diff --git a/trunk/ripnews/news/article.rb b/trunk/ripnews/news/article.rb
index fe3b277..dcdca33 100644
--- a/trunk/ripnews/news/article.rb
+++ b/trunk/ripnews/news/article.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #################################
 #
-# $Dwarf: article.rb,v 1.62 2003/04/22 21:30:07 ward Exp $
+# $Dwarf: article.rb,v 1.63 2003/04/24 07:26:41 ward Exp $
 # $Source$
 #
 # article.rb
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def get_articles(cachedir=false)
 			print "	First: #{first}\n"
 			print "	Last: #{last}\n"
 			# clean up old newsrc entries
-			if @connections[server]["first"] > 0
+			if @connections[server]["first"].to_i > 0
 				@connections[server]["newsrc"].unmark_range(@group, 0, (@connections[server]["first"].to_i-1).to_s)
 				@connections[server]["newsrc"].save
 			end