*
Matanuska Valley
Fair, Sept. 1. 2, 3
Halley IErnntiergnmn
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
PAGES
TODAY
VOL. 4. NO. 50
PALMER, ALASKA, THURSDAY. AUGUST 23, 1951
PRICE. 10c
Dewey to Visit Valley Monday
Perry Richards of Highway Mile 43
Is Victim of Hit and Run Driver
irciiy niunaras, hi, a nome
steader living at Mile 43 on the
Anchorage-Palmer Highway,
died at 8:20 p. m. Saturday in
Providence Hospital, Anchorage,
of injuries received in a hit and
run accident about 6 p. m., less
than one mile from his home.
Held in Anchorage’s Federal
Jail on charges of manslaughter
is John K. Sauer, cab driver for
the City Cab Company of Anch
orage. He was arraigned Monday
morning in U. . Commissioner’s
Court, Anchorage. Bail was set
at $10,000.
Sauer was arrested by Deputy
Marshall Oscar Olson after a 96
mile-an-hour chase which ended
*near Rusty Dow’s home, this side
of Knik Bridge. During the chase,
Olson had no idea he was after a
hit and run driver. He and Fed
eral Jail guard Andy Anderson
had noticed the cab weaving
along the highway and were try
ing to catch up with him. Just as
they were putting Sauer inside
their car, a driver of a pick-up
truck pulled up and pointed at
the cab driver.
“That’s the man”, he said. “He
just killed a fellow up the high
way.”
Meanwhile passing motorists
had discovered the accident vic
tim and went into town for help.
Stan Laird of the Highway Patrol
^ and Deputy Marshall Bill Bouw
ens quickly went to the scene of
the accident, where Bouwens and
two M. P.’s, on maneuvers in the
vicinity, administered first aid
treatment. Laird went after Dr.
Bailey, and the latter accompan
ied the still-conscious man to
Providence Hospital.
There it was found that Rich
ards had suffered a broken back,
fractured left leg, and a lacerated
scalp. He died shortly after ad
mission.
AIR SHOW ADDED
TO LABOR DAY
FAIR ATTRACTIONS
Clair Stock, president of the
Matanuska Valley Fair Board, an
nounced this week tnat an air
show scheduled for Labor Day
has been added to the featured
attractions.
The two-hour air show will be
on at the airport Monday after
noon, Sept. 3 by Jack London,
flight instructor at United Air
motive in Anchorage. He is not
the literary Jack London, famous
for his stories of the Alaskan gold
rush days, according to Stock.
The Fair Board president pro
mised a spectacular succession of
stunt flying with parachute drops,
wing walking, and other dare
devil acts. In one featured act, a
jumper is supposed to fall 10,000
feet before opening his first para
chute and coast to the 300 feet
level before opening his second.
There will be an admission
charge for this show.
E. A. HENDRICKSON
DIED SATURDAY AT
VALLEY HOSPITAL
E. A. Hendrickson, resident of
the Matanuska Hotel died in Val
ley Hospital Saturday, August 18. i
Mr. Hendrickson died of a I
chronic illness. He was found in
a state of coma in his hotel room
three days previous to his death
and was taken to the hospital im
mediately. Dr. C. C. Bailey was
the attending physician.
Born November 29, 1909 at
Newcastle, Wash., Mr. Hendrick
son had made his home in Palm
er for the past year and a half
(Continued on Page 11)
Local Chapter of 0. E. S. to be
Instituted in Saturday Ceremonies
The Matanu.ska Valley Chapter
of the Order of Eastern Star will
be instituted Saturday, August
25. Initiation for new members
will begin at 3 p. m. in the gym.
A dinner at the United Protes
tant church will follow the ini
tiation at 6 p. m.
The installation of officers in
the gymnasium at 8 p. m. will be
public and all interested are in
vited to attend.
w Officers of the Anchorage
Chapter of O. E. S. will be in
charge of the initiation and in
stallation ceremonies.
Matanuska Valley Chapter offi
cers to be installed are: Worthy
Matron, Margaret J. Snodgrass;
Worthy Patron, Stanley Laird;
Associate Matron, Thelma Cope;
+ Associate Patron, Harvey Hiber.
These officers were all appoint
ed by the deputy for the Most
Worthy Grand Patron of the Or
der of Eastern Star.
Other officers to be installed
were elected at a special meet
ing of local members Tuesday
night. They are: Conductress,
Marne Hanks; Associate Conduct
ress, June 'Murphy; Secretary,
Ruth Hodgson; and treasurer,
Blanche Ryan.
Appointive officers will be sel
ected by Mrs. Snodgrass.
Must Be Present
O. E. S. Deputy Aimer J. Peter
son emphasized that all people
who signed the petition for Char
ter must be on hand at 3 p. m.
Saturday for initiation. All ab
sentees forfeit their rights to be
Charter Members of the chapter.
NO QUORUM COUNCIL
HEARS MORE ABOUT
TELEPHONE PROBLEM
With Mayor Carl Meier still in
Juneau, Councilman A1 Hagen
still in the States after the death
of Mrs. Hagen’s mother, and an
other Council member out sheep
hunting, Palmer’s City Council
failed last night for the first time
to have a quorum present at the
regular meeting.
Wiggins Talks Telephone
Visiting the Council meeting
was Charles Wiggins of the Wig
gins Construction Co., present to
discuss the possibilities of build
ing a Valley-wide telephone com
munications system.
An application for a liquor
license and permission to open
a night club in Palmer was re
turned by the city clerk to Har
old Koslosky and James Sump
ter this week when it was
learned that the men had erred
in petitioning the Council be
fore submitting the application
to the Third District Court.
Reviewing his considerable ex
perience with Army communica
tions, the Alaska Railroad, and
ACS, he mentioned the $7,000,000
Anchorage-Tok communication
line on which he is presently en
gaged.
Wiggins offered to prepare
(Continued 0:1 Page 4)
196th Combat Team
"Frees" Palmer from
Grip of "Aggressors"
Defense units of the 196th Regi
mental Combat Team were still
holding the Palmer Airport today
in preparation for any counter
attack of the “aggressors”, now
busy defending the ga4es of Fort
Richardson against the powerful
assaults of infantry units suppor
ted by tanks.
Almost all signs of the week
end invasion has disappeared
from the Palmer area as the de
fenders, in their tactical march
down Glenn Highway, proceed
to their “Exercise Totem Pole”
objective.
Saturday and Sunday Palmer
was in the thick of the battle.
Motorists could scarcely get on
or off the highway as the convoys
of jeeps, tanks, trucks, and other
vehicles passed through in a
steady stream. *
According to local reports, an
“agressor” officer was captured
Sunday at Alpine Inn and two
or three of the “agressor” M. P.’s
were hustled out of town as the
defense forces took over the local
bars.
Although the maneuvers all
went according to plan, with the
defenders ultimately routing ag
gressor forces, the mock warfare
took on a sinister realism for
many observers.
New York Governor to be Guest
At Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
ANOTHER CANDIDATE
QUALIFIES IN
FAIR QUEEN RACE
Over 9.000 tickets have been
turned over to Valley Fair Queen
contestants since the contest start
ed, Parker Lester said this week.
However, only about 600 stubs
have been returned. With their
books distributed throughout the
Valley and Anchorage, more of
the contestants could probably
qualify were they able to get all
their books together.
Joyce Hardage, the last Queen
contestant to register, is the sec
ond to qualify. She turned in over
the required 200 tickets sales
earlier this week. ,
Attractive posters appeared
during the week, with most of
the business houses displaying
one or more of them.
Carnival Arrives
Mr. Lester also announced the
arrival of the B and B Alaska
Shows. Arriving Tuesday, the
troop has been busy setting up
equipment and preparing for
their second appearance at a Mat
anuska Valley Fair.
The B & B Shows are the only
yea r-round Alaskan carnival
group in the Territory and make
group
their headquarters at the fair
grounds. They have been appear
ing through out the Territory
this summer.
Word that Governor Thomas E.
Dewey had included a visit to
Palmer next Monday in his ap
proved schedule of appearances
in the Territory prompted a spec
ial meeting of the Chamber of
Commerce Board of Directors last
night at Rec. Hall.
Plans for entertaining the gov
ernor were purposely left incom
plete by the Chamber members,
in line with Dewey’s expressed
wish for no public speeches and
no large gatherings while he is
in Alaska. The New York gover
nor emphasized the fact that his
trip is non-political, that the pri
mary purpose of his visit is to
learn at first hand, a few facts
about the Territory.
According to the approved
schedule, Dewey plans to fly to
Palmer next Monday from Mt.
McKinley Park for a Chamber of
Commerce luncheon at noon. Fol
lowing the luncheon, he hopes to
confer with Valley leaders on ag
ricultural problems of Alaska.
The Chamber of Commerce
luncheon honoring Dewey will be
open to Chamber members only.
Since it will take place in the
usual Co-Op Club Room, only 50
tickets will be available at a price
of $3.00. Tickets go on sale at
Bettys’ at 9 a. m. Friday morning
(tomorrow). Any tickets remain
ing unsold after 5:30 p. m. Satur
day, will be available to non
members. Money will be refund
(Continued on Page 4)
Fair Ground Gets a Face Lifting
In Readiness For Opening Next Week
A major face-lifting operation
is going on this week at the Fair
Grounds in preparation for ex
hibitors and visitors of the 1951
Matanuska Valley Fair which be
gins next week, Saturday.
According to Fair Manager
Parker Lester, the entire grounds
have been mowed, and a hand
scythe is being used on areas not
accessible to the mower.
The poultry barn is receiving
a complete overhauling. New pa
per is being placed on the east
and south sides. New coop ar
rangements are in the making to
afford room for all exhibitors.
The livestock barn got a new
roof, and the south lean-to was
fixed up considerably. New pan
els are being made for the sheep
and pig divisions. All barns are
being fumigated thoroughly.
“Mother Nature pulled a dirty
trick during our early spring
winds”, the manager stated. “She
moved two huts off their footings,
but these will be jacked up and
put back in shape in due time.”
All of the huts have had a gen
eral cleaning and will undergo
minor remodelling in time to ac
commodate this year’s exhibits.
The arts department will oc
cupy one half of Hut 12 in coop
eration with the potted plants
division. Educational and govern
mental exhibits will be placed in
the dairy barn.
Few Seek $100 Prize
“We wish to call all farmers’
attention to the Individual Farm
Display and the prizes offered’’.
Lester said. “We don’t see how
you farmers can let that $100
prize slip by.” ,
NOTICE TO
FAIR EXHIBITORS
Fair manager Parker Lester
announced today that all the
Fair exhibitors should have
their entries in place by 9 p. m.
Friday, August 31.
Judging will begin at 9 a. m.
Saturday morning.
To date there are only two en
tries registered for farm displays.
The Fair Manager should know
by the first of next week about
any additional entries in order to
allocate space for them.
(Continued on Page 4)