HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY THE PACIFIC - YUKON ~ ALASKA HIGHWAY
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MINING NEWS OF THE
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HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
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VOL. 7, NO. 48
HYDER, ALASKA, SEPTEMBER 5, 1931
BY THE YEAR, $3.00
OFFERS NEW SILVER
STABILIZATION PLAN
James H. Rand Jr., economic
expert and president of the
Remington-Rand company of
New York, has suggested to
President Hoover a revolution
ary plan for international sil
ver stabilization through the
medium of America’s war
debts.
With silver at one of its low
est ebbs in history—hovering
around 27 cents an ounce—
Rand attributes most of the
present world depression to
this cause.
All important nations, except
China, he points out, are on a
gold standard, but while they
attempt to operate on that
standard the United States
holds most of the actual gold
in the world. As a result, he
contends, the currency of these
countries is in reality backed
mainly by silver, and currency
values are consequently at the
mercy of silver fluctuations.
The British policy in India,
where the silver standard is
greatly aggravating the inter
national silver crisis by a con
tinuous depression of the price
of silver, and this is continually
depresing, in turn, the situation
in other countries—particular
ly Germany—where silver has
become the actual monetary
basis because of lack of gold.
Lower silver prices mean low
er money values, and lowei
money values mean increased
depression, he says.
The German economic de
pression followed almost di
rectly the collapse of silver
from 1926 to 1931, he pointed
out, and Germany finds her
self unable to pay war debts
in gold, as she has not suffic
ient gold on hand to even
stabilize her own currency sys
tem.
With stabilization of silver
absolutely essential, Rand sug
gested the appointment of a
commision to decide upon a
fair stabilization price, prob
ably 53 Vi cents per ounce.
Thereupon France, Great
Britain and Italy would agree
to accept at least one-half of
their debt payments in silver
at this rate, the United State?
agreeing to accept the silvei
from them, in turn, in payment
of their debt to this country. At
the 53'/2-cent stabilization lev
el, international debt payments
would thus be dissolved, the
silver eventually coming to this
country where it can be con
sumed, he says, in subsidiary
coinage under the present sys
tem
The United State would also
offer the silver on the open
market for 54 cents per ounce,
creating an ideal situation in
the world market of 53 U2 cents
bid—by the foreign nations—
and 54 cents asked—by the
United States.
Under this system, he points
out, Germany would purchase
silver in the open market for
one-half of her debt payments
to Italy, France and Great Brit
ain, and these countries would
purchase in the open market
enough additional silver to
finish out their payments to
the United States.
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M. M. O’Brien visited the
Big Missouri this week.
| Herald Special Edition
Wins Commendation
The special Pacific-Yukon- j
Alaska Highway edition of the
Hyder Weekly Herald, pub
lished under the auspices of
the Hyder Chamber of Com
merce, was issued Tuesday and
has been the object of wide
commendation on both sides
of the boundary line.
The edition comprises 12
pages and is nicely illustrated
with views and maps of the
Portland Canal District, in add
ition to containing many time
ly articles on the international
highway proposal, the Peace
River rail outlet, the scenic
beauties of the district, local
mining conditions and other
interesting subjects pertaining
to Alaska and the North. The
issue also contains interesting
special articles by Premier
Tolmie, of British Columbia,
Ernest Walker Sawyer, assist
ant to the secretary of the in
teiior and local contributors.
With the exception of the
:uts, the work of publication
was executed entirely by the
Herald plant. Approximately
fifteen hundred copies were
printed and will be sent to
newspapers, government of
ficials, tourist and steamship
agencies, automobile and Good
Roads clubs in Alaska, the !
United States and Canada. 1
I Couies may be secured locally
j at the Hyder Drug Co., Bound
ary Gift Shop and Traversy’s
and H. P. Gibson’s in Stewart. 1
The price is 15 cents per copy
and receipts from sales are to *
ae devoted to paying the mail- 1
ng charges on the large num- 1
ber that will be distributed 1
free.
Scl.acl Opens Next Tuesday ,
An announcement last week .
to the effect that the opening |
of the next school term would (
occur on September 14th was .
erroneous, as the school period |
will actually commence next
Tuesday, September 7th. I
New Teacher Arrives
Miss Isabel Thoma, Little, (
/alls, Minn., school teacher,
who will have charge of the
ocal public school this year. 1
arrived from the States Tues
day.
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Parents Greet New Teacher
Rev. and Mrs. Henry R. Cross
were hosts at a pleasant re- .
:eption held Friday afternoon
n the M. E. Church parsonage
to afford the parents of local (
school children an opportunity ^
,o become acquainted with ^
Miss Isabel Thoma, who will
have charge of the local school
during the coming year. Dainty ‘
refreshments were served.
Those presented to the new
'chool teacher included Mr. ^
and Mrs. E. D. Haddon, Mrs.
1
Henry Hummel, Mrs. Frank
Fisher, Mrs. W. R. Reid, Mrs. 5
L. L. Legge, Ernest Blue, Betty
Blue and Chas. I"’. Sandford.
■-o
M. D. Ickis, pioneer pros
pector, who was stricken with i
paralysis at the Riverside mine e
some days ago, is showing (
marked improvement, accord- i
ing to advices received by t
Oren F. Hill from Ketchikan, t
where Mr. Ickis was taken last 1
week. i
SPEAKER GEO. BLACK
FOR INTL. HIGHWAY
That the proposed British
Columbia-Yukon-Alaska High
way is entirely feasible and
the route which has been un
der consideration presents no
great difficulties from an en
gineering standpoint, was de
clared by the Hon. George
Black, speaker of the House ot
Commons, at Ottawa, in an in
terview given to the Juneau
Empire during the speaker’s
return journey to Yukon Ter
ritory.
Mr. Black had just returned
from an informal conference
by three of the six members of
the international committee
who will make a studyof the
project.
The first formal meeting will
be held in Victoria about Oct
ober 10.
Mr. Black spoke of the high
way as “The Golden Twilight
Trail” and informed the Em
rire that Ernest Walker Saw
der spoke enthusiastically for
:he proposed highway at this
nformal meeting; pointing out
he benefits which would nat
jially accrue to the province
)f British Columbia through
he opening up of vast areas
>f what is now virtually unin
labited country. Alaska al
ready has 2,000 miles of road,
re said, and the highway
hrough British Columbia
.vould link these roads with
hose of Canada and the Unit
id States, affording means of j
ransportation to thousands i
>f motorists. This influx of I
ourists would undoubtedly
ead to something in the way
if permanent settlers, Mr. Saw
fer said.
Much detailed information
ibout British Columbia has
ieen assembled to present to
he committee, Mr. Black said,
ilso information from other
erritories which will be trav
irsed by the highway. This in
ormation is the result of sur
’eys which have been made
ilong the route. This informa
ion will be laid before the
ommittee in October.
■o
'inds Nuggett Weighing
47 Ounces, A t 1 i n j
The Povincial Mine Depart-1
nent at Victoria has received
eports of favorable gold min-!
ng returns from Ruby Creek,1
Vtlin District.
The Lake Superior Mining
Company is reported having ,
ound a nuggett 47 ounces on
tuby Creek.
E. O. Turnquist, of Atlin, is j
dso reported having found a
mggett weighing 15 ounces;
md he added, in the report
nade to the Provincial Mines
department, that he and his
>artner took out 67 ounces of
;old in wo weeks.
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Crone’s Leaving for Juneau
Mr. and Mrs. C. N. Crone
vill leave on the Prince George
nroute to Juneau, where Mr.
>one will be employed by the;
liems-Spokane Company on a
oad construction project in!
hat locality. They expect to
ie gone three months or so be
ore returning to Hyder.
I
WATERFOWL SEASON
REDOCEO ONE MONTH
Because of disastrous con
ditions caused by prolonged
drought in the States, the sea
son for hunting ducks, geese,
brant and coots throughout
the United States and Alaska
has been reduced to one month
by an amendment to the
Migiatory Bird Treaty Regula
tions, approved by President
Hoover August 25. The amend
ment became effective im
mediately.
As a result of the curtail
ment, which has been made ef
fective by pi-esidential procla
mation, the open season on
these birds will be from Sep
tember 1 to September 30th,
instead of from September 1
to December 15, as heretofore.
Persons taking the indicated
game birds by any means after 1
September 30, will lay them-j
selves liable to the penalties
provided in the game regula-'
tions.
As a result of the widespread ;
drought conditions, the annual
flight of ducks and geese this
fall is expected to be the poor- i
est on record.
It is expected that the Can- j
adian government will-soon;
take similar action to pervent i
irreparable damage to migra
tory bird life.
Salmon Highway
Work Completed
Work on the Salmon River
highway improvement project
between Nine-mile and Eleven
mile was fully completed this
week by the Johnson-Gardner
Company and has been approv
ed by the Bureau of Public
Roads engineering representa
tive, Mr. V. M. Blackwell.
The extensive rock work in-1
volved in the raising and j
straightening of the highway |
was completed some days ago
and later construction has'
been devoted to surfacing op-1
erations, for which Marcus |
Carlson and associates held '
the sub-contract.
Travelers over the new sec
tion during the past day or
two report that the highway
is now in splendid shape for
traffic and the improvement
work throughout has been ex
ecuted in splendid manner. It
is said further that few high
ways in the north can com
pare with the road in its pres
ent state.
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Alaskan rish Can Live m Ice
Alaskan black fish are among ;
the hardiest denizens of the ■
sea, according to Federal Gov
ernment fishery experts. Some
of the fish were brought 5,000
miles and arrived in good con
dition recently to be put into
a fresh water aquarium in
Washington, D. C.
The fish have the reputation
of being able to live several
months frozen in ice, and yet
they stand warm water well.
In fact they can get along
without any water for a short
time.
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George Bunn was down this
week from the Marmot Engin
eer mine property and report
ed completing repairs on the
camp building damaged by a
huge snow slide last spring.
Salmon Outlook
Not Favorable
Despite Big Pack
Altho the Alaska salmon
| pack of 1931 has probably ex
ceeded the average year, there
is a fear that there will be
further decline in the selling
price, which went down last
year and hardly netted pro
ducing costs, according to Hen
ry O’Malley, commissioner of
fisheries.
The packing of salmon is a
business subject to great fluc
tuations as is shown by the
figures for 1929 and 1930. A
decline was recorded from 1,
700,000 cases of red salmon in
1929 to 850,000 cases in 1930.
The total pack of 1929 was
valued at $41,700,000 and that
of 1930 was $29,900,000 for
all types of salmon. The fig
ures on red salmon compare
with a total pack of that type
of fish with the record 2,600,
000 in 1918, a figure abnorm
ally high. R. S. Hollingshead, 1
Assistant Chief, Foodstuffs Di- j
vision, Department of Com- ■
merce, in discussing the Alaska '
salmon pack last week said, j
“While the pack this yeai
may even be larger than the
early stages indicate, there is
not the prospect of great prof
its for the canning companies
who are faced with production
costs that threaten to eat up
much of their returns. The
companies, however, are gen- j
erally regarded as being well 1
financed and able to stand the
difficulties that have accom
panied the economic distress
characterizing general con
ditions.”
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Totems Recent Art of
Alaska Indian Tribes
The Indians of the southeas:
coast of Alaska have been
carving totem poles for less
than 250 years. This is the
statement made by Dr. Alex
ander Goldenweiser, interna
tionally known anthropologist
who formally occupied the i
chair of anthropology at Col
umbia University, and is now
a member of the faculty of
the University of Oregon.
During a recent visit in Ju
neau Dr. Goldenweiser said,
according to the Juneau Em
pire.
“Totem carving is a compar
atively new culture among the
Alaska Indians. I think less
than 250 years. We find no in
dications of totems in the ex
cavations that have been made
n various places.”
Goldenweiser believes that |
migrations from Asia were un-!
der way before the ice age. i
The advance of the ice from !
the north, may have been a
factor in driving them south, j
he said.
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Variety Concert Success
The variety concert given by i
local children in aid of the hos- <
pital last Saturday in Stewart
was a decided success and the
juvenile performers displayed
excellent talent throughout the
program, which was too exten
sive to report in full.
Included among the principal
performers were Jessie Potter
ton, Geraldine McCarthy, Peg
gy Reid, Jewel Rice, Dorothy
McCarthy, Vivian Smith, Ethel. ;
Knipple, Reggie Crozier, Chic/.
Thomey, Walter Hanson, Te3- (
sie Rennie and Mary Stew- j
art.
CHAMBER COMMERCE
HOLDS DINNER MEET
The Hyder Chamber of Com
merce held the regular month
ly dinner meeting at the Silver
Grill Wednesday evening, with
president E. D. Haddon presid
ing and upward of twenty-five
members and visitors present.
As on former occassions, the
session was attended by quite
a number of Stewart residents
who have evidenced their de
sire to cooperate with the lo
cal organization by becoming
members of the Hyder Chamb
er .
The business of the session
was devoted largely to routine
matters containing few items
of general interest, aside from
a report by Ernest Blue, chair
man of the International High
way committee, in which he
announced the completion of
the Chamber of Commerce
special Highway edition of the
Hyder Weekly Herald. Mr.
Blue presented copies of the
publication, which elicited
much favorable comment.
The business session was fol
lowed by a round of speech
making. V. M. Blackwell,
supervising engineer for the
Bureau of Public Roads on the
Salmon River highway im
provement project, discussed
road matters; E. T. Apple
whaite, president of the Stew
art Board of Trade gave a
most interesting and optimistic
talk on the outlook for the dis
trict and counseled his audit
ors to avoid letting the present
depressed mining conditions
cause them to lose faith in the
camp’s future. J. K. Green
■uggested efforts by the Cham
ber of Commerce to secure gov
ernment action on the Salmon
River flood protection project
as an unemployment relief
measure; P. S. Jack, secretary
af the Stewart Board of Trade,
poke in his characteristic hu
morous vein and presented a
challenge for a soft ball game
between teams representing
he Stewart Board of Trade
and Hyder Chamber of Com
nerce on Labor Day. The chal
enge was accepted and Holger
lohnson was named to arrange
’or the organization of the
ocal team.
Mr. J. A. Hall also spoke in
m optimistic vein regarding
he international highway and
ocal outlook.
The five-course dinner serv
ed by the Silver Grill was ex
excellent and keenly enjoyed.
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Behnsen Heir Arrives
The stork arrived in Stewart
?arly Friday morning with a
lew son and heir for Mr. and
Mrs. Louis A. Behnsen.
The new arrival weighed in
it 814 pounds and both moth
er and child are reported do
ng well in Stewart Hospital
inder the care of Dr. H. A.
Chilians.
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Miss Marten Takes
Bethel School
A recent issue of the Fair
banks News-Miner announces
:hat Miss Anne Marten, for
ner local school teacher, has
•eturned to Bethel, Alaska, to
:ake charge of the bureau of
education school at that point,
i position she has held for the
ast three years.
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