The Cordova daily times., 1920-11-29

FIRST ISSUE
 ALASKAPAPER
 0N EXHIBITION

JUNEAU, Nov. 29. - Among the interesting exhibits at the Arctic Brotherhood Building in the museum of the Alaska Historical Library and Museum is a copy of No. 1, Vol. 1, of the Alaska Times, which the editor announces in his salutory to be the first attempt ever made to publish a paper in Alaska" The paper was published at Sitka, Sep tember 19, 1868, and Barney O'Ra- gan's name appears at the head of the paper as editor. The publica tion is produced in pen and ink, writ ten in Hong hand" on foolscap pa | per and consists of four pages of two columns each.
 The copy of the Times was found l by Coy. R. D. Crittenden of Wran- gell in an oyster house at Wash ington and by him given to F. P. Tustin of Wrangell, who presented it to the Alaska Historical Library and Museum.
 The first Alaska newspaper, &C., cording to it's announcement and context, was "devoted to local and general news," mostly pertaining to Alaska. While it announced that it | would be "neutraP' in matters of politics or religion, it promised that | it would discuss all questions of public interest touching the affairs of Alaska And in this first num- Der, the Times declared emphatical- ly against military government for Alaska and for a civil government.
 That the people of Alaska began | to buoy hope for the prospect of getting railroad connections with the East early in it's American history was evidenced by an editorial in the first edition of the Times, more than half century ago, declaring in fav- or of the Pacific Railroad. It ex- 1 pressed desire "to hear the screams" of incoming locomotives whistle "echoed from Alaska's peaks" and to hail the day when trains would come laden with i'm migrants.
 That Alaska was charmed with the northern lights in those days as in these is disclosed by a graphic account of a gorgeous display" of 1868, three days before the appear ance of the paper.
 There was note of lament in one of the articles in the paper on l account of the slow growth of the town. It complains that there was little to boast about in the way of development, but took some hope from the fact that the building of Levy and Company was nearing completion. It said "the inside mat ter' for the building was coming
 from San Francisco on the Bark
 DClCN cl U, HON uut. Allu Iu6lG
 was evidence of pride in the addi
 tion that when the building would be
 ready for occupany Sitka would have
 1.-two lager beer establishments
 One of the principal news items
 in the paper chronicled the fact
 that, "in compliance with orders
 received at headquarters on Septem
 ber 15, salute of thirteen guns was fired at sunrise. a gun fired
 eyerey 30 minutes thereafter unti
 sunset, when a salute of 97 guns
 was fired on account of the death o1 EX-President James Buchanan. That Barney O'Ragan, the editor had something of the sense of hu more that one would naturally asso ciate with his name, is disclosed in an announcement which says that on account of the scarcity of local news of general interest the Times would give well defined descriptions of all fights, record in language of flow
 CTS the matrimonial pursuits of man kind and respectful details to those whose souls have fled to the spirit land"
 The local news gives special prominence to the movement oi
 army officers, in which the name of Gen. Davis heads the list. Gen. Da
 wis and other officers had just left
 Sitka for 'Kodiac," and did not
 expect to return to Sitka for two
 months. In another place in the paper Kodiak appears as "Kodac."
 There. are two or three columns
 of advertisements in the paper
 These include several stores, a half