PEEK AT THE PAST: May 29, 1952

Here’s what made news in the Mat-Su 58 years ago, from the May 29, 1952, issue of the Valley Frontiersman:

Argument sparks resignation

Tempers flared and voices were raised at the Palmer City Council meeting over the question of enforcing the city’s building code.

Resulting from the disagreement between a councilman and the city clerk, Mayor Carl Meier may have to look for a new clerk. What was described as “not-very-veiled” criticism of the way the clerk had been enforcing the city’s building code, Bill Head countered he had been attempting to do a job his critics should have been doing themselves.

“Then he told the councilmen that henceforth they should take care of their own business, that he had had enough, and that he would terminate his position as city clerk on June 1,” the report says.

The clerk said more and more of the responsibilities of running the city’s business had been piled on his shoulders “because somebody had to do it,” and that city affairs were taking up about nine hours a day of his time for a part-time position.

Door-to-door scourge nipped in the bud

A threatened epidemic of door-to-door salesmen was quickly brought under control in Palmer when the city began enforcing its licensing ordinance, which says salesmen must purchase a license for $25.

The May 29, 1952, Valley Frontiersman reports that a team of magazine subscription salesmen who were “working our way through college … descended on Palmer when their operations where stymied in Anchorage.”

Police Chief Bernie Bouwens was busy most of the day trying to get the salesmen out of town, but a few subscriptions were sold anyway. In one incident, the newspaper reports that one of the salesmen was a deaf mute “who was selling first aid supplies for a slightly exorbitant price.”

The city magistrate wrote out in longhand the city’s code for the man to read.

“Very carefully the deaf-mute read the section applicable,” the story says. Then the man surprised the magistrate by saying “in a disgruntled tone of voice, ‘Well, I’ll be d—ned!’”

It cost what?

According to advertisements, in May 1952 you could:

• Enjoy beef barbecue while traveling the Alaska Railroad to the Settlers’ Celebration for $2.61 round-trip from Anchorage to Palmer and back.

• Catch a Saturday movie — in Technicolor — for the whole family: “Challenge to Lassie.”

• Buy a two-bedroom house in the Sherrod subdivision, partially furnished, for $3,380.

• Purchase a used 1936 Pontiac four-door sedan that “runs fine” from Hartley Bros. Motors for $225.