;oi i
Palmer, Alaska - March 19, 1936
No. 3!
TENT DESTROYED BY EIRE
Saint Patrick’s Day was marred
by calamity when an overheated stove
in the tent-home of Pilkington of
the Accountantfs office set the place
afire*
Although the alarm did not blow,
Volunteer Firemen lost no time in
gutting'to the blaze. They soon sub
dued it, saving most of . PiIk’s person
al effects.
It was explained that the failure
to sound an alarm was due tc the in
audibility of the telephone bell in
the power-house, which cannot be he^
ard over the noise of the machinery.
— 0 —
GLIMPSES OF TPE FIREMENrS BALL
Your reporter took a gander at
the Firemen’s Ball, and here are a
few of the highlights - -
Father Sulzman announcing: ’’The
next number will be a song entitled
’Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’; the theme
song of the Volunteer Fire Fighters
of Palmer;’’
-’Srnokey Toe’ Sheely having the
time of his life up on the stage in
the early part of the eveninge, He
was later put to work by Ramsey as a
watchman at the stage door.. Have no
doubt about it: ’S; okey Joe,7 took
that job seriously!
-The town of wasilla must have been
depopulated; almost all of the folks
turnei up in Palmer for the dance,
-Pictures of the Fairbanks Ice Car
nival and of the Coronation of Hiss
Alaska were displayed,beside the pro
sceneum, and much interest was bet
rayed by all beholders♦ Someone tried
to make off with some of the pictures
during the dancing, but did not get
away with 'them,
-The Ball became a * photographer*s
holiday, Osky Weeda, Hanley Sweaz
ey and Johnny Long were all grouped '
on the Gallery, mutually taking ad
vantage of Oskyf r> flashlight appar
atus a
-Stage decorations, installed by
the firemen, gave to the hall a reg
ular holiday air, C>Y.1,D, medal-'
lions and small shields bearing the
U. S. o o at-oi-arms -we^e prom1ne ntly
displayed on stage, projection-booth
--0
and gallery-rails • An empty chem
ical fire-extinguisher on either
side of the stage left no doubt
as to the nature of the sponsors
of the ball#
--Midway thru the festivities,
announcement was made of the wel
ding of Warehouseman Couden and
Schoolm&’am Potter*
-Queen Virginia I was escorted
to the stage by the Firemen. She
was introduced to the gathering,
and was presented, frith a large
and ornate cake. This cake was
decorated to resemble the throne
of her Coronation on Chena Slough
in Fairbanks. It was the creat
ion of Elmer Waugh, cook in the
R.R.C.A. Messhall. It was a very
beautiful bit of decorative past
ry-making.
-The two station-agents, Neil
Brown of Wasilla and.Slim Johnson
of Palmer, bragging to each other
about tljeir new and 'improved de
oots.
-Marguerite Packebusch, employ
ed at Norton’s Valley City Cafe,
wrote‘and sang the Seng of Dedic
ation, accompanying herself on a
banjo. The song was called ’Tl;e
Fireman’s Lament’, and was sung
to the air of ’Frankie and John
nyT ♦
-The size of the attending cr
owd was a revelation of' the numbe
of Valley inhabitants. Admission
receipts totalled an even two-hun
dred dollars, which did, not inch:
women and. children1 s admission*,
-The bunch on the stage got a
kick out of trying the new public
address system, hearing their
voices transformed info stentor
ian roars by the loudspeaker-.
-About one hundred and fifty of
the celebrants didn't get enough -
Wnen the dance was over they went
to Jimmy StOlair's Roadhouse for
further frolicking#
Archie Betts, Chief Accountant
is back after a rather interestin
time with a matured aonendix.
Tee operation was a tough one
according to Drs. Romig and 7Jal
kowski,
'•: A. A .*