Don't Forget
Annual Harvest Dinner
Northland Pioneer Grange No. 1
Thurs., Oct. 23
5:30—8:30 p.m.
The frontiersman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for lhai
item you may have for sale,
rent or lease.
VOLUME 46, NUMBER 4
PALMER, ALASKA, THURSDAY. OCTOBER 16. 1952
PRICE TEN CENTS
VALLEY VOTES REPUBLICAN MAJORITY
POLICE CHIEF ANO CITY ATTORNEY ARE
REAPPOINTEO; COUNCIL SEEKS CITY CLERK
Five new members of the City
Council got down to business
with Mayor A1 Hagen presiding at
the regular meeting last night and
swiftly passed in orderly succes
sion about 12 orders and motions
that will give far reaching effect
on the city of Palmer. They ap
proved re-appointment of the
Chief of Police and city attorney
and hired a superintendent of the
newly created telephone depart
ment.
In preparation for the regular
meeting, so that there would be
no delay in urgent city business
because of the change over from
the old administration to the
new, committees were appointed
Monday night as the new Council
went into special session immedi
ately after its members had been
sworn in.
Mayor Hagen reported that the
appointive officers do not hold
beyond the term of office of the
mayor who appointed them. Al
though no approving action was
taken by the Council members on
the mayor’s appointment for the
new City Clerk, it was clear that
John Shaw would not be reap
pointed. This meant that the city
would have to find new office
space. A temporary committee of
Don Moore, Don McKechnie, and
Rusell Felzien was commissioned
to make a survey of office space
available and report back Wed
nesday night Chairman Don
Moore reported on the commit
tee’s findings in terms of location,
square footage, and price. The
choice was narrowed down to
two locations: the large second
story office in the Neal Wright
Building at $100 monthly and a
first floor office in the Severns
Building at $150.
A temporary policy committee
of Betty Mears, Don Moore, and
Don McKechnie was ordered to
consider salary, time schedules,
and other pertinent details re
garding the city office of Chief
of Police.
On Wednesday night the
Council heard Melvin Hau
gen’s request for a year’s
contact to work for the city’s
telephone system at a salary of
S600 per month. Haugen told>
about needed repairs and addi
tions to the outside plant that
would put the present telephone
system in good working order and
capacity to serve 300 customers.
His appointment was later ap
proved as superintendent in full
charge of the newly created tele
phone department with salary as
requested.
The Council also approved the
mayor’s re-appointment of Ber
nard Bouwens as Chief of Police.
His salary was stipulated at $500
monthly with an additional $100
allowance for the use of his car.
His hours were set at not less
than eight per day with one day
■off—not on a week-end.
Harold J. Butcher was reap
pointed with Council approval as
city attorney at a salary of $3,600
per year.
Regarding the vacancy of City
Clerk, the Council moved that a
committee be appointed to obtain
the services of a full-time, qualif
ied City Clerk and that the com
mittee consist of Mayor Hagen
and other Council members to be
appointed by him. In the mean
time, John Shaw is carrying on
the duties of City Clerk until a
successor is appointed.
Permanent committees appoint
ed by Mayor Hagen last night
were. Streets—Moore, McKechnie,
and Kincaid; Police—Hagen,
Moore, and McKechnie; Water
and Sewer—McKechnie, Felzien,
and Mears, Fire—Felzien, Mears,
Continued on Page 8
CITY HOUSEHOLDERS
INVITED TO MEETING
An opportunity will be given
all householders in the city of
Palmer to learn what will be
expected of them in regard
to their connections on the
new city water line. A public
meeting is scheduled for Tues
day, October 21, in Valley
Theater.
The model connection will
be on dispaly showing the ma
terials and parts used from the
main line to the key box and
to the house and meter. On
hand to answer questions and
to explain problems that may
arise will be the water system
contractor and representatives
of Alaska Public Works. Mem
bers of the City Council and
the Planning Commission will
also be present to answer ques
tions.
The model connection is
now on display in the quon
set hut next to the Matanuska
Hotel.
BOB BETTINE STILL
UNCONSCIOUS AND
ON CRITICAL LIST
Robert Bettine, who was in
jured last Thursday in a 60-foot
fall down Goat Mountain after
he had been charged by a moose,
was removed from Valley Hos
| pita last evening and taken to
| the Air Force Hospital at Elmen
| dorf Air Force Base for further
! treatment. Although there has
i been some improveemnt, he is
still unconscious and his condition
remains critical, according to Dr.
C. C. Bailey’s statement this
morning.
Many versions regarding the
accident have been current in
the Valley during the past week.
From the Eklutna Project head
quarters comes the following
story drawn from accounts of
two witnesses, A1 Suess and Dean
Jennings:
A moose was tangled up in
some electric wires high up on
the face of Goat Mountain over
looking the highway. Bettine of
fered to climb up and cut the
moose loose with some pliers. To
get to the spot, he had to climb
a rope 60 feet above the access
road that leads to the Eklutna
tunnel entrance. Watching from
the access road, the witnesses ob
served that the moose charged
at Bettine just after he had cut
the last wire imprisoning the ani
mal. They couldn’t tell whether
the moose knocked Bettine down
or whether he threw himself to
the ground to get out of the ani
mals way. The moose appeared to
try to brace himself before loosen
ed rock and earth sent him plung
ing over the cliff Bettine was seen
plumeting over the cliff immedi
ately afterward. The hillside ter
rain was very rough and bumpy.
Bettine landed once on his stom
ach, but momentum from the
steep fall kept him going until
he landed on the access road from
which he had started his climb
This time Bettine landed on his
head. The Eklutna Project work
ers, coming to Bettine’s assistance,
also found the moose knocked out
but not dead. Having no other
weapon at hand they started to
give the coup de grace to the in- :
jured animal with a hatchet. The
moose roused and started thrash
ing around. In the scuffle he
again fell, this time off the nar- 1
row ledge of the access road for ]
a sheer 300-foot drop. From the *
Continued on page 8
Local Gambling Raid
Brings Convictions
And $520 in Fines
^ “friendly little game” in the
back of the T and T Sourdough
Bar last Friday night turned out
to be an expensive pastime for
four local participants and the
operator of the establishment.
It was about 12:30 a.m. early
Saturday morning when Deputy
U. S. Marshal Ivan Blood raided
the place and found the men play
ing a game of “stud” poker with
poker chips.
When the local men were ar
raigned early that morning in
U. S. Commissioner’s Court here,
three were charged with gambl
ing, one with conducting a gambl
ing game, and one with operating
an establishment where gaming
and gambling was carried on.
John Van Ryn pleaded guilty to
the first charge, and John F. Wil
liams and D’Wayne Forrester
pleaded not guilty on the same
charge. Ralph Horton, charged
with conducting a gambling game,
and Arthur Thompson, operator
of the Sourdough Bar, claimed
their rights to obtain an attorney.
Testimony was heard from the
complaining witness on the three
gambling charges, but the ver
dicts were postponed until Wed
nesday afternoon, October 15,
when Thompson and Horton were
asked to return with their lawyers
to answer charges.
Yesterday, the five local men
returned to the court, and Deputy
Marshals Blood and Willis were
again present to give testimony.
Thompson and Horton at this
time waived rights to an attorney,
but pleaded not guilty on being
advised that a guilty plea would
deprive them of right to appeal.
According to Deputy Marshal
Blood’s testimony, Willis and a
member of the 39th Air Depot
Police had been told last Friday
night to find a game going on and
sit in on it. A little later Willis
informed Blood that they were
sitting in on a game at the Sour
dough Bar. Fifteen minutes later
Deputy Marshal Blood entered
the establishment and arrested
the participants. Willis testified
Continued on Page 8
Contract Awarded
For Construction of
Six-Classroom School
Stock and Grove Construction
Company of Anchorage was
awarded the contract for con
Sructon of the six-room elemen
tary school in North Palmer last
Saturday by the Palmer Indepen
dent School District Board.
The Stock and Grove low bid at
the bid opening early last month
was for $216,795 for the six-room
building. Awarding of the con
tract was delayed for the maxi
mum period allowed to give the
School Board an opportunity to
try to raise another $24,000 above
the federal funds under Public
Law 815 available for construc
tion. Under this law, $197,000 was
allocated to the Palmer school
project last spring.
An alternate in the contractor’s
aid provided for construction of
i four-classroom building at a
price $24,000 less than the base
aid of $$216,795. However, it was
felt that the school district never
again would be able to build two
ilassrooms for $12,000 each. Price
>er classroom under the base bid
figures out to $36,133; under the
’our-classroom bid, to $48,111.
During the interim between the
aid opening and the contract
award ,the School Board made a
■equest for additional fluids un
ier PL 815 to permit construction
Continued on page 8
3rd Division Returns
Show 2 Valley Men
In Top 10 for House
Third Division election returns
at noon today showed M. D. Snod
grass and Dr. Lee McKinley in the
top 10 of candidates competing
for the 10 seats in the Territorial
House of Representatives.
With 60 out of 89 precincts
counted, nine Republicans and
one Democrat held winning ma
jorities. In first place with 4,573
votes was Barbara Dimock (R).
The other nine followed in the
order listed: Howard Pollock (R),
4,559; Dorothy Prior (R), 4,327;
Bert Rutherford (R), 4,260; Lloyd
Olsen (R), 4,259; M. D. Snodgrass
(R, 4-121; Lee McKinley (R), 4,
118; Carl Rentschler (R), 4,017;
Herald Stinger (R), 4,016; and
Wendell Kay (D), 3,862. Only 30
votes separated the totals so far
received by Kay and remaining
Republican candidate, Fred Wil
liamson.
In the Senate races, two Repub
licans and one Democrat were
leading. For the short term, Paul
Robison (R) had 4,466 votes to
4,176 for Jack Conright (D). John
j Gorsuch (R) led for the four-year
[ term with 4,660 votes. William
Egan (D) was second with 4,307
votes. Steve McCutcheon (D) was
in third place with 3,971 and Mar
shall Hoppin (R) trailed with 3,
840.
In the All-Alaska returns with
115 out of 249 precincts counted,
the incumbent E. L. Bartlett (D)
had a 10-7 lead over his Republi
can opponent Bob Reeve in the
race for Delegate to Congress.
Total votes were 10,370 to 7,638.
Neil Moore (D) appeared to have
a 10-6 lead over Anita Garnick
(R) for the job as Auditor of
Alaska. Irving McK Reed (R) led
Frank Metcalf in the returns for
Highway Engineer by a narrow
ing margin, 8,954 to 8,310.
Returns from other division
contests for Territorial Legisla
ture suggested strongly that the
people of Alaska think “it’s time
for a change.”
The two election proposals re
garding bonding of the Territory
for 12.500,000 for school and con
trol of Alaska’s fisheries by the
Territory were apparently ap
proved by overwhelming major
ities in all divisions.
MAYOR AND 5 COUNCIL
MEMBERS SWORN IN AS
NEW CITY OFFICERS
Mayor Carl Meier and four
members of Palmer’ first City
Council were present at the Co
Op Club Room Monday evening
to turn over the reins of Palmer’s
government to the newly elected
officers.
U. S. Commissioner Dorothy
Saxton administered the oaths of
office to the new mayor, A. V.
Hagen, and to five members of
the new City Council. One of
the newly elected councilmen was
not present to take the oath of
office. Bob Bettine, councilman
for a one-year term was still
unconscious from an accident that
took place two days after the
day he was elected.
City Attorney Harold Butcher
took advantage of the occasion
marking the end of the first Coun
cil’s term of office and the be
ginning of the new Council’s term
to review the progress that had
been made since the attempts to
incorporate the ctiy of Palmer
were begun in January of 1951.
He described the uphill fight fac
ing the first Council in the first
few months after the men had
taken office. Faced with a critical
emergency, the Councilmen had
no money even to send a tele
Continued on Page 8
rRLHICK AHII WAdlLLA rKCUMUId UlVt
M. D. SNODGRASS HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES
The Palmer Precinct chalked
up biggest election total in his
tory Tuesday when a total of 600
residents cast their votes in the
general Territorial Election.
Voting at Eska were 43. Two
hundred seventy-six residents of
TOTAL VOTES FOR
PALMER PRECINCT
Following are totals received
in the Territorial election Tues
day from the three polling places
in the Palmer Precinct—Eska,
the city of Palmer, and the re
maining area outside of the city.
For Delegate to Congress
Bartlett 323
Reeve 320
For Attorney General
Williams 470
For Auditor of Alaska
Moore 361
Garnick 273
For Highway Engineer
Reed 375
Metcalf 262
For Senate Short Term
Robison 423
Conright 208
For Senate 4-Year Term
Gorsuch 460
Hoppin 380
Egan 219
McCutcheon 190
For Territorial House
Snodgrass 484
Dimock 430
McKinley 429
Olsen 426
Pollock 411
Puar 405
Stringer 382
Rentschler 376
Williamson 348
Rutherford 290
Kay 216
Pollard 203
Ryan 200
Owen 194
Nesbett 183
Loussac 179
Carlson 172
Young 172
Kalmarides 168
Gibson 153
ELKS LEASE CLUB 49
FOR THEIR NEW HOME
AND CLUB QUARTERS
Members of the local Elks
Lodge have leased the business
establishment known as Club 49 j
complete with' all its equipment
for their new temporary home j
and club quarters.
Final arrangements for the one
year lease were agreed upon last
Thursday by the owners, Harold
and Jan Koslosky and Matt
Onkka, Exalted ruler of BPOE
No. 1842, and the lodge’s board
of trustees, acting for the mem-1
bership.
The move from the outgrown
temporary quarters in the Fair
administration budding came
just before the young lodge ob
served its first birthday. Institu
tion of the local Elks Lodge took
place October 2, 1951. Forty-eight
Elks members who transferred
their membership to the new
lodge and 72 new candidates who
were initiated that day became
charter members of the new or
ganization. Since then the group
has grown from 120 to 171 mem
bers.
Members of BPOE No. 1842
have plans to build their own
home and club quarters which
they hope will be near completion
a year from now. The architect’s
plans, being drawn up by James
Scott, are just about completed.
Meanwhile the Elks have plan
ned a calendar of activities that
will make them thoroughly at
home in their new temporary
(Continued on page 8)
the city of Palmer and 431 living
outside the city voted at Recrea
tion Hall. Tuesday's general elec
tion total compares with a total
of 538 Palmer Precinct votes cast
in the Territorial Primary last
April 29. Residents of the city of
Palmer, however, failed to come
close to the 351 total votes cast in
the city election last week.
Trend of the voting in the Pal
mer Precinct was decidedly Re
publican. Except for the offices
of Delegate to Congress, Attorney
General, and Auditor of Alaska,
winning majorities were won only
by Republican candidates. The
Valley’s own M. D. Snodgrass pol
led the largest number of votes
given to any candidate. He re
ceived 484 votes. Next highest
total was for John Gorsuch, who
received 460 votes for the four
year Senate term. Dr. Lee Mc
Kinley was nosed out of second
place in the Palmer Precinct con
test for Territorial Representa
tives by only one vote. He receiv
ed 429, as compared with 430 for
Barbara Dimock. Out of a total
of 7,706 votes cast for candidates
for the Territorial Legislature,
5,244 were for Republicans—a 68
percent majority.
The race for Delegate to Con
gress was very close. Although
Palmer city voters gave Reeve an
eight-vote lead and Eska a five
vote lead, Bartlett made up for
these losses in the remaining area
of the precinct, leading Reeve 323
to 320.
Neil Moore, the Democratic in
cumbent, was «n easy victor ove?'
Anita Garnick (R) in the local
contest for the job of Auditor of
Alaska. He received 361 votes to
her 273. However, the Republican
aspirant for the job of Highway
Engineer led the Democratic in
cumbent, Irving McK Reed re
ceived 375 votes to 262 for Frank
A. Metcalf. Gerald J. Williams
(D), who was unopposed for At
torney General, polled a total of
470 votes.
Other totals from the Palmer
Precinct are listed on this page.
151 Vote in Wasilla
Wasilla also had its biggest
turnout in election history Tues
day, with 151 votes cast. The larg
est number of votes (94) for any
competitive office went to M. D.
Snodgrass. With one exception.
Wasilla followed the voting
trend of the rest of the Valley
by casting Republican majorities
for all offices except that of Dele
gate to Congress, Attorney Gen
eral, and Auditor of Alaska. In
the race for Delegate, Bartlett led
Reeve 83 to 61. Neil Moore, Demo
cratic incumbent, received 92
vots for Auditor as compared with
51 votes for the Republican can
didate, Anita Garnick. Red (R)
led Metcalf, Democratic incum
bent, 80 to 65 in the contest for
Highway Engineer.
In the contest for the four-year
Senate term, Steve McCutcheon
(D) edged Marshall Hoppin (R)
by one vote, 63 to 64. Gorsuch was
high with 92 votes, and Egan
trailed with 54. Paul Robison pol
led twice as many votes for the
Senate short term as his Demo
cratic opponent, Jack Conright—
99 to 47.
Wasilla voters showed their
preference for the 10 Republican
candidates for the Territorial
House of Representatives in the
following order: Snodgrass, 94;
Dimock,, 89; Prior, 81; McKinley,
76; Stringer, 72: Rutherford, 70;
Dlsen, 69; Williamson, 67; Rens
schler 66, Pollock 64. Only 16
votes separated Nesbett’s high of
55 for Democratic candidates from
ECalamarides’ low vote of 39. In
between were Pollard, 64; Young,
51; Owen, 60; Kay, 49; Ryan 49;
Carlson. 46; Loussac 41; and Gib
son, 41.