AN ALL
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
HYDER
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-—-1 -
VOL 1, NO. 4
HYDER, ALASKA, MOMMY, SEPTEMBER 29,1924
FIFTY CENTS A KCK1H
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
LAUNCHES ATTEMPT FOR
IMPROVED MAIL SERVICE
Fire protection and ways
and means of securing a more
direct mail service from Se
attle were the leading themes
of discussion at the second
monthly meeting of the Hyder
Chamber of Commerce at Pi
oneer Hall last Tuesday even
ing.
The/fire protection discuss
ion centered around the quest
ion of what form of apparatus
is best suited to meet the lo
cal conditions and it was
finally decided that, instead
of large and cumbersome ap
paratus which would be dif
ficult to handle during the
snowy period, the most prac
tical method would be to rely
on portable fire extinguishers
distributed at different points
and in places where they
could be available at once
when needed. It was pointed
out that an expenditure of
$500 or so would procure a
considerable number of good
sized portable extinguishers
and would serve the purpose
in a quicker and more effici
ent manner than a large
chemical apparatus.
The mail situation proved a
fruitful source of discussion,
with' all members unanimous
in the view that steps should
be taken to ascertain if it was
possible to have mail from
the States routed direct to
Hyder via the Canadian
steamers calling twice a week.
At the same time it was the
general view that nothing
be done which would tend
to disturb the present weekly
mail connections with Ketch
ikan. It was pointed out by
J. A. Talbot that without the
continuance of the Ketchikan
service, a vital channel of
communication would be de
stroyed, as the weekly mail
boat could not continue op
eration on the small cargo
and passenger traffic between
Hyder and Ketchikan. The
mail contract, he said, was
all that made the service prof
itable. In addition the abolit
ion of the latter service would
cut Hyder off from direct
communication with 4she rest
of the Territory, as Alaska
mail would have to go to Se
attle before reaching Hyder.
It was the general view, how
ever, that from one to two
weeks or more is a long time
to wait for mail from points
but two days away, as is the
case at present, and it was
moved by W. L. Balch that
steps be taken to determine
if the Canadian boats would
not carry mail from Seattle
without charge as a matter
of accommodation, as is done
by the Princess boats plying
between Vancouver and Skag
way. The Secretary was in
structed to communicate with
the Canadian and U. S. offic
ials to ascertain what could
be done.
The river committee report
ed receipt of a letter from
Col. James Steese. head of
the Alaska Road Commission,
acknowleding receipt of com
munications regarding the
flood danger and announc
ing that they would be given
proper consideration. The com
mittee also reported forward
ing letters and other commun
ications on the same subject
to Delegate Sutherland with
a request for his assistance
in securing an appropriation.
The Chamber also endorsed
a motion to extend a vote of
thanks to Miss Marlon Hunt
and Fred Cameron for their
assistance in connection with
the Preparedness Day enroll
ment activities.
H. H. Howard informed the
Chamber that Chas. E. Herron
had announced the intention
of the Alaska Weekly to pub
lish 25,000 copies of a special
advertising edition of that
publication, in which special
attention would be paid to
■ the resources and develop
ment of the Hyder mining
distinct, and of which 1,500
copies were to be given to the
Chamber of Commerce for dis
tribution.
The meeting was presided
over by vice president Merl
F. Thomas and proved decid
edly interesting throughout.
FIRE DESTROYS
HALF OF TANANA
Fairbanks dispatches Friday
announced that practically
half of the town of Tanana
was destroyed by fire on that
day.
The blaze originated in the
kitchen of the Grant Hotel,
destroying that building and
a number of other prominent
edifices. The loss was es
timated at $80,000.
Work on the Texas Creek
pack trail was suspended for
the present season last Friday,
after the trail had been ex
tended from the vicinity of
the Texas Creek Bridge to a
point near the Ibex group,
about half way to the head.
With a crew working from
the neighborhood of the gov
ernment shelter cabin, about
814 miles up the stream, the
trail was also extended down
stream from the latter point
for about % of a mile. A
bridge was also constructed
across the stream near the
shelter cabin. The total length
of trail constructed was about
seven miles, including the
various crooks and turns,
leaving about l1/’ miles to be
completed between the upper
and lower sections. This will
probably be finished next
'year, according to T. Thomp
json, field assistant, of the
! Forestry Service road and
trail division, under whose di
rection the work was carried
on. A crew of 15 men has been
engaged on the job for the
past three months. Consider
j able maintenance Iwork was
also done on the Salmon
| river road during the same
period.
William Watson, a mess
enger, was taken into custody
|by Deputy U. S. Marshal T.W.
] McDonald lafet Tuesday and
haled before the U. S. Com
jmissioner on a charge of vio
lating the Alaska Bone Dry
l Act.
When picked up,by the Mar
shal, Watson was a walking
grog shop, having near a
third of a case of beer con
cealed in a capacions pocket
in the back of a voluminous
coat. He entered plea of guilty
and was fined $100,-with an
additional monition to more
lawful behavior in the shape
of 60 days in the Federal jail.
DALY ALASKA MAY
PROVE SECOND PREMIER
4»i '
, That a strike of such char
acter and richness has been
made on the Daly-Alaska as
to warrant the view that the
widely known property may
ultimately develop into a mine
of the same type and magni
tude as the Premier, is the out
standing feature- of an an
nouncement made Saturday
by J. J. Kahn, president of
the Daly-Alaska, • following
his return to Hyder from a
week’s visit to the Daly-Alas
ka properties at Eleven Mile.
When asked for a statement
relative to late developments
on the property, Mr. Kahn in
formed the Herald that he
was thoroughly satisfied with
the results of the develop
ment work done dtfring the
past three weeks, but that it
was yet too soon to make
positive statements regarding
the extent of the ore body or
the average grade of the ore,
although the generous quan
tities of native silver and ar
gentite visible in the broken
ore on the dump seemed to
indicate that some smelter
shipments would be made in
the very near future.
The ore body encountered,
he said, occurs at a contact
of the greenstone with the
quartz porphry, or what is
known locally as the Premier
porphry, and at what appears
to be the iniersfioUan oJLNo.1
and No. 2 ore bodies. ,
Apparently the same geo
logical conditions found at
the Premier obtain on tbe
Daly-Alaska and this, com
bined with the fact that nat
ive silver and argentite is
• found in the ore body now
under development, leads us
to the conclusion that a mine
of the same type and magni
tude as the Premier may be
opened at Eleven Mile.
Regarding the trend of the
ore occurrences, Mr. Kahn
said a depth of over 200 feet
has been obtained at the point
where the ore body is cross
cut atfd at a distance of 120
| feet from being vertically un
!der the surface exposure of
the ore. This, he said, is taken
to indicate a length of at least
120 feet on the oreshoot. De
velopment work, he added is
now being carried on with a
view to proving up the length
of the ore body as well as its
width and average grade.
Mr. Kahn said that it is not
the company’s policy to keep
secret the developments at
the mine but that it does not
favor premature publicity re
garding whatever strikes are
made. He stated, however,
that owing to the fact that
rumor has been busy of late,
and because of a desire to
correct any wild statements
that may be made, he wished
to make it plain that the Daly
Alaska Mines Company is
carrying on development with
*he sola objective of making a
mine at Eleven Mile, if it can
be done. That, he said, is the
one and only aim.
MININGJOTES
Simon P. Fitzgerald, manag
ing director of the Independ
ence Mining Company, return
ed Saturday from a stay of
several weeks in Seattle, Vic
toria and Vancouver.
Mr. Fitzgerald brought back
12 tons of supplies and equip
ment for the Independence,
which will be freighted to
| that well known property at
once.
An appropriation has been
jmade by the Canadian De
partment of Mines for repairs
on the Marmot River trail,
which has become almost im
passable for a distance of ap
proximately one mile under
the traffic of the pack trains
engaged in transporting ore
from the Porter-Idaho mine.
The trail at this point is re
ported to be a veritable sea
of mud and extensive repairs
! are necessary.
Underground ■ work on the
j Dunwell and Glacier Creek
properties is once more under
way, following the complet
ion of the improvements in
the water power system last
week. Work on the Dunwell
road is proceeding, with a
large crew of men employed,
but will probably not be com
pleted before the freeze up.
The Dunwell management
is planning to commence ore
shipments as soon as the snow
comes.
The management of the Sil
ver Crest properties is con
templating extensive develop
ment work during the winter.
Permanent winter quarters
have been constructed to
house the crew and work is
continuing on a short cross
cut tunnel, which ia expected
to tap a fine surface showing
of high grade silver ore about
55 feet from the portal.
Seymour Campbell, who is in
charge of operations, contem
Dlates continuing work until
such time as the snow be
comes too much of a hin
drance. The new winter camp
is a two story building, with
sleeping accommodations for
the crew on the upper floor,
the lower being given over to
kitchen, dining room and store
rooms.
The Victoria Mines Ltd. has
been incorporated by Bob
Martin and associates to op
erate the Star and Dandy
group, consisting of four prop
erties, situated on the north
side of the Dunwell and ad
joining that well known prop
erty.
The new company is capital
ized at $500,000, divided into
500,000 shares of stock at$100
par value. Fifty thousand
shares have been placed on
the market at 50 cents to pro
vide funds for the initial op
erations, which are expected
to commence shortly.
Mr. Martin did considerable
work on the property during
the summer, developing some
fine looking ore showings.
Exchanges report that the
scene of the strike in the
Dease Lake region is on a
tributary of Eagle river at a
point about 12 miles east of
Dease Lake. According to
William Grady, who with H.L.
Ford, made the discovery,
the gold was found in a sect
ion of the creek where it cut
through a dike of red por
phry. Grady recently re
turned to Wrangell for sup
plies and frankly admitted
that he had not prospected
the ground beyond “scratch
WORK ON HOMESTAKE GROUP
AGAIN DISPROVES THEORIES
OF HIGH SALARIED EXPERTS
Recent development operat
ions on the Homestake Group
on Texas Creek have again
proved that the mining ex
perts who venture arbitrary
opinions concerning the local
mineral field without first
testing their theories with
giant powder, are more often
than not liable to find them
selves very much in error
when proper exploration has
determined what is actually
in the ground.
The Homestake, is one of
properties recently turned
down by Harry Marsh, repre
sentative of the Day Brothers,
after he had likewise reject
ed the Ibex properties in the
same locality, after failing to
find the ledge he was seeking
just where he thought it should
be. Before hieing himself
to other fields, Mr. Marsh
gave his reasons for condemn
ing the Homestake in a state
ment to Pat. Daly, in which
he is said by the latter to
have declared that the splen
did surface leads “would not
go down five feet.”
That Mr. Marsh’s ability to
see into the ground was no
greater than that of those
other eminent and high sala
ried mining experts who turn
ed down the famous Premier
and other properties after
trifling investigation or none
at all, seems clearly establish
ed by the fact that Carlson
and Hewitt, who somehow
were undaunted by the dis
couraging dictum of Mr.
Marsh, recently struck a fine
body of high grade ore at a
depth of 85 feet below the
outcrop in a forty foot tunnel,
started some time ago.
The vein is 4J4 feet in width,
and comprises 2*4 feet or
first class milling ore along the
foot wall and two feet of sol
id, high grade shipping ore on
the hanging wall. The mm
eral elements are principally
steel galena, gray copper and
lead.
No assays have so far been
made of the ore in the cross
cut but values obtained from
samples taken across tne
same lead on the surface
showed 104 oz. in silver, 81
per cent lead and $6.80 gold
per ton.
From the general character
of the ore through the full
width of the vein in the word
ings, i: is believed that the
■values will show a consider
able increase over those of
ithe surface ore.
Althc ugh the depth attained
in the present workings is not
great, it demonstrates that
the vein persists. In addition
there ; re numerous indications
! that it will continue down
ward indefinitely.
Mr. Daly, who waj ch'e'ly
instrumental in bonding both
the ibex apd Homesta^e
group to the Day Brothers,
stated in answer to a query
that ho had made every e?
fort to induce Mr. Ivlaroh ij
put. in a crosscut on the
Homer take before leaving tha
district but without success.
“I feel, and so do others, m
cludin ; practical men as well
as experts, that the con'iu>
ions arrived at by Mr. Mar h
were in no sense justified;
and that he made a rnista’-e
in letting go the bond on su:h
isplendid surface showings a3
jare found on the property 1
'feel right now that, in sp te
fof Mr. Marsh’s opinion, rue
!propeity has increased fviiv
twenty per ent in value and
ui time will prove to be pretty
much >f everything but what
;he said it was.”
Meir 3 Hewitt and Carl-on
are conducting the present d>
velopment operations and ex
pect to continue until the snow
flies.
ing a little along the rim.” He
exhibited a poke containing
several ounces of coarse gold
and stated that the ground is
eight to ten feet to bedrock
and can be worked with pick
and shovel. The drainage is
good, he said. The strike is lo
cated about 16 miles from" a
government trail and can be
reached without great diffi
culty.
Fred Nothiger, who has
saved many a run down sole
by his helpful ministrations
with peg and awl in the stone
house on the boundary line,
has taken a three weeks va
cation and gone to the hills
to do assessment work on his
claims near Ferguson glacier.
J. R. Kerrigan, Southeastern
Alaska agent for Armour and
Co., was a visitor in Hyder
during the stay of the Wales
Thursday.
«_
Leters from Dr. F. E. Reddick,
former pastor of Hyder M. E.
Church, announce that he is
now located with his family at
Middleton, Ohio, where he has
a church. Dr. Reddick states
that he recently gave a lecture
on Alaska to an audience of
fifteen hundred persons.
Latest releases in BrunrfWich
and Columbia records at the
Hyder Drug Co.
NOME REPRESENTATIVE ..
BURNED TO DEATH
John A. Wilson, represent
ative of the Second Division in
the last Territorial Legislature,
was burned to death in a fire
which destroyed the Mecghan
road house at Bluff, 50 miles
east of Nome, on the morning
of September 18. Five other
persons asleep in the road
house at the time escaped
from the burning building.
Hubert Thomas, Earl Hinck
ley and T. O. Smith, were suc
cessful in bagging two mount
ain goats while on a hunting
trip Wednesday on the slopes
of the big peak opposite 7
Mile. They were unfortunate
in being able to get only one
of them, however, the other
having fallen over a cliff
where the carcass could not
be recovered. At any rate
they brought home the saddle
of one sheep to prove they
got that one and juicy chops
have been full recompense
for their strenuous experiences.
Chas. E..Herron, head of the
Hyder Jumbo Company, left
for Seattle Saturday, after \
week in camp. Mr. Herron
will probably return for an
other visit before the end of
the open season.
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