Eskimo News
New Jersey Paper Gives Much
Space to Alaska Eskimos—There
For Hospitalization Recently
The following is taken from
the Newark Evening News:
Eskimos don’t go to City Hos
pitals very often. In fact, there
probably never has been one
there until Edward Nika of Point
Barrow, Alaska, was admitted
with, a heart ailment last week.
Not only that, but Nika is an
unusual Eskimo.
Nika sipeaks nine languages,
has been in almost every part of
the world, has two degrees from
Northwestern University and has
studied medicine two years at
McGill University in Montreal.
Naturally, it is not of his own
choosing that a man used to a
cold region is spending these
summer days on a hospital eot in
Newark. H.e was passing through
the city on his way home from
Washington when he suffered <
heart attack at the Pennsyl'.vani
Station.
In Washington, he and 16 oth
# er Eskimos had petitioned a Ser
ate committee to take step
against Japanese, who he declar
ed, are poaching in Alaska wat
ers.
“We came at our own expense,”
Nika said, “like the bonus army
We don’t mind if the Japanese
fish in our waters, but we don’t
like their practice of catching the
salmon during spawning. These
Japanese are not from Japan but
from British Columbia, where
they own most of the canneries.
“Their right to fish along the
Alaska coast was provided in a
treaty with Russia when she own
ed Alaska. That has no validity
now, of course.”
The Senate committee referred
the matter to the State Depart
«nnt, Nika said, which promised
consideration.
Nika’s companions are on their
way back to Alaska by way of
the Panama Canal. He missed the
boat and intended to go to Seat
tle by train.
The Eskimo had many visitors
at the hospital, - internes, nurses
and doctors who want to hear
about life in the Arctic Circle
and to try hifri out on the lang
uages he speaks. They are sur
prised at the fluent Italian con
versation he holds with the hos
pital barber and more surprised
when he breaks into Yiddish.
French and German come as
easy.
One interne who has been at
the Grenfell Mission in New
found'’and, exchanged a few
words in the Eskimo language
With Nika. The Alaskan promis
ed to send a pair of husky pups
-when the doctor returns to St.
Anthony. Huskies are larger in
Alaska than in Newfoundland.
Nika explained, and he would
like to see how they thrive there.
A STATE’S RICHTS are on the program of Alaskj
Home Rule association now asking, first, full territorial govern
ment and then statehood for Alaska. Here’s a view at Point Bar
row, far north city in the land bought from Russia in 1867.
Five years ago when a diph
theria epidemic broke out in Pt.
farrow, Nika, said he volunteer -
d to go by dog sled to Nome
o bring back serum. He lost his
vay in a blizzard and was res
urd 300 miles off his course.
Nika is not the type of Eskimo
.ho lives in an igloo. His group
live in log cabins and erect to
em poles. They make their liv- j
ii'hocd fishing and trapping.
One thing the group petitioned
for in Washington was the right j
to sy 1 their furs to the highest
bidder after a franchise for pur
chasing lapses next year. Nika
declares that under the present
system they have sold furs far
below value.
After telling about his travels
through Africa, India, Korea and
China as a lay helper in the mis
sionary field, Nika had some- ^
thing to say that same closer to'
home:
Mayor Hague of Jersey City
suggests sending ‘undesirables’ to
Alaska. I’d Like to tell Mayor
Hague that we don't want them
‘he re. We have our own prob
lems to take care of. Let him
take care of his.”
Nika had the highest praise
for the care he was receiving at
:he hospital. He promised to send
furs to all' his Newark friends
when he gets home.
_
FOR SALE
Child's Crib, Radio, Dishes,^
Coleman Gas Plate, 5 ft. Skiis,
Water Pump, etc.
Inquire of V. C. Widney
—
j
Trie days at Nome shorten or.
.lengthen from one to nine min-1
utc? pm day and the rate is in- I
constant. Sudden jumps occur in
which a fairly constant rate of
one minute variation changes to
six minutes cr more within a
dav.
The Gypsys Are Coming!
The Drama Club is pleased to
announce a gvpsy-theme pro
gram to be given in the Federat
ed Church auditorium at 8 p.m.
on May 11. Admission 50c & 25c.
This is a unique program—ain
other of the Drama Club’s ad
ventures in offering a variety of
pleasant entertainment. Colorful
and gay, those are the words for
it. Before the evening is over
you’ll be wanting to borrow a
gypsy costume tmd go dancing
over flower-bordered roadways,
and singing around evening camp
fires.
The songs and the little child
ren’s dances w>ill remind you of
sunny summer days. The social
hour following the entertainment
will give you opportunity to
munch cookie, sip a cup of some
thing and murmur “I remember
when . . . thinking of pleasant
outdoor days. Or you may turn
to your neighbors a,nd exchange
daydreams of the time when you
can, ease your itching feet on
the open road under sunny skies.
The aifair will be a pleasant
change from our monotony of
lingering winter. You ->are invit
ed to come 'and help us enjoy the
illusions of summer.
Mount McKinley, 20,300 feet
high rises from an elevation of
only 2000 feet and is the highest
in the world (from its base to
the top).
COME ON BOYS!
WIDOW, 46, jolly nature, of re
mote Scotch ancestry, desires
to correspond with gentleman
between 48 and 58. Object mat
rimony. Address all communi
cations to The Nome Nugget,
Box 518, Nome. Alaska, and
your address and letter will be
forwarded to the “joll> wid
ow” in the States.
—- I
I
IT’S TOUGH SPORT: AMATEUR BOXING
Contestants took plenty of punishment in the elmination bouts of'the 1939 Uational A. A U. box
ing tourney in San Francisco. Here Cozy Storace of Rome, N.Y., romc:: down hard on the can
vas as Alfred Priest of Cambridge, Mass., dives over him head f irst. to.ace took the decision,
There were some 180 fighters en-lcrcd, with eight national champions to be named.
City Council Meets
The regular meeting of the
Nome City Council wa; held last
evening at the city hall with the
May r and all council men pres
ent. Minutes of the previous meet
ing were read and all accounts
against the city approved by the
finance committee were ordered
paid.
Under the head of new busi
ness the request for winter coats
for the Volunteer Fire Depart
ment was discussed and upon mo
tio.n the city agreed to order a
supply to be placed on the fire
equipment for use by the fire
fighters.
Fire Chief W. W. Laws recom
mended the employment of Har
ry Egbert as the engineer for
department for the next year. He
had no recommendations for driv
er at this time. The council voted
to employ Mr. Egbert, and decid
ed to hold the question of a driv
er open for further considera
tion.
Dr. Titos. Morcom was called
upon for a few remarks concern
ng the work of the Public Health
service. Mrs. Ida Sprenger, Pub
lic Health Nurse for Nome also
explained her work and the pro
gram of public health carried on
here during the past year.
The question of allowing any
one interested to apply for the
position of public health nurse
was discussed at much length,
with the council finally agreeing
to communicate with the Territor
ial Department of Health, as tf
the proper procedure and qual
fications of such a position. Many
favorable remarks were made hy
councilmen and others concern
ing Mrs. Sprenger’s work. The
point at question was not for the
purpose of attempting to employ
some other nurse, but rather, as
stated, to allow the public inter
ested in the position, an oppertun
ity to apply. It was understood
by some that the Territorial De
partment in reality supplied the
public health nurse, who was
paid a salary partly from terri
torial and federal funds and part
ly from city funds. The council
vot ’d to obligate itself for the
coming year not to exceed $1200
toward tihe payment for the ser
vices of a public health nurse.
Mrs. Sprenger’s contract does not
expire until July, it was declar
ed.
The subject of awarding the
Nome Motors twenty feet of pr
party belonging to the Eagle
1 vdee was discussed and the pres
ent committee instructed to can
tinue and ascertain what such
property would be sold f r b
I he Eagles, and report at a spec
ial meeting to be called son.
The meeting adjourned.
Now is the time to look over
your job printing needs for the
pring and summer. The Nug
get Office will be glad to consul'
with you as to your wants are
nrices on same.
Pope Pius XII “Pope of Peace” who urged to European governments
through diplomatic channels, a desire for peace. German spokes
men declared that his proposal struck a more responsive chord
than any so far sponsored by England.
PERKINS, AIDE REFUTE CHARGES
I I V ,-'1L . • .. .... -
Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins and Gerard D. Ilei ly, Labor
Department solicitor, both of whom were named in an impcach
iiu li. i nation at.*. Shown as they appeared before llie House Ju
diciary Committee in Washington, D. C., to declare the charges
wer. unfounded. Tlie impeachment resolution, by Rep. Thomas,
. •' ~r '*1 the I »bnr department’s huu'li: g < * d ..1st «*i e cs.
WHILE THE NAZI DRIVE HEADS EAST, statesmen remembering that Hitler ,
favors swift “surprise” tactics wonder over the fate of Switzerland, tiny buffer state between Germany
and France on the west. Switzerland’s inadequate army includes small tanks that chug across rivers
bearing soldiers to maneuvers. Early in March Ernst von Welszaecker of the Berlin foreign olflce
assured France that Germany was not preparing action against the Swiss. But that was before Uitlci*
swallowed Czechoslovakia and the democracies began to say, “Stop Hitler, stop Hitler.”