The Homesteader j
By Bud Dodge—Kenai
It’s back from the war to the old]
home town, j
Your friends are all married andi
settled down.
You feel out of place with noth
ing to do
So you head for Alaska to start
life anew.
North to the land of milk and I
honey
Where you buy it with hard
earned money.
Where your room and board cost
eight bucks a day
And Uncle Sam takes a big slice
from your pay.
You decide you’d be better off to
cook for yourself
So you rent a shack and stock up
the shelf.
As you look at the prices at the
local store
It looks as if batchin’ will really
cost more.
Lettuce and cabbage at four-bits
a head
And three dollars a night for a
broken down bed.
Though a little bit green and full
of dents
Tomatoes are cheap—only eighty
five cents.
You buy some steaks at a buck
and a half
They say it’s veal from a ten
year-old calf.
You have to have spuds so it’s a
four-pound sack,
You dig out a buck and it’s no
change back.
To render some lard you’d better
buy bacon
When you pay for it you’ll know
you’ve been taken.
At a dollar pound you get five for
a fin
And with luck it’ll last till the
paychecks get in.
Two years pass by and you’ve
saved some money
So you look for a home and a gal
to call Honey.
You stake out a claim on a piece
of land
And ask the neighbor for his
daughter’s hand.
INext you will need to build a
house
To shelter your kids and over
worked spouse.
Eight hours in the field and four
in the kitchen
She will be too tired to do much
kickin’.
About carrying the water she
never stops yappin’
So to buy a pump you set to
trappin’.
The snow is deep and you’re miles
from home
You get lost in the woods and all
alone.
You build a fire and curl in a
heap,
The wolves are ahowlin’ and you
can’t go to sleep.
This gives vou some time to do
some thinkin’
You wish you’d stayed single and
stuck to drinkin’.
But time flies by and twenty
years later
The kids gather ’round for in
structions from Pater.
You swell up with pride and give
with a speech
Then hand each a ticket for good
old Long Beach.
From Muckluck Telegraph
| Classified Ads
FOR SALE
LARGE oil range, Reliance burn
er, $65.00. Bill Zook at Valdez.
HELP WANTED
PERSON as part time mercantile
investigator on a fee basis, in
the town of Valdez and sur
rounding districts. In reply give
age, qualifications and address.
Reply, Key 12, Valdez News.
| Did You Know? |
Did you know that the first
settlers here started to build
where the Glacier Streams are
located on the other side of the
dike? The town was called Ger
man Town, but was washed out
by the glacier streams. The dike
was built in 1913 and Robert
Macontash had the contract to
build the dike.
Did you know that the District
Court House used to be located
in Valdez? It was a large build
ing across the corner from where
the U. S. Marshal’s office now
stands. The Court House burned
down in 1941 and was rebuilt in
Anchorage.
When Valdez v,as first started
it was not to be a fishing center
but a trail to the Interior? Most
of the towns along the coast were
started because of the fishing in
dustry. The original use for Val
dez was a route to the gold fields.
Cordova was a route to the copper
mines.
2 ARC MEN SPEND
HOLIDAYS OUTSIDE
Members of the Alaska Road
Commission staff who have gone
Outside for the holidays are
Charles Abbott and Jack McAl
lister. Mr. Abbott, construction*
engineer of ARC, left Anchorage
last Sunday by plane on his way
to meet Mrs. Abbott and their
daughter, Neville, at Seattle. The
family plans to return here driv
ing over the Alaska highway in
the new car that the Abbott
ladies bought while they were
Outside on their extended visit.
They expect to return here the
first part of January.
Mr. McAllister, highway engi
neer for ARC, left Saturday, De
cember 16, for Lompoc, Calif.,
where he will visit his family.
He expects to return to the Val
ley the early part of February.
Coffey Insures Everything—
Remember?
$<«« <««<««««««■*
Cub Scout News
Toys and gifts for the children’s
homes and the Salvation Army
were packaged and wrapped at
the Cub Scout pack meeting held
Monday night at the school gym.
No formal program was carried
out this month, but instead the
boys sang their own selections of
Christmas carols. Some hand
craft was exhibited and Den 2
put on a short Christmas skit.
Cub Scouts Hamilton and Kin
dler received awards. Several of
the Cubs also received member
ship stars. These were earned by
being in the cubbing program
one year or better.
The next monthly pack meet
ing wnll be held January 29th.
There will be no den meetings
until next week.
CHARLES SCHAEFER
FAMILY WINS P-TA
CAROLING CONTEST
Approximately 100 members
and guests gathered at the school
gym Tuesday evening for the
P-TA Christmas program held at
the regular December meeting of
the P-TA. A family caroling con
test sponsored by the P-TA was
the highlight of the evening with
first prize going to the Charles
Schaefer family. The family en
tered the contest en toto, includ
ing Mr. and Mrs. Schaefer, Betty,
Helen, Patricia and young Char
ley. First prize was a twenty
pound turkey.
Other caroling farrmies to enter
the contest were Dr. and Mrs.
Arthur Colberg, and their chil
dren, Stephen and Carol; Mr. and
Mrs. Walter Huntley with their
children, Duane, Margie Lee and
Laddie and Mr. and Mrs. Paul
Martin with their two children,
Phoebe and David. Second, third
and fourth prizes of a gallon of
ice cream, a $3 party cake and a
box of potatoes were awarded to
the families in the order in which
they are named.
Teachers, acting as judges, were
also called to the stage in a group
to sing several of the Christmas
carols. The audience was warm
ly appreciative of the program
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<1
WHOLESALE GllsOIlS mA,L
VALDEZ, ALASKA
Meats — Groceries — Clothing — Hardware
Beer Wines
Building Materials
WEEKLY REFRIGERATED DEUVERY SERVICE
Central Alaska
> > > »->■>> > > > >->->->■> > >
> >•»»»->•»»**■>» >>>>>>:
1 and many expressed the hope
that the contest might be the be
ginning of an annual family
Christmas caroling event. Mrs.
Allan Mick was chairman of the
contest. James Hurley was mas
ter of ceremonies for the eve
ning.
Mrs. L M. Sandvik, president of
-'"fr: ■
the P-TA presided at the preced
ing meeting, which was opened
with an invocation by Ray
Cather.
Discussion included the contin
uation of a book of the month
club service through which books
are obtained for junior high
school grades
a
MERRILL MERCANTILE COMPANY
Valdez, Alaska
Aluminum Roofing Building Supplies
Celotex Glass
Sherwin-Williams Paints
Maytag and Westinghouse Appliances
Sporting Goods Toys Home Furnishings
VALDEZ BAKERY & CAFE
Jack Suttich, Prop.
Now Baking a Variety of Breads
Sweet Doughs Pastry
CAKES DECORATED TO ORDER FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
FOUNTAIN SERVICE
CANTEEN BAR & MAYME’S LIQUOR STORE
"The House of Hospitality"
Valdez, Alaska
Gateway to the Interior
Mayme Snyder and A. Jarvi, proprietors
CHITINA LIMOUSINE SERVICE
LEAVES PALMER FOR VALDEZ
10:45 a.m. each Monday (Leaves Anchorage al 9:15 a.m.)
RETURNS TO PALMER AND ANCHORAGE
8:30 aum. Tuesday
LEAVES PALMER FOR CHITINA
10:45 a.m. each Thursday (Leaves Anchorage al 9:15 a-m.)
RETURNS TO PALMER AND ANCHORAGE
8:30 a.m. Friday
Leaves Anchorage from 4th Ave. Travel Bureau,
(Fourth Avenue Theatre Bldg.)
Leaves Palmer from in front of Post Office
Leaves Valdez from Valdez Hotel
All Through One-Day Service — No Stop-Overs
Pinzon Bar
and
RECREATION PARLOR
Valdez
Serving the Best of Drinks
and Food
C. J. "Truck" Egan, proprietor