HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY THE PACIFIC - YUKON - ALASKA HIGHWAY
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SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
•3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOL 7, NO. 34
HYDER, ALASKA. SATURDAY. MAY 30.1931.
PRICE TEN CENTS
MAY CALL SILVER
CONFERENCE SOON
Anticipating a call shortly
from one of the eastern pow
ers for an international con
ference on silver, authorative
circles have indicated the Unit
ed States would accept such an
invitation, according to Wash
ington, D. C. reports.
Word from China that the
Nanking government might is
sue a call shortly, brought in
dications from official sources
that the United States would
cooperate with the Chinese
government in such conference.
With the United States and
Great Britain, directly interest
ed powers, reluctant to sum
mon a conference themselves,
the Far East was looked to as
the probable source of a call
for a silver parley.
After months of study, Am
eriean officials admit that
there is no obvious solution of
the problem of the greatly de
creased value of silver. «
Senator King said he expect
ed “mona-metalists and cer
tain financial interests” to op
pose an international confer
ence on silver but the problem
could not be solved in any oth
er way. His statement was in
reply to the assertion by his
colleague, Senator Smoot in
Salt Lake City that the calling
of a silver conference by tht
United States government was
impossible because of the in
ternational situation.
“No true friend of silver will
try to discourage the calling of
an international conference,'
King said. “The resolution
adopted by the International
Chamber of Commerce was not
a mere gesture. It was evidence
of a belief that the depression
in the world today is insepar
ably lengthened with the ef
forts to debase silver.”
-o
Warns Destitutes from Alaska
That Alaska is no place foi
the job hunter and that oppor
tunities in the Territory are on
ly for the man equipped to
seek fortune on his own in both
the mining and farming, wac
the warning issued recently by
Secretary of the Interior Ray
Lyman Wilbur.
The secretary’s warning was
made in explanation of a re-,
cent statement in which lit
urged “young men to go North
to Alaska, a land of 600,000
square miles, with less than
60,000 population” and posses
ed of unlimited “mineral and
agricultural possibilities.”
The Juneau Chamber of Com
merce objected to the latter
statement, pointing out to the
secretary that Alaska is not a
place to which young men
without funds should come
seeking work, as there is con
siderable unemployment in the
Territory.
-o
The Metal Situation
Lead 3.75 (Low in 1907—
3.25) Low in 1896—2.6714).
Copper 8 to 9c. Equals all
time low of 1894.
Zinc 3.25. Lowest in 35 years.
Silver 28. Close to lowest in
recorded history.
Tin 22.75. Nearly all time
low for the twentieth century.
I
U. S. Chamber Commerce
Endorses Highway Projecl
At the annual meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce of the
United States at Atlantic City,
what was regarded as a strong
I endorsement of the British Col
umbia-Yukon-Alasa Highway
was reported by the resolutions
committee and unanimously
adopted by the meeting. The
resolution adopted is as fol
lows:
“Substantial progress is re
! corded in the development of
an international highway south
from the United States, w^iich
has been endorsed in principle
: by the National Chamber. More
! recently definite steps have
been taken looking to the ex
tension of the highway north
ward to Alaska, and commis
| -ions of the United States and
j Canada are now making a pre
! liminary study of the proposal.
The chamber urges early com
| pletion of the necessary engin
leering and economic studies
, and favorable consideration of
) the results thereof.”
o
T»ail for Unuk is Urged
Resolutions urging the con
I -truction of a trail up the Unuk
River to the Canadian bound
laiy, to assist prospectors and
j the development of the mineral
j resources of the Unuk district,
[ were passed recently by the
Ketchikan Chamber of Com
; merce.
| The resolution recites the in
terest of Ketchikan residents in
the Unuk and Leduc river
areas contiguous to the inter
national boundary, describes a
prospective route some 28
miles long and estimates the
construction cost of a suitable
trail at 8500 per mile or $10,
000 in all.
Copies were forwarded to
the U. S. Forest supervisor,
Territorial mining inspectoi
and departmental and Terri
torial officials concerned.
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Robbers Plunder Mobile Camp
Visiting the Mobile camp
this week for the first time
1 -ince his return from the south,
Clay Porter, who is develop
:ng the property, found that
robbers had carried off every
particle of food supplies and
also some tools from the camp.
Mr. Porter was accompanied
| by Alex . Murray on the trip.
Foitunately they had taken
along a small supply of food
and were not compelled to
tighten their belts in lien of
: nipper at the end of
their climb to the loftily sit
uated camp.
-o
J. S. Harkley, Stewart resi
dent, who was arrested recent
i ly on a charge of maliciously
damaging government proper
ty, was acquitted in the county
court at Prince Rupert last
Tuesday. The charge was dis
missed owing to the circum
tantial character of the evi
| dence.
'-0
Stewart School Sports
Pupils of the Hyder and Pre
mier schools are eligible to
compete with the Stewart
.school pupils in the sports meet
to be held in Stewart June 3.
I Thirty-two events will be in
j eluded iu the program.
PREMIER DEALING
[OR B, C, SILVER?
That Premimer Gold and B.
| C. Silver have been negotiating
again recently on the basis of
a working agreement is stat
ed in local mining circles, says
| the Vancouver Sun.
The Sun article continues as
{follows:
“The plan is that Premier
would undertake the operation
and development of [5. C. Sil
ver, whose operations, appar
ently pending the outcome of
i conferences, have closed down.
“Selukwe Gold Mining and
Finance Co. Ltd. of London has
advanced a total of £186,300
to B. C. Silver and a year ago
there was reported to be be
tween $6,000,000 and $10,
000,000 of around $15 ore in
ore bodies discovered up to
that time. Work has been car
ried on continuously since.
“The Selukwe Company,
which has other mining inter
! ests in Rhodesia, reports liquid
assets as at March 31, 1931,
at £43,062, compared with
£97,000 at the corresponding
date of 1930, indicating that
the company is not in a posi
! tion to spend further large
j sums on development or mill
installation without further
1 financing. Premier Gold has a
38 per cent interest in B. C.
Silver Mines.”
o
ALASKA JUNEAU
CLEARS OVER $140,000
The operating profit of the
Alaska Juneau mine in April
amounted to $140,500, just
$500 greater than in March,
according to an official state
ment.
Oie mined and trammed to
the mill amounted to 360,570
tons.
Receipts for the month to
taled $335,000, made up of
$331,500 gold, $3,500 silver, or
an average of 92.91 cents per
ton of ore milled.
Mining and tramway cost:,
amounted to $97,500, an aver
age of 27.04 cents per ton,:
while milling costs totaled
$85,000, an average of 23.57
cents per ton. All other oper
ating costs and office expenses
amounted to $12,000, bringing
the total expenditures to $194,
500, or an everage cost of 53.
94 cents per ton of ore. The
operating profit of $140,500,
represented an average profit
of 38.97 cents a ton.
u
Slide Damages Engineer Camp
George Bunn, managing di
rector of the Marmot Engineer
Company, returned from a
visit to the company property
• on Marmot river this week
and reported that a huge snow
slide had caved in one side of
the lowmr story of the cajnp
building. Tn addition the slide
.also shoved the building par
tially off the piling founda
tions. The camp is entirely safe
from ordinary slides, but in
this instance it was one of very
unusual proportions, as attest
ed by huge banks of snow
still piled up near the camp.
So great was the downpour of
snow from the upper heights
that the slide swept far out on
to the Marmot glacier below
(the camp.
EXPLAINS GOVT,
SILVER ATTITUDE
♦
The certainty that cancel
lation of war debts due this
nation would be made an is
sue of any conference called
by the United States was as
cribed recently by Senator Pitt
man as the primary reason for
the government’s disinclina
tion toward taking the initia
tive in calling an international
conference on the silver Ques
tion.
In a statement at Salt Lake
City, the Utah senator said “it
would be next to impossible
for our government to call an
international conference on the
silver question.”
Explaining the assertion, he
said: “the countries that are
indebted to America would de
mand before accepting an in
vitation for such a conference,
to have an understanding that
the question of cancellation of
their debts would be consider
ed by that conference.”
“I know that our government
is doing everything possible to
determine if some effective
world action can be taken and
no one is more deeply interest
ed in this question than Presi
dent Hoover.
“The whole silver problem j
revolves around India and j
China and the British Empire !
and does not revolve around !
the United States, although the
United States is vitally con
cerned.
“The difficulty now is that
India has been and is selling
silver at any price inasmuch
as she is now on a gold basis
whereas before the war India
was always a large buyer of
silver because she was on a
silver basis. This, of course,
is a matter that the United
States cannot control and is
the key to the situation.
“The government is doing
all it can to work out some
basis of effective cooperation.”
i
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VOLCANIC ASH
COVERS ALASKA VESSEL
Volcanic ashes covered the
deck of the Bureau of Fisher
ies boat Scoter as she was pro
ceeding off Port Heiden from
False Pass a few days ago.
Radio reports from the ves
sel said the zone of falling ash
passed through was 6 miles
wide and the ash, black in col
or, was so dense as to cause
almost complete darkness. The
ash is believed to have come
from mountains located aboui
15 miles east of Port Heiden,
from which flashes of fire
were seen recently. Mt. Pav
lov, an active volcano, is lo
cated in the same section and
has been smoking recently.
-o
Stivers Returns to Noma
A postcard bearing an excel
lent photographic likeness ot
our old fellow townsman, Col.
E. R. Stivers, clad in white
duck trowsers and other hab
iliments of the sunny south,
was received by the Herald
this week. The card disclosed
that the urbane colonel was at
the time of its dispatch on May
20th basking amid the climatic
delights of California, but pre
paring to return to his present
post of customs collector at
Nome.
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New Game Laws Received
Copies of the new Alaska
game laws for the 1931-32
gear received by the U. S.
Commissioner’s office give the
following open and closed sea
sons on land fur-bearing ani
nals in Fur District No.l,
vhich includes all of South
;astern Alaska from Dixon En
hance to Cape Fairweather
ind along longitude 138 de
crees to the international
>oundary.
Mink, land otter, weasel
(ermine), fox, (red, cross, sil
ver, white and blue), anil
ynx. December 16 to January
: 5.
Muskrat.—Dec. 16 to April
!0.
Martin.—No open season.
Beaver.—No open season.
Wolf, coyote, wolverine,
•lack bear, marmot, and
round squirrel (spermophile).
Jo closed season, may be tak
n by any person at any time
11 a lawful manner.
Male deer having horns not
ess than 3 inches in length
bove skull.—August 20 to
Jovember 15.
Mountain sheep (except fe
lales and lambs).— Aug. 20 |
0 Dec. 31.
Mountain goat (except kids)
mg. 20 to Dec. 31.
The limit bag of deer is 3;
f mountain sheep 2, mountain
oat 2, during the season.
Except in the extreme north
westerly corner of this district
rrge brown and grizzly bear
lay be taken by a resident of
ilaska at any time.
The open season on grouse
nd ptarmigan is defined as
ept. 1 to Feby. 28. Bag limit,
rouse 15, ptarmigan 25, but
ot to exceed 25 in the aggre- j
ate of all kinds of grouse and
tarmigan in any one day.
Duck, goose (except Ross’s
nd cackling), brant, Wilson’s
nipe or jacksnipe.—Sept 1 to
>ec. 15. Bag limit; duck 15 in
le aggregate of all kinds;
oose and brant, 4 in the ag
1 egate of all kinds daily.
Wilson’s snipe or jacksnipe.
0.
A person may possess from
ie beginning of open season
i 10 days after its close mi
ratory birds legally taken, but!
ot to exceed 50 in the aggre
ate of all kinds, and includ- j
ig not more than 30 ducks ■
nd 8 geese and brant at any j
lie time.
As usual, prospectors and
•avelers may take animals or 1
irds at any time for food j
’hen absolutely in need of I
aod and no other food is i
vailable, but may not ship or j
ell any part of birds or ani-;
lals so taken. Licenses are re
uired in all other cases. ;
The new regulations will be-!
ome effective July 1, 1931. 1
■u—
lemier Border in New Field
The Premier Border Gold J
lining Company, which re- j
ently suspended operations on j
!ie Northern Light property to i
wait results of development1
ctivities on the B. C. Silver,
as taken up claims in the Mt.
>lie district of B. C., it is re
orted in Vancouver mining
ournals. The ground is said
3 have very promising sur
ace showings and will be de
jloped this season.
ALASKA POPULATION
BY JIGUEXi COLOR
| The Director of the Cen is
has announced the popula
tion of Alaska classified by
age, sex, color, and nativity,
as returned in the 1930 census,
j The total population of Alaska
i on October 1, 1929 was 59,
278, comprising 6,366 persons
under 5 years of age; 6,078
from 5 to 9 years; 5,095 from
I 10 to 14 years; 4,735 from 15
to 19 yers; 4,259 from 20 to
29 years; 3,782 from 30 to 34
years; 8,844 from 35 to 44
years; 7,831 from 45 to 54
years; 5,073 from 55 to 64
years; 2,323 from 65 to 74
years and over; and 139 for
whom age was not reported.
Of the total population of
Alaska, 29.6 per cent are un
der 15 years of age; 15.2 per
cent are 15 to 24 years of age;
28.2 per cent are from 25 to
44 years of age; 21.8 per cent
are from 45 to 64 years of age;
and 4.9 per cent are 65 years
of age and over.
The number of persons un
der 1 year of age was 1,339,
as compared with 1,152 in
1920. The entire group of
children under 5 years of age
shows a gain, increasing from
5,669 in 1920 to 6,356 in 1930,
or 12.1 per cent. Of the re
maining age groups , those
from 5 to 24 years and from
45 upwards show increases be
tween 1920 and 1930, while
those from 25 to 44 years
show decreases.
On a percentage basis, per
sons in the age groups und
24 years, and from 45 ye
upwards, represent a larger
proportion of the total popu
lation in 1930 than in 1920,
while for those in the age
groups from 25 to 54 years,
the proportion is smaller than
n 1920.
•o
New Memorial Stamps
Three new memorial stamps
have been either issued or
authorized by the Post Office
Department this year, and
about a score of applications
for others have been filed. The
three will commemorate the
services of General Pulaski,
the 50th anniversary of the
Red Cross and the surrender of
Lord Cornwallis 150 years ago.
Next year it is planned to is
•:ue 12 memorial stamps in
connection with the celebra
tion of the 200th anniversary
of Washington’s birth, and the
coining of a silver quarter
bearing his likeness is also pro
posed.
If the event commemorated
is considered of sufficient im
portance, the issue of such
stamps is generally looked up
on with favor by the depart
ment, as many thousands of
such stamps are gathered by
collectors and never used, so
that Uncle Sani makes money
by the transaction.
The collecting fad is also en
couraged, and a special bureau
is maintained in Washington
to assist collectors in obtaining
stamps desired.
-o
Mrs. Frank Gordon and Mrs.
George Hills of Stewart left on
the Catala for Vancouver and
Prince Rupert respectively.