The Wrangell sentinel., 1945-01-19
THROUGH THE SENTINEL PERISCOPE

Back in 1881 for the 10th ses- sion of the Alaska Legislature voters of the Third Division sent down to Juneau a Democrat named H H. NcCutcheon. IL was some thing of an event in political cir cles as Republicans were still the predominating force in Alaska poll tics and Democrat - one who could be elected-was looked upon as something of an oddity.
 That was 14 years ago. and each two years since Mac as the vast majority of Alaskans know him, has been coming back to the Legis- lature. Today. well poised as ever always the Legislatures b Il brummel in appearance, dlstin- guished now Senator MeCutcheon is back on the job lending wit and dignity to the Territory.s law makers. Arriving ahead of the ma jority. as is his usual custom, the Thirds elder McCutcheon parked his bags in his customary room at the old Gastineau last week, and commented well, here we go again" Old friends gathered to greet him. Here, in truth, was liy- ing evidence that the 17th Alaska Legislature was going to meet with usual dignity and form, according to the rules. The heralder of Alas ka Legislatures was on the job.
 For years it's been one of the gags in the political hot-stoYe league sessions with Mac whether an Alaska Legislature would actu- ally be the real thing without a McCutcheon. As the Senator tells the boys in the back room, he has seen to that, and up in the Third they know about it too. For there k son Stanley McCutcheon. Tw O years ago, voters in the Third sent young Stanley down to the House, This year they did it again. Then there's a son. Steve, active in the Territory's political affairs.
 Aye" says the Senator as the boys gather around, q trust there always will be a McCutcheon rep resenting the common man" His eye wanders to the clock. Sun 8 over the yard arm, gentleman What do you say? I'm bit slack.
 Two years ago Senator o. D. Cochran of Nome, who has been in there watching the treasury since 1887. told the boys in the Senate he thought he'd done his bit and was going to call it day so far as reelection was concerned. But up in the Second Division, where for more than 40 years "O.D." has been attending to legal matters for virtually everybody in the Division and anybody else who happened to wander into the district needing some sage advice, they had an- other thought Come election time last spring and Second Division voters said, Well, well vote for Cochran for the Senate. now who else is going to run" So the ven- erable Senator from the Second was over-powered. He couldn't very well throw down those friends of
 
 going to vote for him anyway, so he filed for reelection. They counted the vote in the Second and they re-canvassed it according to law at the Canvassing board ses- sion in Juneau, but it wasn't en- tirely necessary. Any old timer could have told you way along last spring "O.D." was a cinch. He was too.
 This week Second Divisions elder statesman arrived in the cap ital city ready for another go at this law-making business. At the Gastineau. where veteran law makers have held the Third House Cbun sessions where the noses art countedl for To these many years Manager Bruce Kendall had tht Senator's old room in readiness Since the turn of the century 70 D." has been coming trough Jul mean and during most of thos' years he has a room at the Gas tineau which he calls his Juneal nome" Thanked with law books with session laws. with ruogh draf of hills to be proposed at the 17ti session. he's there right now, [ keen glint in his eye which mean to those who know: Just fle son, of those youngsters take ; dollar out of that Treasury unles thev got a confounded good req son" The watch dog of the Terri torial Treasury is back on the job Things are lining up in due forn for the 17th session.
 Monday next they are off to tn rac,s in the 17th Legislative ses