HYDER
FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY PACIFIC-YUKON-ALASKAj HIGHWAY)
r~ --^
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
V.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
53.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOLUME NO. 9, NUMBER 9.
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1932.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
STEWART, B. C., SCENE
OF COSTLY FIRE
In the second majoi fire d;s- |
aster in the camp’s history, !
eight of the leading business |
establishments of Stewart, 1>.
C., 2 miles from Hyder, were !
wiped out by fire early Tues
day morning, with an estima j
loss of $60,000.
The destroyed establishments i
included the Campbell & Duke j
gorcery store, owned by How- ]
ard Campbell and Chas. Duke;
the Stewart Hotel, owned by
J. McAleenan; Stewart Cafe,,
operated by J. Forstell; H. W.
M. Rolston & Co., brokerage
and insurance; Stewart News;
Northern Drug Company, op
erated by J. Buckshon; the
Scott Meat Market, owned by
J. Lyon and operated by Jack
Scott, and the Accadia Rooms.
Six of the town’s largest build
ings went up in the firey holo
caust, including the the old
Campbell & Duke building, ad
joining the meat market. The
flames swept away the entire
row of one and twro story busi
ness structures along the south
side of Fifth street from the
government liquor vendor’s
store to the corner of Fifth and
Columbia streets. The escape
cf the liquor store is attributed
to heroic effarts made by the
citizens to save the building
from what appeared inevitable
destruction.
The conflagration started on
the ground floor of the Stewart
Hotel but the cause of the out
break has not been determined.
Starting virtually in the middle
of the long row of frame
structures, the fire spread both
ways with great rapidity and
within a half hour the entire
block, with the exception of the
liquor stoie was a seething
mass of flame against which
the primative fire fighting
equipment of the camp was
virtually useless.
The alarm was given by Jack
McLeod, who observed the
outbreak of flames from a win
dow in the King Edward Ho
tel, on the north side of the
street. About the same time
Jahes McAleenan, proprietor
of the Stewart Hotel, and Mrs.
McAleenan, who were the only
occupants of that building,
were awakened by the smoke
penetrating their bedroom on
the second floor. Hastening
to escape from the burning
structure, they found the stair
way blocked by smoke and
flame but saved their lives by
jumping to the street from a
second story window. Mrs.
McAleenan was uninjured by
the 20-foot fall but her hus
band sustained two fractured
ribs and a number of bruises.
Owing to the early hour prac
JOHN W. TROY FAVORED
FOR ALASKA GOVERNOR
John W. Troy, veteran Alas
ka newspaper man and pub
lisher of the Juneau Empire, is
receiving wide endorsement
among-the Alaska Democrats
for governor of Alaska under
the coming Democratic admin
istration of national affairs.
Mr. Troy, whose abilities
and long service in behalf of
Alaska make him especially
well qualified for the position,
has signified his willingness to
accept the honor, although
stating that he is in no degree
seeking the governorship.
tically no one was abroad and
the flames had gained uncon
trollable headway before a suf
ficient number had arrived to
effectively combat the blaze.
Realizing that the burning
structures in the block could
not be saved, the residents de
voted themselves to saving the
liquor store, the John Camp
bell dairy barn, located near
the rear of the burning struct
ures, and the buildings across
the street. By this time the
latter were being subjected to
such intense heat that the win
dows were being broken and
paint work scorched. In the
effort to save the liquor store
the Scott market was torn
down by the use of dynamite
and water was thrown on the
King Edward Hotel and ad
jecent structures across the
street. A crowd of fire fight
ers also battled heroically and
successfully to save the Camp
bell barn.
The fire continued to burn
fiercely until about 6 a. m.
when it subsided for lack of
further material to feed upon.
Except for a portion of the
front framework of the Bee
; man block, occupied by the
j Campbell and Duke store,
| 'he drug store and Accadia
Rooms, every building in the
j block west of the liquor store
| was obliterated and vix-tually
nothing was saved from any of
! the burned structures.
Definite statements regard
' ing individual losses could not
be obtained, but it is reliably
stated that they will range
from about $2,000 to upward
of $13,000. Campbell and
Duke are the heaviest losers,
their loss approximating $13,
000. As but little insurance
was carried by any of the es
tablishments, the destruction
| is said to represent virtually a
[ total loss to those concerned.
For this reason, and also be
! cause of unfavorable business
[conditions, an early resumpt
1 ion of business by more than
! one or two of the fire victims is
i considered unlikely. Up to the
! present the Scott market is the
! only one to resume.
PARKS URGES WORK
FOR UNEMPLOYED
Relief of unemployment in
Alaska by construction of the
rivers and harbors projects
which have been recommended
to Congress and the repair of
existing projects were recom
mended by Governor George
A. Parks in his annual report
to the Secretary of the Interior,
made public a few days ago.
Included among the various
projects mentioned by the gov
ernor as possible sources for
unemployment relief work i?
the improvement of Salmon
River at Hyder, recommended
by the war department engin
eers last year.
Construction work on these
projects would, he says, em
ploy many men and be of ines
timable value to the Territory.
Declaring that Alaska, for
the first time since the begin
ning of the depression, is seri
ously feeling its effects, the re
port states-that care of the un
employed will ’‘present a seri
ous problem during the com
ing winter.”
The governor also takes ex
ception to the action of Cong
ress in limiting Forest High
way funds and points out that
Alaska was deprived of a just
share in the general forest
highway fund for the present
fiscal year; Congress having
limited the regular allotment
called for in the Act of Novem
ber 9, 1921, $934,000, to $350,
000.
The national forests of Alas
ka contain the most densely
populated sections of the Terri
tory, the report says, and with
in these areas the unemploy
ment situation is most acute.
There are within these forests
many road projects that have
been recommended by the lo
cal authorities. Construction
work should be undertaken on
these projects this season, the
report continues, and all of
them can be completed with
the funds that will be available
if Alaska is given its share of
the appropriations as appor
tioned by the act of Congress.
In addition to numerous other
public improvements, including
public buildings at Anchorage
and Ketchikan, the report also
recommends construction of
additional schools and hospit
als for the natives; a stabilized
road building program that
will assure definite appropri
ations for 10 years; consolidat
ion of law enforcement agen
cies and increased allotments
for relief of destitution among
the natives
PREMIER TO PAY
USUAL DIVIDEND
The Premier Gold Mining
Company will pay the usual
dividend of three cents per
share on its $5,000,000 capital
ization for the fourth quarter
of 1932, it was announced last
week in the south.
The disbursement will be
made on January 4 to share
holders of record December 15
and will total around $150,000.
The payment will bring the to
tal of dividends paid to share
holders for the current year to
$600,000 and the grand total
of all dividends accruing from
operation of the Premier mine
to $15,549,603.
-o-■
RED CROSS SENDS
NEW FLOUR SUPPLY
An allotment of two tons of
flour for unemployment relief
has been received from the
American Red Cross through
the Ketchikan chapter and is
ready for distribution to those
who may need it to supplement
larder deficiencies.
The allotment is the second
made to this district by the Red
Cross, a consignment of one
half ton having been received
several months ago. The new
supply is believed to be suffic
ient to meet local demands
throughout the winter period.
A quantity of men’s clothing
has also been received from
the same source and will be
available Monday.
Distribution of both the flour
and clothing will be handled
by the Chamber of Commerce
relief committee and applicat
ions will be received at the U.
S. Commissioner’s office.
PREMIER TO RENEW
CRE TRAMWAY CABLE
Vancouver newspapers re
port that the Premier Gold
Mining Company has placed an
order for 23 miles of new tract
ion cable which will be used to
replace the one now in use on
the company’s ll'/a mile ore
tramway extending between
the Premier mine and the
I Premier ore dock in Hyder, B.
C. The present traction cable
has been in service since the
tram was constructed in 1921.
The tram is credited with be
ing the longest single unit tram
in the world and has handled
the entire mineral output of
the famous mine since the be
ginning of production.
Despite frequent intimations
that the Premier is virtually de
pleted, the installation of a
new cable at heavy cost indi
cates that the mine still poss
esses large production potenti
alities In addition it also sug
gests a possibility that the long
| expected taking over of the B
i C. Silver by Premier is aboul
I to eventuate.
GEORGIA RIVER GOLD
SUSPENDS FOR WINTER
Development work on the
Georgia River properties of the
Georgia River Gold Mines,
Ltd., was closed down last
week for the winter period.
The shut-down is said to be
due to the company not having
had sufficient time to prepare
for continued winter work
since the recent strike of gold
ore averaging $35 per ton was
made in the No. 4 tunnel at a
depth of about 400 feet.
It is understod that work is
| to be resumed early next
spring on a scale planned to
bring the property into pro
duction as soon as possible.
The spring program is said to
include plans for running a
new tunnel which will give an
additional 170 feet of depth on
the ore bodies.
-o
GOOD RETURNS FROM
BEN ALI OPERATION
Smelter returns of 1.93 ounc
es of gold and 30 ounces of sil
ver per ton were received by
Messrs C. G. Jackson and Pete
Svedborg from their first ship
ment of 6 tons of ore from the
1 gold veins of the Ben Ali claim
of the Dunwell group, on
which they have a lease. The
two men are doing their own
work.
The excellent returns are a
further demonstration of the
feasibility of small scale oper
ations in this district where
conditions are favorable and
with other successful operat
ions of similar character should
induce others to undertake
small scale development of the
many high grade ore expos
ures in the district.
-o
HEAVY JUDGEMENT
AGAINST WORKMAN
Jdugement in favor of the
shareholders and against E. R.
Workman for sums aggregat
ing around $29,787 was given
by the supreme court of British
Columbia in the action brought
by Ernest Love, J. P. Hawkin
son, Andy Archie and J. H.
Nesbitt, of Stewart, and other
shareholders, for the winding
up of the affairs of the Inter
national Electric Company,
former operator of the local
power and light system, of
which Workman was founder
and manager.
Inability of the shareholders
to obtain a satisfactory settle
ment with Workman formed
the basis of the suit.
Workman’s administration
and also his statements as a
witness were severely criticis
ed by the court in rendering
judgement.