Anchorage Elks • Hotel
basketball game Mon
day night at gym.
Falley F IArontiergmUn
PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
Palmer* Anchorage
Railbeli conference
game, gym, Saturday
night.
VOL. 4. NO. 20
PALMER, ALASKA, FRIDAY. JANUARY 26. 1951
PRICE 10c
$2 Day Pay Raise Received at Evan Jones Mine
Valley Lashed Four
Days by Raging Winds;
Many Are Snowbound
The subject of most interest
here this week was the big wind
which lashed the Valley for four
days, reaching its peak on Tues
day when many old-timers said
that it was the worst they had
ever experienced here. Damage
for the Valley was surprisingly
* small during the four-day gale
with gusts reaching hurricane
proportions of 95 miles per hour,
according to several reports. Snow
drifts were the cause of most of
the delay and damage. Farmers
were unable to get to Palmer with
their milk, school was closed and
Alaska Road Commission snow
plows were reported to be snow
bound.
„ Telephone lines and power lines
were down. Mrs. Ruth Pierson,
manager of Matanuska Electric
Association, said that in order to
get through to make repairs to
the lines, the MEA had to use
George Small’s weasel as the
snow plows were unable to keep
the fast-drifting roads open.
The most trouble was experi
enced by MEA on the King’s lake
line with the entire “C” line, as
MEA calls it, out from Wasilla
road to Four Corners on to King’s
lake. On Wednesday the Experi
ment Station called MEA office
to report that they had been out
of lights since Tuesday morning,
but had been unable to get
through on the telephone.
Clifton Grover, one of Co-Op’s
biggest milk producers whose
farm is south of town, hauled his
milk in by a horse-drawn sleigh.
On Tuesday, Superintendent
William Zahradnicek dismissed
school as only a few students had
been able to get to school. On
Wednesday, school was again dis
misssed as the school busses were
unable to get through the drifted
roads.
The U. S. Commissioner’s office
was closed Tuesday and Wednes
day. On Tuesday, Mrs. Dorothy
Saxton set out on foot in an ef
fort to get here but after being
blown down several times gave
up and returned to her home.
A big plate glass window in the
Hotel Coffee shop was also blown
out by the wind on Tuesday. No
one was injured when the big
glass in the front of the shop
^ave way 'and fell to the pave
ment.
Old-timers here affirmed this
week that the Valley is “in for
two more big blows” before the
winter is over.
Hospital Operating
A Well-Staffed Level
With the arrival of a new mem
ber of the staff last week end the
Valley hospital now has five
nurses and is operating at what
is considered a well-staffed level
! for the local hospital, it was an
nounced today. The new mem
ber of the nursing staff is Mrs.
Hazel Brown who came to the
* Valley from Anchorage last Sat
urday. The hospital plans no cur
tailment of service, according to
the announcement.
ALL LOCAL TALENT
URGED TO AUDITION
FOR KIWANIS SHOW
Plans for the second annual Ki
wanis Minstrel show tentatively
set for April are now shaping up
and auditions will probably start
next week, Joe Hudock, producer
of the show, announced today.
Roles in the show will not be lim
ited to Kiwanians, Producer Hu
dock said, in urging all local talent
to try out for parts in the min
strel show that he expects to even
j top last year’s success. Anyone
who has friends that can sing or
dance are also requested to urge
them to try-out, Mr. Hudock said
in explaining that many people
who are well qualified for parts
are reticent about coming forward
for auditions.
Music for the show ig now on
order from New York and should
be arriving here next week, Mr.
Hudock said.
Other projects planned by the
Palmer Kiwanis Club include a
basketball tournament to be spon
sored by the club here and which
has been tentatively set for the
early part of March. Emil Gan
show, chairman, reported on plans
for the tournament at the regular
Kiwanis meeting held Monday
noon at the Rec hall. Dr. F. Sims,
chairman of concessions at school
basketball games also reported
on that activity.
President Hugh A. Johnson
again called member’s attention
to new meeting dates which will
start in February. Evening meet
ings will be held on the second
and fourth Mondays with dinner
to be served at 6 p.m. Regular
noon luncheon meetings will be
held on the first and third Mon
days.
The attendance committee, com
prised of William Zahradnicek,
Tom Day, and George Whetstone
were directed to devise ways and
means of improving attendance at
the meetings.
Other business discussed in
I eluded approval of a Kiwanis ad
vertisement to appear in a Cham
ber of Commerce pamphlet on the
Valley now being prepared for
publication.
ROLAND SNODGRASS
BACK IN PALMER
AFTER HEARING
Roland Snodgrass, secretary of
the Palmer Airport Association,
who was called to Washington,
D. C., to attend a Senate investi
gation on the “Palmer Airport
deal” has returned to Palmer. Mr.
Snodgrass arrived here at noon
yesterday.
According to press reports the
investigation was indefinitely re
cessed last Friday. Stanley Mc
Cutcheon, territorial legislator
and attorney for the Territorial
Aeronautical Commission, also a
witness at the hearing, made the
assertion that the Statehood ques
tion was involved in the Palmer
investigation.
McCutcheon denied that there
was any intent to defraud the
government and asserted that the
CAA knew what was being done
[ “every step of the way.”
The Senate investigation was
called by Senator Clyde H. Hoey,
known as a bitter opponent of
[Alaska statehood.
New School of Mines at University
To Be Erected at Cost of $500,000
A half-million dollar School of
Mines building will be erected on
the campus of the University of
Alaska during the 1951 construc
tion season. This new steel and
concrete building, somewhat sim
ilar in size and appearance at
Eielson Memorial Hall, was au
thorized by the Board of Regents,
at its recent meeting.
“The University of Alaska has,
for years, had a reputation for
outstanding instruction in min
ing,” said Andrew Nerland, presi
dent of the Board of Regents.
“Therefore, we unanimously de
cided to authorize this new con
struction so that all students com
ing here for a mining education
would have the best facilities and
plant equipment that money could
buy. Strategical and industrial
mining will play an ever-increas
ing role in Alaska in the years
ahead. We want the University
to lead the way in this field.”
The new School of Mines build
ing will be constructed east of the
power plant, and will be two
stories and basement or three
stories and basement, depending
upon costs. Bids will be called
ing for once, and the contract will
be let in March.
As a second major item of busi
ness, the Board of Hegents author
ized summer school for the 1951
season. The Board based its ap
proved on the successful session
held during the summer of 1950,
and the definite need for summer
instruction in Alaska. Professor
William Cashen, head of the
mathematics department and
dean of men, who directed sum
mer school last season, will hold
the same post this year.
The board reviewed the subject
of making the University of Alas
(Continued on Back Page)
Heavy Damage Caused
By Lighted Cigarette
In Local Hotel Fire
The Fire Association answered
two calls last week end when a
fire broke out in one of the rooms
of the Matanuska Hotel and a
log cabin burned to the ground.
The fire at the hotel occurred
between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Sunday
morning when a mattress became
ignited from a cigarette. Damage
was estimated between $600 to
$800. Efforts to throw the burn
ing mattress from the building
were stymied because of the rag
ing winds that lashed the Valley
over the week end. Firemen had
to carry the mattress to the front
door of the hotel before it could
be successfully got out of the
building.
The one-room log cabin that
burned to the ground was one oc
cupied by a son of Mr. and Mrs.
Louis Loberg. Furnishings, books
and clothing were all lost in the
flames. The only thing young
Loberg managed to save from the
fire, which occurred about 8:30
Saturday evening, was an accor
dion.
I. Paul Cronin, getting ready to
go Outside, was packing when his
kitchen stove blew up. The house
did not catch on fire but soot
caused considerable damage.
C of C ‘Buy in Palmer’
Campaign to Get Under
Way Here in February
j Plans for the “Buy in Palmer”
campaign sponsored by the Cham
: ber of Commerce which will re
ceive special emphasis during the
month of February, got under
way this week with the meeting
of the committee held Wednesday
night.
The purpose of the campaign is
to acquaint the community with
the more than 79 businesses con
ducted here in Palmer in addi
tion to keeping Palmer dollars
circulating in Palmer. Commit
tee members pointed out that
many needed civic improvements
can be made as well as more em
gloyment offered and a generally
etter all-round condition can be
brought about by concentrating
Palmer dollars in Palmer.
“If all the purchasing power
that is in Palmer remained in
Palmer, it would be a wealthy
little town” was the comment of
one committee member.
Discussion at the Wednesday
meeting included the following
points:
1. All merchants and business
men of Palmer will be urged to
participate in the campaign.
2. Special emphasis will be
placed on what can be offered
the consumer and consumer bene
fits.
3. Special emphasis to be placed
on the month of February for the
campaign.
4. Weekly specials to be offered
by merchants to consumers.
5. Valuable prizes to be offered
to the consumers by merchants
and businessmen for the last
week in February.
The committee, comprised of
Opal Lu Smith, Jack Maze, Ed
Johns, Carl Rasmussen, will
submit a report at the Cham
ber of Commerce meeting Wed
nesday, February 7. All merchants
are urged to give the project
thought in cooperating .with the
Chamber to make the project a
success.
Eklutna Project Asks
For Bids on Drilling
Well; New Warehouse
Invitations to bid on drilling a
well for water supply and erect
ing a warehouse at the Eklutna
Project camp were issued this
week by the Bureau of Reclama
tion.
Sealed bids will be received at
Palmer on February 20 for the
well drilling and on February 27
for the erection of the warehouse.
The water-supply well will be
drilled at the Eklutna project
camp, approximately 15 miles
south of Palmer. The warehouse
will be located right at the power
house site.
Further information on either
of the bids may be obtained at
the Eklutna project office in the
new American Legion building
located across from the Matanus
ka hotel.
President of Workers
Union Here Carries on
Negotiations by Wire
An increase in wages of $2 per
day for workers at Jonesville was
announced yesterday by H. J.
Holdersfield, president of Local
7901 of the United Mine Workers
of America at the Evan Jones
coal mine.
The wage increase will affect
approximately 125 workers at the
mine, Mr. Holdersfield said. It
will be effective as of February 1,
he explained.
Negotiations for the raise were
carried on by wire with Harry
Hill, owner of the mine, who is
now at Portland, Ore. Mr. Hold
ersfield announced that he sent
a wire to Mr. Hill yesterday
morning stating that the wage in
crease of $2 had been accepted by
the workers at Jonesville.
The president of the local ex
plained that the negotiations were
in line with a 15-month no-strike
agreement recently negotiated
Outside. He added that the in
crease would amount to approxi
mately $23 per week for seven
days’ work.
John L. Lewis and representa
tives of virtually all the soft coal
mines signed an agreement call
ing for a $1.60 daily wage increase
January 18, which is also effective
February 1.
Lewis told a news conference
that “the country is now free
from any thought of a so-called
coal crisis for an indefinite period
of time.” He added, however,
that that did not mean a “no
strike pledge.”
PROFESSIONAL.
AMATEUR ARTISTS
TO ENTER EXHIBITS
Cash prizes totaling $200 will
be awarded to winners of the
Fur Rendezvous art exhibit,
which is sponsored this year by
the Anchorage Chapter of the
Business and Professional Wom
en’s Club.
Three classes of entries may be
submitted to include school, ama
teur and professional. Exhibits
will be classified as to media,
with divisions in pencil, pen and
ink, pastels, watercolors, tempera
and oil.
The Fur Rendezvous of 1950
was the first time such an exhibit
was made and it proved to be so
satisfactory that the BPW is spon
soring it this year to encourage
its growth and development as
the Rendezvous grows each year,
members of the rendezvous com
mittee said in making the an
nouncement.
The exhibit is being conducted
by the vocation and education
committee of the BPW under the
chairmanship of Mrs. Lola Mal
lory.
A public ballot will be conduct
ed during the Fur Rendezvous to
determine the general appeal of
the exhibits. A grand prize, cash
award, will be given to the single
picture that polls the highest
number of votes. Exhibits will
not be accepted for entry after
midnight February 17, 1951. Fur
ther information may be obtained
by writing the BPW at Box 1606,
Anchorage.