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MINING NEWS OF THE
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HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
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VOLUME 9, NUMBER 15.
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1933.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
SI EWART MAN MEETS
DEATH IN FLAMES
Michael (“Mickey”) Nash,
miner ami widely known old
timer of the district, was
burned to death in a fire which
broke out in his cabin in Stew
art shortly before 8 o’clock
Thursday morning. Nash’s
dog was also a victim of the
flames, his fire-seared body
being found beside that of his
master on the latter’s bed
when the flames were subdued
by the Stewart fire department
about 8:30 a. m.
From the evidence given at
a coroner’s inquest held Friday
afternoon it appears that Nash
arose shortly before eight and
started a fire in the stove. He'
then laid down on the bed and
apparently fell asleep. The
fire continued burning un
checked, with the result that
the stovepipe became overheat
ed and ignited the adjacent
wall and ceiling, which were
lined with tar paper.
The interior of the structure
was badly scorched in the re
sultant blaze.
I he lire was discovered by
Edward Lawrence Casey, who
saw smoke issuing from the
cabin and attempted to enter.
He found the door bolted on
the inside and at once realized
that Nash must be in the burn
ing structure. His efforts to
obtain ingress by the windows
were blocked by smoke and
flame. He then attempted to
quench the flames by shovel
ing snow into a rear window.
Others arriving at the scene as
sisted in the ta^k until the ar
rival of the fire department
about 8:15 a. m., when the
flames were speedily exting
uished with chemicals.
The lire fighters then cut
away the side of the building
next to Nash’s bed, on which
lay the body of the unfortunate
miner and that of his dog. A ri
fle was also found on the bed
but both barrel and magazine
were empty and it is believed
that the weapon fell from a
nail or hook on the wall over
the bed. The body of Nash
disclosed no evidence of injury
other than by the flame's, the
head, arms and shoulders be
ing badly burned.
Dr. James Robinson of Pre
mier, who conducted the med
ical examination, expressed the
opinion that Nash had been
rendered unconscious by the
dense smoke from the tar pap
er but that his death was due
to the burns received.
The verdict of the jury ex
pressed the opinion that the de
ceased came to his death by 1 . -
ing severely burned during the
fire, which was apparently
ASSESSMENT WORK
FOR 1933 SUSPENDED
Final passage by Congress of
the Smith bill, providing for
the suspension of annual ass
essment work on mining claims
during the year ending July 1,
1933, was announced in radio
broadcasts early this week. The
measure applies to Alaska as
well as other sections of the
United States, hence Alaska
claim owners are relieved of
the performance of their an
nual labor for the 1932-1933
assessment year.
The suspension act is said to
have had strong endorsement
by Idaho, Colorado, Montana
and California mining interests
but was not gerenally favored
in Alaska on the ground that
labor suspension would con
tribute to unemployment, as
the performance of assessment
work provides employment for
much labor in the Territory.
Representative Addison T.
Smith of Idaho was the author
of the bill.
—o
Game Officials Visit
Homer Jewell, Alaska game
warden, arrived here Friday on
the Alaska Game Commission
patrol boat Seal, accompanied
by Mr. Hill, a representative of
the British Columbia game pa
trol forces, and D. J. Mulcare,
U. S. Immigration inspector at
Ketchikan and former local
representative of the immigrat
:on service. Messrs. Jewel and
Hill are on a joint patrol of
Portland Canal which includes
both the Alaskan and Canad
:an shores. Mr. Mulcare came
over in connection with affairs
of his office. The party will
remain here until Sunday
morning.
caused by an overheated stove.
The inquest was conducted
by district coroner Ur J. W.
W. Vosburgh. The jury in
cluded Ernest Love, foreman,
Wm. Hobill, W. D. Smith, F.
Ilaugh, F. Lewis and A. Legge.
The deceased was born in
Dublin, Ireland in 18G7 and
had been a resident of Canada
23 years. The last 11 years of
this period were spent in Stew
ait. So far as known he poss
essed no living relatives. Up to
! this morning arrangements fo"
i the funeral had not been com
I
j pleted but it is understood that
I the services will be held at 2
j o’clock “Sunday afternoon.
F. W. ERADLEY URGES
SILVER RESTORATION
Included among a number of
striking messages in support of
silver restoration received at
the recent annual convention of
the Northwest Mining Associ
ation in Spokane was the fol
lowing from F. W. Bradley,
president of the Bunker Hill &
Sullivan, Treadwell - Yukon,
Alaska-Juneau and other great
mining enterprises. Mr. Brad
ley said:
“You should urge promised
international economic confer
ence be held as soon as possible
to consider using silver at some
I agreed-upon ratio to gold in
order to stimulate commodity
prices and to improve relations
between debtors and creditors.
“Statistics and experience
should indicate ratio between
gold and silver to which all in
telligent nations could sub
scribe on the basis that more
hard money itself in some
countries and in the nature of
gold and silver warehouse cer
tificates in other countries
would be wiser than green
backs or than a continuing out
pouring of interest bearing,
bonds. Such an increase of
hard money should increase ag
ricultural and other commodity
prices and at the same time be
helpful in readjusting relations
between debtoi-s and credit
ors.”
Stewart To Elect New
City “Dads” Next Week
The annual election of Vil
lage Commissioners will he
held in Stewart, B. C. next
Thursday. Three Commission
ers are to be selected by vote
of the taxpayers and will di
rect civic affairs during the
succeeding year. Nominations
for the office will close Mon
day. The board of commiss
ioners functions in a capacity
similar to that of a city council
in an American town, with the
chairman of the board officiat
ing as mayor. The selection
of the chairman is made by
vote of the board members and
is usually tendered to the com
missioner receiving the high
est number of votes in the civ
ic election.
Prominently mentioned can
didates this year are W. R.
Tooth, Wm. Newell, H. A.
Stewart, Jos. W. Wilson and J.
P. Hawkinson.
-o——
The state legislature of Mon
tana ratified last week the so
called “lame duck” amend
ment to the Constitution. Mon
tana is the twenty-second state
to ratify the proposal. The ap
; proval of 36 states is required.
I DECLARES BIMETALLISM
ONLY SAVIOR FOR U. S.
Commenting on the present
world situation and the out
look for recovery, the Wallace,
Idaho, Press-Times, one of the
few outspoken newspapers in
the country, says:
“With the addition of South
Africa 33 nations, led by the
British Empire, have been
forced to abandon the gold
standard.
“The United States and
France are now the only two
nations worthy of note which
continue to hold the bag for the
former gold standard count
ries. Tlie devaluation of the
foreign exchanges give these
nations off the gold standard
an advantage of 18 to 50 per
cent in the exchange settle
ments.
'Our country is being tlood
ed with foreign made goods in
spite of the tariff. The gigan
tic and world-wide failure of
the gold standard, of which the
evidence is overwhelm i n g.
should, it would seem, make
some impression upon our fi
nancial, industrial and politic
al nitwits who still cling stup
idly and obstinately to the
single gold standard and refuse
to even consider the necessity
for a return to bimetallism.
The longer the nation is al
lowed to drift, the greater be
comes the volume of distress,
unemployment, bankruptcy
and ruin. Notwithstanding
various statements to the con
trary the bottom has not yet
been reached ; no improvement
in any general industry worthy
of the name is in evidence. The
so-called leaders and prophets
are still, in the language of the
vernacular, “talking through
their hats.” Bimetallism will
come. It must come if the
country is to be saved from un
iversal bankruptcy, anarchy
and ruin. There are, undoubt
edly, sufficient brains, integri
ty and courage to cut this Gor
dian knot. That these will not
function is to doubt the per
petuity of modern civilization.
The only question is how much
loss, damage, suffering and de
struction the people can or will
endure before bimetallism is
accomplished.
“THERE IS NO TIME TO
LOSE.”
-o
. Influenze Epidemic
Closes Juneau Schools
Owing to the prevalence of
influenza, the public schools of
Juneau were recently closed
for several days, after 40 per
cent of the pupils had absented
I themselves and a number of
;the teachers had been stricken
' by the malady.
ALASKA TRADE LEVEL
STILL BELOW AVERAGE
Alaska commerce in Decem
ber continued at the same low
level and only the gold pro
duction approximated the nor
mal. The total value of all
exports for the month was $1,
485,655, according to the
monthly statement of J. C. Mc
Bride, collector of customs for
j the Alaska district.
Gold shipments for the month
aggregated $932,767, to which
silver added $5,151, but mer
chandise exports totaled only
$547,737, the lowest figure for
any month since January, 1932.
The complete list of exports
follows:
Animals . $ 530
Curios . 293
Fish:
Fresh and frozen (ex
cept shell-fish)
Halibut. 73,705
Salmon . 59,278
All other. 2,344
Canned (except shell
fish)
Salmon . 166,740
Cured or preserved
(except shell-fish)
Herring . 898
Salmon . 16,188
All other . 9,810
i Shell-fish:
Clams . 5,068
Crabs . 11,405
Shrimps . 11,940
I Other fish products:
| Meal . 2,645
Oil . 8,640
All other fish and fish
products . ’10
Furs and fur-skins:
Blue fox . 300
Silver or black fox .. 2,900
Red fox . 635
White fox . 780
Mink . 3,851
Muskrat . 74
All other . 1,139
Manufactured furs .... 153
Oil: Whale . 17,160
Ore, matte, ergulus:
Copper . 49,045
Lead . 8,310
Reindeer meat . 5,800
Trophies, specimens, .. 2,460
Wood, timber, etc. 350
All other articles ........ 9,655
Total value products of
Alaska . $ 472,406
Products of United
States returned. 75,331
Total value of ship
ments of merchandise $547,737
Gold . 932,767
Silver .,. 5,151
Grand total .$1,485,655
Mrs. Holger Johnson, who
has been severely ill and under
| the care of Dr. J. W. Vosburgh
for more than two weeks, is re
I poi'ted somewhat improved.