- ^
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
>• -*
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
f
*•
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOL 6, NO. 52
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4,1930.
PRICE TEN CENTS
FINAL DAVIS RIVER
POWER SURVEY SHOWS
FAR GREATER POWER
The power development poss
ibilities of the Portland Canal
Power Company’s Davis River
project are far greater than in
dicated by the preliminary sur
veys and more than double the
amount of hydro-electric horse
power originally estimated can
be produced, according to Mr.
Willis T. Batcheller, president
of the company.
In a statement to the Herald
this week, Mr. Batcheller said
that this interesting and grati
fying fact has been decisively
revealed in figures obtained in
the final survey of the project
now in progress on Davis Riv
er under the direction of Mr.
Edwin R. Wright, who is being
assisted by nearly a score of
engineers and technicians.
Among the several import- \
ant revelations resulting from i
the present survey is that the
preliminary estimates of the i
flow of water in Davis River I
have been found to have been
very conservative. Not only is
the flow twice the amount
originally figured, but it ha^
also been found that the water
storage possibilities are far in
excess of the original esti
mates. Still further augmenting
the power development possi
bilities of the project,the sur
vey has determined that the
amount of fall between the
dam site and tidewater, where
the power house will be locat
ed, a distance of about 1200
feet, is 160 feet, instead of the
110 feet indicated by the earli
er estimates.
Relative to the increased
storage findings, Mr. Batched
er explained that it has been
found that the valley basin in
which the water will be im
impounded possesses much
greater area than general in
spection would indicate, owing
to peculiarities of contour.
According to the present sur
vey the reservoir space will be
six miles long instead of three
miles, as originally estimated.
This means an increase of ap
proximately five times the es
timated number of acre feet of
storage and provides certain
assurance of an ample water
supply under all conditions.
Another discovery of great
importance with respect to
future power increases is that
the survey has disclosed that
the walls of the box canyon in
which the dam will be con
structed are nearly vertical to
a great height, which will en
able the company to raise the
dam to much greater height
than previously estimated.
-O
Walker Haven, representa
tive of the San Francisco part
ies associated with the Thorn
ton interests in the develop
ment of the Marietta group on
Texas Creek, left Saturday
night for the south after a
short visit.
-0
Holger Johnson, manager of
the Hyder Dock Company, Inc.
left Thursday for Seattle,
where he will join his wife and
family, who have been visiting
in the States, and will accomp
any them home.
B. C. Silver Mill Talk Revived
By Water Application
A water diversion notice pub
lished by the B. C. Silver Mines,
Ltd., in the Stewart News has
! revived recent rumors that the
I company is contemplating ear
ly construction of a concentrat
ing plant on its property north
of the Premier.
The notice referred to an
nounces the intention of the
company to apply for license
to take and use 300 gallons of
water per minute out of Camp
Creek, a tributary of Cascade
Creek. The water is to be used
for mining purposes upon the
Oakville No. 2 Fraction, on the
extreme western border of the
B. C. Silver property
It is the general view in well
informed mining circles that
mill construction by the Seluk
we company will not be long
delayed. Late reports from
London also indicate that mill
construction is under discuss
ion in Selukwe circles but
whether for the immediate fut
ure or not is uncertain.
So far as can be learned the
long continued negotiations
with Premier have come to a
complete standstill. The latter
concern has offered to take
j over the B. C. Silver but wide
) divergence in the estimates of
i the B. C. Silver and Premier
engineers regarding the value
of the developed ore bodies ap
pears to have prevented a deal.
Premier has also offered to
mill B. C. Silver ore on a ton
1 nage basis, and also has of
j feted to sell to Selukwe its 38
per cent interest in B. C. Sil
| ver, neither offer being accept
ed. This also suggests that Sel
[ ukwe has decided to hoe its
I own row in future develop
! ment.
rnent of the property, which is
unquestionably one of large
potentialities.
-o
Heavy Rains Cause
Near Flood Conditions
Extraordinary heavy rainfall
Thursday and Friday resulted
in near-flood conditions in Hy
der.and along the Salmon Riv
er highway at Nine-Mile. The
maximum high water stage was
reached Friday night, at which
time the river was threatening
to overleap its banks on the
west border of the camp and
water was running through
the dry-wash near the Hyder
Machine Shop. The Salmon
River highway near Nine-Mile
was also reported inundated at
the same time.
A dangerous flood appeared
! imminent and probably would
i have developed but for the
drainage channel provided by
the Territorial government two
1 years ago. This performed its!
i function in excellent manner
! by taking care of a large port
ion of the torrent of water
' rushing down Salmon River.
The danger passed, however,
' and no material damage was
reported.
-o
Charles Ebbing, who has'
i been connected with the Seims
Spokane Co. on the Texas
Cerek road work since last
spring, left Wednesday en
route to the Wasilla section in
i the Third Division, where he
I will be employed on another
i government road operation.
i
SENATOR KING URGES
WORLD SILVER RATIO
North American exports to
the Orient would attain a val
ue of several billion dollar?
yearly through an internation
al agreement to rehabilitate
the silver market by fixing an
international ratio of 15 or 10
to one, according to Senator
King of Utah,
Senator King, as reported in
a Washington press dispatch,
said: “ There is no reason,
after internal affhirs in China
are settled, why our trade with
the Chinese should not reach
several billion dollars yearly.” i
Dscussing a proposal hereto-1
fore advanced that several of1
the world powers advance
China a loan of 500,000,000
ounces of silver in an effort to
build up China’s credit and at
the same time afford a new
outlet for the world oversupply
of silver, Senator King said i
that “of cours*e, anything that
would tend to rehabilitate sil- \
ver would increase the purch
asing power of the Orient.” but
that he believed it would be
much better to make it a world
anair ratner tnan to segregate
it among a few of the more
powerful nations.
“I would prefer an internat
ional agreement,” he said, “but
undoubtedly, if, for example,
the United States, Great Brit
ain and France should try such j
a plan, it would do much in the j
restoration of China’s ere lit,
and afford an increased mark
et in the East.”
-o
Premier Takes Over
The Planet Mines
Negotiations which have
been proceeding for some time
for the sale of the Planet Mines
at Stump Lake, Nicola, to the
Premier Gold Mining Co., will
probably be concluded at a
meeting of Planet Mines and
Reduction Co. on October 8 in
Vancouver, according to West
ern Canada Mining News.
According to that journal,
Premier obtained an option on j
the Planet from Mr. Peter Ban-1
croft, president of the Planet
company, on September 15.
The deal also included an ad
joining property known as the
Donohoe, owned by Mr. Ban
croft. Under the terms of the ,
30-day option, Premier is to
pay the Planet people $100,
000 and undertake new devel
opment. A new company is to
be formed in which the Pre
mier is to receive 2,6000,000
of 5,000,000 shares of the cap- j
ital stock.
The Planet is a free milling j
gold property and has operat
ed profitably for some time,
employing a concentrator. The
company started shipping con
centrates to Trail in December
1929. Up to July 1 this year
gross smelter returns were
$80,728, made up of gold, $45,
173.62; silver, $20,989.46;!
lead, $11,250.60; copper, $3,
314.51.
-o
Mrs. Alfred Sobieralski and
family left Thursday for the
south after spending the sum
mer with her sister, Mrs. Wn.
Gray.
(
REPEAL OF PLACER
LAW IS URGED
Repeal of the existing placer
mining law in Alaska and the
; extension of the general placer
laws of the United States to the
Territory is the object of a
movement launched recently
in Fairbanks by the Fairbanks
; News-Miner.
In explanation of its position
the Fairbanks journal raises
the contention that the present
law is detrimental to develop
ment of Alaska’s placer resour
ces through limiting the size
and number of claims that may
be located by an individual,
that it requires a relatively far
greater expenditure for annual
assessment wark on large hold
ings or association claims than
is required by the federal law
in effect outside of Alaska, and
that such limitations and coats
tend to hinder and restrict both
prospector and miner in devel
oping the placer areas.
Until August 1, 1912, the act
of Congress of May 10, 1872,
the federal placer law, was in
force in the Territory as well
throughout the United States.
posits of public landsnte.aseF
Under this law citizens of the
United States and those who
have declared intention to be
come such may acquire in one
location 20 acres of placer land,
an association of two or more
persons, up to a total of eight,
may acquire in one location 20
acies for each member of the
association. Thus an associa
tion of two persons may locate
40 acres, three persons 60
acres and so on up to the limit
of eight persons, who may ac
quire 160 acres in a single joint
location. The law also requires
no more than $100 worth of an
nual labor yearly upon each lo
cation, whether the same em
braces 20 acres or 160 acres,
and the number of locations
that may be made by individu
als or associations is unlimited.
It is obvious that under this
law large tracts could be taken
up by a relatively few individ
uals and could be held with a
comparatively slight cost for
annual assesment work; only
$100 worth of work being re
quired on a location regardless
of the number of acres con
tained.
The law now in effect inAlas
ka, enacted in 1912, does not
permit an individual to locate
more than two claims for him
self and two for others under
power of attorney in any one
month in any one precinct in
the Territory. It also limits
the size of association placer
locations tff 40 acres and i-e
quires the performance of $100
worth of annual labor on each
20 acres or fraction thereof in
cluded in either individual or
association locations.
Thus the effect of this enact
ment is to prevent immediate
acquisition by a few individu
als of large tracts of placer
ground, and also necessitates i
the performance of a far great
er amount of assessment work
annually in order to hold lo
cations. The present law
was enacted in response to
a similar agitation, principally J
in the Second Division, against
the provisions of the federal j
Salmon River Highway
Improvement Work Starts
—
Work on the Salmon River
highway improvement project
started this week under the
personal direction of Mr. Cur
tis Gardner, of Johnson and
Gardner, Portland, Ore., road
builders, to whom was award
ed the local contract by the Bu
reau of Public Roads. Mr.
Gardner' arrived here last Sat
urday night and started camp
construction work near Nine
j Mile on Monday.
The project involves widen
ing, straightening and raising
the present roadway fron
Eight-Mile to Eleven-Mile tc
the same standard of width
and grade as the remainder o!
the fine government built
highway extending from Hy
der to the international bound
ary at Thirteen-Mile.
The Johnson and Gardner
equipment used in constructing
the second section of the Tex
as Creek highway is still here
and will be employed on the
company’s new contract. Ac
tivites will be started as soon
as the camp construction i
completed and is expected t< j
continue five or six weeks; o>
longer, if weather conditions
permit.
---u
Important Local Mining
Contest is Decided
A case of somewhat unusual
interest to the mining commun
ity was was decided recently
by the Supreme Court at Vic
toria. The action involved title
to the Lucky Jim property in
the American Creek section ot
the Bear River district through
the filing of an adverse claim
by Angus McLeod and other
locators of the American Creek
group of claims west of.Amer
ican Creek against the Lucky
Jim owners, Messrs E. P. Tolin
J. J. Haahti, H. D. Cameron
and Wm. Bosence.
The plaintiffs claimecf that
owing to the season of the
year, February, 1928, no bona
tide location could have been
made, it being contended that
it was impossible to leach the
ground during the winter.
The court decided that the
property had been properly
staked in accordance with the
Mining Act and dismissed the
action with costs.
-o
POT LUCK SOCIAL
Methodist Church, Wednes
day next, October 8; 8:00 P.
M. Supper served by the men.
As the men will wear aprons,
we do not expect the ladies to
be dolled up. Come and enjoy !
an old time get-together of l
men, women, and children. All
you are required to bring is an
appetite.
-o
A severe storm along the
coast caused a 30-hour delay in
the arrival of the Ketchikan
mail boat this week The ves-;
sel did not reach here until
Wednesday afternoon.
law, on the score that it permit
ted the taking up of large
tracts of land by a few people,
who could hold such lands in
definitely at very small cost for
assessment work. All of which,
it was claimed tended to tie up |
the country in the hands of a
few and discouraged prospect
ing and development.
[NEWSY JOTTINGS
BEARING ON LOCAL
MINING ACTIVITES
Unofficial reports from Pre
mier indicate that the Premier
Gold Mining Co. plans extens
ive development in a section of
the Premier group some dist
ance south of the main work
ings and in which consider
able diamond drilling is said to
have been done during the past
season. The area indicated in
dicated includes the Cascade
Falls No. 8, Pictou and Essing
on claims, which form a por
tion of the southern border of
the group. The projected de
velopment is said to include
the driving of a 700-foot raise,
presumably from the long
southerly drift known as 407
drift, which extends into the
Pictou and Cascade 8 claims.
It is reliably reported that
a group of prominent Tacoma
people have become interested
in the Hercules property, north
of and adjoining the Big Miss
ouri, and are planning to un
dertake its development. Mr.
Gallagher, a mining engineer,
who visited the district recent
ly, is said to have examined
i the property on behalf of the
Tacoma people during his stay.
The Hercules comprises five
crown granted c’aims and be
longs to Hercules Mines, Ltd.
The company is capitalized for
$1,000,000, divided into an
equal number of shares of $1
par value. Development work
in earlier years included 150
jfeet of tunnel and extensive
surface work. Values are in
gold, silver, lead, zinc and cop
per and are said to average
around $34 in all metals. As
high as $33.60 in gold across 3
feet is said to have been ob
tained. One vein averaging
about 10 feet in width has been
traced by open cuts for 400
feet.
-o
Halloween Dance
A dance for the benefit of
the Chamber of Commerce
street light fund will be given
Halloween night, October 31st,
under the direction of Mr. and
Mrs. Oren F. Hill of the Hyder
Drug Co. Mr. Hill is chairman
of the street light committee of
the Chamber of Commerce.
The entertainment will be
held in Chamber of Commer .
held in Pioneer Hall and will
not be a costume affair. The
hall will be decorated e-pec
ially for the occasion and in
keeping with the Halloween
spirit under the direction of
Mrs. Hill, whose artistic deco
rative talents have been splen
didly examp lifted in earlier en
tertainments.
Proceeds will be devoted to
purchasing an adequate supply
of street lamps for the winter
and other public benefits. A
portion of the lamps now in use
were generously supplied by
Mr. Hill until the badly deplet
ed light fund coul dbe re
stored.
-o
C. A. Banks, managing direct
or of theB. C. Silver company,
left Monday for the south after
a short visit at the mine.