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MINING NEWS OF THE
PORtLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
..■ '
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RYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22,1930.
VOL 9, NO. 5
PRICE TEN CENTS
I
SMS LOAN WILL
BE RECOMMENDED
That an international silver
loan to China will probably be
recommended to the Senate
foreign relations committet
by the Senate sub committee
which has been investigating
the economic situation oi
China, was made known a feu
days ago by Senator Key Pitt
man of Nevada, chairman ot
the sub committee and the
foremost champion of silver ir
Congress.
Pittman said if the idea ma
tured the international pool
would probably include the
United States, Great Britain
France, Japan, Mexico, am' |
possibly other countries; ad
ding that witnesses before hi
committee had agreed that an
international pool was prefer
able to a loan by a single gov
ernment.
The recent arrival of a rep |
resentative of the Chinese gov
ernment who will request the j
United States to loan China i ;
billion ounces of silver, may j
however, alter or modify c ,n j
siderably the intentions of lh< !
sub committe as indicated by
the Nevada senator. The com i
mittee, in proposing an inter j
national pool was probably in ;
fluenced to some extent b\ n i
disinclination to create foreigi
antagonisms, as would mos' I
certainly follow an offer or j
the part of the United State.- j
to make such a loan without re- |
gard to other nations.
A direct request from China
to the United States for a silvei
loan creates an entirely differ
ent situation and probably
would peimit this country tc
comply without offense to oth
er nations.
Water Interferes at Wcedbine
Work on the new winze from
the main level of the Woodbine
was stopped last week by an
influx of water that could not
be handled-with the means ai
present available and work ha^
been transferred to the No. 2
level, according to reports from
that property.
The winze was down about
35 feet when the water came
in at such a rate as to all but
fill the winze. The incident i
doubly regrettable in that the
winze was apparently just en
tering the gold bearing ore
zone which formed its object
ive.
--o
Explains Cause of
Low Price of Zinc.
The regularity with which
stocks of zinc in the hands of
producers have increased in
each succeeding month of 19
30 is said by the Mining and
Engineering Journal to be the
chief source of the weakness
in the price of zinc. Even had
the consumption not been af
fected by the business depress
ion, the entrance of several
new zinc producers into the
field would have made a diffi
cult situation for the estab
lished mines, the journal points
out. In a previous article it
was pointed out that if con
sumption increased at the nor
mal rate, about six years would
be required to absorb the out
Porter-Idaho Shut-down
Rumen Are Denied
Reports circulated recently
to the effect that the Premier
Gold Mining Company would
make no further shipments of
ore from the Porter Idaho
property this winter were de
nied by Mr. Dale L. Pitt, man
ager of the Premier company,
before his departure for the
south Saturday night. ,
The Premier company has no
intention of abandoning the
hipment of ore from the Por
er Idaho and shipments from
all three of the company’s loc
al properties will be main
tained on substantially the
same ratio as heretofore, Mr.
Fitt said.
The erroneous report appar
ently arose through the recent
failure of the company to dis
patch' ore from the Porter Ida
ho on one of the boats engaged
in carrying ore to the Tacoma
pmelter. This was due to the
fact that the agreement now in
effect between the Premier
company and the smelter pi‘o
vides for maximum ore ship
ments of 6,000 tons per month
and as this amount was exceed
ed by gome 600 tons last month
t was necessary to curtail later
shipments somewhat to prevent
another overplus this month.
■O'
Early Resumption of
Road Work Planned
Work on the Salmon River
highway improvement project,
initiated late this fall by the
Bureau of Public Roads, wiil
be resumed as early as possible
next spring by the Johnson
Gardner Company of Portland,
Ore., holder of the contract.
1 he projected improvements
cover a stretch of the higwway
about 2>4 miles in length ex
tending north from Eight-Mile
o a short distance beyond Ten
Mile and involve some 30,000
yards of excavation work,
mostly in rock, in addition to
gravelling and surfacing oper
ations which involve the hand
ling of about 4,000 yards of
creened gravel.
When completed, the road
along the indicated section will
be about 4 feet wider and from
wo to four feet higher than at
present.
Although weather coodi'.i 11s
this fall have been far from
good, the Johnson-Gardner Co.
road crew under the direction
, of Curtis Gardner succeeded in
completing 2,000 feet of the
i primary grading work before
the recent adverse weather
necessitated suspension of op
| erations last last. week.
Before leaving for the south,
] Mr. Gardner expressed the
hope that operations can be re
| sumed during April next year
-0
Two huge steel oil storage
tanks were freighted to the Bi"
! Missouri mine by the Crawforc
Transfer company this week
j in addition to many other piec
es of equipment for the new
100-ton concentrating plan
now under construction by the
Buena Vista- Mining Company
put of mines put into operatioi
between 1929 and 1931. In
'etead of increasing, however
consumption has dropped mos
j markedly, taking with it th<
price of the metal.
i
IMPROVED LOCAL
MIME SERVICE
REIT SUMMER
L .
-
Increased air travel facilities
for Hyder and Stewart will l)o
provided next summer by the
Washington-Alaska Airways,
it was announced by Anscel
Eckman, chief pilot of the big
Washington and Alaska air
transportation company, dur
ing his visit to the district last
week in connection with the
search for Pilot Pat Rena han.
Mr. Eckman said his comp
any is desirous of giving this
section the best air service pos
sible to maintain under present
traffic conidtions and to attain
that object has definitely de
cided to station one of its
planes at Prince Rupert next
summer. This plane will be
used exclusively between that
port and Hyder, Stewart and
Ketchikan, Mr. Eckmann said.
As the plane can reach ariy
j point on the triangular route
within an hour or to, the comp
any will be in a position to
i handle traffic to or from any
point without undue delay and
with almost as much facility as
would be the case if a plane
was stationed at each point on
i the route.
j In this manner the company
I hopes to provide the Hyder
! and Stewart district with a safe
I speedy and dependable service
| that will meet all local de
: mands.
Although the matter was not
j mentioned by Mr. Eckmann, it
| is a well understood fact that
the absence of a local airport
| and plane landing facilities,
j such as are now available at
j Ketchikan, Wrangell, Sitka,
j and practically every other im
| portant center on the. coast, is
! detrimental to the mainte
| nance of local air service. In
j the absence of proper shelter.
! planes cannot land here except
| during the most favorable
weather and even under the
! best conditions the absence of
safe landing facilities is dis
tinctly inimical to the comfort
as well as the safety of air
| passengers.
This difficulty probably
j could be remedied if the resi
dents of Hyder woul take the
matter up with the Territorial
! legislature and agree to coop
j erate in providing adequate
facilities for landing and dis
charging passengers. The Ter
i ritory has supplied funds for
virtually all the airports on the
coast and will do so here if the
matter is properly presented
' and local support assured.
I
r---O
! ■
Silver Production is
Steadily Reduced
Output of silver by countries
credited with 87 per cent of the
world’s production amounted
to 16,513,000 ounces in July,
i the last month for which fig
I ures are available, according
! to the Enginering and Mining
Journal. This compares with
: 18,607,000 ounces in July, 19
i 29. The monthly average foi
- the first 7 months of the yeai
, was 17,915,000 ounces agajnsl
t! a monthly average of 18,999
: 000 ounces for the whole ol
i 1929. Silver produced in the
4
P.C.P.CO. POWER
LINE SURVEYS
ARE CONCLUDED
Work on the preliminary
power transmission line sur
veys of the Portland Canal
Power Company in the Salmon
and Bear River sections were
concluded this week with the
completion of a line survey to
Stewart and south along the
east shore of Portland Canal to
the vicinity of Silverado Gulch
on the west slope of Mt. Rain
ey. Owing to the lateness of
the season and unfavorable
weather conditions, the surveys
in the Stewart district were not
fully completed. The original
plans of the company contem
plated extension of the Bear
River survey to the vicinity of
the George Copper property
near the head of Bear River
and also down the east shore of
Portland Canal as far as the
mouth of Marmot River..
The surveys, designed to map
out the various routes to be
followed by the power trans
mission lines, included one
from the site of the company’s
big 10,000 horse power hydro
electric power plant at the
mouth of Davis River on Port
land Canal to Hyder, 12 miles
north, thence up the Salmon
River valley to the vicinity of
the Big Missouri mine, approx
imately 17 miles north of Hy
der and about 4 miles beyond
the Alaska-British Columbia
boundary line. This route cov
ers practically every mining
property along the Salmon
watershed between the Big
Missouri and Hyder. A survey
was also made for a second
power distribution line from
the Salmon River valley near
Nine-Mile to the head of the
west fork of Texas Creek, a
distance of 12 miles. The third
route surveyed runs along the
montainside north from Hyder
and paralleling the Hyder
Stewaft road to Stewart, and
thence south along the farther
side of Portland Canal to Sil
verado Gulch, a total distance
I of about four miles. At Silver
I ado Gulch the survey connects
with the route of the Premier
Gold Mining Company’s power
line from Marmot River to the
Silverado mine at the head of
Silverado Gulch. It is under
stood that the field notes cover
ing the latter route can be ob
tained from the Premier comp
any, hence there was no par
ticular need for continuing the
Portland Canal company sur
vey to Marmot River at this
time.
The total distance covered by
the several surveys approxi
I mates 45 miles.
Immigration inspector D. J.
' Mulcare was taken severely
ill during the first days of the
week but is now much im
proved.
Mr. and Mrs. Mulcare are
planning to leave next Thurs
day on a vacation trip to the
States.
_
j United States in September to
taled 3,717,000 ounces, com
pared to 4,630,000 ounces ir
September, 1929.
No Word of Lo»t Planes
Although the search for the
lost Washington-Alaska Air
ways seaplane piloted by Capt.
Robin (“Pat.”) Renahan is
continuing along the coast
in the vicinity of Prince Rup
ert, it has so far been entirely
unsuccessful, according to the
latest reports from Rupert and
Ketchikan.
The hunt for the missing pil
ot and his companions, mech
anic Frank Hatcher and Sam.
Clerf, prospector, is being
maintained under the most dif
ficult and hazardous condit
ions, as, due to the lateness of
the season, fog, snow and cold
combine to hinder and delay
the efforts of the two Canadian
and one American plane en
gaged in searching the numer
ous ragged indentations of the
coastline north of the Nass riv
er. How* uncertain flying con
ditions are is disclosed by re
ports that 'the two Canadian
planes were also reported lost
during the week, owing to
their being fog bound and un
able to return to their base at
Prince Rupert for a time. Pilot
Anscel Eckmann of the Amer
ican plane is was also reported
by radio to have been forced
down at Rupert by fog and
snow. Fortunately he landed
without damage Press reports
during the week announced
that the Navy department had
detailed two naval planes to
assist in the search for Rena
han, who has now been missing
over three weeks.
Nine planes are now engaged
in the search for Renahan and
Capt Burke, lost Canadian pil
ot, who with two companions
has been missing for more than
a month in the Atlin region.
Former Lccal Minister
In Toils of Lav;
Rev. Frank E. Reddick, past
or of the Hyder M. E. Church
back in 1921-23, is now an in
mate of the Ohio State Peniten
tiary and serving a sentence of
from one to five years on a
charge of blackmail, according
to a letter from the prison au
thorities received recently by
Deputy U. S. Marshal Donald
E. Martin of Hyder. The lattei
requested information for the
penitentiary records regarding
Dr. Reddick’s antecedents and
possible criminal record. The
communication displays two
excellent photographic like
nesses of the former local min
ister but gives no details of his
alleged crime.
Dr. Reddick is said by local
| friends to have abandoned the
ministry a year or two ago. He i
is also said to have indicated a
desire to return to Hyder and
made inquiries regarding the
prospects for securing employ
ment here.
j -o
Local Man Accident Victim
_
James Grant, miner and form
er local resident, was killed
with five other employees of
the Granby company in a rock
slide at the Bonanza mine at
Anyox last week. Ten others
were also reported injured.
The large number of casual
ties is said to have been due to
; the slide carrying away part of
the mine bunkhouse. Grant,
who was last employed here at
i the Daly Alaska, left the distr
the Daly Alaska, left the dist
WICKERSHAM VICTOR
IN DELEGATE CONTEST
Although complete returns
are not yet in, Judge James
Wickersham, republican can
didate for Alaska delegate to
Congress, is conceded the vic
tory over his democratic op
ponent, George B. Grigsby in
the recent Territorial election,
according to the latest reports.
At last accounts Judge Wicker
sham was more than 200 votes
ahead of his democratic rival,
with only a few small, outlying
precincts, all of which are
known to be favorable to' the
republican candidate, still to
be heard from. The contest
was exceedingly close, howev
er, and Judge Wickersham's
majority will probably not ex
ceed 400 votes at the outside
Walstein G. Smith, for Terri
torial treasurer, and Cash Cole
for auditor, have been elected
by large majorities over Rich
ard E. Ilardcastle and Thomas
Gaffney, democrats, while
William E. Hesse, democrat,
won an easy victory over Jos.
dimer, republican, for the off
ice of Highway Engineer. In
the race for Territorial School
Commissioner, W. K. Keller,
republican, appears to have
won by a small margin from
Anthony J. Karnes, democrat.
The First Division legislat
ive contest resulted in the elect
ion of three democrats, Shat
tuck for senator and Boyle anJ
Zeigler for the House. Winn
and Johnson, republicans, aie
also considered assured of
election to the House.
Results in the other territor
ial divisions will probably be
as follows:
Second Division— Senate A.
Lomen, Rep. House: Nylen
and Smith, Ind., Hellerich and
Burgh, Rep.
Third Division— Senate, Brag
aw, Rep. House, Biosius, Fos
ter, Murray, Rep., McCutch
eon, Dem.
Fourth Division— Senate:
Dunn, Ind. House: H. Don
nelly and Andrew Nerland,
Rep., Joe McDonald, Dem.
The fourth legislative mem
ber is still in doubt, with Fred.
Johnson and Dick Rothenburg,
Rep., and Sheldon, Ind., run
ning very close.
--o
Good Daylight Reception
Premised Radio Fans
Daylight radio reception and
improved night reception are
promised for Alaska by KNX,
Hollywod, Cal., broadcast
ing station, when it completes
its new 50,000 watt transmit
ter. The maximum power has
been granted the station by the
federal government and con
struction of an enlarged plant
has been started, according to
the Northwest Radio Bulletin.
No broadcasting station on
the Pacific Coast at preset t
has more than 10,000 watt
power. It is said that several
stations have applied for t.ie
maximum of 50,000 watts but
KNX is the only one that has
been granted permission to op
erate at such capacity. Just
when the new station will be
on the air is not known at this
time.