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PUBLISH CD IN THE INTEREST* OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
4 7 PAGES
I L TODAY
VOLUME S NUMBER II
PALMER. ALASKA. WEDNESDAY. NOV. 21. ItSl.
PRICE. TEN CENTS
CHUGIAK SCHOOL CHILD KILLED BY TRUCK
GAS FLAME IGNITES ,
NEW INTEREST IN
HOUSTON COAL MINE l
Interest in the Houston coal
mine area spurted up this month
with a flame touched off from ;
the bubbles in artesian watf"- ;
struck about 150 feet below sea
level during Bureau of Mines !
drilling operations there.
The flame indicated dramatic
ally the presence of gas and im
mediately touched off a flurry of
activity in filing gas and oil
leases in the area. With winter ;!
closing in suddenly on the drill
ing operations, however, interest >
was due for a cooling off until |j
next summer’s investigations can :
establish more definitely the hid- !;
den secrets of that underworld ;
area. !;
Jhe Houston coal mines are lo- ;!
eated about twro miles above the j
bridge v. here the Alaska Railroad ;
crosses the Little Susitna River. ;
This is about 20 miles up the rail- ;
road from Wasilla. There from a ;
strip pit about one-half mile long ;
on the north side of the track, the j|
Duck Flat Mining Company has ;
been taking out about 300 tons ;
of coal per day in season. The \
mining operations are seasonal ;
because they are outside ones ;
from two surface beds located !
side by side. !;
The Bureau of Mines was in- !;
terested in learning whether or
not thei’e are any lower beds that j;
(Continued on Page 4)
President's Proclamation
THANKSGIVING DAY. NOVEMBER 22, 1951
•'More than three centuries ago the Pilgrim fathers
deemed it fitting to pause in their autumn labors and to
give thanks to Almighty God for the abundant yield of
the soil of their new homeland. In keeping with that
custom, hallowed by generations of observance, our
hearts impel us. once again in this autumnal season, to
turn in humble gratitude to the Giver of our bounties.
“We are profoundly grateful for the blessings be
stowed upon us: the preservation of our freedom, so
dearly bought and so highly prized; our opportunities
for human welfare and happiness, so limitless in their
scope; our material prosperity, so far surpassing that of
earlier years; and our private spiritual blessings, so
deeply cherished by all. For these we offer fervant
thanks to God.
“With the cooperation of our allies we are striving to
attain a permanent peace, and to assure success in
achieving that coveted goal we reverently place our
faith in the Almighty.
“NOW, THEREFORE, I, HARRY S. TRUMAN, Presi
dent of the United States of America, according to our
treasured tradition, and in conformity with the ioint
resolution of Congress approved on December 26, 1941.
designating the fourth Thursday of November in each
year as Thanksgiving Day, do hereby proclaim Thurs
day, November 22, 1951, as a day of national thanks
giving. Let us all on that day, in our homes and in our
places of worship, individually and in groups, render
homage to Almighty God. Let us recall the words of
the Psalmist, “O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is
good: for His mercy endureth forever.” Let us also,
on the appointed day, seek divine aid in the quest for
peace.”
First Thanksgiving in Matanuska
Valley Recalled by Pioneer Families
Newly arrived persons observ
ing their first Thanksgiving in
Alaska this week found stores
abounding with local and shipped
in delicacies traditional for the
Thanksgiving fare all over the
country. What isn’t grown here
in Alaska—and there’s little that
isn’t—is shipped in by plane.
Thanksgiving, 1924
Although Thanksgiving in the
Matanuska Valley was not always
so bountiful, old timers of the
20’s and 30’s still had a lot to be
thankful for, according to remem
brances recorded by some of
them still living here. Thanks
giving, 1924, was their first in the
Matanuska Valley for the M. D.
Snodgrass family. It wasn’t their
first in Alaska, however, because
M. D. and his wife spent their
first one at Kodiak in 1907. There'
wasn’t much to the family in
<those days—just the parents. In
1924 the whole family was living
at the Matanuska Experiment
Station in what is still known as
the Central Cottage. Besides M.
D. and his wife, there were Ro
land, Bill, Agnes (now Mrs. John
Reed), Margaret (now Mrs. Ray
McCartney), and Mary (now Mrs.
Harold Hale). Bill is nov,' a Lieu
tenant Colonel In the Air Corps
Veterinary Command attached to
Uffett Field near Omaha, Neb
raska. The others are still here
for Thanksgiving, 1951.
Mrs. Snodgrass taught school in
Matanuska that first year in the
Valley. The addition of her four
elementary school-age children
had made the school a feasible
operation. Roland had to go to
Anchorage for high school, but
he didn’t like living away from
the family. The next year, with
Bill also in high school, Mrs.
Snodgrass maintained a home for
the children in Anchorage dur
ing the school year so that they
could be together.
The Thanksgiving dinner in
1924 was nothing fancy, as Mrs.
Snodgrass recalls it. Most of the
fare was Alaska-grown and pre
served. They didn’t have turkey,
but they did keep chickens; and
that’s what they had for Thanks
giving. There were also low bush
cranberries from the profuse
patch in the woods below the
bench.
(Continued on Page 4)
DR. SMITH EXPLAINS
HEALTH DISTRICT
PLAN FOR VALLEY
Possibility of a health district
in the Matanuska Valley to in
clude the city of Palmer, the Pal
mer school district (both incor
porated), and the Wasilla School
district was expressed Friday
night by Dr. Robert L. Smith,
■ assistant commissioner of health,
at a meeting sponsored by the
1 Matanuska Valley Health Coun
cil.
He also included the Chugiak
School District in his original list,
but there was some feeling among
those present that this district is
closer to Anchirage and should
be included in that health district
if one is organized.
In outlining the desirability for
the formation of health district,
Dr Smith pointed to the lack of
political organization between the
boundaries of incorporated cities
and the Territory. In Alaska, we
have no counterpart of the county
organization found in the states.
Health needs do not stop at city
limits; they apply to the larger,
surrounding community as well.
Frequently, Dr. Smith said, incor
(Continued on Page 12)
JONESV/LLE FIRE
HELD TO SMALL LOSS
THRU MINERS' ACTION
Fire at the Evan-Jones Coal
Mine Tuesday. November 20. was
confined to one building' thru
the prompt and efficient work
done by all mine workers, Ron
Malcolm stated this morning.
The fire was discovered at ap
proximately four o’clock in the
afternoon, but before it could be
brought under control a 30’xl20
building was completely de
stroyed. A separate unit used for
housing two vehicles was also de
stroyed.
Equipment lost during the fire
included five trucks, one with a
welder mounted; one cleat-truck,
one Caterpillar D-6 Dozer, and all
mechanic tools; plus between
$600-$800 worth of tires, iron
chains used in the washing plant,
and other miscellaneous parts.
Mr. Malcolm was unable to es
timate the total damage at this
time.
CHAMBER COMMITTEE
TO PLAN CHRISTMAS
DECORATION CONTEST
A Chamber of Commerce com
mittee consisting of Jim Hurley,
A1 Hagen, Jack Maze, and O. K.
Kincaid will meet Saturday
morning at 9:30, in the Rec hall
to formulate plans, rules and priz
es for a Christmas Decoration
Contest.
Full particulars will be dis
closed soon in your Valley Fron
tiersman.
SISTER HURT ALSO
CROSSING ICY ROAD
FROM SCHOOL BUS
Seven-year-old Sherry Johnson
was killed and her sister Gale,
axe 9. was injured in an accident
that occurred at Mile 1 li*s, Chu
eiak at approximately 4 35 p.rn.
Monday. November 19.
The little girls, daughters of
Mr. and Mrs. Henning Johnson
had alighted from a Christensen
school bus and were running
across the icy road when struck
by an International KB 7 van
truck, owned by Carl H. Meier,
and operated by Andrew Patton
Callison, 23, of Palmer.
The bus driver. James G.
Parks of Chugiak, had discharged
the two girls and started up the
grade toward Anchorage when
the truck, headed toward Palmer,
came along. Witnesses stated the
truck was not traveling at an ex
cessive rate of speed. Due to a
car parked close to the highway,
Callison was unable to pull off
to the side when he sighted the
girls in the road. Instead, he hit
the car and skidded; Gale was
struck by the rear of the truck
and knocked to the ground. The
truck, skidding on the icy pave
ment, then swerved and hit Sher
•y v.ith the left front fender,
throwing her to the pavement
md causing instantaneous death.
Callison stated that he did not
see the girls until he saw a hand
go up. The Highway Patrol, in
explaining reactionary move
(Continued on Page 4)
Thanks a Lot, Folks! it's Over the
Top for Our Community Chest Drive
Kenai Town site Lots
To Be Offered at
Public Auction
Lowell M. Puckett of the
Bureau of Land Management
announced Monday an auction
of townsite lots in the East
Addition, Kenai, to be held
at 1 p.m. Friday, December 7,
in the Kenai Community
building.
The public auction of 37
lots will be conducted by Vic
tor Fischer, BLM townsite
planner. The lots are unoccu
pied ones in the vicinity of the
new Kenai school. A sale of
occupied lots will be held at
a later date.
Starting bids on the 87 lots
range from $40 to $200. Full
payment may be made at the
time of sale or purchasers may
pay one-third down and the
balance within 10 days.
With the receipt of $116 from
the Jones ville area, the local
Community Chest drive was over
the top this week with $3,059.86
in cash and signed pledges.
Meeting Tuesday night, the
Community Chest Board ex
pressed appreciation of the sup
port given to the chest drive.
Special credit was given to the
district supervisors and their cap
tains who worked hard to reach
their goal.
Supervisors for the drive were
Mrs. A1 Brooks, Mrs. Curtis Dear
born, Mrs. Charles Schaefer, the
Matanuska Valley Nurses Assn.,
Mrs. Frank Trainer, Mrs. Tom
Day, Mrs. Jessie DeVries, Mrs.
A1 Brager, and Mrs. Jim Hurley.
Joi^sville and Sutton areas were
covered by Mrs. Harvey Hiber
and Mrs. Don W. Boulter.
Jonesville collections were late
because Mrs. Hiber was Outside
during the drive, and was delayed
by illness after her return.
Community Chest Drive chair
man Emil Ganschow proudly ob
served today that this is the first
time the chest has achieved its
goal.