Nenana Classic
Gets Under Way;
Deadline April 4
ANCHORAGE — The dollar in
vestments are now being collected
on one of Alaska’s most famous
get-rich-quick schemes. It isn’t
oil. That’s a gamble. This “sure
thing” is the Nenana Ice Classic,
which has never failed to bring
an investor a healthy return.
Guesses can be made through
out Alaska and the Yukon Terri
tory. They must show the day,
hour and minute of the breakup
of the ice on the Tanana River at
Nenana.
Only bona fide residents of the
two territories are allowed to “in
vest,” but one person may make
as many guesses as he wants.
There is quite a range of possi
bilities.
In the 35 years the classic has
been operated, the ice has gone
out as early as April 20 and as
late as May 16. Wealthy investors
try to cover as many minutes as
possible through this potential
stretch erf days.
But they’ve often been wrong,
like in 1938. Anyone who knows
Nenana weather and river ice also
knows the ice wouldn’t break at
8:14 p.m. But it did, on May 6.
The prize went to the persons
with the closest guess.
The classic has grown so popu
lar in the past few years that the
dream of being the only holder of
a certain minute-and-second guess
can hardly come true.
But, like every other rule about
the big game, there are notable
exceptions. Last year, among 102,
000 “investors,” Charles Mountjoy
of Juneau woke up on May 12,
pondering the family bankbook
even as you and I. He went to
bed a much happier man . . .by
about 33,000 rea$on$ for hapine$$.
Mount joy’s only partner in the
one-day pr^ctey was Uncle Sam,
who collects his share even
though he frowns on such money
making schemes.
In 1951, 13 employees of the Ju
neau postoffice were among the
lucky guessers. They followed the
practice of organizing an informal
corporation known as a “pool”
and shared each other’s guesses.
This is a brotherly method of cov
ering the calendar, the reward
being split among participants.
Deadline for all guesses is mid
night, April 4. Wherever guessing
cards are sold are large red Ice
U.S. SCIENTISTS IN RACE WITH RUSSIA
IN PERMAFROST RESEARCH FOR MILITARY
-_
Brownie Scout News
Three troops of Brownies met
Wednesday—one in the home of
Mrs. Enix, one in the home of
Mrs. Cooper, and one in the school
annex.
The Annex Brownies chose the
troop name of “Tiny Blossom.”
Alice Cutford was elected leader
with Marjorie Olsen as assistant.
Lurisse Lowe was chosen for
treasurer and Sue Miller was re
tained as secretary, Dean Alex
ander as scribe.
Business took up most of the
time. The story of how the Brow
nies got their name was read and
games were played.
Members present were Sue Mil
ler, Lurisse Lowe, Susie Savok,
Alice Cutford, Margie Olsen, Bar
bara Haymes, Dean Alexander
and Ethel Atuk.
— Dean Alexander, Scribe
Earthquake in Solomons
PEARL HARBOR, 'The Navy
reported a major earthquake yes
terday at sea near the Santa Cruz
Islands in the Solomons severe
enough to cause tidal waves in
large stretches of the Pacific.
The Navy estimated the center
of the quake at approximately
650 miles north of New Caledonia.
The Santa Cruz Islands are a
small volcanic group. This was
the scene of a naval battle in
World War II in which U.S. war
ships balked attempts of the Jap
anese fleet to reinforce Japan’s
troops on Guadalcanal.
Classic tins where investors may
drop their prognostication on
Spring in Alaska.
The Tanana River ice seems to
favor a few days in the calendar
over others. -The breakup occurred
on May 3 in 1919, 1941 and 1947.
April 30 was the big day in 1917,
1934, 1942 and 1951. The Tenana
ice moved on May 11 in 1918,
1920, 1921 and 1924. It has gone
out three times on May 12 and
on May 6.
A tripod is set in the river ice
on which is suspended a large
clock. When the ice breaks up
and starts moving down-river, the
clock stops.
And no matter how much the
weather bureau insists that spring
arrives regularly on March 21
every year, to Alaskans and Yu
koners, spring in the north isn’t
official until the minute the Nen
ana clock stops.
By ROBERT GOLDSTEIN
CHICAGO, (At—American scien
tists are beginning to find an
swers on how military forces can
best cope with possible enemy air
strikes over the North Pole.
Working to overcome Russia’s
apparent head start in the broad
study of Arctic conditions, the
scientists are waging their war on
polar conditions at Sipre.
Sipre—the new snow, ice and
permafrost research establishment
—is the Department of Defense’s
new sub-zero research laboratory
in suburban Wilmette.
There, scientists are tackling
the problems that beset troops,
equipment and installations in the
polar regions.
It is the first such laboratory of
its kind in the United States. Its
primary job is research to im
prove the capability of military
forces to operate and survive in
polar regions.
Dr. Albert L. Washburn, 41
year-old geologist and director of
Sipre, said Russia, through its
Institute of Permafrostology, has
been conducting research for
years on permafrost—permanent
ly frozen ground that materially
hampers Arctic warfare, construc
tion, transportation and living
conditions.
He added that U.S. scientists,
however, now are making rapid
progress and have obtained the
best available brains on the sub
ject. The scientists are studying
large ice crystals from the Men
denhall Glacier in Alaska, ice
brought from the North Pole re
gion and snow from northern
Michigan.
The primary goal of the re
search is to find the best means
for constructing roads, buildings
and airfields on frozen ground.
Fine Job Printing at the Nugget
“Bread Is Life” By louis bromfield
Bread is the staff of man’s
existence.
Bread is wheat and wheat is
earth, the good earth, the good
black earth out of which comes
man’s food, his health, his vigor,
his long life.
Out of the earth comes first' a
single green leaf, springing from
the bursting sprouted seed that is
the symbol of resurrection in all
faiths and religions since the
spirits of thought and faith were
raised in man.
In that sprouting seed and tiny
sword-like leaf lies the whole
meaning of life.
Wheat and bread are a part of
that cycle which is the law of the
universe, the law by which we are
born, live and die, the law by
which we are here on this earth,
the law by which we leave our
children behind us . . . the great,
eternal and beautiful law of birth,
growth, death, decay and rebirth.
Of all of this the grain of wheat
is the symbol.
Throughout history the bread
by which we live has been a sym
bol. In ancient faiths bread has
been a god and in many parts of
the earth where life is hard and
soil infertile, bread today is still
a god.
Bread has made empires and
the dearth of bread has caused
famines and revolution and the
decline and fall of great nations.
In many countries bread is the
king of the table and all else that
comes upon the table is merely
the court that surrounds the king.
The courtiers are the soup, the
meat, the vegetables, the salad
. . . but Bread is King.
If there is bread, all else falls
into place . . . but Bread is the
King and the Foundation.
Serving the Bread King since
the beginning of time have been
the Miller and the Baker.
The story of Bread is the story
of civilization itself.
Bread began when the half
savage animals that were primi
tive man stopped roaming the
wilderness, surfeited one day and
starving the next, his shelter only
the lonely, windy cave or a hut
of dying branches.
With the coming of bread, man
could know that he would eat be
cause his food did not depend
upon the vagaries of the chase.
No longer does the rough mill
stone grind the flour.
In its place are great wheels
and shafts driven by the power of
the forces which the ancients
feared and worshipped without
understanding.
And the baker’s shop is no
longer a small dark cave in the
narrow street bustling with peo
ple but a vast, airy, white palace
in which the ground wheat is
turned into bread.
And after ten thousand, fifty
thousand years, bread is still King.
He graces the tables of the rich
and the poor alike for man with
his skills and power has made the
Bread King a part of the life of
even the poorest citizen as well
as a delicacy on the table of the
gourmet.
Bread is the staff of Man’s
PV1«ltPTlPP
Bread is still King and will
always be.
Bread is Life.
NOTICE
The Norris Construction Co.
of Fairbanks
will be working on the Federal
Bldg, in Nome after June 15th of
this year. We will be able to take
other general construction work
if we are notified in time so as to
order materials needed; Interested
parties write Box 348, Fairbanks.
DAILY SCHEDULED FLIGHTS I
TO SEATTLE AND PORTLAND I
NOME TO FAIRBANKS BY WIEN’S H
FAIRBANKS TO SEATTLE, PORTLAND BY
ALASKA AIRLINES STARLINER H
Nome’s Only Daily Direct Service To The “Outside” jBjflf