THE NOME NUGGET
Published Monday, Wednesday and Friday by the
NOME PUBLISHING CO.
NOME, ALASKA
E. P. BOUCHER . Managing Editor
CLINTON GRAY .Production Manager
Telephone: Main 125 P.O. Box 618
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Entered as second class matter October 14, 1943, at the
postoffice at Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
ALASKA’S POPULATION
(ANCHORAGE DAILY TIMES)
Alaska is no longer low man on the totem pole so
far as population is concerned.
The Bureau of the Census has revealed that the
territory’s population was greater than that of Nevada
as of July 1, 1952.
The announcement was packed with fascinating
facts for Alaskans.
It disclosed that no state came anywhere near
Alaska in rate of growth during the two years from
1950 to 1952. Alaska was credited with an increase
of 41.3 percent. Arizona led all the states with a per
centage gain of 14.6 percent.
Even if the military population should be deleted
from the Alaska calculations, this territory still held
a tight grip on the record for rapid growth. The Bureau
said the increase in civilian population alone was 22
percent, which is substantially more than the Arizona
gain of 14.6 percent.
But the military population should not be deducted
from the Alaska figures for a true comparison with the
states. Military personnel are included in the Bureau
figures for the states and always have been. A fair
comparison requires that the same base be used for
Alaska.
The Bureau announced that at mid-1952 the popu
lation of Nevada was 180.000 compared with Alaska’s
182,000.
The territory passed up Nevada while that state
was experiencing a rapid growth second only to Ari
zona. Alaska gained 41.3 percent. Nevada gained 12.4
percent. Florida ranked third in gain with 11.9 per
cent. The gain for continental United States was only
3.4 percent.
This disclosure knocked into a cocked hat another
one of the arguments of anti-statehood forces. Feeble
as the argument was, there were those who contended
that Alaska’s population was inadequate to carry the
responsibilities that go with self-government.
Now that Alaska outranks Nevada in population,
and Nevada has been operating as a state ever since
1864 without expressing a desire to be de-stated or un
stated, whatever the process might be, it is to be hoped
that the population question is now answered forever.
The new figures show that Alaska in mid-1952
had a greater population than that of 28 states upon
entry into the Union. The 28 make a formidable list
of some of the largest, most populous and wealthiest
states in the Union.
The list was compiled by the House committee in
connection with its recent study of statehood. It showed
the population when admitted and the date of admission
for the 28 states as follows:
Pop. Date Pop. Date
Wisconsin 180,000 1848 Alabama
North Dakota ’152,199 1889 Mississippi 75,512 1817
Michigan 150,000 1837 Washington 75,116 1889
Texas 143,000 1845 Kentucky 73,677 1792
Colorado 135,000 1876 Florida 72,000 1845
Montana 132,159 1889 Tennessee 67,000 1796
Minnesota 123,053 1858 Missouri 66,559 1821
Kansas 107,206 1861 Indiana 63,897 1816
Nebraska 100,000 1867 Wyoming 60,703 1890
California 92,599 1850 Oregon 52,400 1859
Vermont 85,425 1791 Arkansas 52,240 1836
Idaho 84,385 1890 Ohio 45,365 1802
Iowa 78,819 1846 Nevada 40,000 1864
Louisiana 76,556 1812 Illinois 34,620 1818
After studying the figures, the House committee
reported favorably on Alaska statehood with the fol
lowing comment:
“The argument has been advanced that Alaska’s
4 ♦
Youthful Eskimo
Craftsman Gets
Interior Study Grant
(The Washington Post)
WASHINGTON, DC., — When
the Rochester Institute of Tech
nology gets a new student named
Ronald Senungetuk, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Willie Senungetuk of
Nome, this month, the arts craft
profs are likely to find they can
learn a lot from their pupil.
Ronald, a 20-year-old, smiling
Eskimo, already has graceful can
delabra, lamps, salad sets, and
other articles on display at gift
and specialty shops. And he holds
membership in the Museum of
Modern Arts in New York City.
Ronald will head for Rochester
soon to get a head start on a
four-year course at the School
for American Craftsmen. He’ll
study there under a personal
scholarship given by members of
the Indian Arts and Crafts Board
of the Interior Department.
J. Edward Davis, general man
ager of the board, has a surprise
for Senungetuk in his office.
From an exhibit case of Eskimo
arts and crafts, Davis took two
of the youth’s creations—a cande
labra and lamp base in which a
walrus tusk gives the sweeping,
cleancut lines of modern design.
The young artist-craftsman made
them from native materials such
as chips of ivory, walrus tusks,
cherry, and mahogany. He finished
the work while studying at Mt.
Edgecumbe, Alaska, more than
1000 miles from his home in
Nome.
After arts and crafts and busi
ness management courses at the
Rochester, Ronald wants to return
to Alaska and help develop Eski
mo arts and crafts into an eco
nomic asset for his people.
A - Scientist Would Be
“A Bit Surprised” If
Russians Had H - Bomb
CHICAGO, (#) — A Chicago
atomic scientist who helped de
velop the world’s first nuclear re
actor said Saturday he would be
a “bit surprised” if Russia has
mastered production of a hydro
gen bomb “so soon.”
But Dr. Herbert L. Anderson of
the University of Chicago added
that, “I see no reason to believe if
Malenkov’s statement is not true
today it will not be next year,”
he added.
“We must expect that ultimate
ly if we can make the H-bomb so
can the Russians. Nothing stands
in their way except figuring out
how to do it. They have the in
dustrial potential, the scientific
background and the raw mater
ials to do it.”
“City in Building”
At Whittier, Alaska
Accomodates 3,000
WHITTIER, UP)—A $6 million
composite building, the first such
built by Army engineers, and the
first of its kind in Alaska, was
turned over Thursday to the Port
of Whittier command.
The huge “city within one build
ing” sleeps 1,000 men and accom
modates a total of 3,000 men.
It is possible for a serviceman
to carry out his duties, eat, sleep,
wash and enjoy recreation with
out going outdoors unless he has
outdoor duty.
The seven-story structure took
two years to build. It consists of
seven sections with earthquake
resisting sections between each of
8-inch “crumble” joints. The con
tractors for the Army engineers
were the Haddock Engineers of
Oceanside, Calif.
The building contains every
thing from rifle ranges to a bowl
ing alley, theater, hospital, com
misary, living quarters and a
stockade.
Col. L. H. Foote, Alaska district
engineer, said the next item on
the Whittier construction pro
gram is a 16 - story apartment
house.
Most of the material for Alas
ka’s military construction pro
gram and supplies for the services
have been funneled through the
port of Whittier.
Texans Take Trophy
For First Non-Stop Flight
Across Pacific Last Year
WASHINGTON, UP) — Three
Texans have won the MacKay
trophy for completing the first
non-stop flight across the Pacific
last year.
Gen. Nathan F. Twining, Air
Force chief of staff, will present
the trophy for the year’s most
meritorious flight to Maj. Louis
H. Carrington, Austin; Maj. Fred
eric W. Shook, Fort Worth; and
Capt. Wallace D. Yancey, Fort
Worth. They were pilot, naviga
tor and co-pilot respectively of
the B-45 jet reconnaissance bomb
er which flew from Alaska to
Japan July 29, 1952.
The flight of 3,460 nautical
miles was given no publicity at
the time by the Air Force but it
was later disclosed that a few
B-45s had flown to the Far East
for action. i
The flight took 9 hours 50 min
utes and the jet plane was twice
refueled in air over the Northern
Pacific by B-29 Superfortress
tanker planes.
Inventory Blanks at Nome Nugget
population should not entitle her to two senators. Only
three states ever entered the Union with enough popu
lation to have over two representatives in the House
(Maine had 7, Oklahoma had 5, West Virginia had 3):
of the others, only seven had enough for two represen
tatives; the remaining 25 had only one representative.
“And yet the federal Congress continued to follow
the concept our forefathers devised, in the Constitution
of giving each state equality in one of the two branches
of Congress—the Senate. Four states (Deleware, Ver
mont, Wyoming, Nevada) today have only one repres
entative in the House.
Recognition of the significance of the spectacular
growth of Alaska’s population already has come from
one of the large newspaper organizations of the nation.
The Washington Daily News commented editorial
ly and other Scripps-Howard newspapers said:
“This movement to Alaska, like the earlier push
to the West, is refreshing evidence that we still have
pioneers, and that our great northern territory is ready
to take its place as a state of the Union.
Celebrities Depart After
Gathering Material to
Publicize Nome Area
(Continued from Page One)
Evening Post, wrote the first story
on Vice President Richard Nixon,
called “How To Elect a Congress
man.” Just finished a television
series (filmed) based on the win
ners of the Medal of Honor, the
nation’s highest military award.
She is a columnist for SCREEN
LAND magazine, a motion pic
ture critic on the Louella Parsons
staff and is the West Coast direc
tor of the international firm,
Celebrity Service.
Michael Rayhill, handsome
young film player, whose last
picture, “Moulin Rouge” was
made in Paris, France, starring
Jose Ferrer and Zsa Zsa Gabor,
will make his American debut as
a singing star at the famous Mo
cambo night club in Hollywood
late next month, before he re
sumes his motion picture acting
career with leading Hollwood
studios.
Dorothy Arnold who is current
ly doing night club entertaining,
television and motion pictures in
Hollywood. Miss Arnold starred
in “Moulin Rouge.” She is also
curator of an art gallery in Holly
Michael O'Shea who contributes
monthly features to such noted
monthly magazines as INSIDE
TV, SCREENLAND, TV SHOW,
SILVER SCREEN, and TV CAR
NIVAL. He is also a leading
radio - TV personality in New
York.
The NVA honored the group
with a dinner at the Bering Sea
Club Saturday evening with Mr.
Ralph Lomen as toastmaster and
Boyd Harwood representing local
civic bodies. Bob Curtis of the
Alaska Airlines also spoke.
Other honored guests at the
party were Judge and Mrs. Earl
Cooper who were bid farewell by
their many friends made during
the short time they had been here;
Miss Sally Carrighar, Nome’s own
author whose current book, “Ice
Bound Summer” was chosen by
the Boo^-of-the-Month Club and
has been given some wonderful
reviews; and Col. H. B. Williams,
commanding officer of Nome
Field.
Fishermen Dare B.C.
Police Come Out and Fight
PRINCE RUPERT, B.C., UP —
All was quiet in this northern
British Columbia city Saturday
night as itinerant fishermen and
citizens heeded pleas by author
ities to' maintain law and order.
The appeals to cooperate came
after mob demonstrations on two
successive week-ends. Last Sat
urday some 400 revelers were dis
persed by police tear gas after
they smashed windows in the city
hall and challenged the cops to
“come out and fight.”
Hundreds of Indian and white
fishermen jammed taverns in the
city this week-end but there were
no incidents.
Police said they booked 14 per
sons in the city jail on intoxica
tion charges — the usual number
for a Saturday night.
FUNERAL SERVICES HELD
FOR MAYOR OF DOUGLAS
DOUGLAS, Alaska, UP—Requiem
Mass was said here Saturday for
Mike Pusich, Douglas mayor who
died recently while visiting his
native Yugoslavia.
Funeral services were to be
held the same day in Yugoslavia
where Pusich will be buried.
Lack of embalming facilities
there prevented return of the
mayor’s body to Douglas.