable color,
completed the illusion of a gay
flower garden
airport together would have *Ve
mendous influence in city growth
here in the next five years. In
reference to the airport, he said
he had definite information that
there would be money available
for the Palmer airport this sum-!
mer.
In addition to Mr. Rivers, j
Jack Maze, president of the Val-,
ley Chamber of Commerce, and J
W. E. Huntley, president of the I
board of directors of the Valley
Hospital Association, sooke brief ,
words of greeting. Mr. Mau then \
presented the financial report >
tabulating drive proceeds.
W. L. Zeile was master of
ceremonies for the evening. The
banquet, which was sponsored
by the Valley Chamber of Com
merce, was prepared by mem
bers of the Ladies’ Aid of the
St. John’s Lutheran and the
United Protestant churches.
Mrs. Merle Anderson, chairman,
was assisted by Mrs. L. M. De
Priest, Mrs. Alva Brooks, Mrs.
Gilman Lindsey, Mrs. Don Irwin,
Mrs. Ralph Dye and Mrs. Bill
Rempel.
Workcrew Arrives
To Begin Job
On Alaska’s Map
A crew of 11 men, the ad-j
vance workers for an expected I
50 employes of the U. S. Geolog
ical Survey, arrived in Palmer
this weekend. Under the direc
tion of R. E. Isto of Denver,
Colo., they are soon to get un
der way the business of further
topographical mapping of this
section of Alaska.
The men expect to establish
a base camp at Chickaloon on
the highway, and will begin
their mapping in the area im
mediately to the east. They will
establish pack camps, made up
of units of four men each, to
carry on their summer’s work.
The crew of 50 is expected to
complete the mapping of 11
quadranges by the summer’s
end.
Coal Cars
Lose Load
Five loaded coal cars enroute
from the mine at Jonesville to
Anchorage last Thursday were
derailed at the camp. The en
gine and seven remaining cars
of the train were not involved
in the accident. None of the de
railed cars tipped over.
No men were injured in the
accident, which closed the mine
on Friday, until more coal cars
could be brought from Anchor
age for loading.
Officials of The Alaska Rail
road are investigating the cause
of the accident.
COMING HOME
Harry Johnson of the Mata
nuska Valley Lodge, who re
cently went Outside to seek med
ical attention, already is on his
way back to Palmer, Mrs. John
son reported this week.
DRUGGIST IS ILL
Daniel Hale, druggist at Bert’s
Drug Store, was hospitalized by
illness last week. He is now re
covered and again at his work
in the drug store
New Railbus
Begins Run
On Saturday
Railbus service between Pal
mer and Anchorage will be in
augurated on May 15, it was an
nounced today by E. O. Baker,
acting agent at the Palmer sta
tion.
The service, as planned now,
will operate daily except Sun
day. Crews will be headquar
tered in Palmer, and the serv
ice will be initiated from the
Palmer end of the run. Rail
schedules are now set up for a
trip from Palmer to Anchorage
at 8:30 in the morning, arriving
in Anchorage at 10:10. The re
turn trip will leave Anchorage
for Palmer at 4:30 in the after
noon, arriving here at 6:10.
Present rates will remain in
effect, Mr. Baker said.
The new bus at first will not
be equipped to handle freight,
it was announced. The service
will handle express and mail,
in addition to passengers.
Meanwhile work on Palmer's
“Y” is soon to begin, it was fur
ther reported. The survey work
has been completed and actual
construction is expected to be
gin as soon as materials arrive
and the weather permits.
Great Exodus Is
Moving North On
Alaska Highway
To the motorist travelling
north along the Alaska High
way now, the road has all the
apearance of one of the main
travelled thoroughfares of the
states, according to Kenneth
Hale of Cheyenne, Wyo.. who
only recently returned north that
way.
Mr. Hale said automobiles are
“literally lining” the road north.
Spring break-up is making trav
el difficult now. and nearly ev
ery garage and repair station
along the way is filled to ca
pacity with broken down ve
hicles.
Clearance stations at Edmon
ton have proved incapable of
handling the task without de
lay, and many motorists are
waiting there for their permit
to cross Canada and come into
Alaska.
One of the most unfortunate
aspects of the situation, as Mr.
Hale sees it, is that many of
those coming to Alaska are still
in search of an “El Dorado.”
Most of them have cut all ties
in the states, and are arriving
here with little or no money on
which to live. Almost all are
counting on securing a well-paid
job upon their arrival here, but
only a few have any advance
information on specific employ
ment.
Mr. Hale, a representative of
Flora Engineering, was in the
Valley about six months ago,
when he sought office quarters
for an Alaskan branch for his
firm. The company has not yet
established its Alaskan head
quarters.
Staying In Palmer
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Neeley of
Gakona are spending a few days
in Palmer now. Mr. Neeley is a
trapper in the Gakona area.