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PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
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VOL 6, NO. 29
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, APRIL 26,1930.
PRICE TEN CENTS
SUES PRFMIER MINE
HNS LONG LIEEAHEflD
Commenting on the recent
annual report of the Premier
Gold Mining Company, a writ
er in the April 1st Market Let
ter of Wolverton & Company,
Ltd., points out that a close an
alysis of the official statements
of the company for the past
four years indicates a decided
ly different outlook for the
famous Premier mine than is
presented in the company re
ports, which of late have dis
played a peculiarly depressing
tone with respect to the mine’s
future outlook. His deduct
ions, printed below, are decid
edly interesting. He says:
“Students who have followed
the history of this great proper
ty, which has paid dividends
in the past 10i/j years (includ
ing April 1st, 1930) amounting
to $14,565,000, appreciate the
ultra-conservative nature of all
Premier reports and compli
ment the management on their
conservative policy. At the
same time, many casual read
ers of the current reports have
not followed former reports
carefully, and this remark ap
plies particularly to newspap
er editors. Therefore, while not
in any way criticizing tiie cur
rent report, we propose to ana
lyze some of the figures dis
closed. In order to accomplish
such analysis intelligently, we
have the past four years’ re
ports before us.
“On December 31, 1927, brok
en and unbroken ore reserves
were shown as 634,537 tons;
275,811 tons were mined in 19
28 (which would leave 358,
726), but we find that on Dec.
31, 1928, broken and unbroken
reserves totaling 456,203 tons
indicating that new ore devel
oped during 1928 approximat
ed 98,000 tons, and that net re
duction of reserves amounted
to 160,000 tons. No very point
ed notice was taken of this
statement by statisticans and
the public.
“On Dec. 31,1928, carrying
forward the 456,000 tons of
ore reserves and mining during
ing 1929 267,000 tons, there
should be only 190,000 tons
left. But at the end of 1929 we
find 419,000 ton* ore reserves,
indicating only a net reduction
of some 37,000 tons, or one
quarter of the •net reduction
rhcwn in 1928. Moreover,
while newspaper editors have
inferred from the current re
port that the above mentioned
419,000 tons would be entirely
depleted and the mine worked
out in less than two years—on
an annual production of 267,
000 tons- an analysis of the sit
uation, based on that same re
port (a net depreciation of 37,
000 tons from the 1928 fig
ures) would indicate a prob
able life of at least 11 Vi years.
“Very little is said about new
ore on the No. 6 level. Howev
er, private advices from the
mine indicate that a very im
portant ore body carrying val
ues over $20 per ton, has been
uncovered.
“Fixed assets-property, build
ings and equipment-are now
valued at $3,048,000, but not
so long ago were valued at ov
er $14,000,000. The difference
Continued on Page Two
PRIMARY ELECTION IS
SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY
The biennial primary election
will take plach Tuesday for the
nomination of party candidates
1 for all the various elective of
fices of the Territory at the
regular election in November.
The election is expected to de
velop into one of the most
closely contested primaries of
! years, owing to the diversity of
| interest's represented by vari
| ous candidates who will sub
! mit their names to the voters
Practically all of the numerc^s
“interests” which are alleged
to exert such profound influ
ence in territorial politics—
and also allegedly on the poli
ticians,—are represented in
the roster of office seekers
presented below.
Take your choice, ladies and
gentlemen; they are all there;
the old-timers and the tyro’s,
j the “professionals” and the
i “plain citizens,” all with a glad i
| smile on their countenance.1
i Many of the faces are very fa
I miliar as a result of various
: earlier appearances in the
j same role and some have never
before been thrust above the
horizon of political hopes,
j Some are labeled democrats
| and some republicans but the
i labels don’t mean much, for
! some of them have worn both
! of them "at times in the past.
And they are all deeply intent
on serving the “deer peepul.”
In that respect they are all just
alike. So take your choice,
good folks, and may the gods
of things as they ought to be
help you to make a wise choice, j
; The polling place will be i
j Chamber of Commerce Hall
j and the polls will be open from ;
I 8 a. m. to 7 p. m. The judges!
! and clerks of election will be j
B. B. Smith, Thomas Kelly and .
Noel M. Traversy.
Delegate to Congress
John Rustgard,
James Wickersham,
Geo. B. Grigsby,
Rep.
Deni.
For Treasurer
Frank L. Knight,
Rep.
W. G. Smith,
Richard E. Hardcastle, Dem. |
Highway Engineer.
Wm. A. Hesse, Dem.
Robt. J. Sommers,
Joseph Ulmer, Rep.
.. Commissioner of Education
L. W. Breuer, Rep.
W. K. Keller,
A. E. Karnes, Dem.
FIRST DIVISION
For Senator
(Vote for One)
C. T. Gardner, Rep.
Allen Shattuck, Dem.
Will. A. Steel, Rep.
Territorial Representative
(Vote, for Four)
Frank A. Boyle, Dem.
Patrick Gildea, Rep.
J. E. Johnson, Rep.
Thos. B. Judson, Dem.
; Roy Noland, Rep.
I Wm. L. Paul,
E. L. Sampson, Dem.
Walter P. Scott, Rep.
| Peter Sommer,
Eugene Wacker,
Albert Wile, Dem.
Grover C. Winn, Rep.
A. H. Zeigler, Dem.
Divisional Road Commissioners
P. F. Gilmore, Rep.
For Auditor
Cash Cole,
Thomas Gaffney,
Elmer Reed,
Rep. ,
Dem.:
Rep.
NEWSY JOTTINGS
BEARING ON LOCAL
MINING ACMES
Although official confirm
ation is lacking, it is now fairly
well established that the Pre
mier Gold Mining Company is
making preparations for the
construction of a milling plant
on Marmot River to handle the
lower grade ores of the Porter
Idaho and Prosperity proper-1
ties, and possibly those of the j
Silverado.
The company has been en- i
gaged for some time in clearing !
a large plot of ground near the j
tram terminal at the mouth of
Marmot River for use as a
dumping ground for milling
grade ores which will be taken j
from the company properties:
on Mt. Rainey prior to the mill'
construction. It is understood i
that the projected mill will I
have a daily capacity of 100 j
tons or over and that construct
ion will be started during the |
present season.
An Outside exchange reports j
that Conrad Wolfle, managing!
director of the Cantu Mining |
company, has gone to New j
York in connection with the fi-1
nancing of the company oper
ations.
A Vancouver press dispatch |
this week reports that a 1
group of Vancouver business:
men headed by Hugh McGuire
& Co., has taken over the bal
ance of stock in the treasury of
the Woodbine Gold Mining Co.
and will undertake an active
development program on the
Woodbine property. Work is
scheduled to commence about
the last of May.
SOMMERS’ RIVER
DIVERSION PLAN
IS WORKING FINE
.
For the first time in the hist- j
ory of the camp, Hyder is fac- j
ing the spring rush of water ;
down the turbulent Salmon ,
River without apprehension of
a possibly disastrous flood,
thanks to the splendid plan of
diversion worked out last year
by Robert J. Sommers, Terri
torial Highway Engineer, for
which appropriation was made
by the last territorial legislat
ure.
Those acquainted with condit
ions say the gradually increas
ing flow of water from the
melting snow' is^ working out
through the new channel in
excellent manner and there ap
pears at present no prospect of
a recurrence of the dangerous
flood conditions formerly de-1
veloping almost every spring.
For the removal of the flood
danger, as well as the ever
present apprehension over the
river’s vagaries, the camp as
suredly owes Mr. Sommers and
the last legislature a debt of
deepest gratitude.
The Hyder Drug Co. prohibit
ion poll will close Monday ev
ening at 10 p. m.. All who have
not voted are requested to do
so before that time.
An annular eclipse of the sun
will occur Monday and will
; probably be visible in this lat
' itude as a partial eclips?.
IMPROVED FEDERAL
ADMINISTRATION IN
. ALASKA PLANNEE
Secretary Wilbur announced
lecently that President Hoover
has formed the three commiss
ioners for Alaska appointed
under the Act of February 10,
1927, into a committee to rec
ommend steps for improving
governmental administration
in Alaska. The first meeting
of the committee will be held
in Juneau during the present
(month, to begin study of the
administrative problems pre
senting themselves in the far
north.
The commissioners represent
departments of the federal
government in Washington,
and each has charge of import
ant elements of administration
in Alaska. They are George A.
Parks, governor of Alaska,
representing the department of
the interior; Dennis Winn, rep
resentative of the department
of Commerce, having charge of
fishing problems in Alaska;
and Charles H. Flory, repre
senting the department of agri
culture, and having charge of
farm, stock and forestry prob
lems in the Territory.
The purpose of the committee
is t o determine b y study
whether recommendations can
be made leading to the placing
of more authority for the con
trol of Alaska in that territory
rather than in Washington, and
thus increasing the opportun
ity for the economic and com
.mercial development of the
territory. The action is in har
mony with the recent act of the
department of the interior in
transferring responsibility for
the reindeer herds of Alaska
from tfie bureau of education
in Washington to the governor
of Alaska.
While the ex-officio com
missioners will have no author
ity for final action, their rec
ommendations to the president
will make it possible for him to
biing about needed coordinat
ion.
-o
HYDER FLOOD CONTROL
SURVEY RECOMMENDED
An appropriation of $800 for
a flood control survey of Sal
mon River to determine the ad
visability of constructing an
$80,000 levee to protect flyder,
is recommended in the Army
Engineer’s report, recently sub
mitted to the House of Repre
sentatives by Secretary Of War
Davidson, according to a
Washington dispatch.
-o
The annual Memorial Services
of the Moose lodge will be held
in Stewart tomorrow (Sunday)
evening, commencing at 7:30
p. m. An impressive program
of vocal and instrumental nunr
bers, addresses, and ritualistic
ceremorties will be presented.
The public is invited to attend.
-o
Lawrence Stupfel, R. E. Mc
Dowell and Ole. Twedt were
arrivals from Ketchikan on the
City of Anacortes this week.
BIG MISSOURI REPORT
DETAILS DEVELOPMENT
The annual report of manager
Duncan MacVichie of the Big
Missouri Mining company rel
ative to activities on the Big
Missouri property presents an
excellent word picture of the
development plan now in oper
ation on that noted property,
hut discloses no hint of the con
templations regarding com
‘ merical exploitation. It says:
l “In 1928 when the Buena
! Vista Mining Company, a sub
; sidiary of the Consolidated
Mining and Smelting Company,
, Ltd., of Canada, assumed the
; management of the Big Miss
| ouri Mine, a comprehensive
| plan of development of the
property undertaken. This plan
consisted of driving the Pro\->
\ ince crosscut tunnel north 57
deg. west. During 1927, 1928
and 1929 this tunnel has been
driven a total of 2691 feet.
From the crosscut tunnel two
north-south drifts have been
i driven. The first or east drift
was started 1700 feet westerly
from the portal of the tunnel,
and diiven north-south a total
distance of 1040 feet; and ap
proximately 900 feet beyond
this first or east drift, another
drift has been driven north
south for a total distance of ap
- • a „ 1 __ 1 nrrn r* o _
poses of this report called the
west drift. The plan being to
lay out the work geometrically
and diamond drill the area be
tween these two drifts, cross
cutting the ore bearing format
ion, and also to drill east of the
east drift and west of the west
drift.
Only a small portion of the ar
ea opened bv the north-south
drifts has been covered as yet
by drilling, and the location of
the holes has been made more
or less at random. So far the
ore occurs in irregular chan
nels or belts of quartz porphy
ry alternating with belts of
tuffs. The general strike of the
quartz porphyry is north
south. When this program of
drilling is completed it will be
possible to estimate ore re
serves with some degree of ac
curacy.
-o
The Stewart News reports
that F. C. Outland, prominent
local mining man, has donated
i 200 shares in the Outland Sil
ver Bar Mines, Ltdr, in a praise
! worthy effort to help the hos
: pital. The shares will be raffled
I at the next drive for funds for
the hospital.
I The Prince Rupert News re
I ports the deaths of Mrs. George
j Hogan ,of Stewart, in Rrince
; Rupert General hospital last
Saturday. Mrs. Hogan had
been ill less than one week. De
; ceased was aged 25 years and
is survived by her husband and
a small daughter/
-o
An official announcement by
i P. S. Jack, secretary of the
•Portland Canal Moose lodge,
places the totaLamount raised
by the benefit dance on April
4th in aid of the hospital at
$244. This represents the to
tal proceeds of the entertain
, ment, &s all expenses were do
! nated.
>
i
SILVER MOVEMENT
MAKES PROGRESS
j Suggestions for improving the
I silver situation are becoming
I increasingly numerous in silver
j mining circles and there ap
pears every prospect for the
view that methods will soon be
devised for relieving the pres
ent unsatisfactory conditions.
Suggestions for the relief of
silver offered at a meeting of
the Northwest Mining Associ
ation early this month included
I proposals for a silver export
j organization and the possibil
j ty of United States silver pro
i ducers advancing enough sil
) ver to China to stabilize the
! currency of that country, one
of the world’s greatest users of
silver. It was also announced
at the meeting that Monty
Ferry, president of the Silver
Producers Association of the
! United States ,had gone to New
York to confer with C. F. Kel
ley, of the Anaconda Copper
Company; F. H. Brownell,
president of the American
Smelting and Refining comp
any, and Mr. Robertson, of the
United States Refining and
Mining company, relative to
the silver situation.
-o
1929 FUR EXPORTS OF
ALASKA 41/2 MILLION
Skins of 297,448 fur-bearing
land animals valued at $4,513,
863.76 were exported from
Alaska in 1928, according to a
report from the Alaska Game
Commission to the Biological
Survey bureau of the depart
ment of agriculture. This is
$215,226.63 more than the val
ue represented by the 1928 fur
exports, although 38,629 fewer
furs were exported. The larger
return for 1929 resulted from
increased market value of the
individual furs.
Red fox skins, to the number
of 21,023 brought a return of
$1,042,740.80; blue-fox skins,
7,976, brought $808,208.08;
white-fox skins, 12,179 in num
b e r, brought $733,784,75;
mink, 26,695, brought $552,
586.50; and lynx, 7,575,
brought $462,832.50. The
number o f muskrat skins
shipped in 1929 exceeded by
far those of other species. A to
tal of 190,377 muskrat skins
brought a return of $194,184.
54. Only 1.547 beaver skins
were exported during 1929 be
cause there was no open seas
on on beavers. The kinds of
skins of wrhich there was a not
able increase in number export
ed during 1928 over the num
ber for 1928 were as follows:
Red-fox, 5,884 increase; white
fox, 7,646; lynx, 2,598; mink
5,658; and weasel (ermine),
7,214. Skins of other species
showed somewhat of a de
crease. The report also notes
that more than 34,000 seal
skins were taken on the Prib
lof Islands under the supervis
ion of the department of com
merce, and netted a gross re
turn of $721,000 to the United
States as its part of the pro
ceeds.
-o
Mrs. Dale L. Pitt and son re
turned from the south Sunday.