Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 7, 1959)
54th Year Medford Third Section 59ers Determined to Carve Out Homesteads in Wilds of Alaska Editor's note: Earlier this year, approximately three dozen Detroit residents left In a, caravan to travel to Alaska where they planned to tart a new life as homesteaders. The group, known as the 59ers, arrived at Anchorage on Good Fri day, March 27, and most of them since have gone up the Susitna riv er from Anchorage to -pick out homestead sites. Martin Heerwald, I. PI Seattle bureau manager, flew to the remote region to get on-the-cene interviews. By MARTIN HEERWALD UPI Correspondent Talkeetna, Alaska -UP- De troit's 59ers, some of them temporarily stranded across the frozen Susitna river and others waiting to cross, re main determined to carve a living out of the Alaskan wil derness. This reporter and United Press Movietone cameraman Parris Emery flew into this tiny community of about 100 population to get a first hand report on how the 59ers are progressing with their plans to homestead the virgin land nearly 4,500 miles from home At the time of this dispatch, the two dozen 59ers who de cided to make the Saisitna Valley their home are frus trated by the big river which is just beginning to break up, making it unsafe to cross by foot, impossible to cross by boat. About another dozen of the original group of 37 de cided to stay on the Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchor age. Much Enthusiasm Fourteen of the group here crossed the quarter-mile wide Susitna with three house trail ers about a week ago when the ice was strong enough to support the trailers and the bulldozer which pulled them. The fourth and fifth trailers started to sink through the ice as the next day's thawing began to make the ice mushy, but the modern-day pioneers managed to save the trailers with the help of townspeople. If anyone in the group was thinking about giving up the whole idea and returning to Detroit, the feelings didn't show. Enthusiasm expressed for Alaska matched the bright ness of a cloudless "day with temperatures in the 50s and U.S. May Have More To Fear in Fallout From Nuclear Tests Washington -UPD- New evi dence before Congress indi cates the United States may have more to fear than any other major country from ra dioactive fallout produced by nuclear explosions. Fallout mainly from Soviet nuclear tests promises within a few months to double the amount of radioactive Stron tium 90 in a belt centered on 40 degrees north latitude, which passes through the middle of the United States. The evidence was placed before the joint congressional subcommittee on radiation by the Atomic Energy . Commis sion during hearings on the fallout problem.. The informa tion was accompanied by charts showing that: - In 1957-58 radioactivity from Russian tests for the first time exceeded the com bined total for the United States and Britain. Nearly three - fourths of the Soviet total was spewed into the stratosphere during tests last October. - The rate of testing by all nations during the two years exceeded by1 75 per cent the annual maximum recommend ed to the subcommittee by a panel of scientists in 1957. - The Northern Hemisphere S IP EC FREE Kodacolor ENLARGEMENT 3'2x5 from your favorite KODACOLOR Negative Mounted in attractive easel folder with every Kodacolor order of $3.00 list or more. Good thru May and 'June. S&H GREEN STAMPS ANDERS PHOTO SHOP 232 East Main Street . "o Phone SP 2-5646 V'" ii i 1 I " i " Mount McKinleyi tallest in the nation at 20,300 feet, tow ering snow white above other peaks about 60 miles to the north. Alaska 'Just Great' "We haven't become dis couraged yet," said Mrs. Eleanor Rubino,. who with her husband, Nicholas, gave up good jobs to come here. They have a son, Nick Jr., 10, who thinks evertyhing about Alaska "is just great." "It's been hard, believe me," Mrs. Rubino said, "but we'll manage somehow. We might have to live in tents for a while, because now we can't move our trailer across until the river freezes again next fall. And we probably will have to melt sriow to do our laundry and face a lot of prob lems we haven't even dream ed of yet. But you can't beat the " Alaskan people. We've never known anyone as friend ly and helpful." What about schooling for the Rubino's son, when the family is settled across the river? School By Mail , ' - i m ioia AiasKa otters a wonderful correspo n d e n c e course," Mrs. Rubino said. "and Nickie will get along all right. In fact he s looking for ward to school by mail." " The 59ers have been so con cerned with getting everyone together across the river, to the east from here, and mak ing plans for summer that they haven't made definite winter plans. The tempera ture in the region, on the cold side of the moist curtain which protects the coastal areas, may dip as low as 50 degrees below zero. "One thing is sure," said Bob Watkins, a bachelor who has grown a full beard and mustache since arriving in Alaska. "We'll have to stick together and help each other or we won't surivive. But we plan to stay together, and I think we will." More Land in Susitna Watkins explaind-that most of the 59ers decided on the Susitna .Valley, although the is four to five times more ra dioactive than the Southern Hemisphere. All of the So viet test fallout and two-thirds of the U.S. radioactivity from Eniwetok falls in the North ern Hemisphere. , Even with the big increase, the Atomic Energy Commis sion does not think the radio activity created so far will have "statistically significant" effects that would be apparent from observations to the av erage man. Fiity to 100 additional cases of cancer per year - a possi bility - would constitute in dividual tragedies but would be lost statistically among the average of 700,000 cancer patients under treatment in the United States. The north latitude localiza tion of stratospheric fallout, previously thought to be uni form over the world, was des cribed as the most important of the several disclosures be fore the subcommittee. Dr. Lester Machta of the U.S. Weather Bureau said this means that fallout danger in the affected area is two and one-half times greater than would be the case if the dis tribution were uniform around the globe. II A i l-iti! MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1959 available on the Kenai. Asked if they had any ad vice to give others planning to homestead Watkins replied: "Tell them to travel as lightly as possible. We found we carried much too much food and equipment with us. We. just as easily could have bought our food, even our original plan called for home steading the Kenai Peninsula, because land in sizeable, farmable quantities is less SALE I 98c 1st quality h seamless s-t-r-e-t-c-h 3pr.2' 80 Perfect fitting ny lons by Carol Brent. Flattering 15 denier. Stretches comfort ably for petite, average, tall, fits 8VM1. M m i " REMEMBERING MOTHER ... an old We remember Mama every single day of the year with the biggest, the best values imaginable ail to warm her value-loving heart. But come May, we stock the store sky-high with a host of very special gifts for her very special day. Hurry in and let us show you how smart and easy it is to really delight her, on her own special day! SUNDAY, MAY 10th (and please don't forget it!) Come otie 2 . , come all . . .. see our exciting summer fashion showing 3 summer at Wards1 Price 10 Cents Tribune 4 Pages house trailers, right in Anch orage. We would have been money ahead if we had brought virtually nothing but ourselves. One family even brought its 24-inch TV and Wi ll sets. Frankly, we didn't know as much as we should have about Alaska. We made a lot of mistakes. SALE I Women's lace trim nylon briefs, Reg. M Rainbow array of col ors. Elastic legs. 1st quality with nylon lace 68 and embroidery trims. full cm v - new Airis dresses. M m w mil "e" we BBSlBar bf -aav -saaBer- bbbv Policeman Braves Wrath Duncan, Okla. - (UPD - Po liceman John Dudley braced the wrath of angry parents Wednesday and moved a household so a couple of wom en can visit over their back yard fence. ' Dudley said the women, who were too embarrassed to give .their names, called him when a pair of bluejays dive- Eleven U.S. Navy Vessels were donated to the Free China navy last Feb. 26. They included three rocket-launchers, five small -size landing craft and three infantry land ing craft. W. SALE 1 2.98 acetate tricot "safeguard" long gowns Permanent "safe guard" protection against odors. Fabric won't run, stretch or shrink. Assorted colors. Sizes: 32-40. Ward Newest styles flown via American Airlines AIRfreight from America's fashion centers Misses, juniors, women's half sizes. Hurry, hurry! Wards is bursting with the prettiest, most wearable; wonderful fashions of the season. Dresses for every occasion ... daytime . . . after-five . . . parties . . . vacations ... all in the cool, easy-care- fabrics you want to make your life a breeze . . . cot- ; toosVcotton-mirade fiber blends,"' , Dacrons . . . many others in the group. Shop for a complete sum-, mer wardrobe foday ... youD find juniors, misses and half sizes . . . exciting low prices ! Wards welcomes your. Credit Account. 7 i 1 '- 111 I IrTi x-tf i i - ' - ' "'"Hffli "1r T"aMmMiWi8gn... 1 l jj " custom Y Tv? - of Parents More than four million Afri cans are crowded into the Belgian colony of Ruanda Urundi, a slice of Africa only slightly larger than the state of Maine. bombed them as they walked between their houses. One of the women was scratched on the forehead. Dudley found a nest be tween .the, two houses and moved it - egg, and all - to a backyard tree while the jays protested -loudly: "They fought me all the way," Dudley said. T. "Bill" Fasel REALTOR Phone SP 3-3517 1244 S. Riverside SALE! 17-jet steam-dry iron same as 17.95 name brand! Entire jumbo sole cushioned with steam iron in any di rection! Switches instantly to dry or steam. Fabric diaL Weighs just 2 lbs. 11 88 I lHr. ''' '9 1 Wm i "' " ILmH i m i i r"',"i'iiTT----nriiiriiiiiiiiiinttiiWi I "It f J?Slf I 7- II lk..xJ. ,v -,.v,,..,,..-' I .1. mi In the American-financed oil fields in Sumatra, work ers have to use snow tires and chains to get their trucks over the muddy tropical roads. - CARPENTERS WANTED Volunteers for MERCY FLIGHTS "HANGAR RAISING" Saturday, May 9 or Sunday, May 10 Our crews can fly airplanes, but they don't knew a thing about building hangars. PHONE SP 3-3264 SO WE'LL KNOW YOU'RE COMING Hot Coffee and Doughnuts Served All Day Courtesy: MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE "I"1 .,-. .t'iSfM Nylon slips with Angelique cologne Vr women's sisee o Washes easily, dries quickly e New nylon tissue tricot e Nylon Alencon lace trim e Sheer nylon pleating Give Mother this lovely Angelique slip. We include a bottle of cologne ct this price. Snow white only. 32 40,'S.M.L. Angelique petticoat and cologne . 2.98 SALE! 1st quality nylon sheers . 3-F5 Usually 3 prs. 1.95 1 5 denier, 60 gauge Full fashioned for fine fit Choose dark or self seams Bought especially for this sale! Flattering slimline seams. Reinforced at heel and toe for longer wear. New shades. 814 to 11. irtir- iirliriiiiM Introductory sale 73-pco silverplate Country Lane Pattern Open stock price 69.25 73-pieces, and chest Complete service for 8 Mahogany chest By Wm. A. Rogers. Chest contains 8 regular 5-pc. place settings plus 8 extra teaspoons, 8 ice teas, 8 oyster forks, 8 serving pes. MA I - J 1 f J f M,l,...,&...fy..tt....,.-..,...r.-,..r. Vll,fm ft t, " ' 1 - mm SALE! Highest quality summer luxury at a low budget price! Back adjusts to 4 positions. Has feather-light aluminum frame. Softly filled pad. Bright pattern vinyl plastic cover. Button tufted. 17 88 CM i IS 117 S. CENTRAL SP 3-7301 OPEN 9:30 TO 5:30 MONDAYS 'TIL 9 FREE PARKING
