' 1 11 -—-"—I,,,— *
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
>. . . ,J
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
*8.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
*-- /
VOL 6, NO. 47
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 30,1930.
PRICE TEN CENTS
$3,000,000 POWER
PROJECT PLANNED
FOR DISTRICT
That the Portland Canal Pow
er Company plans involve the
construction of a hydro-elec
tric power plant on Davis Riv
er in this district costing $3,
000,000 and having an ulti
mate capacity of 20,000 horse
power, is the outstanding state
ment of a communication from
Willis T. Batcheller, president
of the company, received by
the Herald this week.
As reported in this paper last
week, a survey party headed
by Edwin R. Wright, who ha
been engaged in the capacity
of resident engineer, arrived on
the motorship Norco from Seat
tle last week and is now on Da
vis River.
Mr Batcheller says in his an
nouncement that it is planned
to complete the final surveys
and investigations this fall and
to start actual construction a.
soon as plans can be prepared
and the necessary detail, j
worked out. The Federal Pow j
er Commission has granted the
preliminary power permit and
the necessaVy license will b<
secured as soon as the field
work has been completed and
plans prepared.
The new power company
the statement says, has secured
the only commercially feasible
power site in the district, locat
ed 12 miles south of Hyder oi
the Alaska side of Portland
Canal, where a narrow box
canyon carries the Davis Rive!
between two granite mountain:
rising 3,500 feet above tide
water. The natural fall of
Davis River is 110 feet in a dis
tance of 1200 feet from tide
water and it is planned to con
struct an arch dam of suffic
ient heighth to produce a head
of 350 feet for the initial devel
opment, which will later be in
creased to 500 feet as the pow
er market increases. On ac
count of the specially favor
able formation of the damsite
it will be possible to construe;
the dam much more cheaply
than is ordinarily the case and
the proximity of the site to the
center of power distribution
which is Hyder, will result in r.
low power cost.
A power tunnel 800 feet long
and steel penstock pipes prob
ably half that length will deliv
er the water to the turbines -lo
cated in a concrete power
hotise on tide water. The init
ial installation will have a ca
pacity of not less than 10,000
horse power, with the possibil
ity that this will be increased
to 15,000 in case plans now un
der way in the district make it
necessary to have this capacity
available. The power is to be
used to supply the towns of
Hyder, Alaska, and Stewart, B.
C., the statement continues, as
well as the mining district lo
cated along the Salmon and
Bear Rivers, where there is no
electrical system at present and
power is supplied by small Die
sel engines.
The dam as originally con
structed will create a reser
vior two miles long which will
serve a s ample insurance
against a shortage of water
i
Silverado Suspends
The Premier Gold Mining Co.
suspended development activi
ties on the Silverado property
Friday, after working since
last spring. Reasons for the
shut-down have not been de
termined at this writing. It is
currently reported that the
company is planning to inaugu
rate a diamond drilling cam
paign on the property.
-o
Alaska Airplane Co. Will
Establish Radiophone Station
To enable constant communir
cation with its planes in the
Alaska air transport service,
j the Alaska-Washington Air
I ways will further increase the
; facilities and safety of its flour
ishing service in Alaska by
erecting a radio telephone stat
ion at Juneau. The station has
been assigned the identifica
ion letters KGQW by the de
partment of commerce and is
expected to be in operation by
-September 29.
Station and planes will be
equipped with both receiving
and sending apparatus, enab
ling communication between
headquarters and planes at all
times and regardless of wheth
er the planes are in the air or
at rest. The company is us
ing a radio telephone system
very successfully in connection
with the operation of its planes
an the Seattle-Victoria-Van
couver route.
■o
Deer and Goat Season Open
The open season in South
eastern Alaska for deer,mount
ain sheep, excepting females
and lambs, and mountain goat,
except kids, is now on and the j
killing of those animals is le- j
gal. The season on all three j
opened August 20. The deer j
•eason closes November 15 but j
goat and sheep may be killed
until December 31.
The season limit for deer is
three animals and for goat or
sheep two each.
-o
H. L. Reed, who was associ
ated with Louis Legge in the '
packing and transfer business
here in earlier years, returned ‘
this week after a long absence. 1
i
supply during the low water (
period which occurs in the win
ter. Ample quantites of sand .
and gravel lie within a few
hundred feet of the dam site,
mak i n g concrete materials
easy to obtain. Since there is a
very steep drop along the side
of Portland Canal at the power
house site, it will be possible to
unload machinery and supplies
from boats directly onto the j
site, with almost no dock re- j
quired.
Electric power lines wijl car
ry the power to Hyder and
Stewart, up the Salmon and
Bear Rivers and down the east
side of the Canal..
The statement adds that by
the time the plant can be
placed in operation there will1
be available not less than 10,
000 horse power in load, which
will insure the financiel success
of the enterprise from its com
mencement.
The company was organized
recently in Seattle to carry out
the enterprise.
TEXAS ROAD WORK
NEARING COMPLETION
Reports from Texas Creek
this week disclose that the
Seims-Spokane Company i 3
maintaining the same excellent
progress on the new govern
ment highway as character
ized their construction activi
ties during earlier periods of
the present season.
The power shovel is now
working on the new grade at a
point close to the government
cabin and about 1 Vs> miles from
the end of the survey. The
gravelling of the second sect
ion of the road, the grading of
which was completed by the
Gardner company last year, is
now about two-thirds complet
ed and is expected to be fin
ished in 10 days or so
A new road camp is under
construction in the vicinity of
the government cabin and is
expected to be completed in
about 6 days, after which most
of the crew will be moved up
from the present camp near
Ibex Creek. The fleet of trucks
employed on the surfacing op
erations will also make the
new camp their headquarters
after completing the surfacing (
of the Gardner grade. Mater
ials are now on the ground for >
a new bridge a short distance
beyond the government cabin j
and work on the structure is
expected to start next week.
With a view to assisting in the |
future maintenance of the 4- .
mile section of the highway be- (
tween the Texas bridge and ■
Ibex Creek, the contractors j
have constructed three gravel (
bunkers at various points and <
filled them with fine-crushed 1
gravel for use as required.
o
I
Moose Dane Tonight
The Moose dance to raise
funds for purchasing the Fer- i
nald lot adjoining the school 1
house for the use of the school i
will be held in Pioneer Halt 1
this evening and is expected to ’ <
attract a large gathering of j s
dance devotees. <
Music will be provided by P. (
S. Jack’s talented aggregation j 1
of symphony producers and 1
the committee in charge has i
spared no effort to make the t
dance enjoyable. Those attend- i
ing are assured of a real good
time, in addition to the satis- j i
faction of helping in a most 1
praiseworthy cause.
The Moose, ever on the alert
to do something for kiddies,
will turn the lot over to the
school as a gift, thereby not on- ^
ly increasing considerably the (
size of the school playground 1
but also lessening the danger 1
of fire attacking the school 1
house from without. (
Any residue of the dance <
proceeds after purchase of the J
lot will be divided between 1
the Moose Christmas Tree
funds for Hyder and Stewart. J
NOTICE ,
All Library patrons holding1,
books issued prior to August 5 x
are requested to return same to j
the Library immediately. ,
Hyder Public Library i
Moose school lot purchase l
dance tonight. w „ { ]
HUBER SCHOOL
BOARD REFORMED
. -
The Hyder public school will
resume sessions next Tuesday
morning, September 2, it was
announced today by D. J. Mul
care, clerk of the school board.
Mr. Mulcare also made it
known that Noel M. Traversy
and C. N. Crone have been ap
j pointed to membership on the
school board to succeed Chas.
Fehring and C. B. Hager, who
tendered their resignations re
cently owing to differences of
opinion regarding the appoint
ment of a school teacher.
The new board members were
appointed by Mr. Mulcare un
der- instructions from L. W.
Brcuer, Territorial Commiss
ioner of Education.
The school will be in charge
of Mrs. D. E. Martin, of Hyder,
who possesses not only except
ional qualifications but also has
had unusually wide experi
ence in educational work.
---_
Alaska Juneau Expected to
Pay Dividends in 1931
The Alaska Juneau Gold Min
ing Company is expected to go
on a dividend paying basis next,
year, according to a recent
statement to the Juneau Em
pire by P. R. Bradley, consult
ing engineer of the company.
Mr. Bradley 3aid the company
would retire the last of its
bonded indebtedness this year
and hoped to begin payment of
dividends in 1931. The mine
and mill were reported operat
ing splendidly and meeting ad
equately the program adopted
several years ago, and every
thing was entirely satisfactory.
-o
Huge Shrimp Beds Found
In Prince William Sound
An Alaska industry of im
mense importance on Prince
William Sound is indicated in a
press dispatch from Cordova
reporting the discovery of un
estimated quantities of huge
^hrimp in virtually every bay
uf the Sound as a result of suc
cessful prospecting for shrimp
beds. The shrimp are said to
be 10 inches long and it is not
uncommon for more than a ton
to be picked up by the experi
mental trawler.
Huge spider crabs measur
ing four feet across were also
found.
o
New Boat Schedule
The Fall schedule of the C.
N. R. steamships will go into
affect here next week with the
arrival of the Prince Rupert at
midnight, September 2. The
vessel will return south by way j
nf Ketchikan. The Prince
George will arrive under the
new schedule Thursday morn
ing, September 11.
The Thursday and Saturday
mailings will be maintained un
til November 17, when the win
ter schedule will be inaugurat
ed. The Prince Charles will f
make her appearance as usual
next Tuesday morning and will j
then be withdrawn from the |
run.
A.11 south-bound Saturday night,
sailings under the new sched
tile will be by way of Ketchi-1
kan.
Airway* Plane Visits
The Alaska- Washington Air
ways seaplane Sitka paid the
camp a visit Thursday, arriv
ing from Ketchikan shortly be
fore noon in charge of Pilot
E. A. Meyering and with Mrs.
Meyering, Mrs. J. Edmonds,
Lawrence Kubley and Ralph
Bartholemew, of Ketchikan,
and plane mechanic Frank
Wadman on board.
The object of the plane’s vis
it was to convey Mr. Henry C.
Giegerich, a Consolidated Min
ing and Smelting Co. field en
gineer and his supplies into the
Twenty - mile River country,
north of Stewart, to make an
examination of mining proper
ties in which the Consolidated
is interested.
It was found, however, that
the Stewart customs officials:
would not permit the plane t<
make the trip, as, being an
American plane, customs reg
ulations would not allow it to
land at points where there it
no customs office. This is said
to be a recognized rule in aii
transport between Canada and
the United States.
After several hours were
spent in futile efforts to over
come the customs difficulties.
Mr. Giegerich abandoned the
project and the plane and its
passengers returned to Ketchi
kan.
o
Judge Harding Hurt
In Automobile Acciden
Judge Justin W. Harding o
the First Division District Cour,
was slightly in jured in an auto
mobile accident a few days ago
while visiting his old home in
Franklin, Ohio, according tc
advices received in Juneau
The exact character of the ac
cident was not indicated. Judge
Harding received bruises anc
cuts on the face and head anc
was compelled to delay his re
turn to Alaska about 8 day>
until his wounds had healec
sufficiently to travel. As a re
suit of the delay it will be nec
essary to defer for a few day.'
the opening of the Septembei
term of the district court at
Juneau.
-n
Texas Claim Owners
Starting Branch Read!
Arrivals from Texas Creek
repor t that the claim owner.
of that section whose proper
ties are located near the new
government highway are turn
ing their attention to the con
struction of branch roads 01
trails from the highway tc
their ground, with a view to fa
cilitating travel and transport
ation of supplies.
N. H. Stevens is said to have
taken the initiative in such pro
jects and has constructed a
considerable stretch of road
and trail which will be a big
help in the development of his
properties near Ferguson Glac
ier.
-o- ' i
Two Gold Star mothers, Alas
ka’s only contribution this year
to the many mothers who will 1
visit the graves of their sons in j •
France, left Seattle last week i
on their way to Europe. They ;
are Mrs. Dora I. Johnstone, of j i
Ketchikan, and Mrs. C. M. Eck- i
man, of Anchorage. Both will
visit the Meuse-Argonne Cem- 1
etery, where their sons are bur- <
[ied. j
SHTTLE-tUSK* AIR
MAIL SERVICE MOVE
MENT LAUNCHED
The McNary-Watres bill, de
signed to encourage commer
cial aviation and giving the
postmaster general authority
to award contracts for carrying
mail by air, became a law July
1 and has resulted in the
launching of a vigorous move
ment to secure air mail service
for Alaska, which unquestion
ably needs such service more
han any other section of the
country.
However it is up to Alaskans
o show that they are en
titled to and need such service.
And the best method for im
pressing the necessity upon the
postal authorities is for the
people of the Territory to make
a direct and personal appeal
for it.
Realizing this, the Alaska
YVashington Airways is asking
Alaskans all over the Terri
tory, and also former Alaskans
low living Outside, to send in
^heir reasons why the govern
ment should give them this
service, and is offering a num
ber of suitable prizes for the
best letters received.
The letters should be ad
dressed to the Postmaster gen
eral at Washington, D. C., but
should be sent to the Alaska
Washington Airways head
quarters in Seattle, by whom
they will be forwarded to
Washington. Letters should be
sent in as soon as possible, as
promptness in replying will be
a determining factor in select
ng the winners, as well as log
c in reasoning and briefness
if form. The contest will close
October 1.
The first prize will be a free
•ound-trip air ride to Seattle
irom any town n Alaska, or
rom Seattle to Alaska, if the
winner is a resident of the
states. A number of other priz
js will be offered and will be
announced later.
In announcing the contest,
he Alaska - Washington Air
ways points out that that the
feasibility of commercial fly
ng in Alaska has been demon
strated almost every day of ev
3ry year since planes were
first brought to the Territory.
The dependability of flying in
he North has in fact made
Alaska the most “air-minded”
district in America and Alas
kans per capita fly more miles
per annum than than do the
residents of any other state or
territory. The record of the
Alaska - Washington Airways
of having flown more than a
million miles with more than
ten thousand passengers and
without an accident, shows in
most conclusive manner the
feasibility and practicability
of flying in the North.
-o
J. R. Fendley, who was taken
to Ketchikan by plane last
week after breaking his leg in
the Chickamin section, is now
progressing as nicely as poss
ible in Ketchikan hospital, ac
cording to his mining partner,
W. W. Metcalf, who returned
to camp Tuesday, after ac
companying the injured man to
the First City.