The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-05-16
MATAN(JSKANS.
LOOK TOWARD
FUTURE.
Bumper Crops Ahead Sec
ond Year; Still Contro-
versial Project
BY JACK ALTMAN
United Press Staff CORRESPONDENT

CUP New pioneers of Alask;
laboring through II hours OF
warm, sub-Arctic sunshine, seed
ing their second crops in the fer
tile earth of the Matanuska valley
look back on years progress.
Prospects for bumper crops are
good. by June 20 there will be
20 hours of sunshine and almost
no darkness daily, and growth will
be rapid.
/! But the end of its first veal
finds the MatanuSka valley expert.
mental agricultural, colony one OF
the controversial New Deal prof
Gets. Whether an average family
can succeed on 40 acres in rigor-
GUS land of small and scattered
markets remains to be determin-
ed.
One-fourth of the 200 families
which migrated north from Min
neSota, Michigan and Wisconsin
returned to their former homes.
! The government spent more than
10000 on the colony in year,
something over $4,000 per fam
lily. The new pioneers are SuppoS-
ed to repay $4,000 over period
Of 30 years, starting in 1888.
TRAVEL COST INCLUDED
Expenditures included costs Of
transportation, expenses of tran
sient workmen who aided the pio-
neerS, building of q community
center, houses, and barns. the pur-
chase of machinery and livestock.
The end of the first year finds
most of the remaining families
pleased with prospects, and will
ing to work to build homes in the
wilderness. :,
Comparatively little new land
was cleared the first year, as col
onists were concerned principally
with building houses and roads.
But by next falls freeze. aided by
Is large Diesel tractors and ~
horses, they expect to have 500
acres more ready for cultivation.
Most of the valley is covered
with small timber, but grubbing is
comparatively easy. Few trees are
more than q foot in diameter, and
few have roots extending more
than foot deep. Some colonists
sold felled trees for mine timbers,
and others cut them into wood. "
The Alaska Rural Rehabilitation
commission, which administers
colony affairs, will cultivate 500
acres of land this year, raising
feed for livestock and vegetables
for colonists until each family can
support itself.
MANY APPLY FOR LAND
The commission has received
more than 5000 applications from
families in states wishing to JOIN
the colony. Vacancies will be fill
ed, to bring the families up to the
original quota of 200, Manager
Ross l.. Sheely reported, but more
care will be taken in selection this
time.
Nine families which moved to
the. valley without government as
sistance were permitted to JON.
Others will be brought from the
states. 49,. 49,.
There were many controversies,
several Investigations and changes
in administration during the first
year, before establishing the pres
ent fairly-smooth-worHing 'setup,
under the territorial government.
Each family now enjoys, greater
physical comfort than it exper-'
fenced in the drouth and depres-
sion-swept middle west during the
past several years. All families
have comfortable houses, some
made of peeled logs and some OF
frame construction. Each has
good furniture, including a range,
radio, sewing machine and gaso-
line washer. The winter was long
er but no colder than in the mid
west.
COLoNISTS GET COWS.
There are 1876 cows in the col
ony. Each colonist wanting cow
received one from the herd ship
ned from the states. Several faml,-
lies turned back their cows, and
some now have three or four each.
Principal crops planted this year
are wheat. barley, oats, peas,
vetch, cabbage potatoes and root
vegetables. Last year wheat on
one farm averaged 43 bushels to
the acre. Many cOlonists have
started patches Of Strawberries,
which thrive in the long hours OF
sunshine. = ri .-'.s,.. ;. -.
The town of Palmer grew from
q railroad sidetrack to the COM
munity center of the valley. Chill
dren of the colony now study in
| one of the finest school buildings
| in Alaska. The government also
built a power plant, garage, trad
ing post, postoffice, community
hall. and hospital.
The year saw birth of 25 babies
to colony families, but it held its
tragedies as well. A fire started
by exploding gasoline destroyed
the home of George Emberg, from
st. Louis county, MIMI, Nov. so.
| Mrs. Emberg and, her small daugh-
| ter, Dixie, s, died Of burns. Three
other children died from diseases.