Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-20
Desertion Threatens as Work
Lays in ALASKAN Experiment
Tools Which We're to Haze Been Ready
for COIOnists Haze Not ArriUed, and
Only One House Has Been Started.

W HAUL JlLIlDCl Out VI IlAC HOVNAo gin
supplement the overtaxed trucks on |
other haulage, but no wagons have |
come The colonists finally borrowed |
six In the valley and that Is all they |
could get.
But among the things which have |
arrived are eight carloads of cement |
which won't be Used for months, re-
torts for a cannery whose site is
not even staked out, radiators for a
school house which still is Just a |
blueprint, and onion graders for a |
prospective marketing cooperative, |
although onions are just beginning to |
shoot sprouts through the fertile soil. |
Speaking Of soil, it was most dis |
heartening last week for IL coloniSts
to discover that, through error by sur
veyors, they had been allotted tracts
which were mostly gravel covered only
by moss, instead Of the rich earth they
so loudly lauded when they looked at |
it around Palmer. Irwin, who has |
stuck with the colonists through many |
annoying and unanticipated problems, |
Immediately ordered new tracts for the
unfortunate gravel pit owners" as
they designated themselves.
Once again fSticuffs have been re-
sorted to in the new colony, and this
time the results were serious.
The latest difficulties involving per-
sonalities occurred in camp 6, one Of
eight temporary home camps scattered
throughout the valley. The camp is
split wide into two factions, so bitter
toward each other that their members
refuse to work with opposing members.
Colonists Settle Differences.
What to do about saving logs caused
the trouble. A group. headed by Camp
Councilman George Corners from
Douglas County, Wis, wanted to go
into the woods and cut down logs for
their own houses and later get a saw
mill. Other groups wanted to join
camp 5 in operating a sawmill now
there.
Corners was voted out as council
man because of his views and replaced
by Ernest Porterfleld of Michigan.
After the meeting the men stood
around arguing until John Bradley Of
Douglas County told Al Covert of
Michigan to keep your mouth shut
so Corners can talk"
you keep your mouth shut"
Covert answered, "or I'll shut it for
you'll"
1t happens that Covert and Bradley
hold adjoining tracts, and Bradley
said, eff we're going to have an argu-
ment, let's settle it now"
They grappled and fell, with Brad
ley on top. The Bradley faction stood
at one side yelling: Let him have it,
Johnl Let him have it,"
And some one on the other side
answered, yeah, they're both 81; let
them CO."
Wife Goes to Rescue.
Mrs. Covert, in tears, jumped on
Bradley as he held her husband down,
but men in the crowd pulled her
away. Bradley said he wouldn't hit
a man while he was down, but he
kept Covert pinned down 50 long that |
the Michigan man finally suggested, |
why don't some one serve cake and
coffeel" And in a few minutes the
two agreed to shake hands.
Since then, however, the Corners |
faction, badly outnumbered by the |
Porterfeld faction, has refused to join |
in general colony Sawmill operations
in which all men colonists are divided |
into work crews according to what |
ever they're fitted for-and declare |
they will build their own houses.
They have asked for team and wagon |
with which to get out logs.
ST don't care If we get only q shack" |
Bradley said. 81 don't need a man |
sion this year anyway. The only
thing is that people back home think
We are working in harmony, and
wish we could"
Copyright. 1895. BY the North American |
Newspaper Alliance. Inc)
Arouses Little Sympathy. /
LANSING, Mich, June 20 R.-I
Complaints from Michigan farmers
pioneering at Palmer. Alaska, aroused
little sympathy at emergency welfare
headquarters today.
Roswell G. Carr, director Of rural
rehabilitation, who directed the enroll
ment and transfer Of the Michigan
contingent, said its members went |
into 1t with their eyes OPEN"
Carr said complaints were to be
expected as the pioneers were entering |
a new land and facing unavoidable
hardships. Those who complain be-
cause they are not given their food
and cIothinr. he explained. were told /
before they started that they would
be expected to buy them with Govern
ment loans.
Complaints about food prices, ne
said, we're understandable, since prices
In Alaska are high and farmers were