Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-15
COLON|STS FACING
ALASKAN WINTER
Administrator Expected to
Call for Volunteers to
Continue Construction.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
PALMER, Alaska, August is (N.A.
NA.).-With frost already having
touched the Matanuska Valley and
snow fringing mountain horizons,
colonists and construction men are
preparing to hole in for the Winter.
While any announcement may be
withheld for a month, it is probable
that Col. Hunt, administrator, will
call for volunteers among transients
to remain for what construction can
be done after heavy SHOWS. Most
transients signed up only until Octo-
Der 81. In days when shortsighted
figuring failed to show through the
optimism of the history makers"
some construction officials even talked
of getting out by october Is,
The Winter construction camp likely
will consist of tents lined with wall
board and heated by two stoves.
Workers would keep plugging away
on the community center and might
occasionally help colonists unable to
do inside cottage finishing.
Already a months emergency sup
ply of food has been ordered for the
colonists to guard against any pro-
longed isolation from the States by
extremely severe weather. This is to
be in addition to a months supply
regularly stocked in the commiSsary.
In addition, the colonists have been
putting in orders for Winter clothing.
They are buying this on credit
through the corporation. When they
left home they had expected to get a
complete clothing supply for year
from their home State. Now word
comes that Minnesota has supplied
all the clothing it intends to, Wiscon-
sin is unheard from, and Michigan
indefinite but willing to do the right
thing" according to Director Don
Irwin.
Rather than take chances on not
getting clothing, the colonistS have
been told to place individual orders
with the expectation that they'll pay
for what they get as they have been
coing-but not without complaints.
Complaints also keep bobbing up on
equipment for houses. Fifty hand
operated washing machines arrived
hut several settlers are refusing to
take them, asserting they should get
gasoline motivated machines. Since
those, too, come on credit, they choose
to ignore the fact that the hand ma
chimes cost SIG while the gasoline
type cost $50.
Irwin, who at the outset let the
colonists get away with any number
of demands on him, has been sympa-
thetic to their kicks and has said he
would try to get the machines they
want. This kind catering to whims,
even though they be contrary to the
original plans for the colony, has
caused certain pioneers to become
high-handed in their demands.
The Washington family budget calls
for S285 worth of furniture for homes,
exclusive of washing machines, radios
and stoves, which are optional.
While most colonists stayed under the
figure, some turned in furniture lists
approaching $1,000. Some who have
asked for pianos said they wouldn't
take second hand ones even if they
were in good condition.
Its damned funny stuff" crisply
commented Colonist Ballard Dean of
Fence, Wis "a lot of 'em are order
ing things they never had before, no
more than their parents or grand
parents had"
(Copyrieht 1895 by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. 1nc)