The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-02-03


portunity, some grasping at ever
opportunity regardless of how
might be affecting their neighbors
some so Indifferent to their op
portunities and family needs as t,
make one wonder why they ar
like that. -@
So many people have asked "Hav,
the colonists an opportunity t,
make a comfortable living? Cal
they raise anything in that COLI
climate? Have they a market 70,
their produce? Where can they sci
it, and to whom? Is it true tina
the potatoes and other vegetable.
will water and will not keep?
| In answering these questions, Il
would seem that the people who
have asked the questions have plac.
ed heavy emphasis upon the dol
lars and cents angle to the topic
comparing the Palmer project to 9
local one. In taking local COM
munity at large we see some of its
members going over the top, as il
were, aggressive, taking advantage
of marketing conditions, looking
ahead, working early and late, pre-
pairing what they have to sell into q
better article which will demand q
better price on the open market, be
it radishes, carrots, potatoes, hay,
automobiles, insurance, equipment
or what have you.
The same applies to the commun-
ity at Palmer, Alaska. There op-
portunity lies in the amount of in
telligent work, courage, and fore
sightedness they put into it. II
they try hard, they will make q
comfortable living. Many people
believe Alaska land Of perpetual
ice, snow and mosquitoes. Not so.
The perpetual part, anyway.
The soil fertility and rapid growth
OF vegetables is truly remarkable.
Planting time starts late in the
spring around May IS. But gar
den seed, when planted under or
binary conditions often will have
terminated and attained a growth
of three-fourths of an inch in u
hours. Garden peas will often grow
to a size of half an inch in diameter
and yet be as tender as our own To-
cal first quality. Potatoes are of an
excellent quality and good keepers.
Twenty and 25-pound turnips and
MANAGES are quite common. AS
for the marketing end Of the sub
ject: The government is attempt
ing and going ahead with the idea
Of the colony as whole to mar
ket their produce comparatively and
buy comparatively.
In fact the whole project is to be
cooperative. This is the dream Of
the management.
AS soon as the colonists are cap
able, physically and financially to !
assume the management of the CO.
op, the government controlled cor
poration will fade out of the picture. |
At present the colonists brings in |
what he has to sell to the coop |
and cold storage where it
Is checked over for grade and class
lfication. Then it Is trucked 81
miles to Anchorage, where it is
then redistributed by mail to the
towns and mines on the railroad.
Some produce is shipped by boat
rom Seward (southern terminus
If the railroad) to Cordova, Valdez
md other costal towns and can
leries. Some produce is shipped
~ plane to outlying villages and
mines. Planes are used very ex-
ensively In Alaska for freight and
passenger transportation. Airplane
transportation in Alaska as com.
jared with the States Is on q ratio
# 70 to 1. |,
Several colonists have gone in for
poultry and eggs. One colonist owns
500 White Leghorns. Some have
airy cows. The eggs and the cream
re sold through the coop creamery,
he cream made into butter and the
ggs candled and graded, No. ex-
"a large receiving a premium Of
en- cents per dozen over those Ship
ed in from the Outside"
Two colonists have gone in for
aising of mink, one Of them doing
cry well. The first year he had
ne corporation buy him three fe-
lales and one male. Last year he q
aised and matured II young ones. 6
his year he has So live, matured I
link. He also pelted 20 at an av- e
rage of $35 per pelt. If he keeps
p his average he will soon be lin
lie money"
Wild cranberries, both high and
w bush, raspberries, currants and
lack berries grow wild everywhere \
| the hills. Moose and bear, black e
nd Zodiac, are quite numerous.
round 70 head Of moose were kill v
! by colonists and others last sea-
m. In 1885 a rather amusing yeti
agic incident happened to a new
ZIONIST while hunting moose. n