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Dreams and Realities
The reality of statehood for
Alaska is quite another matter
from dreaming about the possibil
ities under statehood
Our American lofftbearers down
through the year* brought about
the 48 state#* Jus* through such
dreaming, planning and working
for autonomy in state government,
as Alaskans have just done.
Just as in 1867, when the treaty
was signed with Russia, and Alas
ka became a part of the United
S^'t' s. the vear 1958 marks the be
g nning of a new historic era for
Alaska. Judge Wickersham, one
of Alaska's truly great statesmen,
dreamed Of this historic event.
What of the Alaska of tomor
row?—for it will be an Alaska in
which high hopes will become
realities. -
Sitting through a few sessions
of the Legislative Council while
it convened here last weekend,
points up the complexity of Alas
ka’s problems. They are many and
varied. But the problems are no
more than that of a baby being
born into the wo-rid, getting its
eyes open, and avoiding the pit
falls as it learns to walk and run.
Carrying the simile further, the
baby must first learn to crawl,
then walk and later run It’s a step
by step process.
Enactment of legislation for
the good of Alaska will be the
first duty and primary object in
being of the new state legislature.
A study of Dick Freer’s budget
requirement, with an eye to Ro
bert Stevenson's outline of possi
ble revenue, discounting for the
moment the huge possible oil rev
enue that may accrue, would seem
U us should be the realistic ap
proach. Putting Alask:i i a fi>-m
financial foot ng at the ; t is
n major must.
Problems will have fco be dealt
with, hitherto unthought of by
the layman, or most candidates
and lawmakers. Already we have
advanced in our thinking, brought
about by iminent statehood. What
will be the form of our “Blue
Sky” laws? As suggested by Prof.
Louis Loss, during council delib
erations, and SEC men James
Newton and W. Forbes Webber,
Alaskans must be protected, and
so must Alaskan investors. Alaska
needs capital for its development.
Bonafide capital will be more
favorably attracted with enact
ment of proper securities laws.
The testimony of Dr. Wilson
Frank on the possibilities of
peacetime use of nuclear power
is evidence not to be discounted.
Alaska is a big country, and our
thinking must be big. You can’t
move mountains with a shovel,
no can you hack away at them
with a chisel.
When we said that we should
for the moment ignore oil reven
ue possibilities, we meant just
that. $26% million we were told,
is what we can expect in 1963. But
this is 1958.
Rather, we should concern our
selves with land studies. A pri
mary requisite is acquiring more
Federally owned lands. In Phil
Holdsworth’s report, there are
365,481,600 acres in Alaska. Total
Federally owhed land is 260,427,
391. The percentage owned by
the Federal government is then
71.3. In all other states the per
centage is 4.1.
We hear it said on all sides:
What capital is going to be at
tracted here? What’s so attrac
tive to the investor? High prices,
isolation, transportation problems,
inaccessable areas—these will be
the deterrents, critics say. Noth
ing is further from the truth. The
same conditions applied prior to
the development of the great
Northwest and California. In this
day and age, we don’t think in
terms of nearness, accessibility.
The potential is what counts,
whether it’s in the hinterland of
Australia, Africa, Alaska or even
the Antarctic.
One final word. Exploiting our
resources, attracting capital, will
be enhanced by setting up an ade
quate public relations. Hamilton
Wright, speaking before the
council, stated Alaska could have
$150,000,000 worth of tourist
trade in two years time. What we
liked particularly was his empha
sis on attracting industry here—
all a part of his contract. It would
be $150,000 well spent. A true pic
ture of Alaska would be presented
to the American public perhaps
for the first time.
A word of commendation should
be given the legislative council.
They worked hard, long and ef
fectively with a well-planned
agenda. Henry J. Camarot as di
rector must be singled out, for
the planning, and Sen. Ralph J.
Moody, as an able chairman.
Death Comes to
Mrs. G. Haywood
Mrs. Gertrude Haywood passed
away, Wednesday, October 22. at
*‘>•30 p.m. at the Griffin Memorial
Hospital following a heart attack
suffered October 14.
Mrs. Haywood was bow March
1885, at Humarisvitte, Missouri.
The past forty years she b&s lived
in Kansas, and came to Kodiak in
January of this year to make her
home with her daughter and son
in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Clark.
A requiem Mass was said for
her Friday at 9 a.m. at St. Mary’s
Church by Father Raymond Tal
bott, and the body was shipped to
Greeley, Nebraska, for interment.
Mrs. Haywood is survived by
her daughter, Mrs. Mary Clark of
Kodiak.
Here,There and Everywhere
A Northerner and a Southerner
See Eye to Eye on Alaska
By SIG DIGREE
Two events happening in the
same year more than 150 years
ago may have had a great deal to
do with Alaska having been pur
chased from the Russians and
Alaska becoming a state in this
year of 1958.
This fact is pointed up by the
arrival in Kodiak a few months
ago of a young man from Georgia,
William B. Ward, by name. But
more about him later.
The two events were the births
of two men, each of whom played
prominent parts in the develop
ment of the country. In May 1801,
William H. Seward was bora in
Orange County, New York, and in
October, 1801, Ben F. Ward, saw
the first light of day in Putnam
County, Georgia. Seward went to
Georgia to teach school, lived in
the home of the Wards for several
years and the two boys became
fast friends. Seward returned to
New York, entered into a law
practice. Ward completed college,
but decided against law as a
career, but instead f became a
planter and settled in Butts county
and settled on land that was the
last owned by the Georgia Indians.
The two men kept in contact
with each other by correspon
dence. Seward entered politics,
and afterwards became a U.S.
Senator and later Secretary of
State under President Lincoln.
The Civil War came, Seward work
ing hard to crush the South, and
the Southern man, who was
prominent in the legislative halls
of the state, became Major Ben F.
Ward. He regretted the necessity
of his native state seceding from
the Union but could see no other
course with honor. He gave to the
army his three sons. His eldest,
Frank, was captured, taken to
Washington, but through the in
tercession of Seward, was paroled.
The war ended, Seward was re
tained in office under President
Johnson, and the two friends re
newed their correspondence. Ward
was a great reader and student of
affairs. Early in 1866, he advised
Seward to negotiate for Alaska.
The results you know. “Sewards
Folly” became the property of
the U.S. the following year. How
much Ward influenced Seward is
not known, but from the records
still retained by his family, he
played a part.
William B. Ward, whom we
mentioned earlier, came to Kodiak
several months ago. He is in the
Navy ranks here, and lives in
Kodiak with his wife and family.
He is a great great grandson of
Sewards friend, and is justly
proud to be a descendant of the
farsighted adviser of William
Seward. The above facts on Ward
and Seward are from photostatic
copies of the Macon Telegraph and
News, August 27, 1939 edition.
Music aud the Mouth Organ
It seems something is always
reminding me of my misguided
youth..
Last week it was the teachers.
This week it is John Sebastian,
and his harmonica. Such music
from an instrument that fits in
the palm of a hand! But it was
not always thus. When I was a
boy of twelve or so, I could see
that music had charms—it always
charmed me. I had no conception
of becoming a harmonica virtuoso,
but I would retreat to the attic,
and blow by the hour on such
tunes as “Home Sweet Home/’ No
doubt home wasn’t so sweet while
I was playing. My little dog, Spot,
a fox terrier, would generally
accompany me on these musical
busts. He would lay nearby, with
his head resting on his paws, and
as I would drag out the strains
of this nostolgic melody, I could
see he was touched, for he would
raise his head an inch or two, his
eyes focused on me, and heave a
deep sigh.
The extent ot my harmonica
playing was the developing of a
repertoire which included “Red
wing,” and a number of Stephen
Foster melodies. Of the latter I
remember the one that came
readily to my lips was “Massa’s
In The Cold Cold Ground.” I’m
sure old Massa must have turned
in his grave every time I played
it. Though my musical career was
launched in the lofty confines of
the attic, with my faithful dog as
my audience, my music never
reached any lofty heights of ar
tistry or proficiency, and I now
am glad to leave the playing of
the harmonica to such an immi
nent artist as John Sebastian, I
am only glad he justified my
early faith in the lowly mouth
organ as an instrument of musical
expression.
Untied Nations
Did you go to the Untied Nations
Day dance? It was advertised all
over town th^t .^ay^Or. did you
stay tied to your home and fire
side that might? >
United Nations may get tied up
once in a while,, but they should
be anything biit “untied.” This is
just by way of saying “Not
Guilty!" We didn’t print the cards.
Griffin Memorial
Hospital Notes
—ADMISSIONS—
Patients admitted to Griffin
Memorial Hospital the past week
were Elmomd Bushaw, Richard
McDowell, Jack Graham, Betty
Gregorioff and Pat Lynch.
—DISCHARGED—
Those discharged include Pam
ela Fenner, Ruth Ann Chichenoff,
Frank I rick and Elmond Bushaw.
—DEATHS—
Mrs. Gertrude Haywood died
Wednesday, October 22.
TINY BABY GOING HOME
Tiny Rosalie Gilbert, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Gilbert of
Sand Point, is now ready to go
home from the hospital as soon
as transportation is available.
Rosalie, a premature baby, was
flown from Sand Point via Coast
Guard plane on September 13,
under the care of Capt. F. Kirk
Smith, senior medical officer, on
the Naval Station.
She was two days old, and
weighed just 2 lbs. 13 ozs. when
she arrived at the hospital. Now
she tips the scales at 4% lbs. and
is progressing nicely.
YOU CAN'T STOP THE QUEEN MARY
WITH A CLOTHESLINE • • any more than you
can keep a tornado from hitting your house. But you can
buy insurance — the right kind, in the right amount. We'll be
glad to advise.
Kodiak Insurance & Bldg. Corp.
3401 Art Brooks 2561
“Insurance Is Our Business”
Steak Night & Dance
TONIGHT
— Honoring
District Deputy of Alaska West
Russ Painter and his wife Marge
Dinner: 6 to 9 p.m.
Dancing Afterwards
Reservations desired by the 24th
Phone 2044 Halloween Favors
FOR ELKS, THEIR LADIES, EMBLEM CLUB
MEMBERS AND ESCORTS