The Cordova daily times., 1923-02-28
May Indicate Japanese Were First to Visit
 America
FOUND BY ALASKAFARMER
Asiatics Would Have Had Only Short Trip
 Across Straits
By THOMAS RIGGS Former Governor of Alaska


 set foot on American soil is claimed by several European countries. So far all history or tradition awards the honor to hardy mariners of the Allan tic; and yet is it not possible or even probable that before Jeff or Colum- bus set forth in their frail crafts of discovery, that contact with the shores of North America had been effected by some of the Asiatic races?
 It is said that Buddhist history re- cords the exploration of the Pacific Coast of America some 600 years ago by band of missionaries from Japan. It is supposed that these adventurers followed the Kurile chain of islands to the Aleutians, then along this archipelago to the mainland of Alas ka and thence as far south. as Cali fornia. Other expeditions may have crossed the narrow Boring Straits separating Asia from America. On a clear day the Diomede Islands can be seen from either continental shore.
 That Japanese landed in America centuries ago seems almost proved by the finding of a quaint stone lamp now exhibited in the Alaska Histori- col Museum at Juneau, Alaska. The lamp was found some ten years ago by Charles Ulanky, farmer, clearing his land near Knik, a little settlement at the head of Cook Inlet. It was un- covered in the alluvial silt at a 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 design re- sembles the conventional lotus leaf. At one end, opposite the wick lip, so as to face the light, squats the figure of Buddha with the impenetrable calm of the East on has carven coun- tenance.
 By whom was this lamp left on the shores of Alaska? In this little known museum, buuuld dlu HID 1aihP o""A' the student of early history to solve the mystery. The lamp is one of the most striking exhibit, but the wealth of Eskimo antiquities is equally ab- sorbing. There are museums with large collections, but none having so many rare items from prehistoric days For years there had been piled in the attic of the ramshackle building which houses the Governors office great number of boxes containing the collec tion of Lieutenant G. T. Emmons
 made by him for the St. Louis Fair On rough shelves around the wall!
 were piled the valuable books and ar
 chives of the Territory of Alaska. Archaeology has always had grea appeal to me, and so it was that determined to put the Emmons collec tion to good use as the foundation of territorial museum. There was a small fund available for the purpose, but in sufficient to the needs. With the as sistance of the then Attorney Genera of Alaska few of us organized an' incorporated the Alaska Historical As sociation. A sliding scale of member
 ship fees made a little more none. available, and the Territorial museum
 was launched in four rooms on tn
 second floor of frame building, tn lower floor of which contains the eX perimental fish hatchery.
 Using part of the available fund, portion of the wonderful Eskimo col
 lection of Dr. Daniel s. Neuman, fo1 merly of Nome, was purchased, ant Dr. Neuman permitted the remainde to be shown as loan collection. In the museum the student can fol
 low the progress of the Eskimo rac from the earliest stone age to thu present The knives and ornament
 of jade are remarkable; the weapons r the fishing tackle, the ivory fetiches
 the highly colored ceremonial masks
 the clothing, the cooking utensils, thu
 childrens' toys, the delicately carved
 ivory butterflies carried on sealing
 trips to insure good luck, constitute z
 most unique collection. New York Timas