s
AN ALL
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
^
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PF.R
IN ADVAvrf j
■. .ii ■■ /
-'—£x
VOL 3, NO. 17
HYDEP, ALASKA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 20,1926
FfflY CEN1S ALCME
TEXAS CREEK WAGON
ROAD EXTENSION
PRACTICALLY ASSURED
That a start will be made by j
the Bureau of Public Roads
on the much desired and much
needed Texas Creek wagon
road during the coming sum
mer is practically assured, ac
cording to confidential inform-'
ation received during the past
week by J. A. Hall president!
of the Bank of Hyder.
The advices come from a;
thoroughly reliable informant j
who is in touch with the head :
officials of the Bureau of Pub- j
lie Roads department for this'
district and therefore in a po
sition to learn what is contem
plated before public announce
ments are made-.
The Advices state in effect
that plans have been practic
ally approved and funds will ,
be available for the construct
ion of a wagon road from 9
Mile to the Texas Creek Cross
ing. A route for the proposed
highway was surveyed during
the past summer by Fred J. I
Hughes, Bureau of Public
Roads engineer, and will prob
ably be utilized in the con- j
struction of the proposed high
way, which wili be about 4
miles in length.
Although the proposed high- j
way will go no farther than
Texas Crossing, and will not
penetrate the West Fork sect
, ion, where the absence of a
wagon road is the principal ob- j
stacle to the opening up of
a richly mineralized region, it
will nevertheless be of great
benefit to miners of that dis
trict, as well as to the proper- j
ty owners along the north fork I
of Texas Creek. The route to
be covered by the road em- j
braces the most difficult sect
ion of the Texas trail and in
conjunction with the west
fork pack trail will do much
to facilitate mining in every
part of the Texas Creek dis
trict by greatly reducing
transportation costs on sup
plies and ore shipments.
The assurance that the road
will be forthcoming is the best i
news the district has heard in
a long time and its actual de-1
velopment will undoubtedly
mark the beginning of a new
era of mineral production.
.r..
B. C. SILVER TO
SPEED UP—REPORT
Work on the B. C. Silver is
to be speeded up and ship
ments of high grade are to be
resumed shortly after New
Year day, according to unveri
fied reports brought to town
from the upper valley during
the past few days.
It is said that the company
plans to increase the crew and
h.-is arranged to haul the ore
shipments from the mine di
rect to the wharf, without re
laying, as was done last year.
The local stores are display-,
ing a wide range of attractive j
holiday goods. Provinse’s has a
fine window display of Christ- j
mas boxes, decorations and j
dry goods. The Hyder Drug \
Co. is showing a fine line of
toys, lamps and fancy articles
in its windows and the Midget
Emporium ha3 an attractive
display of framed pictures,
toilet sets and tobaccos. The
Hyder Mercantile Co. windows
are gay with Christmas dec
orations, silverware, toys and
electrical utensils.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
AFTER ROADS, TRAILS
That the newly incorporated
Chamber of Commerce is de
termined to waste no time in
furthering the development
projects in which the district
is interested was made evident
at the last meeting of the or
ganization with the reading
of a series of letters addressed
to Delegate Sutherland, For
est Supervisor R. A .Zeller, as
sistant district engineer M. D.
Williams, of the Bureau of
Public Roads, and C. H. Flory,
District Forester, urging the
construction and maintenance
of roads and trails at various
points in the district.
The communication to Mr.
Sutherland requests assistance
in securing construction of a
wagon road from 9-Mile
bridge to a point about one
fourth mile up the west fork
of Texas Creek. The names of
more than a score of mining
properties along the west fork
and main Texas Creek are
mentioned as likely to be serv
ed by the desired improve
ment. The letter also present
ed a number of convincing ar
guments and illustrations cov
ering present transportation
eosts and their probable re
duction through the installat
ion of the proposed road. Cop
ies of the communication have
oeen forwardedr to Mr. Zeller,
Mr. Williams and Mr. Flory
urging their assistance.
A letter to Mr. Flory recited
the urgent need for recondit
:onirg the present Fish Creek
trail, which, the letter assert
ed would be rendered useless
in course of a year or two by
he fluffing of debris from the
adjacent hillsides. The de
oendence of the Mountainview
Co., Fish Creek Co., Titan. Hy- :
ier Jumbo, Hyder Skookum, j
Lucky Boy, Alaska Premier
and other pi’operties in the i
iocality on the maintenance of
he trail was also emphasized <
by pertinent and convincing;
illustrations. Copies of the let-1
:er have also been sent to the :
\iaska delegate and the other
officials above named.
FINE SAMPLES
FROM INDEPENDENCE
Supt. Jack Fitzgerald came i
down from the Independence !
last week, bringing some fine j
look: a; samples of the ore
found in the main tunnel; now
in a distance over 600 feet.
Mr. Fitzgerald reports excel-1
lent progress, with everything !
w-orking as fine as could be j
expected.
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EQUIPMENT FOR
OUTLAND BAR
Machinery and other equip
ment valued at $15,000 arriv-!
last week fo r the Outland Sil-j
ver Bai\ The shipment, which j
included a compressor and en- i
gine, in addition to a supply ,
of powder and other mining i
materials, is the last of a num
ber of consignments aggre
gating 80 tons arriving during
recent weeks for use next sum
mer.
Ernest Bryson, holder of the
freighting contract, is busy
transporting the outfit up the
valley.
-o
Dale L. Pitt, manager of the
Premier mine, returned on the
Cardena from a business trip
to Vancouver, accompanied by
Mrs. Pitt, who has been visit
ing in eastern Canada.
SAYS DISTRICT WILL
PRODUCE MORE GOLD
THAN CALIFORNIA
_
That the Portland Canal min
eral area will produce more
gold in the twentieth century
than California produced in
[ the nineteenth, is the splendid
I boost given to this district by
B. A. O’Farrell in a recent is
sue of “Unbiased Opinions,”
well known Spokane publicat
ion.
Mr. O’Farrell, who in addit
j ion to being a noted traveler
Land journalist, is also a recog
| nized authority on mining mat
ters, ventures this unqualified
prophecy in connection with
an article on the Canadian in
come tax policy, in which he
also asserts that the Premier
nine has sufficient ore re
serves to insure dividend pay
ments for 20 years or longer
! and but for the excessive in
j come tax payments exacted
by the Dominion and British
Columbia governments, would
be operated on a scale so vast
as to make the present scope
of its activities almost insig
nificant.
Excluding comments which
do not refer directly to the
Premier or Portland Canal dis
trict, the article says:
In the Portland Canal area
alone more gold will be pro
duced in the twentieth cen
tury than California produced
in the nineteenth. Only one
mine in this district has so far
been properly equipped. This
is the Premier. It has an aerial
tramway, a 400-ton mill and
in six years it has made net
profits of more than $10,000,
000. In addition to this sum
the Dominion and British Col
umbia have received several
millions in income tax.
Were it not for the exorbitant
income tax policy of the do
minion and the Provice the
Premier would now be milling
12,000 tons of ore daily and
earning net profits of $5,000,
300 a year.
The Premier is now paying
$1,600,000 a year in dividends,
and competent engineers who
have recently examined its
ore reserves assure me that
out of its own mines the Pre
mier can keep on paying divi
dends for the next twenty
years and most probably for a
much longer period. Its high
grade ore. runs $200 to the
ton. Its milling ore averages
$9'in gold and 10 oz. in silver
to the ton and the concentrates
pay taxes and dividends.
But in British Columbia the
government grabs 10 per cent
of the net smelter returns and
the Dominion filches another
10 per cent. Income tax extort
ions explains why the Premier
does not enlarge its mill to four
or five times its present capaci
ty.”
■o
i
BORDER QUEEN ARRIVES
The Border Line steamer Bor
der Queen, arrived from Se
attle Monday night with one
passenger and 60 tons of
freight for this port. The cargo
consisted of 30 tons of general
merchandise for various local
consignees and 30 tons of coal
for the Hyder Fuel Company.
The Border Queen is schedul
ed to leave Seattle on her next
trip to Hyder on December 29,
according to advices received
by the Hyder Dock Co. local
agent. ,
PREMIER DECLARES
USUAL DIVIDEND
Maintaining .the splendid an
nual dividend record establish
ed in the first years of oper
ation and continued with al
most monotonous regularity up
to the present, the Premier
Gold Mining Company has de
clared the usual quarterly div
idend of 8 cent3 per share on
its capital stock, according to
advices received last week.
The $400,000 represented will
be distributed January 4 and
will bring the total dividend
payments for the year to $1,
600,000, the same amount dis
bursed annually during the I
greater part of the six years of '
operation. The forthcoming
dividend will bring the total j
dividends paid by the famous j
mine to more than $10,000,000.
■o
RAISE ENCOUNTERS
NEW ORE BODY
A big vein of ore which may
be a continuation of the rich
ore shoot found recently some
distance above the mine work
ings was encountered late last
week in the upraise now being
run from the main level of the
Riverside mine. The vein is 4
feet wide and tapped at a point
in the raise about midway be
ween the main level and the
i tunnel in which the strike was
i made. The values contained in
| ih« ore had not been deter
I mined up to the time this was
' written. The vein matter is
I a heavily mineralized quartz
I vith lead the predominating
i mineral element.
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CHRISTMAS TREE PLANS
MAKING GOOD PROGRESS
Preparations for the Com
munity Christmas Tree for
the local kiddies are going
forward in excellent fashion
under the direction of the
'■apable committee headed by
Rev. S. V. Warren.
The presents have been se
lected and a fine program by
^he children is being prepared.
The function will be held as
usual in Pioneer Hall and un
der the auspices of the Moose
lodge, which, since its incept
ion, has sponsored the move
ment and provided funds for
a present for each child in the
community.
CAPT. MACVICHIE
IN CHARGE
In reporting last week the re
cent change in the manage
ment of the Big Missouri mine
the Herald inadvertantly fail
ed to make clear the fact that
the general management of
the Big Missouri Mining Com
pany is in the hands of Cap
tain Duncan MacVichie. The
omission tended to create an
impression in some quarters
that Mr. S. A. Knowles, who
recently succeeded P. E. Pet
erson, as manager of the mine,
had also succeeded Capt. Mac
Vichie as manager of the com
pany. In justice to Capt. Mac
Vichie it should be said that
he is personally directing the
company’s affairs and Mr.
| Knowles is in charge of the
mine.
-o
The C. N. R. liner Prince Ru
pert will leave for the south
at 10 a. m. Thursday morning,
two hours ahead of the usual
schedule, in order to reach
Vancouver early Christmas
I morning.
PARKS REPORTS ALASKA
CONDITIONS IMPROVING
Improvement in all conditions
affecting the wefare of Alas'.,:
during the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1926, is noted in the
second annual report of Gov
ernor George A. Parks, made
j public a few days ago. In ad
dition to a general betterment
of economic conditions the re
port notes that both domestic
and foreign commerce increas
ed about 2.3 per cent over
1925 and that exports increas
ed in greater proportion than
imports. The report covers a
wide range of subjects, includ
ing king salmon fishing, fish
eries investments and fish pro
tection; the Pribloff seal herd,
mineral roduction; the success
of cold water thawing; petro
leum production, pulp indus
try possibilities; the Alaska
railroad; fur farming; rein
deer industry, Indian educat
ion; federal buil’ings, Alaska
Game Law, care o" the Alaska
nsane; health pro'eotion, the
strategic value of Alaska;
aerial mapping, and placer
mining restrictions. The re
port makes the following rec
ommendations :
Investigation of ihe salmon
"i heries on the Yukon and;
Kuskokwim rivers to deter
mine whether or net commer
ial fi h'ng wi 1 • pa dice fut
iv sir'l l..
I Enactment ot a ] w providing
| or the leasing of public lands
i or grazin'? pupo.^s.
Tcpca! of tax provisions of
Alaska Game Law affecting
residents of the Territory.
Provisions for a government
hospital for the insane ot
Alaska.
Th 1 establishment of a de
: tention home for incorrigible
! natives.
! Additional industrial’ schools
j for natives.
Construction of an adequate
Federal Building as an aid to
the coordination of the federal
department.
Repeal of the laws restrict
’n<r the number of placer
claim's which may be located
by an individual.
Continuation of aerial map
ping until all forested area?
have been mapped.
The establishment of one
federal agency charged with
the enforcement of all laws.
-o
STORM DOUSES LIGHTS
The heavy fall of wet snow
Sunday evening caused a dis
ruption of the light system by
breaking the transmission lines
and plunged the camp into
Stygian gloom. The damage
was so extensive that repairs
were not effected until Mon
day evening.
-o
STEWART PREPARING
TO INCORPORATE
Stewart is taking the initial
steps for incorporating the
community under the Village
Tncorporation Act and has fil
ed the required petition in the
office of the Inspector of Mu
1 nicipalities for B. C. Province.
I Messrs. H. P. Gibson, H. W.
• M. Rolston and P. A. Jacks
i have been selected by the com
! munity for appointment by
' the government as temporary
I commissioners, to have charge
' of the conduct of municipal
"V-p " J’ election
| of regular commissioners.
O’'EMBER EXPORTS
SHOW BIG GAIN
rph<» value of .A li3ka ex^o ts
ov ember, as shown by the
•*oiuh y report of the Collect
or of Customs, exceeded Nov
ember shipments last year by
S702,8I9, and also topped b}'
i considerable margin the Nov
ember exports of 1923 and
'■024.
The gain this year was due
n’incipally to increased ship
ments of herring, halibut and
salmon. Canned salmon led
| the list with a value of $1,739
>94, with copper valued at
SI,127,422 in second position.
The next most important item
was herring, with a value of
^501,989. Following is the full
list of commodities and their
values:
Animals.$ 67,04.7
Curios . 4,891
Fish:—
Fresh and frozen (ex
cept shell-fish) :
Halibut . 432,358
Salmon . 82,278
All other. G.512
Canned (except
;hell-fich) :
Salmon. 1,739,5-94
Cured or preserved
(except shell-fish) :
Cod .
Herring ...
Salmon ....
All other
Shell-fish:
Clams.
Crabs .
Shrimps ...
I Other fish products:
j Fertilizer. 5. IT<►
i Meal. 26.430
| Oil. 19.246
| All other fish and
cish products. 1,000
Furs and fur-skins:
| 31ue fox . l,02g
l jilver fox . 2,730
! All other . 116,605
i Manufactured furs .. 2.395
| Oil, whale. 39,663
1 Ore, matte and reg
ulus:
Copper . 1,127,422
Lead . 15,979
Reindeer meat. 20,000
Trophies, specimens, etc.
Trophies, speci
mens, etc. 12,650
Wood, timber and
lumber . 42,160
All other articles .... 20.431
Total value of pro
ducts of Alaska. 34,122,873
Products of the Unit
ed States returned .... 208,867
Total value of for
eign products . 9,128
Total value of ship
ments of merchan
dise . $4,638,888
Items included in
“All Other Articles”
8 paintings $ 2620
3510 lbs. Whalebone 2340
17759 lbs. Sugarbeets 400
11803 lbs. Ivory 9363
406 hairseal skins 203
1770 Reindeer skins 710
3600 lbs. reindeer moss 60
29000 lbs. Walrus skins 4270
Total $20,481
-0
[ P. E. Peterson, former super
intendent and metallurgnst for
the Big Missouri company,
left Thursday for the State *.
It is reported that. Mr. Peter
son has severed his connection
with the Big Missouri company
and will be located in Butte,
Montana.