The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-29
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
$50 PIONEERS
START Trek TO
ALASKAN FARMS
Farmers From Drought
Area Given Grub Stake
by u. S.
By United Press

By United Press
SAN FRANCISCO, April 90
Drawn from the drought-blackened
acres of the Dakotas and Minnesota,
$50 twentieth century pioneers sped
toward San Francisco today to be-
gin their northward trek to colonize
fertile Alaskan valley.
Their covered wagon was g. spe-
cial train Of 81 cars, their route the
one the Argonauts of 1849 had fol-
lowed across the trackless plains and
the lofty Sierras.
History makers themselves, the
group whom the Federal government
seeks to rehabilitate on homestead
tracts in the Matanuska Valley,
looked out from their train windows
on the overland trail where men
and cattle had persisted in the race
toward California and its gold; on
the trimmed Bonner Valley
where more than a score persisted
in the severe Sierra winter.
Selected for their hardihood, for
their pioneer background, and for
their knowledge Of farming, the
settlers faced a f1ve-year fight to
tame an Alaskan wilderness before
their work will begin to show profits.
Given 4O-Acre Tract
Within five years, government ex-
pertS estimate, the ground they
clear in a valley IS miles north
of Anchorage, on the southwestern
coast of Alaska will be producing
potatoes, cabbage, hay, wheat and
root crops, and will be feeding suff1-
cient cattle to supply that section
of Uncle Sans farthest northern
territory with butter and milk.
Each family-there are SO in the
first group and $50 in all-will be
given a 40-acre tract and a $4,000
grubstake. The money is repayable
in 20 years at per cent interest.
But nothing need be paid back for
five years, while the pioneers are
establishing themselves in a valley
where at this time of the year the
days are Is hours long.
Where they are going there are
no electric lights, no paved high
ways, no moving picture theaters-
none of the modern comforts to
which most Americans are accus-
toned. They will build their own
small wooden cabins-a living room,
a combined dining room and kitchen,
as many bedrooms as the size of the
family requires and an indoor toilet.
There will be no bath tubs. Water
will be piped from wells.
10th State Visioned
1--WE know what we're up against"
said one sturdy Midwestern farmer
in the group. Were going on to
that new land to make our own
homes and run our own schools.
We're going to make Alaska the
new nation in the union, the forty
ninth state"
In the baggage car, crowded with
the meagre personal belongings CT
the colonists, are six dogs, who "just
couldn't be left behind"
With their masters and the other
settlers, the dogs will board the
Army transport ST. Mihiel Wednes-
day and embark for the valley which
lies south Of the Talkeetna Noun
tains, west and north of the Chu-
zach range and east of the plains
of the Susitana River.
Before the colOniSts depart, they
will be entertained for two days
by the city of San Francisco.
Sailing to Be Broadcast
An official reception committee,
with Mayor Angelo Rossi at its
head, will greet the pioneers train
when it arrives here this afternoon.
Municipal trolley cars will carry the
families to their hotels, from which,
after brief rest, they will be taken
on trolley tour of the city.
Tomorrow and Wednesday they
will be taken on theater parties.
They will see the Golden Gate,
Chinatown and Telegraph Hill. from
which the first settlers watched for
the arrival and departure of the
ships which brought the miners in
and took the gold out.
Their sailing Wednesday will be
the occasion of nation wide broad
cast. Bands will play, flags will fly,
and thousands will cheer the pion-
GERS of 1885 at the start of their
great adventure, the tanning of an
] Alaskan wilderness.