Old-Timers
Return to Valley
After 30 Years
“Everything’s changed,” said
Mr. and Mrs. John R. Neklason
of Seattle as they toured the Val
ley this week for the first time
in 30 years.
Thirty years had produced un
dreamed of changes in the roads,
the buildings and the people.
John Bugge was the only person
they saw whom they remember
ed from the old days. The Nekla
sons remembered Tex Cobb, but
he was not at home. Most of the
others whom they had known in
the Valley from 1915 to 1922 had
moved away or had been suc
ceeded by the second or third
generations.
John Neklason came to the Val
ley ip 1915 to help build the rail
road. He saved enough for a grub
stake his first summer to start
proving up on a homestead. But
all this was lost when his boat
load of winter supplies sank into
Knik Arm on the trip from Knik
to Palmer Slough. Supplies had
to De packed on one s oack ior i
the overland trek in those days,
and they followed a trail that
had been blazed from the slough
to Finger Lake on Neklason’s
first trip to his future homesite.
World War I interrupted Nekla
son's homesteading, but he re
turned ' after his discharge to
prove up the homestead located
north of Four Corners, just be
yond the turn-off to Finger Lake.
He cleared 30 or 40 acres of his
land. Part of his half section was
sold in 1935, but he still owns the
other half. The sale of this prop
erty was one of the reasons for
his trip to the Valley. Neklason
Lake, sometimes spelled “Nickla
son,” was named for this early
settler. It is located not far from
his homestead, just west of Cor
nelius Lake. Neklason and the
late Roy Cornelius entered the
army at the same time, Neklason
recalls. The old Captain Olson
home, north of the Experiment
Station farm, was the only land
mark that Neklason remembered.
It looked the same as it did when
Roy Cornelius’ wife, Mary, lived
there in the early days.
Neklason recalls the excitement
when C. M. Swanson homesteaded
near Finger Lake in 1916. He had
a big family, including three dau
ghters. wKo joined him in 1917
after he had built the home. Mrs.
Neklason was one of those daugh
ters. Neklason met her years later
in Seattle, after they both had
left the Valley, and married her.
The Neklasons motored to Alas
ka via the new Hart Highway
and the Alaskan Highway. Would
• they like to come back to the
Valley to live? Oh, No! They still
associate Alaska with those night
marish. man-eating mosquitoes.
They couldn’t believe that even
this had changed in 30 years.
START PRELIM1N Arl i
WORK ON WATER SYSTEM
Richard Demming announced
this week that the access road to
the reservoir cite for Palmer’s
new water system has been dozed
out and gravelled. The reservoir
sit itself has also been staked out.
B—Toothacres is scente of Alaska
“Toothacres,” home of Dr. and
Mrs. Foster Sims on the Anchor
age-Palmer Highway was the
scene of a barbeque attended by
members of the Alaska Dentists j
Association last Tuesday, July 15.
About 90 dentists and their
wives from all over the Terri
tory attended.
The dentists held their annual
convention in Anchorage last
week. During the four-day session
they heard many fine technical
papers read, some by Alaskans
and some by invited speakers
from the States. .New officers
were elected on Thursday. They
are: president, Dr. Richard Wil
liams of Juneau; vice-president,
Dr. A. W. Stewart of Juneau;
secretary-treasurer. Dr. J. D.
Smith of Juneau. Dr. Lawlor See
ley of Anchorage was named dele
gate to the national convention.
The 1952 convention of ADA
will be held in Juneau on a date
that will coincide with the salmon
derby.
New Palmer school teacher al
ready settled at the Lodge is Miss
Stephanie Sobczak of New York
state. She will teach second or!
third grade next fall.
V
When Alaska Speaks .. ♦ Washington Listens
NOW IS THE TIME
SPEAK AGAIN
... to Senators John J. Sparkman and James H. Duff
—Senate Small Business Committee
... to the Civil Aeronautics Board
Alaska Needs Air Transport Associates and Demands
Continuance of Service Pending Government Investigation
THE PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE THE POWER
The people of Alaska are forthright. They have a strong sense of justice.
They know what they want and how to get it.
Alaskans are people of action. When ATA’s license was revoked on a former occasion, Alaska’s vigorous
protests aroused the capitol. Senator Sparkman demanded Board action and the CAB ordered the Large
Irregular Air Carriers Investigation, hearings to be conducted in Seattle next November. The CAB also
promised the Small Business Committee that no large irregular carrier would be put out of business
pending this hearing.
AGAIN THIS IS THE TIME FOR ACTION
Briefly this is the situation: The U. S. Court of Appeals has confirmed the ruling of the Civil Aeronautics Board revok
ing ATA’s operating permit. Under court order, unless the review is granted, ATA had 15 days, ending July 24, in which
to cease operations. The point on which CAB based its ruling was that the airline, licensed as a non-scheduled carrier,
has operated with too frequent flights and too regular service to Alaska.
What is “too much service to Alaska?” Does this mean ATA is flying to Alaska too much air cargo, too
much food, too many vital supplies, too much needed manpower? What is CAB’s motive in curtailing
ATA flights?
ALASKA NEEDS ATA
Concurrent witn tne news ipat license wouia oe revoxea, Dusmess men ana me general puont an over masKa
threw up a storm of protest. In no uncertain terms they cleared the air with the positive point that ATA was vitally
needed to the well being of Alaska. They stated vehemently that ATA had an inherently different usefulness than the
regularly scheduled airlines. They stressed the point that Alaska uses 15 times the amount of passenger air transporta
tion per capita as the continental United States — 114 times more air cargo transportation per capita.
This means Alaska needs — and through AT A
gets — adequate, low-cost cargo and passenger
service. AT A rates charged for air cargo to
Alaska are not only below the cost of scheduled
airlines but slightly below ATA’s own cost.
ATA is operated entirely without government
subsidy, although the mail pay to four subsidized
U.S.-Alaska carriers will aggregate approximate
ly $6,000,000 this year. ATA is the only airline
flying from Seattle to Alaska without subsidy
which showed a profit during 1951.
ALASKANS ASK ONLY FAIR HEARING FOR ATA
The Civil Aeronautics Board has shown a willingness to arbitrate the differences be
tween the government's view point and that of the Alaska people. In November the
Board will hold a hearing in Seattle called the “Large Irregular Air Carrier's Investiga
tion."
H What *1/0*1 Gan 2>o . . .
Wire or Airmail Today
Senator John J. Sparkman (Democrat) Washington, D. G. or
Senator James H. Duff (Republican) Washington, D.C.
As an American citizen and an Alaskan, I urge you to insist that the C. A. B. keep its
promise to permit A. T. A. to operate until Alaska can be heard at the Large Irregular
Air Carriers' investigatidn in Seattle in November.
SIGNED (your name)
Alaska Citizens Emergency Committee