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Desk Used for 1887 Alaskan Purchase
Treaty Is Rescued by Senator Gruening
By FRITZ WITTI
WASHINGTON, Ufl — The
shabby old desk that has kicked
* round the State Department for
more years than anyone could re
member was due for the junk
heap this month.
But word that one of the big
gest real estate bargains in Am
erican history was probably
signed on its broad top brought
Sen. Gruening to the rescue.
Historians told him the desk
ipparently was used on March 30,
1867, fo;- signing the treaty where
by the United States bought Al
iska from Russia for less than
two cents an acre.
Gruening asked for the desk,
mused to new, modern State De
partment quarters.
The six-by-four foot desk is
now destined for an Alaska mu
seum, Gruening said. However, he
wants to look it over before de
ciding whether he will use it in
his office here for a while.
George Sundborg, Gruening’s
idministrative assistant, said the
iesk appears identical with a
‘ corner of one shown in a con
temporary painting of Secretary
),t State William H. Seward and
3aron Edouard Stoeckl, repre
senting Czar Alexander II of
Russia, signing the treaty.
E. R. Perkins of the State De
partment historical division, has
been using the desk for some 15
years. “It looks like oak and the
reddish covering on the top fS
worn through in some spots,” he
said.
Perkins said an assortment of
keys was found in one of the
drawers, each with a tag refer
ring to a treaty or a set of papers.
Gruening was told that in 1860
Here were actually only two high
>fficials of the State Department
. 'ho would have qualified to use a
iesk of this kind, Seward and his
>n, wh* was the Assistant Sec
tary.
Historians at the department
, i id the German artist who
■ linted the signing was a friend
Seward’s and undoubtedly had
• :cess . to the .actual place where
me treaty was signed. This was
a downtown building tempor
arily used by the State Depart
ment, Perkins said.
Sundborg said he was told a
search through purchase orders
of the State Department for many
years prior to Seward’s regime
disclosed a record of such a desk
during the time when John A.
Adams was Secretary of State.
The desk then bought cost $110,
Sundborg said.
Island State Is Still A
Strange, Foreign Land
In American Minds
WASHINGTON, UB — Hawaii,
the 50th state, is still a strange
and exotic land in the minds of
many Americans, says Rep. Dan
iel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii).
Inouye told the Women’s Na
tional Press Club last night he
still gets letters with strange salu
tations like “your excellency, king
of Hawaii.”
Other writers want to swap
U. S. coins for the money of Ha
waii, which is the same as that
used in the other 49 states.
“I also have the Hawaiian em
bassy in Washington,” Inouye
said with a smile. “The post
master sends me all the mail ad
dressed that way.”
Bartlett Protests Hike
In Alaska Rail Rates
WASHINGTON, UP)—Sen. E. L.
Bartlett said yesterday he is con
cerned about announcement of a
15-20 per cent increase later this
month in Alaska Railroad freight
from Seward to other points in
Alaska.
“Any such increase, in fact any
increase at all,” he said, “‘will add
to the cost of living in Alaska.”
Bartlett predicted the increase
would “intensify pressure for en
actment of legislation now before
Congress giving the Interstate
Commerce Commission regulatory
authority over the railroad.
“As it is now, ’he said, “there
is no court of appeal.”
The government - owned rail
road • is under jurisdiction of the
Interior Department.
Egan Awaits
Experts’ Advice on
Bering Straits Dam
JUNEAU, UP) — Gov. William
Egan applauded a U.S. State De
partment decision to ask scienific
opinion about a proposal to build
a floating dam in the Bering
Strait between Siberia and Alaska.
The proposal was put forward
late last year by a Soviet engi
neer, Pyotry Borisov, in the Rus
sia Literary Gazette. Since then,
acting Secretary of State Douglas
Dillon wrote Egan, Russian scien
ists have expressed doubts about
it.
“It certainly would be imprac
tical to take a position on the
project itself at his time,” Egan
commented. “By proposing the
matter for discussion at interna
tional scientific meetings, how
ever, the department will be dem
onstrating this country’s willing
ness to cooperate with Russia.”
Dillon said the proposal might
be placed on the agenda of the
International Union of Geodesy
and Geophysics at its meeting in
Helsinki, Finland, in July. He said
scientists need more information
to determine whether such a dam
would be feasible.
Inmates Riot At
Connecticut State Prison
WETHERSFIELD, Conn., UP) —
Prisoners overpowered 2 guards
and grabbed their keys at the
Connecticct state prison Wednes
day night, triggered a riot by
more than 400 shouting, stomping
inmates.
State police troopers and pri
son guards quelled the riot after
2»/2 hours with tear gas and high
pressure water hoseS. A fireman
and a prisoner suffered minor in
juries.
Warden Mark Richmond said
about a dozen ringleaders over
whelmed the two guards, locked
them in a cell and used their keys
to free nearly half the population
of the prison.
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NCAA Formally Admits
19th State to Membership
NEW YORK, Oft — Alaska was
formally added to membership in
District 8 of the National College
Athletic Association today in le
gislation passed at the group’s
annual convention.
The constitutional amendment
also made Hawaii a member state
rather than a territory. Other
states in District 8 are California,
Oregon, Washington, Idaho and
Nevada.
In separate legislation, NCAA
members were given permission to
schedule games in Alaska with
out these games counting against
the maximum permitted in vari
ous sports. This is designed to en
courage colleges in the Continen
tal Unied States to play in Alas
ka. Hawaii already had this
status.
Colleges in Alaska, Hawaii and
Puerto Rico also were given per
mission to vary the dates, but not
the length of athletic seasons due
to climactic conditions existing in
those areas.
IN THE PROBATE COURT
FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA
SECOND DIBISION.
CAPE NOME PRECINCT
In the Matter of the Estate of
MILTON ADAMS. Deceased.
No. 1108
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the
undersigned, Luther Dunbar, was on the
25th day of November, 1959, by an or
der of the above entitled Court appointed
administrator of the estate of Milton
Adams, deceased; and that he there
upon qualified as such administrator in
the manner required by law. and all
creditors of, and persons having claims
against said decedent are hereby re
quired to present their claims, with the
necessary vouchers, within six months
from the date hereof, to the undersigned
administrator at Nome. Alaska, which
office the undersigned hereby designates
as his place of business in all matters
connected with the said estate.
DATED AT Nome. Alaskh, this 25th
day of 'November, 1959.
LUTHER DUNBAR,
Administrator of the Estate of
Milton Adams. Deceased.
Publish Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29, 1960.
Office: Res.
Black 76 A Main 52
Why Worry?
Call. . .
ARCTIC OIL
DELIVERY
. . . and Relax
— AUTOMATIC SERVICE —
Stove (jNJKjh Furnace
Oil oil
Reduction In Auto
Insurance Rates
Granted In Alaska
SAN FRANCISCO — Many
Alaska motorists will receive re
ductions in their automobile in
surance premiums for 1960 under
rate revisions announced Wed
nesday by two national rating or
ganizations.
The changes were issued toy the
National. Bureau of Casualty Un
derwriters for automobile liabili
ty insurance and by the National
Automobile Underwriters Asso
ciation for material damage cov
erage on behalf of their member
and subscriber companies. They
are based on a review of the num
ber and cost of auto accidents in
volving Alaska motorists.
Effective date of the changes is
January 6.
Liability Rale Change*
“Private passenger car liability
rate revisions vary according to
car classification and territory,”
said the NBCU.
“Improved driving records in
two of the three rate territories
in Alaska have made possible a
reduction in automobile liability
insurance rates for motorists liv
ing in those areas.”
For motorists living in the
Fairbanks territory liability pre
miums for the minimum limits
of Alaska’s financial responsibil
ity laws are reduced $8.20 to
$16.20, depending on the car class
ification. For the Anchorage ter
ritory, premiums for the same
coverage are increased $5.60 to
$8. In the remainder of the state,
premiums for this .coverage are
reduced $4.20 to $8.20. These
changes result in a 3.9 per cent
reduction in the statewide av
erage rate.
The minimum limits as set
forth in the financial responsi
bility law are $20,000 for all
bodily injuries resulting from one
accident sfxbject to a limit of
$10,000 for any one person, and
$5,000 for claims for damage done
to property of others (often re
ferred to as “10-20 and 5”).
Material Damage Rale Revisions
“Full coverage comprehensive
premiums for private passenger
automobiles remain unchanged in
the Anchorage and Fairbanks ter
ritories, but are reduced approx
imately 15 per cent in the balance
of the state.”
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Nome Directory
Northwestern Alaska
Chamber of Commerce
Meets Every Monday Noon at
North Star Dining Room
Russell Hermann, President
ALASKA CHAPTER NO. I
Order of Eastern Star
Doris Wilke
Worthy Matron
Helen Dunbat
Secretary
Meets first and third Mondays
ANVIL LODGE
No. 140
HERB JINKS, W.M.
Norvin V. Lewll, Sac
Meets First and Third Thursday
of Each Month
NOME ROTARY CLUB
Aslr Craft
President
Herb Jenks
Secretary
Wednesday Luncheon
Parent-Teachers Assn.
Meets last Tuesday of every
miiwth if School,
WERNER BOHRER. President
VESTA SUNDSTROM. Secty.
— VISITORS WELCOME —