3
The VALLEY SETTLER IS published
every Friday by the Hatauuslca
Valley Farmers' Cooperating Asso
ciation at Palmar, Alaska
Mng. Editor; Lire. Marie ' /ils on
Reporter: Mrs. Carl Erickson
Subscription rates: (>1.C0 ; oar
by nr 11: 1.50 year
nailed anywhere : ICp a copy
This paper is issued lor the pu:. -
pose of giving infoncti^’i and
news of the Ilatam’sica Valljy Parr.
ers' Cooperating Association's
work, problems, accOi.ielishm.rts
and also nows of local and general
interest; and to hole l’cst.r the
cooperative spirit of the farmers
of the Matanuska Valley.
IT'S HERE AC A III
The time has come tc lake inventory
of our progress. Wo call it "Col
ony Day" .
When our ancestors arrived on tdm .
cold, bleak shores of the Atlantic
some throe hundred years ago, they
called It the Landing of the Pil-'
grims, They must have had many
uncertain and even doubtful mom
ents • Times when they wanted to
go back to friends and dear ones
on the other side, or si;all we say
"Cutside"? Back tc t'..n comforting
arms of mother and familiar places
surrounded by fond recollections.
Perhaps a few of them did. A new
land and pioneer life is no plac
for weaklings.
Decisions wore not lightly made in
those days. Once a problem was
definitely solved by the family,it
was stuck to till the end, what
ever that might bo. Progress and
development were not hoped for
while waiting for spring to eerie.
Progress was made to happen. It
was the uppermost thought of avery
individual and produced by the con
stant pulling together of a group.
The pioneers of that day wont to
church and prayed, man, woman and
child, for God to give them a home
and the possibility to support that
homo. Then they returned to put
thoir
I their' on tiro cnorgs into
I boliefa.
I
) ’.7e.th ancestry 1 ik<- that, wo can
j not afford to degenerate ourselves
: to loos levels. Wo do.ro not com
| plu'n wl n v;o stop to ooiopr.ro. We
! aro beginning whore they hoped to
I finish. V/o nuat held faith with
choso who govc thoir lives that
i n might hnv . and possess, ."Life,
j Libert1/, rnd the Pursuit of Hap
I pin-, ss" ,
j Jivilization reeves ver Westward,
Iho East cf coday^was the 'West of
yostorday; tho frontier‘of yester
day is the metropolis of today,
Ilappy afa I to be able to’ call my
self a developer of this now land.
• Happy to Imow that I will be re
moubored as one of these first
farriers of tho Matanuska Valley,
Hay my children bo. proud of ray
cfferts ,
Tc tho "Valley Settler'':
Cur pirns for lc.av.lnc wore made sc
suddenly that It has been impos
sible for us to say goodbye por
scnr.liy to all the people" here In
the Valley that v;c have net and
enjoyed knowing. I dc wish I
coulu have liad the opportunity tc
tell everyone that it has been a
pleasure certainly to have laid
the foundations of the "Valley
Settler" and to have lived and
v;orkpcI here in the Valley vi th the
many fine people who make up this
community.
I cannot _ help but feel that- tho
possibilities for a .thriving; com
munity will continue to increase
and that those vdio are- working
with the Idea of making this tliclr
real homo rill find the happiness
they deserve for themselves and
.their families. Cortainl- I wish
each and everyone in the tyalloy
the greatest of personal success
and for the community--cooperative
success oncT prosperity.
Sincerely yours,
hr s. Verna has thorn
I.Iay G, 1938