Junior Prom at Palmer
School Gymnasium on
October 7.
Knlley Mrontiergman
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
\L PAGES
10 TODAY
VOL. 4. NO. 4
PALMER. ALASKA. FRIDAY. OCTOBER 6. 1950
PRICE 10c
Housing's Short, High, Reclamation Workers Find
Rec Hall Is Fixed
As Polling Place
For Valley Voters
Valley voters in the Palmer
precinct will cast their ballots in
the general election at the Rec
Hall between the hours of eight
a.m. and eight p.m., on Tuesday,
Oct. 10, U. S. Commissioner Dor
othy Saxton reminded today.
The Palmer precinct is bound
ed by the Talkeetna moutains on
the north, by the Chugach moun
tains and Lake George on the east,
by Knik River on the south, and
by the Seward Meridian on the
west.
No registration is required to
vote in this election. A voter
must be a citizen, 21 years of age,
and have resided in the territory
for one year and in the precinct
for 30 days.
Voters living in the Jonesville
and Eska regions will vote at the
E.<=ka precinct. Polls will be in
the Eska postoffice, with voting
hours frm eight a.m. to eight p.m.
Absentee ballots may be se
cured from Mrs. Saxton. She re
ports that she already has re
ceived a number of requests for
them.
Candidates on Tuesday’s bal
lot will be as follows:
For delegate to Congress—
E. L. Bartlett (D); Aimer J.
Peterson (R).
For treasurer of Alaska —
Henry Roden (D).
For territorial commissioner
Ci labor—Henry A. Benson (R);
Ross E. Kimball (D).
For territorial senate—Gun
nard M. Engebreth (R); Z. J.
Loussac (D); Victor C. Rivers
(D); Gerrit "Heinie" Snider (R).
For territorial house of repre
sentatives—Chester C. Carlson
(D); Will H. Chase (R); Jack D.
Conright (D); William A. Egan
(D); Victor V. Gill (R); John
Gorsuch (R); Wendell P. Kay
(D); Stanley J. McCutcheon
(D); Lee L. McKinley (R);
Archie P. McLane (R); Thor
wald Osbo (R); C. A. Pollard
(D); Jack F. Scavenius (D); M.
D. Snodgrass (R).
Voters will cast a ballot for two
senators and for seven repre
sentatives.
« Lack of Longshoremen
Cause of Delayed
Shipments to Valley
A shortage of longshoremen in
Pacific coast ports is seriously
^hampering loading operations
and disrupting sailing schedules
of the Alaska Steamship Co., D.
E. Skinner, vice-president, an
nounced this week.
Mr. Skinn ir explained that
sailing schec lies could not be
accurately fh.ed, when the com
pany could rot be sure of the
number of longshoremen it would
receive on its gang orders.
“During a nine-day period,
alone, Sept. 18 to 26 inclusive, of
90 gangs ordered, we got 21—less
than one-fourth of those required
to properly service our opera
tions,” Skinner said. “That means
over four times the normal load
ing time and thousands of dollars
(Continv A on Back Page)
Guide Takes Governor of French-Occupied Germany
On 13-Day Hunt For Bear, Moose And Caribou
One of the finest hunters and
sportsmen I have ever hunted
with.”
That was the way H. DeBias
lanbert, governor of the French
occupied sector of Germany, ap
peared to his guide, Leo Lucas of
Palmer.
Mr. Lucas has just returned
from a 13-day hunt with the
Frenchman in the Lake Louise
and Skilak areas. Col. Bernt Bal
chen of the Army’s Tenth Rescue
Squadron also was a member of
the hunt party.
Governor DeBiaslanbert slipped
into the United States and Alaska
only for the purpose of adding
some of the territory’s big game
pelts and antlers to his trophy
room at home.
The hunt party went first to
Lake Louise, where the governor
stalked and shot a caribou.
From Lake Louise they went to
Skilak to establish camp. In that
area, they expected to shoot both
No Sign of Polio
In Valley, Doctor Says
"I have seen no cases of polio
in the Valley, nor have I seen
any suspicious symptoms," Dr.
C. C. Bailey soothed Valley
mothers today.
The physician added that the
territorial commissioner of
health. Dr. C. E. Albrecht, is
watching the polio situation
closely in areas adjacent to the
epidemic outbreaks. Dr. Al
brecht is expected in Palmer
this weekend, when he will be
checking the Valley situation
with local doctors.
"Valley folks may rest as
sured that every means avail
able will be utilized to curtail
the spread of the disease," Dr.
Bailey added.
moose and bear.
The Skilak hunt was success- j
ful, beyond even Mr. Lucas’ ex- .
pectations. It was spiced with an
element of danger, too, when the
party’s boat hit a submerged 1
rock in Skilak Lake and sank i
within 30 seconds. The party was ;
not far from land, however, and
the guide salvaged equipment, ,
camp gear and hunters. Aside j
from the icy ducking, neither
huntsmen nor equipment suf
fered.
At Skilak, Governor DeBias- ]
lanbert bagged a moose, two
black bears and a grizzly bear on
a clock-like schedule. The party :
established their camp three and .
a half miles from where the •
plane left them, on the day of
their arrival.
Next day, by seven o’clock in :
the morning, the visitor already I
had felled his black bear and by ;
one o’clock that afternoon, he 1
had bagged a grizzly.
HENNING BENSON
IS HEART VICTIM
Henning Benson, one of the ,
original colonists who came to
the Matanuska Valley 15 years ,
ago, died in Valley Hospital at
9:45 p.m. on Tuesday of this
week. Mr. Benson was the victim 1
of a heart attack.
The deceased was born Aug. .
23, 1904, at Superior, Wise. He J
is survived by his wife, a daugh- i
ter, Arlene, a brother, Hugo, and J
a sister, Esther. None of the rela- 1
tives, except Mrs. Benson and 1
A.rlene, live in Alaska.
Funeral services are scheduled ]
for two o’clock tomorrow after
noon. They will be conducted 1
from St. John’s Lutheran Church <
ioy Rev. Joseph Frenz. The body ‘
will lie in state at the church j
from one to two p.m. Burial will |
be in the Palmer Cemetery.
MERCHANTS, CIVILIAN DEFENSE COMMITTEE
URGE ALL FAMILIES TO STORE STAPLE FOODS
A committee of Valley mer
chants, among them Jan Koslosky,
Everett Yohn, Bob Johns and Art
Stacey, doubled the civilian de
fense committee’s recommenda
tion for food storage at a recent
meeting.
Earlier the committee had an
nounced its recommendation for a
two weeks’ supply of staples to
be kept on hand by all Valley
families, in order to be prepared
for any emergency. Local mer
chants made that recommenda
tion even stronger, urging that
the stored food be sufficient to
meet the family’s food require
ments for a 30-day period.
They estimated that they could
store, in business warehouse and
basements, an additional month
to six weeks’ supply of food,
thus assuring Palmer of a two
months’ supply of food, even if
transportation lines to supply
sources were cut.
The food stored should be
staple supplies which will not
spoil, the merchants recommend
ed. The committee is compiling
a specific list of food items, to be
ready for publication next week.
Articles on the list win mciuae
flour, sugar, coffee, shortening,
baking powder, beans, dried
fruits, canned milk and the like.
The grocers estimate that the
emergency ration shelf could be
stocked for a family of four at a
cost: of not more than $75.
The civilian defense committee
has further prepared for emer
gency by naming a rationing
board, which will act if the need
arises. Members of that board
include Hugh Johnson, Barbara
Smart and E. J. LeDuc.
The board will work in co-op
eration with all merchants. Mer
chants and committee members
together are ironing out details
of a workable plan. The food
storage plan and the rationing
board both are recommended
measures by merchants and com
mittee members alike.
In order to inform Valley folk
of the measures the defense com
mittee is planning, the group ex
pects to mimeograph a small
booklet of instruction, it was re
ported this week. The committee
hopes to have the booklet ready
(Continued on Back Page)
His one regret was that time
prevented a further jaunt in
search of a brown bear.
Mr. Lucas found the visitor a
horoughly accomplished hunter,
ntent on doing his own stalking
md making preparations for the
dll. The governor is a 12-year
veteran of African big game
lunts.
Personally, the guide found the
14-year-old Frenchman an in
ensely interesting individual.
‘He spoke beautiful Oxford Eng
ish and he was a wonderful
shot,” Lucas summarized.
He was a veteran of World War
I, in which his wife was a war
nctim.
The Governor expressed great
satisfaction with Alaska and its
lunting, and promised to be back
igain one day for the brown bear
;ime forced him to overlook on
his trip.
WASILLA WILL GET
DAILY MAIL SERVICE
DN NOVEMBER 7
Daily star route mail service to
Vasilla will replace the present
hree-a-week schedule on Nov. 1,
nailman G. A. Lindsey announced
his week.
At the same time, service will
)e inaugurated on the farm roads
south of Palmer. Mr. Lindsey out
ined the proposed route, to be an
;xtension to the to the Wasilla
oute, as follows:
Out to Springer Road, return
ng by the William Bouwens
arm, then past Ted Glenn’s farm,
jast the Liebing home, to Merle
Anderson’s and ending at Clair
stock’s corner.
Summer, Spring or Fall
1950's a Long, Dry Year
In Matanuska Valley
A bath-less October threat
ens for all Valley residents,
unless the long past-due fall
rains make their appearance
soon, Clayton Esslinger of the
Matanuska Valley Farmers’
Co-Operating Association said
today.
Water woes, reported ended
several weeks ago, really are
just beginning, Mr. Esslinger
said. Now that Co-Op water
lines have been mended and
all leaks sealed, there isn’t
enough water to run through
them.
“We’re catching all there is,
but there just isn’t much to be
caught,” the acting manager
explained.
Frank Clark of the Co-Op
maintenance crew visited the
source of supply this week,
and found the area very dry.
It all adds up to—yes- that’s
right—more shutoffs. A mid
night to six a.m. shutoff ef
fective throughout the entire
water area went into force at
midnight Wednesday. It will
continue until a more adequate
flow of water reaches the Co
Ops’ storage tanks.
LOCAL-ITES ACCUSED
OF PROFITEERING
AS RENTS ZOOM UP
The vanguard of Bureau of
Reclamation engineers and pro
fessional workers, who began ar
riving in Palmer this week, are
j facing an acute housing shortage
and skyrocketing rentals on those
quarters which are available.
Jack Maze told the Chamber of
Commerce at this week’s meet
ing.
Mr. Maze made a strenuous ap
peal for co-operation from all
Palmer residents and business
men, in an effort to curb the
profiteering trend which appar
ently threatens. He told of an in
stance in which he had been
promised a furnished house, for a
Reclamation family, at a figure
of $95 a month. Two days later,
when he returned to make final
arrangements, rental had jumped
to $125 a month and much of the
furniture had been removed.
With a payroll of more than a
million dollars a year to be spent
in Palmer, as the result of loca
tion of Eklutna headquarters
here, the banker warned local
residents must make every effort
to be cooperative. The selfishness
of a few still might result in the
location of those headquarters
elsewhere.
As the first of 15 families be
gan moving in this week, Mr.
Maze and J. L. Sullivan, also
working on the housing problem
of the Reclamation staff, had only
three homes to offer the new
comers. They must have another
12 housing units, either apart
ments or houses, to offer others
1 within the next week or two.
Mr. Maze emphasized the fact
that the newcomers are family
people, almost exclusively, who
I will be Palmer residents for at
least five years. Family size varies
from that of a man and wife only
to that of a man. and wife and
five children. They all must be
satisfactorily housed in Palmer
before mid-November.
It was asked that anyone with
quarters for rent, either apart
(Continued on Back Page)
PHILIP OLSON RITES
TO BE HELD SUNDAY
AT COMMUNITY HALL
WASILLA—Funeral services
for Philip Wayne Olson of Wasil
la will be conducted from Wasilla
Community Hall on Sunday, Oct.
8, at two p.m. Military services
at the Wasilla Cemetery will be
under the auspices of the veter
ans of Foreign Wars, of which he
was a member.
Mr. Olson, who was 23 years
old, died of a heart attack in
Chicago on Sept. 26. He is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Olson of
Wasilla. He was bom in Oyster
ville, Wash., on Oct. 10, 1926, and
moved to Alaska with his parents
in 1941.
He had attended the University
of Alaska for a year and the Uni
versity of New Mexico for two
years. He majored in fine arts.
Mr. Olson is survived by his
parents, by two sisters, Mrs. A. A.
(Gudrun) Brattain of Moose Pass
and Edith Diane Olson of Wasilla.
and a brother, Thomas Olson of
Fairbanks.