The Nome nugget., 1932-10-08
TEXT OF WFCKEnsAAN
 ADDRESS

AondRy night ct tho Empress T@ester by Delegate James Wicker shan. is here printed in its en- tirety:
 ,Mr. Chairman, Ladies end Gen. tlens1:
 On my first trip from Eagle City down to Rampant. I stopped at a roadhouse kept and run by an old man by the name of Web- Der, one night. Now, I had never met this fellow, Webber. but had heard great deal about him. I knew he was a witty Irish man and that he didn't like and have any use for lawyers. Howev- CT, I thought I might impress the old man if I attempted to do so by telling him who was. I was standing in the door of the cab in and I said, Well, do you know who I amp" and he grunt- cd rather shortly. No" and I said, "I am the United States District Judge from Eagle City" He didn't seem to be impressed. He just said, "Oh the Hell you aTe' and went on to say, This was 8 pretty good country before the shyster lawyers and United States Marshals came in. It is go- ing to Hell now about as fast as it can go." And with that intro duction stayed with the old man all night. A little later on I asked here?" "Yes." he said, plenty Webber and he replied, Over in !, the. river. So, after going down te, the river for some water and coming back into his cabin, we had'- a plate full of that .celebrat> ed stew that he. was. noted for always, keeping on the stove. Pro bably.. many, of you, here in the audience have tasted that same stew and there, vas a' whole pot of it smoking ons the .stoye. But. when you have travelled for days on. the. Yukon, somehow, you kind of look forward to it and actually enjoy 1t. '
 Now, I hope you people here are not going to take that view of it, that this country is going to the Devil and that it is going to the Devil on my account. l want to say a few words in that dir ection and I hope that you won't think that I am to blame for it as it is. I had nothing to do with this American depression. I did mt have anything to do with caus- ing the World War either so l believe I can escape that form Of a charge. I am very much inter- ested in Alaska and always have been interested in this Territory, and I am trying to do what l can for you at all times, serving your interests to the best of my ability. I believe l have done a great many things for you, too, and I want to talk about some of those things. I know there are oldtimers here that remember me and have known me for years and are acquainted with the capacities in which I have served them, but there are young men and young women here tonight with whom must get acquainted. The sour doughs know all about me, but to these young people it is Just as we'll that I make my introduction and to these so-called Cheechaccos
 came to Alaska in 1900 as United States district judge. l held court first in Eagle city, then went to Nome for a year. In fact have been a judge in every dis trict where a judge has presided and I have held court wherever court could be held. I went around down the coast and held the first floating court ever held in Alaska We had something to do in Al aska in those days. We did big things, had big mining cases 1nvolv' ing hundreds of thousands Of dol lars. I want, to tell you that il isn't at all easy to be a judge in new country. I have traVeleo al over all of these trails when some of them could be hardly recog nized as such. The trail rom Eagle City to Circle and then ov, CT here, at Nome and in rtna' country, and all over this vas Territory. In fact have probably travelled as many miles as an, old man who spent years engag ed in delivering mail. or some thing of that kind. In 1903, ] came here and I am gong to tei you some of these stories l want these young men and women ane Cheechaccos to know me and know what I have done for this count ry. In 1903, came to Fa1rbank' and I staked this lot over her' where the new courthouse is locat ed. staked that site next t' Cushman street, 50 feet wide ana <s S,,1, ,...%h The Rarnette in