PLAQUE MAKER—Capt. Frank Curry, 89, arrived in Alaska last
week from Florida, announcing his intention of making a cement
plaque commemorating the old Revenue Cutter “Bear,” which sank
in the North Atlantic Ocean in recent months. Curry, retired from
the sea, says he will give the plaque to Alaska’s Native people,
whom the wood hulled ship served for 40 years.
—Tundra Times Photo
Sea Captain, 89, Making Plaque
Qf Cutter 'Bear' for Natives
The look of the sen is about him.
It shows in his blue eyes, his rolling
sailor walk, his strong hands and
his thick neck .
Captain Frame Curry is his name.
He is 89. but one wouldn't know it,
except by dating him from the
stories lie tells.
Captain is a title he earned aboard J
a schooner. He started his sea-life
on the old square rigged sailing
ships, went to schooners, then to
steamers, and retired following
World War II.
From Seattle to Ketchikan, around
the tip of South America before
the Panama Canal was built, from
San Francisco to Shanghai, the Phil- j
appines, he has traveled the world
over.
And now he is in Alaska, “To
spend some time with the type of
people I like . . . and to give a pres
ent to Alaska’s Native people.”
The present will be a cement
plaque, that he will make, of the
old Revenue Cutter Bear that faith
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fully served Alaska for 40 years,
took part in Arctic and Antarctic
expeditions, ended up as a Novia
Scotia fish scow, and sunk in the
North Atlantic earlier this year
while being towed to New York.
“Skipper” Curry never served i
aboard the “Bear.” But ht has been [
aboard the "Thetis,” sister ship to j
the old woeden hulled ice breaker.
The Bear was 90 years old when
it sank. It was on its way from No
via Scotia to New York where it j
was to be turned into a restaurant
and tourist attraction. Few sea
men lamented the fact fthat it sunk
in the cold "water, rather than be
ing turned into a guady "painted
lady.”
And now Captain Curry, a witty
Irishman, who makes his home on
Stock Island, off southern Florida,
will reproduce the “Bear” on a 30
by 56 inch plaque.
He will make the plaque with
colored cement, that he will gently
apply to plywood, layer by layer,
which he will carefully carve.
Fach line, plank, mast, spar and
deck fitting of the “Bear" will be
authentically reproduced. Already
the old seaman has spent weeks re
searching the ‘"Bear,” through of
ficial Coast Guard files.
When he is finished, “In about
two or three months” according to
Captain Curry, he will present to
Alaska's Native people a reminder
of their old friend, “The Bear.”
The reminder will be from their
new friend, Capt. Frank Curry,
sailor and artist.
Vic Richardson
May Join Staff
Of Sen. Gruening
From a very reliable source, the
Tundra Times learned that J. Vic- i
tor Richardson might move out of
Fairbanks. It is anticipated that
Richardson will join Sen. Ernest
Gruening's staff in Washington, D. ,
C., possibly around the middle of |
October.
Vic Richardson has been Vice
Chairman of the Democratic State
Central Committee. He was cam
paign manager for Sen. Gruening
for this area during the senator's
campaign in the last congressional
election.
He is currently employed by
KTVF-TV as advertising manager.
Sunlight Study
Undertaken by
U-A Scientists
Two University of Alaska scien
tists have begun an experiment to
compare the quality of sunlight in
Alaska with that occuring farther
south.
Dr. Curtis Dearborn, of the Alas
ka Agricultural Experiment Sta
tion at Palmer and Wallace B. Mur
Cray, of the Geophysical Institute,
will construct and install light ana
lyzing devices in Alaska, Missouri
and Costa Rica. These devices will
pick up botli direct and reflect light
and analyze it to determine what
portion of it belongs to certain color
or freuency bands. The findings of
the three machines will then be
compared to see if there is any dif
difference in the amount of radia
tion found in the different bands at
different latitudes.
Results from the experiment may
help to explain why some crops
cannot adapt to the Alaskan cli
mate. They may aid also in select
ing future crops for Alaskan farm
ers.
The experiment, entitled “Mea
surement of Light Quality of the j
Natural Spectrum,” is supported by
a grant from the National Institute
of Health.
72 Entries Received
in Tundra Times'
Talent Quest
To date, the Tundra Times' Native
Talent Contest has received 72 en
tries from four villages and one
city.
Kotzebue day school submitted
29: Kivalina 4; Point Hope 23; and
Tok 11.
The other five entries unexpect
edly came from Santa Fe, New
Mexico. They were sent by Joseph |
L. Chikoyak of Tununak, Alaska, i
Chikoyak is studying art at the
Institute of American Indian Art in
Santa Fe.
The Tundra Times art contest has
been extended to October 20 so na
tive artists can enter more draw
ings. Much of the work received so
far has shown fine talent.
When some men discharge an ob
ligation. you can hear the report
for miles around.
Mark Twain
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Where You'll Always Feel an Easy
Atmosphere of Friendliness
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517 2nd Dial 452-2105
Coast Guard Extending Patrols
In Kodiak Area Until Dec. 15
Coast Guard patrols in the Kodiak
area are being extended until De- I
cember 15 “specifically to deal with !
the crab gear interference prob
Scientist Explains
Radioactive Danger
Levels for Humans
A federal scientist, H. M. Parker. !
manager of the Hanford Atomic
Laboratories in Washington State,
has explained on request to Gov.
William A. Egan, the difference in
body burdens of radioactivity that \
are considered dangerous in persons 1
of differing occupational fields. I
Gov. Egan wrote Parker, asking
why a body burden of 30,000 nano
curieso of radiation was allowed
Ifor persons in a radiation occupa
tional field; while only 3,000 nano
curies (a special radiation measure
ment) is allowed for the general
public as a whole.
I Egan said, “I can claim no ex
j perience in the field of radiation
but, as a layman, it would appear
the body content level at which
danger to the individual would re
sult would be a specific figure sub
ject only to the variance in indi
vidual resistance without regard to
occupation.”
Parker replied that his theory is
sound. However, he noted that per
sons working with radioactive ma
terials have been thoroughly screen
ed. and that infirm, old and young
persons are not included in the
latter group.
‘'Both these factors seem to make
it reasonable that a more conserva
tive limit be applied to individuals
in non-occupational cases. He also
I noted that the figure of 3,000 na
f nocuries for the general popula
tion is intended to be protective.
Egan's uestion arose following
the disclosure that some persons in /
the Eskimo village of Anaktuvuk l
Pass have been recorded at nearly , 1
1.000 nanocuries of Cesium 137, a I
radioactive material. [
lem" the State Department has ad
vised Governor William A. Egan.
Word of the extension from the
previously scheduled October 1 ter
mination was received from U.
Alexis Johnson, Deputy Under Sec
retary of State, in response to pro
tests by Governor Egan against the
activities of Russian fishermen.
Johnson advised the Governor
that detailed reports and documen
tary evidence of earlier incidents
have now been received and will
be presented to a representative of
the Soviet Embassy.
"This most recent incident,” John
son said, in reference to events of
Inst week, “will now also be Y>rouRVvb
to Soviet attention with a reiterat
ed request that prompt action be
taken to remedy the situation.
Johnson said the decision to ex
tend the Coast Guard patrols until
| December 15 was made at the re
quest of the State Department af
I ter receipt of Governor Egan’s tele
gram to President Kennedy last
| week.
He said the Coast Guard also is
seeking to obtain sworn statements
corroborating circumstances involv
ed in recent Soviet actions.
Coincident with release of the
State Department reply, Governor
Egan said he had again discussed
I the fisheries situation with Senator
l E. L. fBob) Bartlett. He said Alas
ka’s senior senator has gone into
i the problem thoroughly with repre
sentatives of the State Department
and has asked that naval vessels be
placed on patrol in Alaska waters
to assist the Coast Guard.
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WISHES THE TUNDRA TIMES HAPPY BIRTHDAY!