HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY PACIF1C-YUKON-ALASKA HIGHWAY
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
V
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
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VOLUME 9, NUMBER 37.
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1933.
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SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
GOVT. WORK CAMP
TO START HERE SOON
A government emergency
employment work camp auth
orized to employ 15 men will
be started in Hyder in about
ten days, it was made known
Thursday afternoon, following
the arrival of Forest Supervis
or W. J. McDonald of the U. S.
Forest Service.
Mr. McDonald came over
from Ketchikan on the forest
service gas boat Ranger and
was accompanied by Mrs. Mc
Donald and Mrs. C. M. Arch
bold.
Outlining the emergency con
struction plans, Mr. McDonald
said the forestry officials had
decided upon an extension of
the present cemetery road te
the Moose Park as the most
practical of the local projects
and will be the first object
ive of the work to be done in
this district. Work is expected
to continue until about Octob
er 15. The Moot-e Park con
struction will provide direct ac
cess to the park by automobile
and will include ample parking
space at the park.
Although the camp will be
started with 15 men, if there is
additional demand for employ
ment the number employed
may be increased to 20.
Mr. McDonald said none but
United States citizens can be
employed, although the pres
ence here of ten or more old
time and highly deserving
Alaskan residents who are not
citizens and can obtain no oth
er employment makes this de
cision deeply regrettable. A
provision to this effect is a part
of the law authorizing the
work and cannot be disregard
ed by the officials in charge
except upon special authority,
although it might be much
against their personal inclinat
ions, Mr. McDonald said.
In this connection it may be
stated here that the Hyder
Chamber of Commerce has
telegraphed to Governor Troy
asking him to secure a modifi
cation of this provision, which,
in the absence of all other em
ployment, virtually forces these
non-citizens into complete indi
gency and necessitates their
support through governmental
agencies.
All men employed must un
dergo a medical examination
to determine their physical fit
ness for hard labor. The ex
aminations will be made by Dr.
R. V. Ellis, government physic
ian at Ketchikan, who will
come over by airplane for that
purpose. As previously report
ed in these columns, those em
ployed will receive $30 pei
month in wages, in addition tc
board, lodging, clothing and
Alexander Nomination
Opposed By Dimond
Reports from Washington
disclose not only an error in
earlier reports stating that the
nomination >o(f George F. Alex
ander as district judge of the
First Judicial Division had
been confirmed but also thai
his appointment was being op
posed by Alaska Delegate Di
mond and several senators on
the committee to which the
nomination was referred. The
nomination is now said to- be
still awaiting action by the
committee. The Juneau Bar
Association is also reported to
have protested against the
.nomination on the ground that
the nominee is not an Alaskan.
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Stewart To Celebrate July 1
Stewart citizens aer making
preparations to hold the ann
ual Dominion Day celebration
on July 1 and figure on having
a rousing time in spite of the
depression. Details of their con
templations are not yet avail
able ibut will probably follow
the usual pattern.
So far there have been no
steps taken in Hyder fcr the
observance of Independence
I Day, July 4th, but will probab
| ly be undertaken during the
j coming week.
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Still Wintry on Texas Creek
Frank Blasher made a trip to
his cabin at the head of Texas
Creek Wednesday and found
the snow still about two feet
deep in that section. The dist
rict looked decidedly wintry
and he believes it will be at
least three weeks before the
valley is clear of snow.
Mr. Blasher found the road
in fair shape except for a few
small slides and one big land
slide at Suicide Point.
I necessary medical care. The
woiking schedule calls for an
j 3-hour day and a five day
week. Persons enlisting will
required to work 15 days to
cover cost of clothing equip
ment, after which they may
leave at any time desired. Em
ployees must live at the camp
and will not be permitted to
leave except on permission oif
the official in charge.
The camp will be established
in the Hewitt residence near
the cemetery and Gust John
son will be in charge of the
culinary department.
On completing the necessary
enrollment, Mr. McDonald will
return to Ketchikan for the
required working equipmenl
and work will be started as
soon thereafter as possible.
Anthony J. Dimond
Who is making a splendid
record as Alaska’s new Dele
gate to Congress.
SAYS BIG MISSOURI TO
RESUME DEVELOPMENT
The Buena Vista Mining
Company, is preparing to send
equipment to continue explor
ation and development on its
;Big Missouri property, accord
ing to an announcement made
in the June 6 ii$sue of Mining
Truth.
What the extent of the pro
posed development will be was
not indicated.
Reports last fall indicated an
intention on the part of the
company to start the opening
up of a new and lower level
when conditions were favor
able.
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Huge Public Works Bill
Passed By Congress
President Roosevelt’s public
works bill, carring the huge
sum of $3,600,000,000 to carry
on the administration emergen
cy reconstruction program,
was passed by Congress late
last week. The measure is one
of especial interest to Hyder
people owing to the probability
that a portion of the great ap
proriation will be allotted to
the local flood control project
and provide a large amount of
work for local labor.
The act carries an appropri
ation of $3,300,000,000 for
public works projects, of which
$50,000,000 will go to the Mus
cle Shoals development.
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Meger Party Returns
Paul Meger and Charles
Beale, who spent the past year
prospecting in the upper Bell
Irving River district, about 90
miles north of Stewart, re
turned to town this week for a
vacation from their labors.
They plan to return to the same
locality later in the season.
Control of Fisheries By
Territory Endorsed
Resolutions passed this week
by the Hyder Chamber of Com
merce endorsing the Dimond
bill providing for the transfer
of the Alaska fisheries from
the Department of Commerce
to the Territory of Alaska were
forwarded this week to Dele
gate Dimond, Governor Troy
and the Chambers of Comm
erce of Juneau and Ketchikan.
While Hyder has no direct
interest in the fisheries, the
view is held that passage of
the bill will be a long step to
ward self-government for Alas
ka as well as of financial ben
efit to the Territory. The text
of the resolution will be pre
sented next week.
No Farm Loan Bank For
Alaska Contemplated
The establishment of a fed
eral land branch bank in Alas
ka would be impracticable, ac
cording to information given to
Delegate Dimond 'by the farm
loan bureau.
The fact that in October, 19
29, there were only 500 farms,
comprising 525,942 acres, of
which only 8,825 acres were
improved, was cited by the
board as one important reas
on against establishment of a
branch in Alaska. The board
also pointed out that the total
value of all farm lands and
buildings was $2,857,185, of
which amount $1,205,643 rep
resented the value of the
buildings. As loans could in
no case exceed 50 per cent ol
the appraised value of the
land there would not be suff
icient business to warrant such
an establishment.
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“Silver”
Uuder the above caption
William A. Hesse, Territorial
Highway Engineer, has issued
a six-page booklet in which he
presents some highly interest
ing and pertinent facts on the
subject of bimetallism, an init
ial installment of which will be
found on page 3 of this issue of
the Hyder Herald.
Mr. Hesse is probably the
best informed person in Alaska
on the silver question and bi
metallism and handles his sub
ject in entertaining and con
vincing manner.
In presenting his thesis the
Herald believes it will be read
with extreme interest by every
| one in the camp, to which the
silver remonetization question
! is a vital issue. The install
! ments will continue through
(several issues.
PROSPECTORS RETURN
FROM WHITE RIVER
S. P. Fitzgerald, well known
mining man, who left here
April 6 with his brother Jack
Fitzgerald and Harry Hills to
prospect the placer gold de
posits of the White River dist
rict, northeast of Stewart, re
turned this week after an ex
ceedingly difficult trip. Each
member of the party bore on
his person visible evidences of
the severe hardships encount
ed in what is described
as a most isolated and inhos
pitable region.
According to Mr. H. P. Fitz
gerald there is an abundance
of gold in the district but for
the most part is very fine and
difficult to recover. No con
centration was found, the gold
being distributed through the
gravel from grass roots down
and bedroek could not be
reached except at points on
the rim-rocks above the water
level. As the object of the
trip was to prospect no efforts
at actual mining were attemp
ed. In sampling the ground
the party employed a newly
developed type of hand concen
trator. This device is intended
principally for use in ground
where water is not plentiful
but was found somewhat in
efficient owing to the heavy
glacial silt found in the district
clogging up the fine screen
equipment.
Although the results encount
ered were not as good as antic
ipated, Mr. Fitzgerald ex
pressed the view that with ad
equate mining equipment the
ground can be made to pay by
hydraulic methods. Gold was
found almost everywhere in the
gravels and there are strong
possibilities of concentrated
gold deposits in the stream
beds. The transportation dif
ficulties are a problem, how
over, and the airplane seems to
offer the only practicable
means for getting in supplies
and equipment, as road con
struction would be too costly
to be attempted in the absence
of ibonanza diggings.
The country is desolate and
dreary and there is virtually
no game to be haa. Two porcu
pines, a bear or two and one
small band of ptarmigan were
all the wild life encountered
during the entire two months
of the trip. The district ad
joins the east slope of the lofty
mountain range extending
along the easterly side of the
Bear River valley and is about
40 miles from Stewart in an air
line.
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Hubert Thomas and family
are preparing to take up resi
dence in the Backus cottage
during the summer season.