Valley frontiersman
VOL. III.
PALMER, ALASKA, OCTOBER 13, 1919
Number 5
Spud Harvest Tops Expectations
SCIENTISTS FIND LAND IN DUNBAR AREA
IS UNFIT FOR MASS FARM SETTLEMENT
Land in the Dunbar area near
Fairbanks, one of several sites
withdrawn for soils classification
and study, has been termed un
suitable for agriculture, it was an
nounced recently by William War
ne of the Department of the In
terior. The announcement was
based primarily on studies made
there by the Soil Conservation Ser
vice and the U. S. Geological Sur
vey.
According to those studies, it
has been determined that 30 per
cent of the land in the area is per
manently frozen swamp. 30 per
cent is mountainous and unsuited
for cultivation, and 40 per cent
possibly could be cultivated, pro
vided it contains no ice masses.
However, of the possible 40 per
cent of land suited to cultivation,
at least 25 per cent appears sub
ject to ice and only 15 per cent
can be definitely said to be free of
possible ice.
Charles Wilson, territorial con
servationist. explained that this
report did not mean that indepen
dent farming could not be carried
on profitably in the Dunbar area.
“There's some mighty fine-looking
land in there—land on which a
hard-working farmer no doubt
could earn a good living.” he said.
“The report simply means that we
do not recommend the area for a
government-sponsored mass settle
ment.”
Ice masses in the area apparent
ly form when cracks in the earth
fill with water in the spring and
then freeze in winter. This in turn
causes the land to settle unevenly
as alternate freezing and thau’ing
bring about shifting.
Now that studies of the Dunbar
land are completed, the area will
be reopened to settlement by in
dependent farmers, Wilson said.
Further reports on the other
withdrawn areas of land are ex
pected in the near future. Thomas
Day. district conservationist, is
now compiling figures in prepar
ation for submission of the report
on the Kenai-Kasilof area. This
report is expected to be made pub
lic by December 1.
Surveys also are complete in
the Ninilchik and Fritz Creek
areas. The field crew' returned
from this latter location last week,
where they had been collecting
soils samples.
NEW GIFT SHOP
CATERS TO BRIDES
Brides, and those hunting gifts
for brides, both will find Mrs. Rose
Tolins’ new shop a ‘Treasure
Chest.” as its name implies.
With an eye toward the trous
seau as well as to the walls and
shelves of the new home, Mrs.
Tolins has stocked her shop with
imported bridal lingerie from
China, with table linens, ceramics,
kitchen novelties and towels.
The proprietress of the gift shop
has purchased the Chapel Apart
ments, located beside the Hyland
Hotel, and is now at work redec
orating and remodelling the first
floor for her shop. She's not quite
ready for callers yet. but she ex
pects to be set up for business by
the end of the month, or possibly
sooner.
In addition to the hand-made
lingerie imports from China. Mrs.
Tolins has stocked a complete line
of blouses in both dressy and tail
ored styles. The Treasure Chest
will feature blouses by Glamour.
Na-Ma. Arnell of California and
Pre-View Modes.
Special household articles, in
addition to the most complete line
of ceramics in the Valley, will in
clude a line of hand-woven rugs
and potholders. The shop also will
feature kitchen woodenware and
Oriental novelties. Just in time for
Christmas buying, Mrs. Tolins is
(Continued on Page Fivv,
Pre-Season
Court Contest
Set For Saturday
A preview of the basketball fare
to be served on the Palmer court
this season is to be given all Val
ley fans next Saturday night. That
evening, at 8:30 p.m., Palmer's two
squads, the Shamrocks and the
Independents, will play a pre
season match.
Both squads have been practic
ing for the past two weeks, and
each is eager to test acquired court
knowledge under actual game con
ditions.
The Shamrocks, managed this
year by Bernie Bouwens. were not
prepared at press time to name a
starting line-up . However, they
listed their squad roster as follows:
Forwards—Don DeLand, Miles
France, Jim Hermon, Bud Billot;
center—Ray DePriest; guards—
Vernon France, Jim Parks, Lloyd
Plumiey and Emil Waldahl.
(Continued on Page Four)
HEALTH COUNCIL MEETS
ON OCTOBER 20
There will be a meeting of the
Matanuska Valley Health Council
on Thursday, Oct. 20. This meet
ing. first since the summer recess,
is extremely important, according
to Mrs. Matt Perkins. All clubs are
urged to have a representative
present, since this is an election
meeting. Delegates will meet in the
Health Center at 8 p.m.
New Farm Professor
For Wasilla Vets
Melvin Bjorn, a graduate of the
University of Wyoming at Lara
mie. has been assigned the posi
tion of instructor for Wasilla's
on-the-farm training classes, it was
announced this week. E. V. Kirsch,
who has been acting as instructor
for both the Wasilla and Palmer
classes, now will divide his time
between Anchorage and Palmer.
Registration for on-the-farm
training for veterans of the An
chorage area was conducted last
week at the Veterans' Administra
tion office in Anchorage. Mr.
Kirsch said he expected classes
there to get underway almost im
mediately.
Meanwhile Mr. Bjorn was being
oriented in his new duties last
week. He arrived in the Valley
late in the week. The new instruc
tor, who is unmarried, expects to
make his home in Wasilla if he
can find housing there.
A university graduate of two
years ago. Mr. Bjorn has spent his
time since graduation at work on
a Wyoming ranch.
Another Teacher
Added Here
Another teacher. Mrs. Martin
Betts of Wasilla. has been added
to the staff of Palmer School,
Superintendent William T. Zahrad
nicek announced today. Mrs. Betts
teaches a combination third and
fourth grade.
The added teacher permits the
creation of two sections in the
second grade, and relieves the
classroom enrollment of Miss Alice
Sweetman in the fourth grade.
With more than 40 students, Miss
Sweetman has been carrying the
largest teaching load in the school.
BIG TUBERS ARE
RETURNING YIELD
OF 8 TO 13 TONS
The first Hard freeze of the fall
season found Matanuska farmers
with at least nine-tenths of this
year's better-than-average potato
harvest securely tucked away into
root cellars and warehouses.
James Wilson, manager of the
Matanuska Valley Farmers Co
operating Association, reported that
there are now approximately 1000
tons of potatoes in Co-op ware
houses.
Total figures on the year's com
plete harvest of potatoes still are
not available. The 1000 tons in Co
op storage is connsiderably aug
mented by additional tons stored
on the farms, either in temporary
or permanent quarters.
The condition of this year's crop
is good, in general, the Co-op man
ager said. There is some disease,
however. Blackleg was found in
some fields, and potato inspectors
G. W. Gasser, dean of agriculture,
and M. D. Snodgrass, found evi
dence of what has proved to be
ring rot. Ring rot first was dis
covered in Valley fields last year,
according to Mr. Snodgrass. It is
more prevalent this season than
last.
Mr. Snodgrass voiced concern
over the apparent increase in dis
ease. He said Alaska had always
been almost disease-free and ev
ery effort must be made now to
stamp out the potato diseases. To
prevent the spread of disease, he
suggested inspection in the fields
so that contaminated potatoes
would not be stored in warehouses.
To stamp out the ring rot, Mr.
Snodgrass supplied a simple solu
tion—“Plant clean seed on clean
ground.’’ he said. At the present,
• Continued on Page 8)
ARC, Valley Residents Held Peace Talk
On Coming Winter’s Snow Removal Job
An understanding of mutual
problems and a co-operative atti
tude toward their solution marked
last Monday's un-Valley-like pub
lic meeting in the Palmer Gymna
sium. when William Niemi. district
engineer of the Alaska Road Com
mission. and Valley residents met
to discuss winter road maintenance
problems.
The meeting was called by Mr.
Niemi, in an effort to determine
which side roads must be kept
open this winter, under the ARC'S
limited snow removal budget.
There were approximately 30
local residents at the meeting. Re
quests for • snow removal were
based primarily on the need for
traffic to and from Palmer em
ployment and businesses or on the
need for children to reach one of
the Valley’s school bus routes.
Phil Holdsworth of Snowbird
Mine asked that the mine road be
kept open to Wasilla to make pos
sible freight and equipment move
ments through the winter.
Testimony several times brought
out the fact that Valley residents
had willingly assumed responsi
bility for the upkeep of side roads,
when ARC budgets could not be
stretched far enough to do re
quired work.
Among those who specifically
requested that their roads be op
ened this winter were:
Clay Johnson. Claud Carroll.
Harold Moore, Carl Rasmussen,
Norbert Swoboda. Richard Diede
rich. Vernon Ross and Tovio
Eentti.
Mr. Niemi made no promises
(Continued on Page Eight)