22 NOME NUGGET
OLDEST NEWSPAPER IN ALASKA—MEMBER ASSOCIATED PRESS
63rd Year No. 9 i
NOMi;, ALASKA, WLDNISDAY, AUC.IST H, 1962
Per ( >pv 15C
Ray Decker and
Two Passengers
c
Die In Plane Crash
Ray Decker, pilot for Munz
Northern Airways, flying a Stin
son Gullwing was killed Monday
when his plane went down about
13 miles east of Golovin on the
Qwiniuk River.
With him were two passengers,
Clifford Charles, a resident of Koy
uk and Richai'd Dalton from An
chorage. Both men were employed
by the Plant Management Depart
ment of the Bureau of Indian Af
fairs.
Decker left Nome Monday plan
ning to make several trips out of
Moses Point with passengers and
was last heard from when he left
Moses Point about noon Monday.
Passengers were reported picked up
at Shaktoolik. When he failed to
complete his flight plan, a search
was instituted but the weather
conditions were bad and the
wrecked plane was not spotted un
til late Tuesday by a search plane
piloted bv Chuck Shenkle of the
Moses Point FAA Station.
Ray Decker was one of the best
known bush pilots in this area,
originally having flown with Mi
row Air Service from 1936 to 1939
after which he was with FAA in
Anchorage until volunteering for
service during the war. After four
years in the Navy, he returned to
Council, Alaska, where he was em
ployed by the Dent Mining Co. He
left Alaska to open his own flying
service, which he had for 13 years
in Oakdale, Calif., returning about
five years, with his wife, to fly for
Munz Air Service because he
loved Alaska. He was born in
Revere, Wn„ .Tune 1, 1911.
All three bodies were brought to
Nome this morning.
Decker’s funeral will be a mili
tary service arranged by his mo
ther, at Spokane, Wash., Mrs. Jo
Decker said ttoday.
Westerners Are First
Group of Entertainers
To Make Arctic Tour
“The Westerners are here and
they are terrific,” stated Paul Man
deville, who arranged for the
group of professional entertainers
to come to Nome.
The group is headed by Paul
Harper who plays the fiddle, with
Alton Simpson, drummer: Don
Cook, guitar; Wayne Gailey, steel
guitar, and -Tim Holder, who plays
the bass fiddle and does the sing
ing.
Mr. Harper states that the West
erners originated in San Diego and
have been popular throughout
Southern California and came to
Alaska to play at the Alibi Club
in Anchorage.
They are trying something no
other group of entertainers have
ever done—which is an Arctic tour
which includes Nome. Kotzebue
and Barrow. If this tour is a suc
cess, stated the leader of the
group, other troupes with big name
stars will follow every few months
to entertain throughout Alaska.
The Westerners are playing at
the Bering Sea Club and on Friday
and Saturday evenings they will
be at the Armory playing for the
Jaycee - sponsored benefit to equip
the Armory with basketball back
boards.
WEATHER FORECAST
Continued cloudy with occasion
al rain showers. Little change in
temperature.
Kennedy Disregards
Immediate Tax Slash
WASHINGTON I/P' — Leaders
of organized labor reported today
that President Kennedy has dis
carded any idea of an immediate
slash in taxes but the White House
said the President has not yet
reached a decision on a tax cut.
The assistant White House press
secretary, Andrew Hatcher, told
reporters “I imagine a tax cut
came in” to a discussion of a
wide range of subjects covered by
the Chief Executive at a luncheon
meeting with AFL-CIO President
George Meany and the 29 mem
bers of the AFL-CIO Executive
Council.
Soviets Set Off
Atmospheric Blast
WASHINGTON UP — The Soviet
Union set off another atmospheric
nuclear test Tuesday, the Atomic
Energy Commission reported to
day.
“The detonation occurred at the
Soviet test site in Central Siberia
and was in the low-kiloton range,”
the brief announcement said.
That means the blast represent
ed the explosive force of only a few
thousands tons of TNT.
The bigger Soviet tests are held
in the Arctic, far north of the Cen
tral Siberian area.
The shot is only the second one
firmly announced by this country
since the Soviet Union resumec
testing.
A big blast was set off Sundaj
at the test site on Novaya Zeml.vr
Island in the far north.
Five Persons Charged
With Mercy Killing Of
Belgian Deformed Baby
LIEGE, Belgium (/P — A Liege
court will decide Thursday whether
to release or prolong the deten
tion of five persons arrested in the
mercy killing of a thalidomide
baby.
The mother of the baby, a mal
formed boy, is charged with mur
der; the others with complicity in
murder.
They are to appear before a
court in October but, under Bel
gian law, a court must decide on
prolonging their detention each
month pending trial.
Suzanne Coipel-Vandeput, 25,
gave birth May 21 to an armless
son, with hands attached directly
to his shoulders.
She admitted she killed her
baby, saying she did it with the
help of her husband, mother and
sister and their family doctor. All
five were arrested June 1.
The case has blown up into a
national controversy in this pre
dominantly Roman Catholic land.
$3,278,150 Paid to
Highway Contractors
So Far This Season
JUNEAU — Highway con
struction in Alaska during the
months of May. June and July
resulted in payments to contractors
totaling $3,278,150, State Highways
Commissioner D. A. McKinnon
said today.
The disbursements by month in
cluded May, $514,507.35; June,
$814,325.14; July, $1,949,318.21.
McKinnon said monthly dis
bursements will increase rapidly
through August and September and
then start to taper off in October
and November as winter sets in an
construction activity drops off.
Alaska Minerals
Production Jumps
59 Pet. Last Year
JUNEAU !/P — The U.S. Bureau
of Mines said today a spectacular
rise in crude oil production boost
er! the value of minerals produced
in Alaska during 1961 by 59 per
cent over I960 figures.
In a report on mineral produc
tion in Alaska in 1961, the Bureau
said crude oil production jumped
to 6.325.000 barrels in 1961. With
a value of $17,647,000, compared
with 599,000 barrels, with a value
j of $1,230,000, in 1960.
The total value of mineral pro
duction in Alaska during the year
1961 was listed as $34,708.0000,
compared with $21,860,000 in 1960.
Coal was the second most im
portant mineral produced in Alas
! ka during 1961, with production
listed at 737,000 short tons and
i valued at $5,868,000.
Sand and gravel production
amounted to 5.241,000 short tons,
I with a value of $4,185,000.
Gold, once the most important
mineral produced in the state,
brought miners $3,997,000 for 114,
000 troy ounces in 1961.
; Other production figures and
i values contained in the Bureau
of Mines report included:
Copper, 92,000 short tons, $55,
000; mercury, 4,129 flasks, $816.
i 000; natural gas, 434 million cubic
1 feet, $105,000; and silver. 18,000
troy ounces, $17,000.
The value of all other minerals
j produced in the state during the
1 year was $2,018,000, the Bureau
i said. This classification includes
! such minerals as gem stones, lead,
uranium, peat, stone and platinum
I group metals.
Sherri Finkbine Seeks
Official Approval For
Abortion In Sweden
STOCKHOLM M — Mrs. Sherri
j Finkbine finally saw a Swedish
| doctor Tuesday and is expected to
| seek official approval early next
| week for abortion of the baby she
| fears has been deformed by thali
| domide.
Her husband, Robert, told news- j
| men his wife, a Phoenix, Ariz., tele- |
i vision personality, will see the doc- j
tor again Friday. He said the 1
j application for the abortion prob- ;
ably will be submitted o the Royal
Medical Board one day next week.
The Finkbines arrived Sunday
to seek the abortion which was re
fused legal sanction by an Arizona
court earlier. The 30-year-old
brunette had taken the tranquili- !
! zcr thalidomide during her early
pregnancy. The drug has been '
blamed for the birth of several
thousand babies with deformed
arms, legs and internal organs.
The Royal Medical Board has
sanctioned abortion for seven other j
pregnant women who took thali
domide.
Finkbine said his wife, nearly !
three months pregnant, had not
seen a doctor earlier because re
ports from American doctors on
her condition had not arrived.
Roger Kent Elected Chairman of
Western States Demo Conference
SEATTLE UP> — Roger Kent,
San Francisco attorney, was elect
ed chairman as the Western States
Democratic Conference concluded
a three-day assembly yesterday. He
succeeds Girard Davison, Portland,
Ore.
Mrs. Helen Fischer, Anchorage,
was chosen vice chairman.
Oregon Woman Is
Millionth Visitor to
Alaska's C21 Exhibit
SEATTLE UP! — Because he is
i gentleman, E. G. Tidwell, Tigard,
Ore., didn’t win a trip to Alaska
today —■ but his wife did.
Mrs. Mary Tidwell, 47, was in
front of her husband in line to
visit the Alaska exhibit at the
World’s Fair, and was the mil
lionth visitor to the exhibit since
the Fair opened.
A trip to the 49th State and
other prizes were presented to her.
Mrs. Tidwell said she and her
husband decided to get in the Alas
ka exhibit line because it was
shorter than other nearby queues.
A Tin to Voters
JUNEAU id5! — Secretary of
State Hugh Wade’s office urged
voters today to familiarize them
selves with the location of their
legal polling places prior to the
Aug. 14 primary election.
“The establishment of new pre
cincts and the changes made in
the boundaries of old precincts
make it particularly important
that voters obtain accurate voting
information before they go to the
i polls,’’ Wade’s office said.
! Jack McFarland. State Elections
Director, said voting information
may be obtain through posted no
! ticcs of election, recently published
regulations dealing with new pre
! cincts and revisions and news
i stories, maps and legal notices in
| newspapers around the state.
I In addition, voting informatior
! may be obtained from city clerk.
i in municipalities or from electior
j supervisors’ offices in Juneau, An
1 chorage, Fairbanks and Nome.
Mary Virginia Carey Named
Child Welfare Consultant
i JUNEAU (TP' — The appointment
! of Mary Virginia Carey as child
welfare consultant within the Di
vision of Public Welfare was an
nounced today by Health and Wel
fare Commissioner Paul Winsor.
A graduate of the Smith College
School of Social Work. Miss Carey
came to Alaska from Yakima, Wn„
where she served as case work
director for the Catholic Family
and Child Service of the Diocese
of Yakima.
Smirls I’rjcrl
l est Ban ()HVr
r;- \EV \ ■? Tho u •• I
State/ aid today ;t ;/ './Mi’’ : * - ‘ e
duce by more than half the num
ber of detection station:-- proposed
to police a treaty banning nuclear
weapons.
US. Ambassador Arthur D--an
cave the 17-nation disarmament
talks some specifications on a
Western test ban compromise pro
posal expected to be presenter) for
mally next week.
Dean was quoted as tollin'? the
meeting:
‘‘In our new presentation, we are
proposing to reduce the number of
control posts to something like BO.
that means a reduction of more
than half.”
Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister
Valerian Zorin made it clear Mon
day, however, that the Soviet
Union will not accept the new
Western offer. He discussed the
proposal with Dean informally
Sunday and Monday.
He insisted again today that
agreement can be reached only on
the basis of a neutralist formula
providing for on-site inspection
only by invitation of the affected
country.
Soblen Deportation
Deadline Is Friday
LONDON W —- The British gov
ernment today extended until Fri
day midnight the deadline for El A1
Airlines to take fugitive spy Bobert
Soblen to the United States.
This put off a showdown in the
three-nation wrangle over Soblen
which had been duo to come to
a head at midnight tonight, the
original deadline. E! Al. the Israeli
airline, has a flight going to New
York on Friday afternoon.
There was no indication, how
ever, that the airline will comply
with the British Home Office
order. It is under instructions from
the Israeli government to take
Soblen only to Israel.
A diplomatic source said it may
be weeks before the United States
gets its hands on the 61-year-old
psychiatrist, who is under a life
sentence.
Select Group of Friends Pav Final
Tribute to Actress Marilyn Monroe
HOLLYWOOD W —- As a crowd
of more than 1,000 clustered out
side. a select group of friends paid
a quiet final tribute today to movie
sex goddess Marilyn Monroe.
The actress, victim last Saturday
of an overdose of drugs, looked as
beautiful in death as she did on
the screen. She lay in an open
bronze casket in the mortuary
chapel during non-denominational
rites, wearing a simple green
sheath dress and a green scarf
around her neck.
In her hand was a tiny bouquet
of baby pink roses from ex-hus
band Joe DiMaggio.
Her longtime friend and rm t r,
Broadway drama coach Lee Str. -
berg, eulogized her as a legendary
figure, saying:
‘Tn her own lifetime she cre
ated a myth of what a poor girl
from a deprived background could
attain. For the entire world she
became a symbol of the eternal
feminine.”
Not a single Hollywood star was
invited, a circumstance which
aroused pique in some.
Peter Lawford professed shock
that ho and his wife Pat, sister
of President Kennedy, were not in
cluded. They were close friend?
of the actress and Lawford dis
closed today that he had a tele
phone conversation with her - -
to invite her to dinner — the night
of her death.
"I am shocked,” Lawford said.
‘‘Pat flew in Monday night from
ITyannis Port, where she had been
vacationing with the kids, just to
attend Marilyn’s funeral. But wo
were not invited. I don’t know
who’s responsible, but the whole
thing was badly handled.”
Invitations were handled by Di
Maggio. second of Miss Monroe’s
three husbands, in conjunction
with her half sister and her busi
ness manager. They said they felt
Miss Monroe would have wanted
a quiet funeral, and to invite one
star would make it necessary to
invite many—so they invited nom .
DiMaggio spent 12 hours at the
mortuary yesterday and was there
this morning before the service.
‘‘He was alone with her many
times.” said a mortuary source.
(Continued on Page 7'