HYDER-- FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY THE PACIFIC - YUKON - ALASKA HIGHWAY
r
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
V
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
* ' 1 " ’
SUBSCRIPTIONS
*3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
/
VOL. 8. NO.26
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 1932.
BY THE YEAR $3.00
SILVER RESTORATION
ACTION EXPECTED
Present expectations in Wash
ington are that some measure
restoring to silver its functions
as money will be adopted at
the present session of Cong
ress and approved by the ad
ministration, according to ob
servers who are closely watch
ing the trend of opinion on the
silver issue.
It is expected that the meas
ure will come out of the “symp
athetic” inquiry into silver “as
it affects commodity price lev
els and exchange with silver
using countries,” which is now
being conducted by the House 1
committee on coinage, weights
and measures; which, it will be
recalled by Herald readers, in
stituted the inquiry on its own
initiative and without waiting
for introductory legislation, as
is usually done.
What is said to be one of the
most hopeful signs of definite
results is that intelligent inter
est is being displayed in both
houses of Congress and justi
fies a strong hope that some
constructive measures aimed at
rehabilitation of silver for use
as money will come out of the
present session.
This House committee is
reported to be making
an intelligent, searching and
sympathetic inquiry into the
silver question as it affects
commodity price levels and ex
change with the silver using
countries. It is further report
ed that those best informed in
the Senate are of the opinion
that concurrence of that body
and approval by the adminis
tration will follow passage of
the House committee report,
provided that such report just
ifies present expectations.
Ill lls eiiuris iu usici iaui me
facts relative to silver, the coin
age committee, of which Rep
resentative Andrew L. Somers,
of New York, is chairman, has
heard numerous witnesses rep
resenting all of the important
industrial and productive inter
ests of the nation, in addition
to a wide array of financial
and economic experts. Chair
man Somers has also sent let
ters to government officials
and prominent financiers in
eight countries asking their at
titude on an international con
ference for restoration of silver
prices. Among those requested
to give their views on the sub
ject were Sir Robert Horne,
member of the British parlia
ment; Montague Norman, gov
ernor of the Bank of England,
and Sir Charles Addis, Bank of
England; Clement Moret, gov
ernor of the Banque of France;
Emile Morau, governor of the
Bank of Paris; Joseph Calli
aux, Chamber of Deputies,
France; Sir Herbert.Holt, pres
ident of the Royal Bank of Can
ada; Augustin Legoretta, gen
eral manager of the Banco
Nacinol de Mexico, and Alber
to J. Pani, Mexican minister ot
Finance; Hans Luther, presi
dent of the Reichsbank, of Ger
many; Sir Osborne Smith, gov
ernor of the Imperial Bank ot
India; Tsuyi Pei, manager ot
the Bank of China; Professor
Gustav Cassel, of Sweden, and
Chamber of Commerce
Dinner Meeting Wednesday
The monthly dinner meeting
of the Hyder Chamber of Com
merce will be held next Wed
nesday evening, April 13, in
the small Pioneer Ilall. The
dinner will be prepared and
served by the ladies of the
Friendship Club, whose culi
nary abilities were most excell
ently demonstrated at the
meeting held last month and
resulted in a record-breaking
attendance of members and vis
itors.
The meeting is scheduled to
start at 6 p. m. and will be op
en to anyone desiring to at
tend and pay the very nominal
dinner charge of 75 cents.
Those wishing to attend
are requested to notify Mr.
Haddon or Mr. Cross not later
than Wednesday noon, in ord
er that adequate service may
be arranged.
-o
C. of C. Bridge Social Tonight
Another drive to raise funds
for carrying on the highly ben
eficial work of the organizat
ion will be staged by the Hyder
Chamber of Commerce in the
form of a Bridge social, dance
and supper in Pioneer Hall this
(Saturday) evening.
The function will be under
the direction of an experienced
committee, who have left noth
ing undone to make it as inter
esting and enjoyable as poss
ible. Everyone who can is
urged to lend their support to
the Chamber’s efforts to im
prove local conditions by at
tending.
-n
Zapora To Be Chartered
By Fisheries Commission
The motorship Zapora will be
withdrawn from commercial
operation in Alaska waters
after making another trip or
two between Seattle and Jun
eau, according to press reports.
The vessel is scheduled to go
under charier to the Internat
ional Fisheries Commiss i o n
from May 16 to June 1 and will
be employed in scientific work
on Hecate Strait. While so en
gaged the vessel will carry two
scientists and a crew of five. At
the conclusion of the charter,
the vessel will resume her Seat
! tle'-Alaska commercial operat
| ions.
LOUIS <BEHNSEN BREAKS LEG
1 -
j Louis Bohuson, of Stewart, suffered
| the misfortune of having one of his
! legs broken at the Premier mine this
I morning. The break is between the
j ankle and knee but the manner in
j which the injury was inflicted could
| not be ascertained before going to
j press. Mr. Behnsen is in the Premier
I hospital.
other noted experts on finance
and industry. The attitude of
American financiers, including
S. Parker Gilbert, Otto H.
Kahn and Owen D. Parker, al
so was asked. The letters ask
| suggestions of ways to boost
silver prices as well as business
generally.
Next week the Herald will
present a resume of some of the
replies received and of a port
ion of the testimony given at
the Coinage committee hear
ings in Washington.
TERRITORIAL CUSH
BALANCE IS LOW
The treasury of Alaska
closed the month of February
with a cash balance nearly a
quarter million dollars less
than the net balance of the
Territory on February 1, 1931,
according to a recent statement
by Treasurer W. G. Smith.
Cash resources on March 1
this year amounted to $413,
444.29, with outstanding war
rants aggregating $44,949.68.
leaving a net balance of $368,
494.61 in all funds. This was
$226,738.06 less than the net
balance on February 1 last
year; the balance at that time
being $595,233.67.
Although a considerable por
tion of the cannery taxes has
been paid, the cannery tax At
were not delinquent until
March 15 and resources for the
current year have not been ac
curately tabulated.
■o
New Bill Amends Alaska
Bone Dry Law
A bill amending the Alaska
Bone Dry Act and lessening the j
penalties for prohibition law
violations has been introduced
in the House by Alaska dele
gate James Wiekersham.
, I
The new measure aims to j
amend the Alaska law in such
manner as to provide the same
penalties as are imposed by the
national prohibition law.
In introducing the bill Judge
Wiekersham called attention
to the fact that the Bone Dry
law was enacted before the
national prohibition law and
| said that the penalties imposed
| by the Territorial law are too
i severe.
i The measure is probably in
I tended to meet objections to
| the legislative proposal to re
peal the Alaska Bone Dry law
raised by Bishop James Can
non, Jr. and other prohibition
i leaders.
-o
Lon. Doggett Freed
—
Lon. R. Doggett, former locai
resident, was arrested recently
by the federal authorities in
Juneau on charges of perjury
i growing out of testimony said
to have been given by him in
the district court at Ketchikan
| during his recent hearing on
I a prohibition law violation
j charge, from which he was ex
i onerated. Doggett is report
! ed to have also been cleared of
Uhe alleged perjury charge.
-o
Hesse Sick: Goes South
| _,
i
[ Wm. A. Hesse, Territorial
Highway Engineer, left Juneau
i recently for Seattle to consult
specialists about his health.
He is said to be suffering from
heart leakage, although his
condition is not serious at this
time. , |
BILL PROPOSES DUTY
ON IMPORTED FUEL
Alaska delegate to Congress
James Wickersham is reported
in press announcements to
have introduced a bill in Cong
ress to impose import duties on
coal and coke imported into
the United States, including
Alaska, from foreign count
ties. The measure places a
duty of $3 per long ton on coal,
anthracite and bituminous, j
coke, or coal or coke briquets. I
-o
Alaska Juneau Makes Profit
On 7 8-C e n t Ore
Operating on ore averaging
but 78.34 cents per ton, the
Alaska-Juneau mine netted a
surplus of $53,500 in February,
according to a statement issued j
by the head offices in San
Francisco.
A total of 318,490 tons of
ore were mined and trammed,
yielding an operating revenue
of $249,000 in gold and $500
in silver, an average of 78.18
cents per ton in gold and .16
cents in silver per ton of ore.
Mining and tramming costs!
totaled $106,500, an average of
33.44 cents per ton, and mill
ing costs amounted to $77,500,
an average of 24.33 cents a
ton. Total expenses amounted
to $197,000, or an average of
61.85 cents per ton of ore.
•V'
Extension of Reconstruction
Finance Act To Alaska is
Proposed in Washington
A movement to have extend
ed to Alaska, Porto Rico and
Hawaii the benefits of the Re
construction Finance Corpor
ation Act has been launched
in the national capital, accord
ing to advices received recent
ly by Governor George A.
Parks, says the Juneau Empire.
Continuing, that journal says:
At present it is said that the R.
C. F. is limited in its activities
to the States proper.
To make it possible for the
three places mentioned to come
within the scope of its author
ity, a special bill was recently
introduced in the House by
Commissioner Felix Cordova
Davila of Porto Rico extending,
the provisions of the law to
them.
-o
Snow Depths in Alaska
Alaska stations reported the
following depths of snow on
March 28:
Bethel, 22 inches; Cordova,
24 inches; Eagle, 22 inches; Ft.
Yukon, 24 inches; Fairbanks,
23 inches.
The ice at Fairbanks was re
ported as being 48.5 inches in
thickness, while at Nome the
ice on Snake river was 40 inch
es in thickness.
Local Prospectors Find Rich
Ore in Nevada Camp
The Nevada City Nugget, of
Nevada City, California,has the
following to say of a widely
known local prospector who is
now located in the famous old
California camp.
’'Two prospectors, Messrs.
Dan Canavan and Charles
Jeep, came into the Nugget of
office with something worth
mentioning in the shape of four
beautiful pieces of white
quartz freely shot with gold of
the “jewelry rock” type. The
specimens were taken from an
open cut on a lead which aver
ages from three and a half to j
eight feet in width. Assays
from ore the same as the samp
les runs from $8 to $40,000 a
ton. It also carries copper sul
phides. The men have done
considerable developm e n t
work on the property. They
have run an open cut for a dist
ance of 400 feet. Part of the
cut is about 30 feet deep. There
are at least seven leads on the
same hill all running parallel.
Water is taken from one of the
N I. D. ditches for washing of
gravel. At one place on the
property several thousand dol
lars of gold were taken out by
the placer process.”
-- o
Validation of Absentee
Electors Act Asked
James Wickersham, ener
getic delegate to Congress from
Alaska, has introduced a bill in
the lower house asking Cong
ressional approval of the act of
the 1931 Alaska legislature
providing for a method of vot
ing for absentee electors. Un
der its provisions, any elector
of the Territory who believes
that he will be unavoidably ab
sent from his heme on election
day may vote at any general
election by means of a prev
iously marked ballot. The act
provides that it shall not be
come effective until ratified by
Congress.
■o.
I
Ketchikan Lumber Mill Active
The Ketchikan Spruce Mills
resumed operations last week,
increasing substantially the
payroll and prosperity of tha<
section. The mill has a con
tract for 300,000 boxes for
Alaska canneries.
I
-o
Eskimo Wins Nome Deg Derby
Kigatelluk, an Eskimo, was
! the winner of the Alaska
Championship Dog Derby, held
at Nome March 31. Kigatelluk
covered the course from Nome
j to Golovin and return in 15
j hours, 13 minutes, 27 seconds.
I Fred Topkok, another native,
I was second in 15 hours, 38
i minutes, 7 seconds, and Al.
Carey, winner of last year’s
race was third in 15 hours, 58
minutes, 34 seconds. The race
was run under ideal conditions
and was completed by 10 out
of 14 entries.
OSCAR NELSON
PASSES AWAY
Oscar Nelson passed away in
his home in the Forest addition
shortly before noon Wednes
day after a long illness due to
the insiduous malady known as
pernicious anaemia. The de
ceased had been in ill health
for several years. During the
past few months he “became
increasingly worse until he be
came virtually helpless a few
weeks ago. Following his in
capaciation, he wTas looked af
ter by kind-hearted neighbors
until death ended his long per
iod of suffering. Lue Gorman
and Oscar Larsen were with
him when death closed the fin
al chapter of his life story.
The deceased was a native of
Sweden and aged about 55
years. Little is known of his an
tecedents beyond that he had
resided in Canada for a consid
erable number of years before
coming to this distinct about
ten years ago. After residing
for several years in the Stew
art district he came to Hyder
and lived here continuously un
til his demise. So far as known
he had no relatives in Amer
ica. He is believed to have
some surviving relations in
Sweden but their whereabouts
has not been ascertained. Mr.
Nelson was a fisherman by oc
cupation but also followed min
ing and prospecting. He was
a man of quiet ways and kind
ly disposition and was highly
regarded by those who knew
him.
Funeral services were held
Friday morning in the old Sal
mon River store building, with
Rev. H. R. Cross officiating.
The services were attended by
a large number of friends of
the deceased and handsome
floral offerings evidenced the
regard and sympathy of fel
low residents of the commun
ity.
Following the services the re
mains were interred in River
view cemetery.
The funeral was under the
direction of E. E. Charlton.
Mount Shishaldin Still Active
After more than two months
of violent activity, Mt. Shishal
din, one of Alaska’s great vol
i eanie peaks on the Alaska Pen
insula, is continuing to belch
| smoke and flames which are
sweeping the sky more than
j 2,000 feet from the l'oaring
crater, according to word
brought to Seward by the mast
er of the steamer Starr. The
roar of the crater can be heard
from three two five miles.
Shishaldin became violent
January 21, throwing out a pall
of smoke that extended fifty
! miles. Fire and smoke are said
to have transformed the vol
cano into a giant lighthouse.
The eruption is said to be com
parable with the great blowup
of Mt. Katmai in 1912.