The Alaska daily empire., 1923-02-26

That America may nave Deen dlscofeieu pS paneso instead of by Columbus or the Norsen a suggestion Of former Governor Thomas Riggs aaka Writing on the subject recently in the ,rk Times Governor Riggs said
 Nationality fer the first person to set foot cn American soil is claimed by several European countries. So far all history or tradition awards the honor to hardy mariners Of the Atlantic; and yet is it not possible or even probable that before Jeff or Co., lumbus set ferth in their frail crafts of dis coyory, that contact with the shores of North America had been affected by some of the Asiatic races?
 It is said that Buddhist history records the exploration of the Pacific Coast of Amer ica some 500 years ago by band of mission aries from Japan IL is supposed that these advcnturers followed the Kurile chain of islands to the Aleutians, then along this archipelago to the mainland of Alaska and thence as far south as California. Other expeditions may have crossed the narrow Boring Straits separating Asia from America. On clear day the Domede Islands be from either continental shore.
 That Japanese landed in America turies ago almost proved by the find ing Of quaint stone lamp exhibited in the Alaska Historia Museum at Juneau, Alaska. The lamp was found some ten years ago by Charles Ulanky, farmer, clearing his land near knik, little settlement at the
  alluvia silt al q depth of foot, and by him presented to the Territory The lamp is slightly oblong in shape with a greatest diameter of about twelve inches The de- sign resembles the conventional lotus leaf. At che end opposite the wick lip. So as to face the light. squats the figure of Buddha with the impenetrable calm of the East on his caryen countenance
 By whom this lamp left on the shores of Alaska? In this little known museum Buddha and his lamp await the student of carly history to solve the mystery The lamp is of the most striking cx- hibits, but the wealth of Eskimo antiquities is equally absorbing There are museums with large collections, but nene having so many rare items from prehistoric days. For years there has been piled in the attic of the ramshacklo building which houses the Gov ernors office great number of boxes con taining the collection of Lieutenant G. T Emmons. made by him for the St.. Louis Far. On rough shelves around the walls were piled the valuable books and archives of the Territory of Alaska.
 Archaeology has always had great appeal To me, and so it was that 1 determined to put the Emmons collection to good use as the formation of a Territorial museum There was small fund available for the purpose but insufficient to the needs With the assistance of the then Attorney General of Alaska, few of us organized and incor porated the Alaska Historical Association A sliding scale of membership fees made a little moro money available, and the Territorial museum was launched in four rooms on the second hcor of a frame building the lower noor of which contains the experimental fish hatchery
 tslng part of the available fund a DOT ton of the wonderful Eskimo collection of UT. Danlel S. Neuman, formerly of Nome was purchased, and Dr. Neuman permitted the remainder to be shown as a loan col lection.
 Tn the museum the student can follow the progress ot the Eskimo race from the earliest stone age to the present. The knives and ornaments of jade arc remarkable: the wean ohs, the fishing tackle, the ivory fetches inc nlghiy colcred ceremonial masks, the cloth ihs' the cooking utensils the childrens' 'o!s, the delicatey carved ivory butterflies carried on scaling trips to insure good luck, constitute most unique collection