AN ALL
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
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DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OP ALASKA J^ND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PER YEAP
IN ADVANCE
VOL 4, NO. IS
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31,1927
FIFTY CENTS A MONTH
A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL
FIRE DESTROYS HYDER
DOCK CO. WAREHOUSE
Fire fanned by a stiff breeze
from the upper reaches of
Portland Canal and fed by a
large quantity of lubricating
oils, greases and other inflam
able products swept away the
big warehouse on the lower
end of the Hyder Dock Comp
any wharf shortly after noon
Thursday.
The blaze was the most ex
tensive and costly sustained in
Hyder in a long period and
was by long odds the most dan
gerous that has so far occurred
in the district.
In addition to destroying the
large warehouse and endang
ering the entire dock structure,
the fire also threatened de
struction of far greater exten
through its proximity to the
huge 20:000 gallon gasoline
storage tank of tho Standard
Oil Company, carrying the
buik of the camp’s winter sup
ly of gasoline.
Company officials state tlia*
the fire was caused by a He
fective flue, resulting probably
from the moving of the build
ing last summer. Robert M
M. Stewart, bookkeeper of the
company was the only person
on the dock at the time. Work
ing outside of the building, Mr.
Stewart was unaware of the
impending catastrophe until
the flames had passed beyond
his control.
Included among the large
quantity of supplies involved
in the destruction of the ware
house were 39 cases of dyna
mite and the presr-rte of the
expl' five tended to give tin j
fire a still deadlier rspect un
til it was harmlessly con
sumed by the devouring flame. j
as they t wept the big struct I
urc from end to end.
A quantity of fulminate oi
mercury blasting caps stored
in another part of the ware
house exploded with consider
able force before the blazt
reached the powder, but thi;
also:' failed to disturb the more
destructive explosive.
Had the dynamite exploded
the flames would in all prob
ability have involved the gas
tank and resulted in a wide
ppread conflagration along the
lower waterlront by spreading |
blazing gasoline over the wat I
ers of Portland Canal. Though j
a large number of voluil j
teer fire fighters responded tc j
the alarm, the prcspect of ar
explosion prevented any ef
fective attempt to check the
blaze until the dynamite had
been consumed. As soon as this
danger was passed, willing
hands were at work and labor
ed most of the afternoon cut
ting away the heavy and slow
burning planking around the
warehouse site, thereby pre- j
venting a further spread of the
fire to other parts of the big
dock structure.
The loss is estimated by offic
ials as totaling between six and
seven thousand dollars. The
warehouse and small buildings
represent a total loss. The loss
CUSTOM MILLS FOR
STEWART PROPOSED
Reports from Vancouver an
nounce that it is understood in
southern mining circles that
the British interests which re
cently took over the Portland
Canal railway with the object
of rehabilitation and extens
ion to the Meziadin Lake reg
ion, also contemplate the erect
ion of a large custom concen
trating plant at Stewart.
A development of this charac
ter will be of great benefit to
the several well developed low
grade properties situated with
in a short distance of Stewart
and will also do much to stim
ulate mining in other parts of
the Bear river district.
PREMIER DECLARES
USUAL $400,000
DIVIDEND PAYMENT
Stockholders of the Premier
Gold Mining Company of rec
ord December 15, will receive
on January 4th a total of $400,
000, that being the amount of
;he dividend declared by the
company for the fourth quar
ter of 1927. The dividend is the
fourth of the same amount
paid this year and represents
eight cents per share on the
five million shares of stock.
Equal or larger amounts have
been paid quarterly since the
second quarter of 1923, the
highest since that period hav
ng been $500,000, for the last
quarter of 1924.
The coming payment will
bring the total of dividends
paid by the famous mine to
?11,750,937.
-o
SEARCH FOR MISSING
MINER FAILS
No trace has so far been
found of the remains of Wil
'iam Fillier, who lost his life in
i snowslide on the .east slopes
>f Mt. Rainey while enroute to
the Porter-Idaho mine two
weeks ago.
The search party headed by
Constable Potterton of Stewart
failed to find any trace of the
unfortunate man, whose body
will probably not be recovered
until next summer, as it is ev
dently buried under many feet
of snow in the deep canyon be
low the point where Fillier and
his companion, A. D. Murray,
were overtaken by the slide.
-o
caused by the destruction of
the powder, caps and other
products will be approximate
ly twelve or thirteen hundred
dollars. Only a portion of the
loss is covered by insurance.
ANOTHER DEAL FOR
THE INDEPENDENCE
UNDER WAY
Reliable reports from the
south announce that another
deal for the Independence
property is now being negoti
ated between the Indepen
dence company and unnamed
interests which are said to be in
a position to supply ample cap
ital for immediate develop
ment.
With a large ore tonnage al
ready developed, the property
has reached a stage where it
presents every prospect of be
coming an excellent producer
soon as adequate milling facil
ities are available.
o
PIONEERS TO HOLD
BIG POTLATCH
The local igloo of the Pion
eers of Alaska is making prep
arations for holding a big pot
latch following the annual in
stallation of officers at Pion
eer Hall Tuesday evening.
The function will be open to
members of the order only. A
really big time is promised by
members of the committee in
charge. They assert that it will
be one hiyu potlatch from start
„o finish. Leave your comousum
at home but don’t fail to show
up if you are a Pioneer of the
order.
Hayas Cumtux.
-o
HOLIDAY DANCE IS
GREATLY ENJOYED
The mid-holiday dance given
under the direction of Mrs R.
W. Kennedy and Don. Mills in
Pioneer Hall Wednesday even
ing was marked by excellent
attendance and was a decided
ly enjoyable event in every
way.
The tuneful Melody Kids
orchestra provided excellent
music that was as pleasurable
to non-dancers as to those who
enjoy terpsichorean exercises.
A fine luncheon was also pro
dded by Max. |5ehrmann of
the Ideal Cafe and was great
ly enjoyed by those participat
ing.
s\ mucn appieciaieu .lectiuie
of the entertainment was a so
lo dance specialty by Ross Nic
holson. one of the Melody Kids.
Mr. Nicholson, who is known
as “a bear” at the drums, also
proved that he is a fancy step
dancer of no mean ability by
executing a combination of the
Charleston and Black Bottom
that figuratively “brought the
house down.” Some stepper, i
is Ross, and no mistake about!
it.
-o
Hugh B. McGuire, well known
mining man, arrived from the
south Thursday in connection
with his numerous local min
ing interests.
0
OLD JACK FROST
IS ON THE JOB
The present winter bids fair
to go down in history as one
of the coldest experienced by
this district since the camp was
established.
Below zero temperatures
have prevailed during the
greater part of the past three
weeks, something very unus
ual for this section of Alaska.
Owing to the variations of
the thermometers about town,
exact temperature figures are
unobtainable, but a number of
glasses have dropped as far as
12 minus, while others at the
same time have registered a
degree or two higher. The gen
eral average during the cold
snaps appears to have been be
tween five and six degrees be
low.
Old-timers tell of a winter a
decade or so ago when the mer
cury dropped to 20 below, but
agree that the past month has
been the coldest December in
many years.
0
RAISES HUGE SPUDS
The possibilities of potato
raising in this section arc con
vincingly displayed by a crop
of the suceulent tubers raised
by Rev. S. V. Waren in the gar
den plot of the M. E. Church
during the past season.
Among the approximately 20
sacks raised on a small patch
of ground, potatoes weighing
a pound or more are not un
common, while some on the
larger specimens approximate
two pounds in weight. Four
taken from one sack in the
Herald office this week tipped
the beam at 8 pounds.
Whether the success of Di\
Warren in this respect is due
to his being an ardent nature
lover or is attributable to ener
gy in carefully cultivating the
soil, we cannot say. At any
rate his efforts are of a kind
which others might well strive
to emulate, instead of spend
ing so much time in yelping
around the gossip shops anent
the high cost of living.
-o—————
Preparations for the big Hard
Times dance in Pioneer Hall
January 7th are now in full
swing, according to Mr. Don.
Mills, business manager of the
Melody Kids orchestra. The
entertainment promises to be
of unusual interest, owing to
the costume features, which
are at all times popular with
Hyder dance devotees.
Mr. Mills anounced this week
that the two fine prizes to be
awarded the most originally
costumed lady and gentleman,
will be donated by the Hyder
Drug Company.
-o—-—
Robert Nakki, well known
resident and employed at the
Premier company camp at 9
Mile, is reported seriously ill
as a result of an attack of
pneumonia.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS
TREE DELGHTS
LOCAL KIDDIES
The annual community Christ
mas tree, held in Pioneer Hall
Christmas eve, was as delight
ful to the hearts of local kid
dies as any of its predecessors,
in addition to sending every
last one* of them home with an
armful of gifts from the hand
of kindly old Santy. Each child
in the community was present
ed with a substantial gift from
the fund provided by the gen
erous donations of the Moose
lodge and citizens, in addition
to receiving a big Christmas
stocking filled with candy,nuts
and other goodies. Many pri
vate gifts were also distribut
ed from the Christmas tree to
both young and old.
The distribution of gifts was
preceded by a program of in
teresting exercises which in
cluded recitations by the child
ren, songs by the M. E. Church
choir, a splendidly executed
Highland Fling by Sylvia Nak
ki, a delightful Fairy dance by
winsome Peggy Reed and a
finely rendered vocal solo by
Mrs. Hubert Thomas.
Santa Claus was represented
by Ernest Bryson, who gave a
most realistic presentation of
that famous character.
The entertainment was ex
cellently arranged and man
aged, and the committee in i
charge displayed praiseworthy i
choice in the selection of gifts. ■
The committee well earned the j
praise of the community for
their excellent efforts.
WANTS FRAME FOR
ALASKA JUDGE
Recent Washington, D. C.,
press dispatches report that
United States senator Peter
Norbeck, of South Dakota, has
urged president QSiolidge to
appoint Arthur Frame, Anch
orage attorney, to any event
! ual vacancy in the federal
judgeship in the First Alaska
District.
•o
BIG FAIRBANKS
DREDGES ARRIVE
AT SEWARD
-• r
Recent Seward press dis
patches report the afrfyal at
that point of two massae elec
tric dredges for theFlirbanks j
Exploration Compan# of the j
Fairbanks district.
The dredges are said to be !
the first of a battery of twelve
the company will install within
the next two years for operat
ing on the famous old placer
creeks of that section. Each of
the big machines was insured
for $1,000,000, according to
i the reports.
SAYS RAILWAY LINE
TO PEACE FROM
STEWART PROBABLE
“Much interest is being taken
by mining men who are famil
iar with the resources of the
northern part of the district in
the announcement that British
interests have taken over the
short line railway in the Port
' land Canal district,” says the
Western Canada Mining News,
well informed Vancouver min
ing publication, and continues
as follows:
Hon. H. H. Stevens, who re
cently returned from London,
where he went in connection
with this matter, and W. Lew
thwaite, of Vancouver, signed
the papers on behalf of the
purchasers, while Sir Donald
Mann of Toronto, and E. P.
Davis, K. C., of Vancouver,
signed for the vendors. The
railway was built seventeen
years ago, when Portland Can-'
al first atr^eted attention, and
extended from Stewart to the
Red Cliff mine, Bear river val
lev.
Importance of this announce
ment lies not so much in the
use of the railway by Portland
Canal mines, but in the potent
ialites of it becoming the west
ern section of a line which will
open up the Peace rivar dist
rict. Much has been haid oi
Peace rivPr of late, and the
suggestion that the railway tr|
give this section of the provin
ce transportation, facilities
should have outlet at Stewart
is not new. Stewart is directly
west of Peace river, the route
is feasible and shorter than
most routes, and Stewart is an
all the year open port.
The main interest attaches to
the opening up of the great
area lying between Stewart
and Peace river district, and
north of the present line of the
Canadian National Railway,
that this abounds in minerals
of all kinds is well known. Fin
lay Forks, at the junction of
the Parsnip, Omineca, Nation
and Finlay rivers, which unite
to form the Peace river, gives
access to a vast ditrict abound
ing in mineral wealth, and
would be on a railway route to
the west.
The route to Stewart would
be the most advantageous, both
from utilitarian and econom
ical points of view. It would
cost much less than other
routes, would be sooner self
supporting, and would be in
line for through freight with
its outlet at Stewart and Hyd
er, Alaska, since it is presumed
an extension would be made to
the latter town, two miles from
Stewart.
n.
NEW ALASKA NEWS
PAPER LAUNCHED
The Sitka' Sun, newest of
Alaskan news publications,
was launched at Sitka on Nov
ember 30. The new journal
a weekly publication and
published by W. R. Hanlon,
mayor of Sitka, and is edited
by W. R. Hanlon, Jr.
S’ 5'