“God Often Sends His Servants
To Do His Work in Strange Places”
By Ward T. Sims
JUNEAU (i'Pi — “God often sends
his servants to strange places to
do his work.”
The broad-shouldered priest
figeted in his chair, seemingly
oblivious to the commotion around
him in the Alaska State House of
Representatives.
He worked his stubby fingers
endlessly. Quick, nervous smiles
flitted across his face, touched by
wintry winds of the Bering Sea.
A few moments later, as he took
his oath of office, Father Segundo
Llorente, S. J., a native of Spain,
became the first Roman Catholic
priest ever elected to a state leg
islature in the history of the
United States.
“Why did it have to be me, a
man who has not yet completely
mastered the English language?”
asked the Jesuit Missionary,
speaking with a marked Spanish
accent.
Conspicuously, and yet incon
spicuously, Father Llorente was
a man closely watched during the
first few weeks of the legislative
session.
Then, a change in the attitude
of the other members of the House
and a change in the attitude of
the members of the Senate be
came increasingly apparent.
Very Devoted Member
As House Speaker Warren Tay
lor of Fairbanks puts it:
“We find him a very devoted
member of the Legislature and a
valued man in committee work.
He has the respect and confidence
of all members of the House.”
Father Llorente, relatively a
small man with an infectious
smile and a booming, hearty
laugh, was elected by written
votes from Alaska’s 24th Election
District.
For 25 years, Father Llorente,
54, a native of Spain, has been
a missionary in the area, where
the mighty Yukon River flows
into the Bering Sea.
Why would a Spaniard fore
sake his sunny native land for
the cold desolate tundra country
of Alaska’s Northwest Coast?
“As a boy, I always wanted to
be a priest,” Father Llorente ex
plains.
“When I was about 19, I de
cided to become a missionary in
some foreign land. I got an Atlas
and I decided to pick out the
hardest spot in the whole world.
“I spotted Alaska and the more
I read about Alaska, the more I
liked it. I asked my superiors in
Spain to allow me to come to
Alaska.
“They said only a visionary
could dream up something like
that. But I kept trying for three
years, and finally they decided
to let me come.”
“I was greatly impressed by
[ the language and customs of the
Eskimos. At this time they were
scattered all over the tundra. As
a matter of fact, in the 4,000
square miles we were supposed to
cover, there were no less than 35
villages. We travelled by dog
team.
“I had to sruggle with the blub
^ ber and all the Eskimo foods. The
| throat didn’t want to, but the
stomach did. It was quite a strug
j gle.”
Father Llorente sees a vast
j change in the Eskimos of today
| from those he knew when he
| first came to Alaska.
“In those days, very few of
them could speak English. They
were all scattered. Now they have
congregated in large villages.
“They have councils and coun
cilmen. The children know the
names of all the movie actors and
actresses. They play cowboy and
Indians.”
A Civil Servant
Father Llorente serves as mar
riage counselor and welfare agent
for the state in his area, and “I
i use those jobs to help and coun
; sel them, not only as a priest,
j but also as a civil servant.”
Before the general election of
last Nov. 8 with the name of only
| one man on the ballot for repre
sentative from the district and an
other man conducting a written
campaign, “The people began to
talk.”
The people of the area wrote
Bishop Francis Gleeson of Fair
banks, Roman Catholic prelate
for Northern Alaska and told the
Bishop they planned to conduct
I a write-in campaign for Father
Llorente.
“I got a letter from my superior,
who is next to the bishop, and
he told me he was aware of the
fact that some of these men were
J trying to elect me, and I had bet
I ter sit tight and don’t wiggle.”
Father Llorente won with 210
votes to 186 for two other candi
dates.
“After the election, the bishop
decided that this was all a mis
take. He said, ‘if I knew then
what I know now, I would never
have allowed your name to used in
any way whatsoever.’
“So I said, ‘all right, here is
my resignation.’
“The Eskimos told me if I re
signed they would swamp the
governor and the bishop with
telegrams and letters.
“So, I told the bishop these men
are going to make a noise. The
bishop said, ‘okay,, go to Juneau
then.’ ”
So Father Llorente, who de
clared himself a Democrat, came.
“I am not sorry I did, but I
cannot help thinking how lone
some I am for my people.”
PROTECTED
OIL RESERVE INVESTMENT
Was held from market by Shell Oil Co. royalty lease. All
or any part of 40 acres of fertile Southern California land
near producing wells. Near Pacific Ocean, nicely wooded,
by new Coastal Freeways, surrounded by orchards and
vineyards. Water rights and 50'A oil and gas rights ur
rendered with bare land price of $3,000 per acre. Only
10C down. Private owner needs immediate cash.
NEIL R. ZANEIS
2706 Skyland Drive, Atlanta 19, Georgia
|E<*an (Criticises
Administration on
Crabmeat Ban
JUNEAU 13*1 — Gov. Egan
criticized the national administra
tion Friday for what he called
“negative reasoning” in its de
! cision to lift the 10-year old ban
on importation of Russian crab
meat.
The federal government an
nounced the lifiting of the ban
Monday, explaining there was no
evidence at the present time that
the Russians were using prison
or forced labor to process the
crabs.
Egan sent off letters to Treasury
Secretary Dillon and Richard H.
Davis, Deputy Assistant Secre
tary of State for European At
fairs, saying he was “once again
. . . compelled to register vigor
ous disagreement” with the de
cision.
“It would appear to me that
this is negative reasoning for such
a positive action,” Egan sail.
“Rather than having no evi
dence of such a condition, I think
the United States should in a
matter of this importance re
quire positive, fully documented
evidence that no such condition
exists in Russia today. I feel that
acceptance of “no evidence” in
cates no effort to collect such
evidence.”
Egan also took issue with Davis’
views that the 22 per cent im
port duty which will be tacked
on Russian crabmeat will enable
Alaskan crabmeat to compete
equally with canned Russian
crabmeat.
Noting that the Treasury De
partment had described the lift
ing of the ban as a gesture of
goodwill, Egan said:
“I hardly think that the Rus
sians would seek an empty ges
ture of goodwill, so this action
must have some meaning for
them. For this reason, I cannot
be satisfied with the statement
that Alaska crabmeat will be fully
competitive with Russian crab
meat because of existing import
duties.”
Space Agency Denies
Report Astronaut Named
To Make First Flight
WASHINGTON UP) — The Space
Agency Saturday denied a pub
lished report that the astronaut
to make this country’s first man
ned flight into space already has
been chosen.
The Norfolk <Vad Ledger Star
said Marine Lt. Col. John H.
Glenn, one of the three engaged
in final training for the rocket
trip, actually had been picked by
the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
“We have not selected any
body,” a NASA spokesman said.
He said the selection may not
be made until shortly before the
flight.
The Ledger Star had said NASA 1
decided on Glenn, at 39 the old
est of the astronauts, in February
before the three finalists were
named .
j_ _ I
Three Children Die
When Fire Destroys
Home in Sitka
SITKA OP) — Three children
died Friday night when fire des
troyed their home. A fourth child
escaped with minor burns.
The victims were the children
of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Carlson
who were away from the home !
at the time.
Dead were Charlene Carlson.
11, a young sister, Carol Lee, and j
year-old King Carlson. August
Carlson escaped the blazing home.
August was taken to a hospital
suffering minor burns. His par- :
ents were admitted for shock.
Cause of the fire was not I
known.
JFK's Development Program
Includes $2,030,000 for Juneau
WASHINGTON (J>> — The 19
new starts recommended by Pres
ident Kennedy in his water re
ources program, included the pro
posed $2,030,000 Juneau Harbor.
Kenedy recommended a $22,- :
390.000 program, including $9,
900.000 to start work on the 19
navigation and flood control proj
ects none of the others are in
Alaska.
Soviet Journal Accuses U. S.
And France of "Air Piracy"
MOSCOW (1!) — A Soviet jour
nal accused the United States and
France of "air piracy” allowing
warplanes to buzz Soviet trawlers
and other vessels on the high seas.
Trud, put out by the Soviet trade
unions, said the buzzing incidents
occurred March 18, 19 and 20 in
the Bering Sea off the American
owned Aleutian Islands.
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT
No. 1099
NOTICE OF HEARING ON SECOND
AND FINAL REPORT AND ACCOUNT
AND DETERMINATION OF
INHERITANCE
IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE
OF
JOSEPHINE KAIJI, deceased.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Edith
Arnold, of Nome, Alaska, Administra
trix, has filed her Second and Final
Report and Account, and that the 12th
day of May, 1901, at the hour of 2:00
p.m. of said day, in the above-named
Court, Nome, Alaska, has by Court
Order been fixed as the time and place
for a Hearing on said Report and Ac
count: and also, at such time and place
the Court will determine and adjudicate
the beneficiaries of this estate.
Objections, if any there be, to said
Report and Account, will be heard at
this time.
Dated this 11th day of March. 1961.
EDITH ARNOLD.
Administratrix.
Virgil D. Vochoska,
Attorney for Administratrix
Publish March 13. 20. 27, April 3, 1961.
g, ^ 3a jl I
It’s so very easy to be
M THRIFTY
R^i when vve do your washing
You’re sure lo save at our low
KM prices. Service is fast. Bring
1 in a bundle soon!
□ NOME U-WASH I
SSH _ PHONE BLACK 1 — |
— MACHINES DO YOUR JOB! __ _ V
Hila_MMWBBSIMB
W INTER S C H E !) U L E
FAIRBANKS TO NOME (Via Kotzebue)
EACH MONDAY and FRIDAY — FLIGHT 309
Lv. Fairbanks *7:30 a.m. Ar. Kotzebue 8:20 a.m.
Lv. Kotzebue 9:00 a.m. Ar. Nome 9:45 a.m.
EACH WEDNESDAY — FLIGHT 309
Lv. Fairbanks *7:30 a.m. Ar. Kotzebue 9:00 a.m.
Lv. Kotzebue 9:40 a.m. Ar. Nome 10:45 a.m.
FAIRBANKS TO NOME
EACH TUESDAY and SATURDAY — FLIGHT 311
Lv. Fairbanks *7:30 a.m. Ar. Tanana *8:05 a.m.
Lv. Tanana *8:15 a.m. Ar. Galena *8:55 a.m.
Lv. Galena *9:25 a.m. Ar. Nome 9:25 a.m.
FAIRBANKS TO NOME (Direct)
EACH THURSDAY — FLIGHT 311
Lv. Fairbanks *7:30 a.m. Ar. Nome 8:40 a.m.
1
NOME TO FAIRBANKS (Direct)
EACH MONDAY — FLIGHT 310
Lv. Nome 10:45 a.m. Ar. Fairbanks *1:55 p.m.
EACH WEDNESDAY — FLIGHT 310
Lv. Nome 4:30 p.m. Ar. Fairbanks *8:40 p.m.
EACH FRIDAY — FLIGHT 310
Lv. Nome 2:00 p.m. Ar. Fairbanks *5:10 p.m.
NOME TO FAIRBANKS (Via Kotzebue)
EACH TUESDAY and SATURDAY — FLIGHT 33 2
Lv. Nome 10:25 p.m. Ar. Kotzebue 11:10 a.m.
Lv. Kotzebue 11:50 a.m. Ar. Galene *1:45 p.m.
Lv. Galena *2:00 p.m. Ar. Tanana *2:40 p.m.
Lv. Tanana *2:50 p.m. Ar. Fairbanks *3:25 p.m.
EACH THURSDAY — FLIGHT 312
Lv. Nome 9:40 a.m. Ar. Kotzebue 10:25 a.m.
Lv. Kotezebue 11:05 a.m. Ar. Fairbanks *1:55 p.m.
(*) Alaska Standard Time. AH other times Bering Standard
For Information Call:
•>' Main 190 -- Airport
Main 46 " Town Office I