The Frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
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VOLUME 6, NUMBER 43
PALMER, ALASKA. THURSDAY, JULY 16, 1953
PRICE TEN CENTS
WORK STARTS ON CITY WATER SYSTEM
ANNUAL WATER
SHORTAGE FELT
THROUGHOUT CITY
‘Local water users were cau
tioned today that at the present
there is very little water. Fred
Zieke, Co-Op general manager
said this morning that the water
is very low and asked users to
conserve wherever possible.
Yesterday water was shut off
for short periods and a complete
shut off was in effect from 10
p.m. until 4 a.m. this morning.
Ar. attempt is bejng made to
build up a back pressure. Asked
about water tank, Zieke said the
level is high enough. However,
to prevent lowering the level of
the’ water in the tank, the city
street department was cut off and
has been drawing water from the
Matanuska river for their street
sprinkling program.
"This is no one’s fault,” Zieke
pointed out. ‘‘It happens every
vear and with cooperation from
users we hope the shortage will
not be in effect more than a week
or so.”
Home owners were asked tc
hold up on watering their lawns,
washing cars or actions that in
volve the large use of water. “The
more we save, the sooner we car
build up the pressure,” Zieke
added.
MEA Building Warehouse,
Prepare Plans for New
Administration Building
Construction of a navy-tpye
qucnset hut was started this
week by the Matanuska Electric
Association tbfeji property
bordering on Fairview Avenue
The 20-by 40-foot buildng is ex
pected to be completed next week
a^d will be used for dead stor
age, Cy Brewer, MEA manager
said this week. Construction work
is being done by the C. R. Foss
Co. of Anchorage, who are con
tractors for the new hospital.
Plans for the new MEA admin
istration building are well along,
with work on final drawings be
ing rushed along by the architect.
Following acceptance of the
plans, bids will be called for and
(Continued on page 3)
A
\
LOOK FOR
the
RED TAG
SPECIAL’S
at
KOSLOSKY’S
GROCERY
DEPT.
Thurs.' Fit' Sat.
Sun.
Alaska G and 0 Co.
Equipment Arriving
Drilling for oil by Alaska Oil
and Gas Development company
is expected to begin the latter
part of August at the company
holdings at mile 125-26 on the
Glenn Highway according to of
ficials of the firm.
C. F. Shield, president of the
development organization is now
headed north over the Alaska
Highway with a giant diesel
powered tractor-truck loaded
with a Walker-Neer spudder drill
which .is capable of drilling to
a depth of 10,000 feet. Enroute,
Shield will also pick up mis
cellaneous equipment, parts and
special “fishing tools which will
be required for an efficient oper
ation throughout the summer.
Frst shipment of 16-inch casing
totaling 7750 feet and weighing
approximately 50,000 pounds is
expected in Seattle the latter part
of this month for trans-ship
ment to Anchorage via steamer
and Alaska Railroad. Cable for
the driller is already here.
D. H. Thornburg, consulting
geologist of Los Angeles, Calif,
recently made a thorough recon
naisance examination of the
Eureka-Nilchina area for the
development company, who con
trol a large block of land in that
district.
A highly significant phase of
Mr. Thornburg’s report is that
referring to the favorable pre
sence of a thick series of upper
cretaceous marine sediments,
which in one measured outcrop
ping is approximately 10,000 feet
in thickness. His report also
showed sufficient indications of
favorable formation to justify
continued exploration by the
company.
Alaska Gas and Oil De velop -
ment Company is a Territorial
organization headed by C. F.
(Tiny) Shield and William A.
O’Neill, of Anchorage.
Company officials said they
are very thankful for the many
generous purchases of stock by
individuals who are making it
possible to assure the territory of
the first earnest opportunity to
develop oil possibilities of in
terior Alaska.
Additional stock may still be
purchased at the main office, 207
Central building or through Bob
Dow Realty both in Anchorage.
Valley people wishing to help
in this new development for a
greater Alaska are encouraged
to contact either of the above ‘
named firms for more details.
A prospectus may be obtained at
the Frontiersman Office.
VOLCANO EXPERT
IS VALLEY VISITOR
Ray Wilcox, of the volcano in
vestigations unit, U. S. Geological
Survey, was in the Valley this
week conferring with members
of the local Survey office and
members of the Agricultural Ex
periment Station.
Wilcox, leader of the U. S.
Geological Survey’s Alaska in
vestigations, arrived in the Ter
ritory form his Denver, Colorado
office Monday of this week and
made immediate visits to the Mt.
Spurr area.
A very small amount of ash
has fallen in the Valley, Wilcox
said. There is a definite demarka
tion line evident about 15 miles
south toward Anchorage, he stat
ed. A small amount of ash has
been picked up by the wind and
carried out beyond this line.
Wilcox said perhaps the public
would be interested in learning
that this ash, bothersome though
it has proven to be, contains no
dirt. No germs are present in the
ash, and so far, has not been
found damaging to crops.
FAIR ASSOCIATION
GETS $2,145 FROM
TERRITORIAL FUNDS
The Matanuska Valley Fair As
sociation will receive $2,145.00
from the Territory, according to
word received this week from the
office of the governor. This sum
is representative of the associa
tion’s share of asistant funds vot
ed by legislature and written in
to the Compiled Laws of Alaska,
1949 and for which the 1953 leg
islature provided funds.
In order to obtain these
funds it was necessary for the
Fair Association to have an ap
plication in the office of the gov
ernor before July 1, accompanied
by a planned Fair program and
a certificate showing the associa
tion had a matching sum on
hand. After the Fair this fall, it
will be necessary for the associa
tion to show an accounting of the
money spent on the 1953 fair.
With this assistance, members
of the Fair Association expect
to be able to provide a “bigger
and better” fair than ever before.
Improvements on the grounds are
expected to get under way this
week. Many of the exhibit build
ings were damaged by wind and
vandalism this past year. A
heavy-gauge wire fence will be
erected around the fairgrounds
as far as funds will permit. The
balance of the grounds will be
fenced off with barbed wire.
Board members hope to be able
to continue the heavy fencing
each year until the entire area is
enclosed. They estimated that
during past years several hun
dreds of adults and children have
entered the grounds without pay
ing an admission fee. Eventually,
they pointed out, the fence will
pay for itself.
Gene Kirsch, 1953 Fair man
ager, and John King, board mem
ber, will start repair work on the
ground and buildings as soon as'
possible. Kirsch said this week
much fill is needed on the
grounds and suggested anyone
who wishes to dump excavation
dirt or gravel on the grounds
would be welcome to do so. How
ever he asked that persons wish
ing to dump contact him in re
gard to the area on the fair
grounds needing that particular
type fill.
LOCAL BANK SHOWS
OVER $11/2 MILLION
IN DEPOSITS
Robert A. Baker, president of
the Matanuska Valley Bank,
told stockholders at the annual
meeting held Tuesday, July 14,
that he was very well satisfied
with the gross shown for the local
bank during the past year. Total
deposits in the bank are now $1,
586,658.65 compared with the
April 2, 1952 published statement
showing total deposits of $772,
208.31.
Keith Lesh of Anchorage and
Richard Jones, bank manager and
Palmer resident were elected to
serv£ on the board of directors.
All other officers and board mem
bers remained the same with
Baker as president, Harry J. Hill,
vice-president, Richard Jones,
Cashier, John H. Clawson, secre
tary and board members, Baker,
Clawson, Hill, James J. Hurley
and Dr. Asa L. Martin.
I PALMER MEN NAMED
TO AGI LOAN BOARD
Governor B. Frank Heintz- I
leman has announced appoint- ;
ments to the Agricultural;!
Loan board, created by the\
1953 legslature. Included on';
the board are two Palmer/
men, Richard Jones, two-year !;
term and Robert Webb, Mata-!
nuska Valley farmer, four- >
year term. ;
Other members are: Paul
Greimann, Fairbanks, public ;!
member, two-year term; Bert;!!
Stimple, Fairbanks farmer,;!
four-year term and Archie j;
McLane, Kasilof farmer, two-!;
year term. !;
Board members will work >
with Commissioner of Agri- I
culture James W. Wilson in si
making loans from the $200, <
000 fund set up by the twen-cj
ty-first legislature. ?;
100 TONS OF COAL
PER DAY PRODUCED
BY VALLEY MINES
In addition to the large Evans
Jones Coal Mine company, there
are three other coal mines in op
eration in the Matanuska coal j
fields at present. All are produc
ing bituminous coal with a total
tonnage of approximately 100
tons per day.
The mines are the Mrak Coal
company; Pioneer Coal and Coke
company and the Baxter mine.
Coal from the mines is being used
j to fill in on the new heavy de
mand, created by units who are
stockpiling winter supplies. Much
of the coal is being used for pow
er purposes, with the majority
being shipped to the Anchorage
area.
Earlier this year a Matanuska
Chamber of Commerce commit
tee, headed by Don Irwin, spear
headed a concerted drive to ad
vance the coal industry in this
region. The committee offered its
services, through the Chamber, as
go-between the tateside capitol
and the local coal producers.
, Part of the credt for the step up
in producto can be given to their
efforts.
CONCESSION RATES
ANNOUNCED FOR
1953 VALLEY FAIR
Applications for concessions at
the 1953 Valley Fair will soon be
available to organizations and in
dividuals planning to conduct
sales at the fair.
Regulations for space rent have
been changed in some regards
this year, board members an
nounced this week. Frontage
rates will remain the same as
previous years at five dollars per
foot on ten-foot lots, this rate in
cludes the use of two sides of the
structure. Use of three or more
sides will be double. In addition
charges of five dollars per elec
trict unit and ten dollars per
electric heater will be added for
the three days of the fair. This
latter rate was necessary, they
pointed out, because so many
concesson workers use electricity
for heating and cooking. There
are no additional commission
charges made by the association,
members pointed out.
Ask Kitchen Bids
Member of the board announc
ed the bids for the kitchen con
cesion in the administration
building be turned in before
August 1. They should be ad
Fair Assocation. Last year
City Business Men
Attend Joint Meet
Several Palmer business men
attended a luncheon held at the
Aleutian Gardens in Anchorage
July 8 and discussed with An
chorage Chamber of Commerce
members the placing of local
produce on local markets.
A recording of the meeting was
made by members of the KENI
staff and was broadcast over j
that radio station early this j
week. In addition a half hour
interview with Keith Walker,:
M.V.F.C.A. Creamery manager*
and Fred Zieke, general manager |
was recorded and broadcast Sun- i
day evening.
Approximately 30 persons were
in attendance at the meeting,
sponsored by the Anchorage C of
C including from Palmer Jim'
Hurley, Jim Wilson, George |
Crowthers, Walker and Zieke.
Among those from Anchorage
were Keith Lash, Roy Brock,
“Red” Morley and several others.
The meeting was pronounced
very satisfactory to all concern
ed and many good,' workable!
ideas were brought forth.
LOCAL AIR TRAFFIC
DOUBLED SINCE
SPURR ERUPTION
Air traffic at the Palmer Air- j
port has just about doubled since!
the eruption of Mt. Spurr a week
ago, Earl Brown of the Matan
uska Air Trade Service said this
week. The increase has included
all type ships from DC-3‘s on
down, he said.
Two photographic groups flew
off the Palmer field last Thurs
day afternoon when all fields in
the Anchorage area were closed I
in by the extreme ash fall. Les
Green, flying a Stinson ship, took
Don Cutter, Anchorage photo
grapher and Pathe News repre- j
sentative over the area. The sec
ond group was flown by George (
Kitchen of the United Airmotive.
The location advantage at the
Palmer field emphasizes the need
for improvement of present facil
ities and the long-hoped for land
ing lights, it was pointed out.
With a little help, Brown said
the runways could be put in!
good condition. A tie-down area
is definitely needed. There are
17 acres of land that were set
aside for a tie down area quite
some time ago and in spite of
many requests, the work on this
^rea has not been done, he said
CAA has been asked many times
to do work on the runways but
nothing has resulted there. There
are ditches that need filling and
(Continued on page 8)
Horticultural Display
Open to Public July 24
The public has been invited
by the Universty of Alaska Agri-1
cultural Experiment Station to
inspect the horticultural research
at the Matanuska Farm on Fri
day evening, July 24 at 6:30 p.m.
This is the annual horticultural
tour designed to give farmers,
homesteaders and gardeners the
latest information concerning ve
getables, fruits and ornamentals.
The evening will be spent in
specting plantings of recommen
ded vgetable varieties for Alas
ka. New potato varieties, small
fruits and ornamentals will also
be seen. Specialists in disease
and insect control will cover
these problems. An opportunity
will be afforded to see weed
killers at work together with im
proved spraying equipment.
DITCHING, PIPING
SUBCONTRACTS
AWARDED THIS WEEK
Alaska Plumbing and Heating
Company has been awarded the
contract for laying the pipe line
for the Palmer city water distri
bution system, George Lilly, con
tractor announced this morning.
The contract will amount to over
$50,000 he stated. Royden Show
ers, general superintendent, will
be in charge of the work.
“Arctic Plumbing and Heating
has been very fortunate to have
the services of an outstandng en
gineer, George F. Douglas of Van
couver,” Lilly said today.
"Through his efforts we have
been able to replace all the wood
stave water pipe with steel pipe
at no extra cost to the city of
Palmer. This amounts to approxi
mately $20,000 and will be absorb
ed by Arctic Plumbing and Heat
ing,” Lilly stated. Mr. Douglas
was engineer on the Golden Gate
bridge and many other large con
struction jobs. “Palmer will have
the most modern up-to-date water
system in Alaska when the sys
tem is completed,” Lilly stated.
Excavation work for distribu
tion system was started today in
North Palmer and at the reser
voir site. Full-scale operations
are expected to start by the first
of the week, Lilly, announced to
day.
Lilly announced that the
Chet Goodman Company
of Anchorage has been awarded
the sub-contract for digging the
main trunk line for the distri
bution system and has furnished
a one hundred percent bond.
Lateral work, he said, wjll be
done by local companies. The
Goodman Company recently com
pleted work on the Johnson
Crooks 400-home project in An
chorage. Last year they were
contractors on the 252-home An
chor Home project.
“We expect to start full scale
operations by the first of the
week,” Lilly said today. “We will
run two shifts and with good
weather we expect to have the
city water system completed by
September 1.” He reported that 98
percent of the supplies are roll
ing and arriving daily. A few
fittings remain to be shipped
and will necessitate one more
trip to Seattle for Lilly who has
been supervising the entire ship
ment of pipe and fittings. All
construction work on the project
will be done under the supervi
sion of Contractor Lilly. Alaska
Public Work’s representative on
the job is Ray Mathews, inspec
tor, who will be giving final in
spection approval to all phases of
the installation.
JACK ALLMAN
Jack Allman, founder of the
first Matanuska Valley newspaper
died in Juneau on July 10. Com
ing to the Valley in 1935, Allmar.
started the first local newspaper.
“The Matanuska Valley Pioneer."
JUST ARRIVED
Havoline
Oil
Good Supply al
TOSTS’ SERVICE
PALMER, ALASKA
SDiSH FOR EVERY TASTE
MORGASBORD
Sun. Eve
5 to 9 p.m.