Alaska sentinel., 1907-07-18
LUDECKE'S FLAG FIRST

Following is part of self explanatory communication from the publicity de- partment of the Alaska Yukon- Pacific Exposition:
 In what place is the American banner that first fiuttered over Alaska HOW resting2 Tn what manner has the flag been preserved to the present time, And finally, what is the real story of that stirring October day at Sit&a, Nhen the American warship arrived to take possession of the country, and when the Russian flag was rent in two pieces as they pulled it down for the last time in the Western hemisphere, while t',e beautiful Russian Princess Maksoatof wept at the shortsightedness of her country at selling a land with so much potential greatness.
 Il few months ago the management of the Alaska -fukon-P Pacific Exposition started to solve these questions, especially the first one as to the whereabouts of the flag. The result was curious, and indeed reminds one so forcibly of famous incident of the eigh- teenth century, tha. pethaps the story may be told:
 John Baxter, in his day famous divine, died with so many expressions of hope and belief, that his heirs determined to issue the story The book The Last Words of John Baxter" was issued, and was an immediate success. Money rolled in. The heirs be- came greedy, and hoping to duplicate the success, issued another book, More Last Words of John Baxter"
 It was so with the flag. No sooner had a search began for the first American flag un- furlei in the northland than the enquirers began to be daily informed of where the real first fiag" was to be found. Everyone that had flag thirty-hve or forty years old seemed to be determined to advance his banner as the original one Many and in genious were the stories told and bitterly did some of the contestants wage war for the legitimacy of the particular flag in which they were interested. True, many of these ancient American banners had most inter esting histories, but histories not pertaining to the point at issue.
 After sitting the matter out, the exposition management believes that the original tliirty-six-s starred banner to float above the Russian barracks at Sitka is one of three which are in different parts of the United States for safe keeping. The history of each of these three flags is well authenticat- ed, and later the one desired will be ob- tained by the exposition to be used at the opening ceremonies.
 One flag the property of Edward Leu decke of Wrangell, has strong claim to being the original. II now reposes iu the vaults of tke Dexter Horton Bank in Seattle. Tine story IS that the body of American sol diers that left San Francisco in the autumn ot 1897 for Sltka to take pCs5eslion of the country, proceeded by the inside channel and touched first at Wrangell At that point thereswere living few Americans engaged ln pioneer work. One of these was Edward Leudecke, who after forty pears, is still resident of Wrangell. Leudecke, when the troops touched at that point, heard for the first time of the American purchase. AL though the country was not then formally taken over by the United States, he ran to the fagpole and hoisted the American flag, and there 1t flew for many mouths In the meantime the troops proceeded to Sitka, then the capital, and on October Is, l367, the Russian flag was pulled down and the American flag raised before the barracks and in the presence of detachment of both Russian and American troops.
 The flag of Leudeoke foated until the news of the admission of Nebraska to the Union was announced, and then the flag with thirty-six stars was pulled down and another one with thirty-seven stars was raised in its place. Leudecke, however, clung carefully to his flag and in 1905 turned 1t sver to c. E. Rodman, an attorney of WrangeliI who sent it on to its present des-