The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-09-28
BUNK STRIPPE ED. FROM MAGAZINE
 TALE OF ALASKA
Supposedly Prehist o riic Relic from Wrangell Is
 Only Few Years Old

ln stripping the bunk from an article in the October issue of the American Magazine about a sup posedly prehistoric specimen of Alaska art, the Wrangell Sentinel has performed a service of some scientific value and given a laugh to Northerners. The magazine ar, ticle concerns the purchase of a carved granite curio by E. Alex ander Powell when he was in Wrangell few years ago. The ex- posture by the Wrangell Sentinel | follows. MT Powell in his magazine ar ticle, develops the idea that "any day you may stumble on a fortune hidden in rubbish and find high adventure where you least expect it. He relates several instances where. in various parts of the world, seemingly worthless objects have been discovered by chance and bought for a small sum.
 Relates Personal Experience
 Let me tell you about an ex- perience of my own,' MT. Powell says in the magazine story.
 "In the summer of 1929 I was travelling by steamer from Vancou yer to Skagway, Alaska. The boat stopped for an hour at Wrangell, an island off the Alaskan coast, and I was one of the few passen- gers to go ashore. In dilapidated eating house which, I judged, had originally been saloon, I observed on a shelf, between a cluster of empty bottles and potted gera- nium, most curious object. It was carved from some variety of hard, l light-colored stone granite. l gueSsed-and represented, as nearly as I could make out, a heraldic bird possibly an eagle, it's eyes half closed, it's beak sunk upon its breast. It stood about twelve inch es high and, though crudely exc cuted, had peculiarly sinister ex- pression. It might be Mayan. Or Babylonian Or Phoenician. No matter what its origin, I wanted it.
 White Bearded Old Man
 "The proprietor, an old, old man with a white beard reaching half way to his waist, was behind the counter serving a throng of hungry customers.
 That figure on the sheltf,' I be- gan, striving not to show my eager ness Is that for sale?'
 "'Yep,' said the old man, with out looking up from the sandwiches he was making. Its yours, brother, for five bucks
 T handed him the money.
 "'Just what is it?' I inquired, now that had it safely in my possession. Where did you get it?'
 "T took it off the grave of old Chief Skowl when I come here nigh on 60 years ago. was the answer. That's all I kin tell you about it.
 T shipped the figure to my home, near Washington. I didn't know just what to do with it, now that I had it, but it finally oc- cured to me that by drilling a small hole from the back of the neck through the head to the beak it would make an interesting spout for wall-fountain in my garden.
 Scientists Are Fooled
 "On my way to the stonecutter's I passed the National Museum
 CT might as well learn what this thing it, thought. The ex- perts in the museum should be able to tell me something about it.
 T explained my mission to an official, who directed me to the office of Dr. Ales Hrdlicka, curator of the archaeological department of the museum and one of the worlds foremost authorities on an- thropology. I told him the story of my find and apologized for troubling him with so unimportant matter.
 :" Not at all,' he said courteously.
 T placed the figure on the table. He glanced at it, gave low whistle of astonishment and issued an order to a messenger. Shortly, other scientists appeared. They gathered about the figure and ex- amined it as if it were an object of surpassing interest and import ance. I became embarrassed.
 Deemed Rare Find