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
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HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
#3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
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V.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 4G.
RYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1932.
BY THE YEAR $3.00
HYDER, ALASKA, EXTENDS GREETINGS AND WELCOME TO H. M. S. DELHI
H M S, DELHI PUTS
VISIT TO DISTRICT
His Majesty’s Ship Delhi,
flagship of the American West
Indies fleet of the British Roy
al Navy, bearing Rear-Admir
al R. P. Ernle-Erle-Drax, com
mander of the squadron, ar
rived here Thursday evening
on a three-day visit to the dist
rict.
H. M. S. Delhi is commanded
by Flag Captain, the Honor
able E. R. Drummond, and car
ries a crew of 450 men, of
whom 35 are officers.
The big, gray warship came
to anchor off the Stewart dock
shortly after 7 p. m. As the
vessel was not expected until
Friday, few persons witnessed
her slow and majestic passage
u p the mountain - flanked
reaches of Portland Canal un
til she was nearly cposite the
Hyder dock, where it present
ed decidedly pretty sight in the
clear light of the closing day.
During their stay, Rear-Ad
miral Drax amMiis officers and
men will be accorded every
possible hospitality and will be
welcomed by the American
residents of the district equal
ly with the Canadians.
-The entertainment ot the
warship’s personnel is in the
hands of a joint committe rep
resenting the various organiz
ations of the district on both
sides of the international
boundary line, making it dis
tinctively an international or
ganization which well attests
the close relationships of the
two peoples and their internat
ional accord.
The entertainment program
commenced Friday morning,
when Rear Admiral Drax and j
his officers and crew were of
iciallv welcomed to the dist
rict by the entertainment com
mitte, headed by H. P. Gibson,
Chairman of the Stewart Coun
cil. The committee were re
ceived on board the warship
by the Admiral and offi
cers, who later returned the
call, being received at the mun
icipal offices in Stewart. Fri
day evening the officers ware
tendered a dance at North Star
Hall, while the sailors were
the guests of the Canadian Leg
ion at a smoker in the Legion
hall.
Earlier Friday evening, the en
tertainment committee and sev
eral prominent residents were
dinner guests of Admiral Drax
on board the Delhi. The par
ty included H. F. Gibson. P. 3.
Jack, Jas. Mcn-ice, E. T. Ap
plewhaite, W. D. Smith, II. A.
Stewart, W. R. Tooth, and W.
Langford, of Stewart; Ernest
Blue, J. A. Hall and Chas. F.
£«ndford, of Hyder, and B. F.
Smith, of Premier.
Continued on Page 3
No Further Developments
In Sea-Sled Fatality
The past week has witnessed
no further developments in
connection with the sad trag
edy last week involving the
death by drowning of Oren F.
Mill, Hyder postmaster, and
Thomas Walters, as a result of
some unknown form of acci
dent to> the sea-sled in which
they were making a pleasure
trip to Glacier Bay, a short
distance south of Hyder.
Several Canadian and Amer
ican boats have patrolled daily
along both shores of Portland
Canal above and below the
area wherein the speeding sea
sled is supposed to have over
turned, either as a result of a
tco-sudden turn or through
striking a submerged obstacle,
possibly a log, but have not
sighted either the remains of
the unfortunate Hyderites or
any cf the several objects
found missing from the boat
when it was found overturned
near Davis River a week ago
Wednesday. These included
two copper-tipped oars and
two green life-saving seat
cushions.
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Bank Makes First
Payment To Depositors
Depositors of the defunct
Bank of Hyder were much
gratified Thursday when Re
ceiver E. D. Haddon com
menced paying them 50 pel
cent of their deposits of Amer
ican funds by means of checks
drawn on the B. M. Behrends
Bank of Juneau. Owing to
some exchange difficulties, no
payments of Canadian funds
have been made, but it is > x
pected that depositors will be
paid a similar portion of their
claims next week, when drafts
ccveiing such deposits are due
to arrive from Juneau, accord
Eing to Mr. Haddon.
Just when a further pay. • nt
will be made to depositors is
somewhat uncertain, as it will
depend largely on the time re
quired to realize upon assets.
In view of the long depress
ion period and resultant diffi
culties under which the bank
labored during the past two
years, the repayment of 50 per
cent of deposits at this time
may be considered a distinctive
echievement, as well as an out
standing testimonial of excell
ent management by the bank
authorities. Considering con
ditions during the past year or
so and the difficulty of realiz
ing on investments, it is doubt
ful if there are more than one
or two banks in the Territory
that could make an initial re
imbursement of 50 per cent of
deposits.
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Elmer Ness, local barber,
left for the States Monday.
EATON IS PLEASED
/WITH SILVER GAINS
Congressman William R. Eat
on, of Colorado, in a statement
to the Denver press following
his return from the last session
of Congress, expressed the
view that silver is getting more
favorable consideration as a
monetary metal.
“When we consider that this
is the first time in 36 years chat
silver has been given any of
ficial attention, we should be
pleased with the progress made
in the last six months,” Cong
lessman Eaton said. “The
house committee on coinage
held many weeks of hearings
on silver and gathered a world
of important data from expert
witnesses. Its report was clear
and satisfactory to silver men.
Both houses adopted resolut
ions favoring an international
silver conference and appro
priated $40,000 for its expens
es. Both party platforms had
a clause favoring such a con
ference, the first time either
party has mentioned the sub
ject in many years.”
In the opinion of Congress
man Eaton, the best we can ex
pect is the stabilization of sil
ver at a minimum of about 60
cents, an agreement from for
eign governments to quit de
basing their silver coins, and
possibly the purchase by the
government of a year’s pro
duction of American silver, say
30,000,000 ounces at market
prices. This would cost about
$10,000,000 and would pro
duce 30,000,000 silver dollars
for our currency.
Seattle C. of C. Discontinues
Alaska Department
Alaskan generally will hear
with regret that the Seattle
Chamber of Commerce has de
cided to discontinue its Alaska
department, which has for
many years been a most im
portant factor in assiting the
development and progress of
the Northland.
The bureau has been consoli
dated with the Seattle Cham
ber of Commerce State Devel
opment Department, under the
management of Foster H. Mc
govern, present manager of
that department. Mr. Chas D. j
Garfield, former manager of
the Alaska Bureau, and a pop
ular figure among northerners,
has been released after more
than ten years of eminently
successful service. Mr. Mc
| Govern has never been in Alas
ka. Financial conditions are
• said to have made the consoli
i dation imperative.
The Alaska Weekly points out
that the action of the Seattle
chamber comes at a time when
SOLAR ECLIPSE DUE
NEXT WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, August 31, if the
weather is favorable, residents
of Hyder will have an oppor
tunity to witness an example
of that most wonderful of all
celestial phenomena, a solar
eclipse.
While the eclipse will be to
tal in parts of Canada and the
New England states, here it
will be observed as a partial
eclipse, as only a portion of
the solar disk will be obscured
by the dark body of the pass
ing moon. The eclipse will
commence, according to calcu
lations, at 2:04 p.m., Eastern
time, which means about
three hours earlier here in Hy
der. At this time the moon’s
conical shadow will strike the
earth in the Arctic Ocean north
of Siberia. The dark shadow
will then sweep across the Arc
tic near the North Pole and
then start southward, crossing
the Canadian Northwest Terr
itories and continuing south
easterly, passing directly over
Quebec and Montreal, and at
3:26 p. m. eastern standard
time, will enter the United
States, passing over portions of
Vermont, Maine and Massa
chusetts and on into the Atlan
tic, where it will leave the
earth at 4:03 p. m. Along the
indicated line, the eclipse will
be total, the entire solar disk
being obscured by the moon’s
daik bulk, but it will be visible
for wide distances on each side
as a partial eclipse of varying
degrees of obscuration, de
pending on the distance from
the path of totality. While
passing over the Northwest
Territories, the path of totality!
will lie not a great distance ;
east of Hyder, hence we may |
see a fairly close approach to
a total obscuration of the sol
ar disk.
To observe the eclipse with
out injury to the eyes a smoked
glass or old and dense photo
graphic film should be used.
More about the eclipse will
be found in the editorial sect
ion.
Prospectors Return Frcm Unuk
Paul Meger, and party re
turned this week from a pros
pecting trip of several weeks
duration at the head of the Un
uk river. They are planning a
second expedition to the same
locality.
the Tacoma Chamber of Com
merce has announced its intent
ion to create an Alaskan de
partment and also that Los An
geles, Portland and San Fran
cisco are making renewed ef
forts to serve the Territory
throught their commercial or
ganizations.
Mountain Goat Not A Goat .
With the opening of the goat
hunting season, discussions of
the characteristics of those an
imanls have resulted in several
inquiries which are answered
in the following from authori
tative sources:
Probably the most important
fact about the mountain goal
is that he is really not a goat at
all, but an antelope, whose
nearest relative in the animal
kingdom is the chamois of cent
ral Europe. The name “goat’
undoubtedly has ccme through
its goat-like appearance. How
ever it is twice the size of the
domestic goat and much stock
ier in build. The long hair is
pure white in young animals,
but in older ones is inclined to
be stained to a yellowish tinge.
Phe hoofs, horns and nose are
black and the horns are about
3 inches long, sharp, and
have a slightly backward
curve.
The animal has a limited
range, being found in the Pa
cific northwest - Idaho, Wash
ington, British Columbia- and
northward from latitude 40 de
crees north. Goats are seldom
sen only on the rocky sum
mits of the highest mountains,
where almost nothing grow*
for food but a species of coarse
moss, clinging to the rocks.
The goat is a marvelous j
climber, and if there are two
ways of reaching a place, an
easy way and a hard way, the
animal will invariably take the
hard way. It is able to climt
up and down cliffs that are ab
solutely perpendicular, any lit
tle cievice or protruding inch
or two of rock being sufficient
to get a toe hold.
It is said that goats and
mountain sheep will not live to
gether, but whether the sheep
drive out the goats or vice ver
sa no one seems to know. In
fact, there is less known about
the goat than about any of our
large game animals. But the
fact seems well established
that goats and sheep are nevei
tound on the same mountain,?
though sheep may be found on
another range a few miles
away. If the sheep are there,
however, it is said to be a safe
bet there are no goats. Goats
wei e formerly very abundant
everywhere in their range, but
their numbers have been re
duced until now it is forbidden
to hunt them except in certain
season-. With protection from!
hunters the goaL is able to care
for itself, for it has few natural
enemies.
The Friendship Club of Hyd
er was entertained Wednesday
afternoon by the members of
the United Church Woman’s
Auxiliary of Stewart at the
home of Mrs. Wm. Younkin,
where a most enjoyable time
was spent.
SHINNED SHIMON IS
NE* DEVELOPMENT
What is described by the
Ketchikan Chronicle as one of
the most spectacular recent de
velopments in the salmon can
ning industry was announced
last week in Ketchikan, when
W. F. Schlothan, president of
the Beegle Packing Company,
confirmed reports that a sal
mon skinnig machine had been
placed in operation at the Bee
gle plant on Water Street.
The machine was developed
by Mr. Schlothan and his
brother, James Schlothan. Mr.
Schlothan declined to make
public details of the skinning
process until patents have been
obtained. As proof of the suc
■ess of the process, Mr. Schlo
han revealed that 20,000 cas
es had been already canned by
the new process at the Beegle
plant, although the process was
lot started until July 15.
After leaving the “iron chink”
he whole salmon goes through
the new skinning process and
emerges with all the skin re
moved and prepared for the
next canning operation.
The skin clinging to the piec
es of canned salmon is said to
have been the cause of com
plaint for years and is object
ionable to many, hence the new
process is an important one.
Mrs. O. F. Hill Slated
For Hyder Postmistress
That Mrs. O. F. Hill will suc
ceed her late husband, Oren F.
Hill, as postmaster of Hyder
was virtually assured when in
-:tructions were received by
her from the postal authorities
to secure the endorsement of
local residents to her applicat
on for appointment.
These were speedily forth
coming; virtually every resi
dent of the camp signing the
petitions circulated by Arthur
O. Moa and C. G. Skoning. The
Hyder Chamber cf Commerce
also forwarded to Washington
a separate endorsement of her
application.
Mrs. Hill has held the posit
ion of assistant postmaster dur
most of the ten years of her
husband’s incumbency and po
sesses every qualification for
the position.
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C. N. R. Beat Schedule Change
With the- arrival today of
the steamship Prince George,
the summer schedule of the
Canadian National Steamships
will be completed and there
will be no further Saturday
sailings. Until the winter
schedule goes into effect, the
vessels of that line will arrive
and depart on Thursdays, com
mencing next Thursday, Sep
tember 1.