TRY A FRONTIERSMAN
CLASSIFIED AD for that
item you may Hava for salo.
rant or laasa.
VOLUME V. NO. 42
PALMER. ALASKA. THURSDAY. JUNE 2G. 1952
PRICE TEN CENTS
i- Palmer Man Named U* of Alaska
i
World Around Us
IN FAIRBANKS the sun
rose at 12:57 a.m. and set at 10:48
p.m. on Saturday, the longest
day of the year. At 10 p.m. began
the traditional midnight sun base
ball game, but no lights were
used on the diamond. For the
unique affair this year the Ladd
Army team took on an all-star
, team made up of midnight sun
league players.
* * *
IN TANANA this week Deputy
U. S. Marshal Francis Wirth was
repairing his damaged jail. A
reluctant prisonor, six feet four
inches in height and weighing
200 pounds kicked the side out
of the wooden building. At first
Wirth patiently stood outside
* nailing the boards back on as fast
as the prisoner kicked them off.
He settled down for the night only
after handcuffing the prisoner tc
his bed and removing his heavy
boots. By morning, though, the
prisoner had succttsLd in kicking
out a good sized hole with his
bare feet.
* * *
IN JUNEAU a record 1082 citiz
ens turned out at a recent special
election to vote a decisive “no’
to the question of extending the
closed time for bars on special
occasions.
* • • «
IN DOUGLAS grief was turned
to hot anger when it was learned
that a 14-year-old youth, whc
died in a recent automobile ac
cident following speed in excess
of 80 miles per hour, had beer
furnished whiskey by a 19-year
old youth.
* * *
IN' KODIAK commercial sal
► mon fishing in the island districts
was described as poor by FWS
Agent Roy Lindsley. So light was
the run in the Red River districi
that a closure order was expectec
to be clamped on soon.
• • •
IN BIG DELTA Dr. John Buck
ley of the U. of Alaska Co-opera
tive Wildlife Research Unit was
. 1 amazed to verify a report thai
rabbits in that area have beer
eating the telephone poles.
• * *
IN CORDOVA the local chaptei
m of the Isaak Walton League is
sponsoring a moose colony whicl
will utilize the whole Coppei
River flats area. Four moose
heifers from the Anchorage- Mat
anuska Valley area are due tc
arrive shortly.
IN ANCHORAGE a total of 3.
038 pints of blood were donatec
at the blood bank set up by the
King County (Washington) Blooc
>, Bank team last week.
WASILLA GRANGE
TO SPONSOR NEW
FARMERS' MARKET
The formation of a Farmers
Market in Wasilla was announcec
this week by the Wasilla Grange
as sponsoring agents.
A meeting will be held at Com
munity Hall Monday evening
June 30 from 8-9 p.m. All person:
* interested in selling home growr
or home made products are in
vited to attend this meeting.
Regulations, opening date, anc
other important issues will be dis
cussed.
Opening date of the market wil
appear in a later issue of the
Frontiersman.
JONESVILLE MINERS
NAMED IN
$20 MILLION SUIT
Filed in U .S. Fourth District
Court in Fairbanks Tuesday by
the Usibelli Coal Corporation was
a $20 million damage suit nam
ing the United Mine Workers ol
America and the union locals
operating at the Evans-Jones
Coal Company in Jonesville and
the Healy Ri ver Coal Company in
Suntrana.
The suit stemmed from alleged
violence resulting in property
damages at the Usibelli corpor
ation site. The corporation alsc
seeks damages for illegal picket
ing and potential loss of contracts
The long-standing dispute be
tween the corporation and the
miners burst out into the oper
Monday when union miners from
the nearby Healy River Coal Com
pany clashed with non-union Usi
belli miners. Three members o1
the Jonesville Local 7901, UMW
were also on the picket line.
According to Irwin “Curly’
Doyle, president of Local 7901
the picketing results from a fail
ure of the Usibelli mine manage
j ment to recognize an election helc
! at the mine last March. At tha'
i time about 75 percent of the em
} ployees voted to organzie as :
; local of the United Mine Worker!
[of America according to proced
! ure outlined in the Taft Hartley
I Act. Under that act, only a 5:
j percent majority is required. A1
I though the president of the com
j pany appeared to be in accorc
with plans to set up the unioi
shop at the mine, he stalled ii
giving recognition to the union
| Cutting down on operations, hi
laid off seven men, according ti
Doyle—seven of the approximate
ly 17 who voted in the election
The Usibelli mine is largely i
strip Operation, with the peal
production period in the summe
when men can work out in th>
open. As the peak season began
the management hired about 5
new miners to bring the total t
sixty. Now the management de
dines to recognize the March elec
tion and insists upon holding -
new one. Healy River and Jones
ville union men insist that thi
March election was a legal on
and that the management shouli
abide by it.
Both of the organized local
had participated in the organiza
tion of the Usibelli mine. Accord
ing to Doyle, the organization o
[ workers in non-union mines com
[ peting in business with unionizei
' mines is a duty which union mei
■ owe to their employers. Other
wise, management providing gooi
wages and working conditions ii
response to union pressure wouli
be at a disadvantage when com
1 peting with a non-union competit
; or.
Until last year the Jonesvill
mine had the only organizei
, union in the Territory. Last yea
the Healy River Coal Compan;
was organized. This year the tw
! unions negotiated a joint workin
, agreement for union recognitior
which was hoped to set a patter:
[ for the rest of the Territory. Lat
last March the Evans-Jones Coa
Company granted Jonesville min
ers a 25 cent hourly pay boost am
; established the first welfare am
’ pension fund in the Territory.
Regarding the $20 million sui
filled by the Usibelli Corporatior
Doyle said that he knew noth
ing outside of what he had rea
in the papers. As far as he kne\
last night, no subpeona had bee
served on the union local.
I RICHARD DEMMING RECEIVE
, WORLD WAR II MEDALS
Although they were seven
years in getting here, Richar
! Demming of Palmer received th
’ Purple Heart and Bronze Sta
. medals this week. They wer
awarded to Demming for servic
in the U. S. Army in the Sicilia
‘ campaign during World War I!
The delay in delivery is belief
ed to have been caused by th
shortage of medal at the close c
the war.
13 New Business
Offices Ready For
Occupancy in Palmer
With the beginning of a new
fiscal year coming up next week,
Palmer will have 13 new attrac
tive office rooms ready for oc
cupancy.
Completed this week will be
six large offices in the new addi
tion to the Neal Wright building
and seven in Lloyd Severns’ re
cently enlarged building. All 13
of the offices are on the second
floors of the two buildings.
Offices in the Severns building
are reached from the west en
trance on Matanuska Street. They
have accoustic tile ceilings and
are well lighted with thermopane
windows with adequate provision
for ventilation. Embossed ply
wood walls are attractively fin
ished with natural varnish on the
lower half of the walls where the
grooves run vertically and with a
i soft grey paint on the upper half
, i where the grooves run horizontal
j ly. Floors are covered with green
! and grey mottled tiles. Missing
because of strike-bound shipments
! j are the Venetian blinds, which
. (will be hung at all the windows
and the electric light fixtures.
; Temporary lighting fixtures will
be installed as each office is oc
t cupied until the permanent ones
j arrive.
Slightly larger than the offices
• in the Severns building are five
of the offices in the new Neal
! Wright addition .These rooms are
. all well lighted by thermopane
l windows with the same ventila
t tion features as are in the Severns
t offices. Fluorescent lights provide
artificial illumination. The sixth
! office is an inside one, somewhat
] smaller and adequately lighted
. by a dome skylight. Walls of the
six offices are painted in pastel
' colors that harmonize well with
* the darker wall in the outside cor
‘ ridor and the reddish brown and
, black tile floors.
Already several of the new of
1 fices have been rented and some
have been spoken for under ten
5 tative arrangements. Even so,
there are still a few available for
' new office seekers. Attorney John
Shaw, who assumes the duties of
‘ (Continued on page 8)
- /•____—
CLYDE KING SENIORS
SELL INTEREST IN
LOCAL ENTERPRISE
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde King, Sen
ior announced this week the in-'
corporation of Valley Concrete
Products on June 12 as a $100,000
enterprise and the subsequent
sale of their one-half interest in
the pioneer Valley industry.
The 50 percent of the stock of
Valley Concrete Products, Inc.
owned by Mr. and Mrs. Clyde
King, Sr. was sold to James and
Albert Frye, Valley residents who
make their home near the Mc
Kechnie saw mill. The remaining
50 percent of the stock is still
held by Mr. and Mrs. Clyde King,
Jr. The younger Clyde King is
president and general manager of
the new corporation.
The Kings, mother and son, and
Clyde, Jr.’s cousin, John King,
started the business on the An
chorage-Palmer Highway site
about six miles out of town in
the Spring of 1946. Clyde King,
Jr. had worked as an apprentice
Outside for a year to learn the
concrete business. Later, when
John King and Clyde King, Sr.
build Clara’s Variety, John King
exchanged his interest in Valley
Concrete Products for a full in
terest in the store.
In a country where the great
est need is for building materials,
the concrete block business grew
rapidly. Although some of the
equipment was purchased Out
side, much of it was improvised
through the hard work and in
genuity of the owners. This year
for the first time, the Kings ad
ded a ready-mix cement service
to local businesses. Only this past
week it was used for the pouring
of the new sidewalk around the
Neal Wright building.
The sale leaves the Clyde King
Seniors almost free of local busi
ness responsibilities. Free from
care, they plan to head south
about the middle of August or
early in September. However, the
homesteaders who settled the
land where the King’s Lake Camp
now stands are still unable to turn
their backs on Alaska for good.
Each spring they hope to come
back to make their summer home
n the Valley.
I
Visiting Newsmen Find Accomplished
Champion of Alaska in Gov. Gruening
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This year Alaskans are in
better position to withstand th
annual strike of the West Coas
sailors Governor Ernest Gruenin
told over 30 visiting newspape
and magazine writers who coi
nered him for a press conferenc
last Friday in Dr. Lee McKinley'
spacious living room.
The occasion for the meeting c
the press with the governor an
many other Territorial officer
was the barbecue given by th
Anchorage Chamber of Commerc
in honor of the World Premier
Troupe and press group which i
accompanying the troupe on it
ten-day tour of Alaskan militar
posts.
Governor Gruening’s reply re
garding the current strike cam
in answer to a newsman’s quer
about the governor’s views on th
annual West Coast shipping strih
es. Gruening replied that it ha
been extremely unfortunate ttu
Alaskans are always the victim
of these strikes. Alaskans thi
year, he said are not completel
at the mercy of the strikers be
cause they now have air tran:
portation—something they did nc
have until ten years ago. Also thi
year other shipping companie
such as the Coastwise lines an
the Alaska Freight Lines hav
continued to operate in spite c
the strike.
Statehood Favorite Query
Favorite question of the news
men concerned Alaskan statehioot
and the governor was obviousl
a aengniea to give ms views on uus
s subject in complete detail. Asked
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if the Dixiecrats were responsible
for the defeat of the most recent
statehood bill in the Senate,
Gruening stated that 23 out of
26 Senators from the Southern
states voted to return the bill to
committee. Not only the Dixie
crats but nearly all the Southern
Senators are opposed to the ad
mission of any more states whose
Senators might vote in favor of
cloture. What opposition is there
to Statehood in the Territory?
There’s no opposition to statehood
in principle the governor said;
there are those who think the
Territory isn’t yet ready for state
hood and there are others who
believe that we should have a
more favorable bill.
“These are precisely the same
arguments used by opponents of
statehood for every other state,”
he added. “If a referendum were
held in Alaska today, the state
hood question would pass by four
or five to one.” Commenting on
his belief that Alaska is ready for
statehood now, he observed: (1)
We have far greater resources
than any state in the Union. (2)
Our finances are in good, shape—
much better than in the state of
Washington. (“I believe that our
present financial structure with
very few modifications is suffici
ent to support Alaska as a state.”)
(3) Statehood would accelerate
development. Alaska is gaining
7
(Continued on page
8)
Co-Ordinated Alaskan Agricultural
Program Sought in Mick Appointment
COLLEGE—The promotion of
Dr. Allan H. Mick, at present
Soil Scientist at the Alaska Ex
periment Station, to become Dean
of Agriculture, University of Alas
ka, and also to become Director of
Agricultural Extension Services
of the University’s cooperative
program with the Department of
Agriculture, effective July 1, 1952,
was announced by the Office of
the President of the University
here today. The appointment was
made last week immediately upon
receipt of the Secretary of Agri
culture’s formal approval of the
Regents’ vote at their recent
meeting in May.
Expressing the belief that the
selection of Dr. Mick marked a
milestone in the forward progress
of the University of Alaska as the
recognized Land-Grant institution
for all of Alaska, Dr.* Moore said:
LAST RITES FRIDAY
FOR LAURITZ LOBERG,
LONG-TIME RESIDENT
Everyone in the Valley was sad
dened to learn that Lauritz
“Louie” Loberg lost his long and
gallant struggle for life at Valley
Hospital Saturday afternoon,
June 21.
Only - 48 years of age at the
time of his death, “Louie” was
a real old-timer. He settled in
the Valley about 1925, when his
father was foreman of the Lucky
Shot Mine. At that time, the Lo
berg family lived in Wasilla dur
ing the winter months. In 1929
he married Pearl Soper, whose
parents had homesteaded a Val
le £ tract near a lake that still
bears the Soper name. Part of
this tract was subsequently pur
chased by Mr. Loberg. The newly
married couple settled in Wasilla
and later purchased property on
Wasilla Lake, near the present
location of Green Acres. In 1936
the Lobergs purchased an aban
doned Colony tract of 60 acres
near the Matanuska Experiment
Station and later added another
80-acre parcel adjoining. The Col
ony tract was sold only this
spring.
Five years ago, Mr. Loberg’s
health began to fail; after a long
period of illness in 1949, he was
forced to give up farming for
good. He tried to make a working
adjustment commensurate with
the senate of his health by setting
up a much needed shoe repair
service in Palmer. Mrs. Loberg
has been trying to keep this busi
ness going in addition to her dut
ies at the Palmer Fountain since
Mr. Loberg was advised to go
Outside for treatment last fall.
Believing his health improved,
Mr. Loberg returned to the Valley
May 1, but by May 4 he suffer
ed a sharp recurrence of his
chronic illness. He entered the
hospital for the last tiine June
10 and was there until his death
Saturday afternoon. Cause of
death was rheumatic heart dis
ease. Complications of silicosis
contributed to the illness that
marred his later years.
Surviving Mr. Loberg besides
his wife, Pearl, are four children:
Lauritz, Jr, 20; Mrs. Lloyd Hale
(Lillian); Louise, 14; and Leif, 8.
Also surviving are his mother,
Mrs. Thorborg Loberg of Taco
ma, Washington, and three sist
ers- Mrs. P. M. Alberg and Mrs.
Lois Larsen, both of Tacoma, and
Mrs. E. Mollerin, who is working
at Miller House near Circle Hot
Springs.
Mr. Loberg was an active mem
ber of the local Moose Lodge and
the Northland Pioneer Grange.
Funeral services will be held at
the Church of God at 2 p.m. Fri
day afternoon, June 27. Rev.
George Geiwitz will deliver the
sermon. Funeral arangements are
being made by the Loyal Order
of Moose. Serving as pallbearers
will be Harold Winegarner, Wil
liam Lentz, John Reed, Harold
Thuma, Lewis Burcher, John
Starr, and William Hoskins. In
terrment will be in the Moose
plot at the Palmer Cemetery.
“At last we feel we have located
the individual properly qualified
to make top decisions in agricul
ture and to direct the University’s
work in teaching, research in.
agriculture and extension service
to farmers throughout Alaska.
The selection of an individual
adequately qualified to head all
this has been most difficult, for
he must combine extension prac
tical experience together with the
educational qualifications, includ
ing the necessary advanced de
grees, so he can properly carry
the University title of Dean. We
know that while he should be
familiar with the latest in State
side techniques and practical de
velopments in agriculture, much
of this is not applicable to Alas
ka for we must develop our, own.
Therefore he must know both
Stateside practices in Agriculture
and Alaska problems also.
“With his doctor’s degree from
Michigan State and his four years
of practical experience in Alaska
and the fact he is nationally
recognized in Soil Science, we
think Dr. Mick is fully qualified.
The fact that Dr. Mick’s personal
speciality is in soil science makes
has choice appropriate. For the
big agricultural problem of Alaska
really is that of soils: namely,
how best to use the immense land
areas of all sorts throughout the
Territory.”
Dr. Moore also paid tribute to
the work done by Lynn O. Hollist
during the past year and a half,
improving the work of the Exten
sion Service as its Director, and
added: “The combining of Dean
of Agriculture and Director of Ex
tension Service into the single
person of Dr. Mick is technically
necessary to the new program;
and Lynn Hollist will continue on
as associate director.
“Dr. Mick’s program, the details
of which will be announced by
him from time to time, is primar
ily designed to give to students in
the University the benefit of
classroom lectures from the spec
; ialist staff of the Alaska Experi
| ment Stations. It is also designed
i to bring about closer relations
i between farmers and the research
i work at the Experiment Sta
j tions.”
In co-ordinating the teaching,
extension, and research programs
in Alaska agriculture, Dr. Mick
will continue his local association
with the Alaska Experiment Sta
tion, where he will be associate
director under Director Don L.
Irwin. With the able help of Dr.
Winston Laughlin, he will con
tinue also as head of the Experi
ment Station’s soil science depart
ment. Although his new positions
will demand his frequent pres
ence at the University, he hopes
to be able to maintain his home in
Palmer.
SUSITNA WITHDRAWAL
HEARING SCHEDULED
FOR TUESDAY, JULY 1
A public hearing on the Army’s
request for withdrawal of 36,000
acres in the Susitna flats area
across from Anchorage has been
scheduled for next Tuesday, July
1, at 10 a.m. in the Legion Log
Cabin, Anchorage.
The announcement was made
by Secretary of Interior Oscar
Chapman last week. Lowell M.
Puckett, regional administrator
of the Bureau of Land Manage
ment will preside at the hearing.
The Army has requested the
withdrawal area for anti-aircraft
firing at towed targets. Use of the
land would be confined to two
six-week periods beginning in
April and October; the land would
remain under the jurisdiction of
the Bureau of Land Management
when not in use by the Army.
In Anchorage, Puckett suggest
ed that organizations choose one
person to represent the group and
instruct him to have a prepared
statement that can be inserted in
the record. Such representatives
should notify Puckett at Box 480
of their wish to be heard at the
hearing.