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AN ALL
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
-
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA.AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MIN ING DISTRICT.
■- .. ,
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOL 3, NO. 27
RYDER, ALASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28,1927
FIFTY CENTS A MONTH
CONSOLIDATED MINING
AND SMELTING CO. ..
ENTERS LOCAL FIELD
The Consolidated Mining &
Smelting Co., operator of the
great Sullivan mine at Kim
berly, B. C., the Trail smelter,
and perhaps the most capable
and successful mining company
in Canada, has taken an op
tion on a controlling interest
in the stock of the George
Gold-Copper Mining Company,
well known local mining con
cern, and will expend a sub
stantial sum in developing
properties owned by that com
pany, located in the upper
Bear valley, according to reli
able information received dur
ing the past week.
The full terms of the deal
have not been made public as
yet. It appears, however, that
the Consolidated M. & S. Co.
has entered into a working
agreement, whereby it will
take over, develop and operaie
the George properties. Al
though definite figures are
unavailable, it is said that
the big mining concern plans
to spend a large sum on de
velopment during the coming
season. Activities are schedul
ed to commence as soon as
conditions are favorable.
The George Gold-Copper
property is located near the
head of Bear River and at an
elevation ranging from 4200
to 4500 feet. The group com
prises a total of 24 claims and
is readily accessible over most
of the surface. Timber and
water are available jn ample
qauntities for all needs, includ
ing a waterfal 1 of sufficient
capacity for power purposes.
The property is crossed by sev
eral well defined veins on
which considerable surface
work has been done. The main
veins, of which there are four,
vary from 4 to 10-feet in width
and are w’ell mineralized,
showing pyrite, phyrrhotite,
hematite, arsenopyrite and
chalcopyrite. The ore is said to
carry workable values in gold,
silver and copper. Although
the values, as shown by assays
of surface ores, are not high,
there is a sufficient quantity
of accessible ores in sight to
make the property attractive
to a concern like the Consoli
dated M. & S. Co.
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RIVERSIDE PROGRESS
The No. 4 tunnel on the Riv
erside was extended an addit
ional 40 feet during the past
week. The 325 foot level, 91
feet below No. 4, was also ex
tended an additional 21 feet
but had not encountered ore
at the time of the report.
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R. G. Mellon, managing en
gineer of the Riverside mine,
is expected to arrive from the
south Monday night to insped
the progress of recent develop
ment operations.
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E.. A. Haggen, E. M., arrived
from Vancuver last week ir
the interest of the Alban}
Mining Company, of which h(
is consulting engineer.
SACKING ORE ON
THE BIG MISSOURI
Reports from the upper val
ley during the week bring the
interesting news that quanti
ties of high grade encountered
in recent development oper
ations on the Big Missouri is
being sacked in generous
quantites. The ore is being
1 taken from two places on the
property, it is said.
So far the management has
made no announcement of an
intention to ship and it appears
that the ore is being merely
stored for the present.
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DUNWELL MILL
GIVEN TRYOUT
The first lun of the entire
Dunwell concentrating plant
took place last Wednesday,
according to reports received
in Stewart. The big plant was
run practically throughout the
day and was found to operate
perfectly in every part. A con
siderable quantity of ore was
run through the crushers in
I ' eadiness for milling.
Ore sufficent to operate the
mill for practically a year is
laid to be ready for hand
ing.
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STEWART COUPLE WED
Miss Mary C. Tompkins,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm.
Tompkins of Stewart, and Rus
| 'el W. Kennedy, rising young
; ;Stewart attorney, were united
| ;n marriage by Rev. A. W. R.
Ashley in St. Mark’s Church,
I Stewart, Tuesday evening. The
ceremony was witnessed by a
! large number of friends of the
oopular couple, both Hyder
and Stewart being represent
ed. Mr. and Mrs. James Mor
rice were groomsman and mat
ron.
The wedding ceremony was
followed by a public reception
at the Stewart Club, at which
j refreshments were served and
j the happy couple received the
i felicitations of their friends.
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Reports from the south say
G. A. Killburn, the well known
mining engineer, is due to ar
rive in Hyder shortly to make
an examination of the Big
Missouri on behalf of Messrs.
Rust and Thorne, Tacoma cap
talists, who are reported to
have taken options on large
| blocks of Big Missouri stock.
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The steamer Border Queen is
scheduled to sail from Seattle
on its next voyage to H,yder on
February 25th, according to
information received by the
Hyder Dock Co. local agent,
i The advices state that the
vessel will not appear at this
port during March, but is
scheduled for another to Hy
der April 5.
|-o
Mrs. J. A. Hall returned last
j week from a stay of several
months in the south.
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Mr. and Mrs. Dale L. Pitt
left last week on a trip to
j Prince Rupert.
v
MUCH INTEREST IN PEACE
RIVER RAIL PROJECT
Wide interest is manifested
in the south relative to the
proposed Hyder-Stewart-Peace
River railroad project, accord
ing to J. A. Hall, president of
the Bank of Hyder, who re
turned last week from a visit
in the States
The possibility of Hyder be
coming the ultimate terminal
; of a transcontinental railroad
route, as well as Alaska’s only
direct rail connection with the
States, is inducing consider
able speculation among all
who are interested in this sec
tion, Mr. Hall says. The opin
! ion is also prevalent that the
| proposed road is very likely
| to become a reality within a
relatively short time.
This view is sustained to some
extent by recent developments
in Ottowa, disclosing that the
Stewart route is now officially
recognized as a logical outlet
from Peace River to the Pa
| cific. Other evidences recent
ly appearing also provide
strong indications that the pro
ject is fast assuming a more
! concrete form.
A homestead application
made by T. W. MacDonald
covering an exceptionally fine
tract of land in the upper Tex
as Creek valley has received
the approval of the U.|S. For
est Service, according to ad
vices received a few days ago.
The tract includes approxi
mately 20 acres of fine, level
! ground on what is known Io
! cally as the Texas Creek flats,
| a short distance below the
i “shake cabin.” The land is as
j level as a meadow and a lux
i uriant growth of grass denotes
a soil of rich agricultural poss
| ibilities. A portion of the land
| is also occupied by a fine lake,
j The site is a splendid one foi
a homestead and is also pro
nounced an ideal location fot !
a tourist hotel, in the not dis
tant time when Hyder’s won
derful scenic beauties will be
come the Mecca of numerous
visitors. All of which seems to
indicate that T. W. is not
lacking in foresight.
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In September, 1926, countries;
producing 89 per cent of the
: world’s silver in 1925 reported
an output of 18,239,000 fine
ounces, compared with 18,505
j 000 ounces in August. Total
| for fhe first nine months was
163,876,000 ounces, an aver
age of 18,208,000 ounces a
iponth. Silver production of the
; United States in September
amounted to 4,995,000 ounces
; as against 5,270,000 in Aug-:
j ust and 4,673,000 in July. Tot- j
al U. S. output for the first
nine months totaled 45,545,000
ounces, an average of 5,060,
000 ounces, compared to an
average of 5,115,000 ounces
for the entire year of 1925.
-0*
Mrs. Dr. Carson of Premier,
left last week to join Dr. Car
son in Vancouver.
PAT MCBRIDE KILLED
IN SNOWSLIDE
Pat McBride, widely known
miner, was struck by a snow
slide while entering the new
cross cut tunnel on the Exten
uate Group late Thursday
night and passed away, ap
parently from suffocation, be
fore he could be extricated
from the icy mass by fellow
workmen.
From the reports brought to
town' it appears that McBride
and a companion A. Abraham
son, had come out of the tun
nel with a car of rock and Mc
Bride was returning into tun
nel, when the slide came crasn
ing down from above the por
tal. Abrahamson "had preced
ed him into the tunnel and is
said to hae been unaware of
: the fatality until his partne*
j failed to return. On going out
to investigate his lamp was
blown out by the wind and,
being unable to to locate his
companion in the dark, he
hastened to the camp for as
sistance.
It is said that no more than
j twenty minutes elapsed before
I McBride’s body was located ay
the rescuers but life was ex
I tinct. He apparently had made
no attempt to release himselt
from the comparatively light
covering of snow, with which
his mouth is said to have been
filled, indicating that he prob
ably became unconscious im
mediately after being struck
oy me suae.
The deceased was an old tim
er of the district and possess
ed the highest regard of all
who knew him. He was aged
about 53 years and is said to
have surviving relatives on the
outside.
Funeral .services will be
held Thursday under the au
spices of the Pioneers of Alas
ka, following an inquest in
Stewart, which will be attend
ed by the B. C. Mines Inspect
or, who is scheduled to arrive
Thursday morning. Interment
will be made in the Hyder
cemetery.
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U. S. COMMISSIONER
TO QUIT OFFICE
Chas. F. Sandford, manager
of this paper and U. S. Com
missioner for Hyder precinct,
has announced his contemplat
ed retirement from the latter
position. Mr. Sandford tend
ered his resignation to District
Judge Thomas M. Reed some
days ago and expects to be
succeeded at an early date.
The difficulty of maintaining
the duties of commissioner and
recorder, in addition to con
ducting the Herald printing
and publishing business, is as
cribed in his letter of resignat
ion as the main reason for
Mr. Sandford’s desire to retire
from the commissionership.
Up to the time of writing no
information had been received
as to his probable successor.
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Hubert Thomas, manager and
trustee of the Midget Empori
um, Inc. returned Thursday
from a business trip to Prince
| Rupert.
ALASKA BUREAU
REORGANIZATION
BILL IS SIGNED
Washington press dispatches
announce that President Calvin
Coolidge has signed the bill
authorizing the Secretaries of
the Interior, Agriculture and
Commerce to appoint repre
sentatives, to reside in Alaska,
and handle the Departmental
business in the Territory.
The bill is known as the Alas
ka Departmental Reorganizat
ion measure.
It passed the Senate during
the first term of of the current
session of Congress and by the >
House on February 2.
The measure is designed pri
marily to enable a closer co
ordination of governmental
activities in Alaska.
The new law authorizes the
Secretaries of the Depart
ments of the Interior, Agri
culture and Commerce to des
ignate an employee from each
of their respective depart
ments, who shall reside in
Alaska and shall have charge
of all matters corning under
the jurisdiction of their sev
j eral departments. These rep
resentatives will bear the title
of ex officio Commissioner for
Alaska and will have direct
supervision and control of all
employees of their various de
partments in the Territory.
The measure also provides for
the transfer to Alaska of such
records, field and office equip
ment of the several depart
ments, and also unexpended
balances of appropriations,
which may be necessary tt
furtherenee of departmental
activities. Under its provisions
the President, with the con
currence of the secretaries oi
the respective departments,
may by order place under tht
supervision and direction oi
of one of the three resident
commissioners any govern
mental activity relating tc
Alaska now under the direct
ion of any of the three de
partments, except that contro
of^matters relating to the con
struction and maintenance o j
roads in Alaska now under tht
jurisdiction of any other gov
ernmental department or bur
eau, may be assigned ant
transferred to the Board oi
Road Commissioners for Alas
ka, together with necessarj
records, equipment and unex
pended balances of appropri j
ations.
The enactment also author :
izes the Secretary of the In
terior to make an examination
of the feasibility and propriett
of consolidating into a single
force the police and law en.
forcement agencies of the fed-,
ral government in Alaska and
present his findings to Con
gress with an estimate and
comparison of the probable
cost, compared to present ex
penditures for law enforce
ment.
The latter provision is in line
with the recent recommendat
ion of Governor Parks for the j
inauguration'of a law enforce
ment organization similar to
j the Royal Northwest Mounted
1 Police of Canada and is poss
j ibly a step in the direction of a
SUTHERLAND ASKS,
SALARIES FOR U. S.
COMMISSIONERS
Delegate Sutherland has in
troduced a bill in the lower
house providing for the plac
ing of United States Commis
sioners in Alaska on a flat sal
ary basis, according to recent
Washington press reports.
The measure proposes to di
vide the various commission
erships in the Territory into
four classifications, in which
offices of the first class would
be allowed a salary of. $3000
annually; those of the second - «
class a salary of $2,500, of the
third class $2,000, and of the
fourth class $1,500.
The classfications contemplat
ed would be established on a
basis fixed by the receipts of
the offices.
All Commissioners’ offices in
Alaska are at present on a
fee basis, the incumbents de
riving their compensation from
the fees received for perform
ing the various services ren
dered. The maximum compen
Jation allowed Commissioners
s $3000 por annum, although
;ome are limited to lesser
amounts. The Hyder office, as
in example is limited to $2,000
per year, or a trifle over $166.
rer month. In no case can the
local Commissioner receive
more than this amount for
services rendered in his offic
ial capacity and has no assur
ance of receiving even the
compensation indicated, as the
fees received by the office
may not approximate the
amount allowed. In a majority
of instances the earnings of
;he Commissioners in the
smaller and outlying places
:re considerably below the es
ablished limit. In fact many
~!ommisisoners derive scarcely
a living wage from the fees re
ceived. As a result the fee sys
em has proved rather unsatis
factory, owing to the small
compensation being unattract
ve, especially to men possessi
ng the legal knowledge, or
raining requisite to the prop
er understanding and dis
charge of the duties involved.
The Sutherland measure, is
limed at correcting this situat
on by assuring Commission
ers a fixed salary instead of
i doubtful income and should
lave the effect of securing a
riore competent class of men
*han at present occupy a large
portion of these offices.
In the interest of good gov
ernment and the proper func
tioning of judicial adminis
tration it is to be earnestly
hoped that Mr. Sutherland’s
measure is enacted into law.
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An order has been issued by
Judge Ritchie for the annex
ation by the town of Cordova
of that part of the tide lands
along the city water front,
which shall include the city
dock.
Territorial constabulary, which
would have full charge of all
law enforcement in Alaska,
and under one single control.
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