The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-03-24
Territorial Budget Nears Eighteen Millio,
NENANA ICE
 STILL THICK

as it was some time ago. according to advices received by The Empire rom Floyd w. (Slim) Avery, in charge of the classic.
 There has been some warm weather but not enough to melt snow on the river or any to run off the hills It still looks like winter at Nenana, says Avery,
 Further advices are that if it 5tays cold until April and then warns up we will have spring; put if it turns warm or hot now, 1t will only turn cold later, which wiIi etard the breakup in my opinion"
 In further advices Avery writes Q The Empire that
 As the manager of the Nenana ,lassic, am supposed to give out II the dope on conditions of the ce in the Panama River and just when it should go out. l have ask I'd these men listed below, all of whom belong to Pioneer Igloo No IT, Pioneers of Alaska, and have put many years in Nenana and nave seen the ice come and go many times-so if anyone should snow, I believe they do. Will also i've a short history of each man.
 Let's start with Tommy Jones, ,x-mayor and ex-ice pool manager )f Nenana, and about one of our oldest residents. He was raised in Johnson county, Wyoming, and l now that he left there on his ,wn accord. His father won the irst pool in 1917. There was $500 n the pot that year, but as he had old half of his ticket to man lamed Hoey, he had to split the ,ot. That is as close to winning $ Tom has ever come. however. He ieems to think the ice will go arly in Mag. nossihly late in April.
 Charley Shade is another man 3afts. Hardly bar on the Tan ilonth, day, hour and minute that | should go out. He is a long, ime resident of Nenana, carried nail for years and is about one If the best river man in these 1ars. Hardly bar on the Tan ma or Yukon River that he does lot know just where it is located. Ie predicts the ice will go in May
 .Adolph Nelson, better known as Two Cord Nelson, came here long ime before the railroad and has cen the ice come and go for the past AS years, and seems to think hat it will go out late in April 'erhaps he does know He has fol- owed mining for good many Jears, and is one of the best arpenters in these parts, and a airly good wood cutter also. He Tas cutting wood one winter and Vhen he came in from the woods If night. the boys would ask him low much wood he had cut that iay. His answer would always be Two cord hence the name Two 1Ord Nelson.
 Now comes the daddy of all the ;ourdoughs, Sidney J. Sheldon. Sid, IS we all call him, worked for the ailroad and was foreman Of )ridge gang for a good many years, ut is now retired. He came over he Chilkoot Pass in 1898 with his ,ed roll, tent, stove and grub stake on his back, his sourdough pot in me hand and his whip saw in the other His guess is late in April or early in May.
 Now I will give you my own jews of when the ice will go. Will ct someone else give my history, put will say this: that when l came 10 Alaska my hair wasn't nearly as white as it is now. The river froze he lowest last fall that ever was .nown and the ice is about 40 nches thick at the present time. There is about four feet of snow which will make lost of water to aise the ice and break it loose, so am playing late in April very strong. Here's hoping that you all nit the jackpot"