■—»* 1,1■■ '"■“■■■‘.I
A N A L L
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
-
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TG THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
. . ■ I I—riin
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOL 2, NO. 32
HYDER, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14,1926
FIFTY CENTS A KCKTH
PREMIER COMPANY BONDS CANTU-FRANCES GROUPS
PREMIER TAKES OPTION ON
CANTU AND FRANCES GROUPS
The Cantu and Frances
groups, owned by Mrs. Fran
ces Foster Cronholm and T.
W. McDonald, have been bonu
ed by the Premier Gold Min
ing Company, owner of the
great Premier Mine, according
to authoritative information
given to the Herald today
(Wednesday).
Although no definite state
ment regarding the purchase
price can be made at this time,
it is understood that the dear
includes several substantial
cash payments in addition to
a royalty of ten per cent on
the net proceeds of operation.
The groups, comprising a
total of 17 claims, are located
on the easterly slopes of Cantu
Mountain, along the western
edge of Salmon Glacier and
from one to two miles north
west of the original Premier
holdings. All of the properties
included in the two groups are
located on the American side
of the International boundary
line in the Hyder mining dis
trict. The Cantu group, named
after one of the former Span
ish governors of California, in
cludes 13 claims and with the
four claims of the Frances
group comprises one of the
largest mineral groups in the
district. Both groups are re
markable for the size and di
versity of their surface show
ings. In addition to an im
mense gold bearing quartz-(
porphyry belt, said to be iden
tical with the Premier porphy
ry, the properties also contain
immense outcrops of silver
lead ore which have been
shown by assays to carry high
values. Samples taken from
the porphyry belt are known
to have given returns of $14
| or more in gold, while average
! assays of the galena ore rang
; ing from $75 to $150 are not
: uncommon. A unique feature
of the latter is that a majority
of the deposits are so situated
on the almost precipitious
mountainside that large quan
tities may be extracted without
; drifting or tunneling. Fifteen
, tons were mined from one of
the leads late last fall without
the use of an ounce of powder,
only picks, sledges and wedges
being employed in the evtract
; ion.
This ore composed part of a
20 ton smelter shipment sent
out late last year and whicn
is said to have yielded returns
which indicate that the prop
erty is of almost fabulous rich
ness in the event that the ore
goes down. Owing to the vein
i pitching steeply into the bluff
like mountainside, but little
development work will be re
quired to prove the Ore bodies
i at a depth of several hudred
feet below the croppings. Be
ing localted only about a mile
from the Hyder-Premier roaf
the properties are easily ac
cessible.
The acquisition of the two
groups by the Premier is of
uusual importance in the de
gree that it not only means
the probable speedy develop
ment of one of the district's
most promising mining proper
. ties but also marks the entry
of the noted Guggenheim in
terests into the American sect
ian of the Portland Canal dis
trict.
The company is already mak
ing preparations to prospect
the groups with a crew of 25
men, which is expected to be
! on the job in a brief period.
BRISK BIDDING
MARKS SALES OF
TOWNSITE LOTS
Spirited bidding and oftimes
fancy prices were features of
the sale of unoccupied lots in
Hyder townsite held Saturday
by Townsite Trustee J. A.
Ramsey.
A total of fifty-six lots were
sold, during the course of the
auction, which was held in the
Provinse store. Bidding was
lively throughout, and sharp
contests developed between
the bidders for choice lo
cations. In one instance the
rivalry resulted in tl^ elot be
ing sold for $120, although a
majority brought no more
than the minimum price of $25
established by the Trustee.
The total proceeds of the sale
amounted to $1,460, maknig
the average price per lot $26.
The money derived from the
sale will be held in trust by
Mr. Ramsey for improving the
townsite area and will be ex
pended under this supervision
in accordance with the desires
of the residents as expressed
in petitions. Mr. Ramsey also
announced that the unplatted
and unoccupied land embrac
ed in the areas designated as
tracts B and C, may be locat
ed as building lots, conditional
on their improvements. When
a sufficient number of locat
ion* have been made, the oc
cupied areas will be platted
and awarded by deed on pay
ment of the requisite fees.
o
R. G. Mellon engineering
representative of Hyder Lead
Lead Mines, Inc., will leave
Vancouver for Hyder April 23,
to inaugurate development
work on the company proper
ties on Texas Creek, according
to advices received by Attor
ney Ernest Blue, secretary
treasurer of the ecompany.
-o
O. K. McManus, compiler ana
publisher of hotel business di
rectories and well known
along the lower Alaska coast,
was an arrival in camp Sunday
in search of business in his line.
Mr. McManus is not a stranger
to Hyder, having visited the
camp some years ago. At that
time he compiled the first di
rectories installed in locat
hotels.
FREEBURN OPTIONS
VICTORIA MINES
Victoria dispatches report
that James L. Freeburn, wide
ly known Alaskan mining man
and former manager of the
famous Chichagoff mine, has
obtained an option on the
Glacier Creek properties of
Victoria Mines, Limited, ad
joining the Dunwell. Under the i
terms of the deal, Mr. Free
burn will make an examination
of the property and if satis
factory will begin a develop-1
ment program. The deal is said
to have been ratified by the
Victoria Mines shareholder^.
Although the fact has not
been definitely established, it
is reported that Mr. Freeburn
is representing the Tacoma
smelter people, who will work ;
the property on a 55 per cent
royalty basis, the remaining 45
per cent going to the Victoria
Mines company.
■o
Despite exceedingly bad trails, •
| most of the machinery sent ip.
I by the Sebakwe Company for
j the National Silver has been
landed on the ground by the
Crawford Transfer.
Representatives 6f the Utter
concern say that the drill
sharpener and one team load,
of lumber are yet to go up, al
! though it is probable that the j
sharpener reached the grouna
today. The lumber will be the!
last sled load of supplies to be
be sent.up, this year, the trails
being too badly cut up for sled
I traffic. z
I
The House Territories Com
mittee, over Delegate Suther
land's opposition, voted to re
1 port out the White Bill to dis
' franchise illiterate Alaskai.
j voters, according to recent
Washington press dispatches,
which state that the Commiv
j tee also dropped an amend
ment, previously offered and
; accepted, tio exempt persons
! who legally voted last yeai
from the retroactive effect of j
: the bill.
i Delegate Sutherland contend
ed that no state is passing lit- i
eracy qualifications disfran
chising old voters and declar
ed that the White bill is an in- j
justice to the Indians and ■
white pioneers of Alaska who !
are illiterates but who have :
been voting. The reply of |
Chairman Curry to this argu
| ment, the reports say, was
that “the Indian voters have
been herded and forced to
vote in blocks for certain can :
didates.”
-o
Two large devil fish were j
brought into Ketchikan recent
ly by a halibut boat and placed
on exhibition at the Sanitary
Market. One of the fish was of
exceeding large size, having a
j spread of sixteen feet.
N. Kitzmiller, former chief of
police at Anchorage, has been
appointed prohibition enforce
| ment officer to succeed D. W.
Flannigan, resigned.
MUCH ACTIVITY
ON DUNWELL
Reports from the Dunwell an
nounce the completion last
week of the 210 foot upraise
between the lower or No. 4
tunnel and No. 3, which in
burn is being connected with
tunnel No. 2 by means of a
second raise. The first men
tioned raise is planned to pro
vide the main ore outlet from
No. 3 tunnel and is sufficient
ly large (6x12 ft) to accom
modate a skip and manwajr
and ore chute.
Drifting operations are also
under way on all three levels
in addition to a number of
stope raises. All of the ore en
countered is said to be of good
milling grade, intermingled
with streaks and lenses of
hgh grade carrying large val
ues. A crew of 45 men is ei»
ployed. A second shipment of
ore left for the smelter recent
ly, bringing the total tonnage
shipped to 200 odd tons. .
Owing to the prevalence of
numerous cases of smallpox m
Pacific Coast points, the Ter
ritorial Health Commission iB
taking drastic action at Soutn
eastern Alaska coastal points
to prevent the disease gain
ing a foothold in the Territory.
Vaccination is being enforceo
and unvaccinated ship passen
gers have been barred from
landing at several points. Re
cent Ketchikan reports an
nounced that 9 of 26 passen
gers arriving oh the steamship
Queen were refused landing at
that point unless they submit
ted to vaccination, through
passengers were not allowed
on shore, and the crew of the
vessel were Confined to a rop
ed-off portion of the wharf.
The movement to prevent the
disease from invading Alaska
is being aided by the Seattle
health authorities, who have
announced that passengers
will not be allowed to embark
from Seattle on Alaska steam
ers unless vaccinated within
the past ten years.
-o
Leonard Seppala, .famous
Nome dog musher, three times
winner of the 400-mile All
Alaska Sweepstakes from
Nome to Candle and return,
added still further to his
mushing laurels March 15 by
winning for the third time the
28 mile Borden Marathon
Cup race, the great speed
classic of the North. Seppala
broke the record of 2 hours, 6
minutes made 6 years ago. By
winning the race three times
Seppala became the owner of
the great silver cup hung up
by John Borden, noted Chicago
millionaire sportsman.
--o
Through popular subscription
a saluting cannon has been
procured at Sitka and will be
used as a time signal gun, be
ing fired from the U. S. cable
office on the second at 11 a. m.
daily, Sundays and holidays
excepted.
PREMIE* CO. NEGOTIATING
FOR THE INDIAN MINE
Efforts made by the Herald
to determine the truth of re
j cent rumors to the effect that
the Premier had taken ovei
the Indian have resulted in a
statement from authoritative
j sources that negotiations look
ing to (the acquisition of trie
i Indian by Premier are in grog
| ress but have not been defi
i nitely concluded.
I During past weeks the Pre
j mier has subjected the India.,
to an extensive sampling with
a view to determining the
character of the ores and their
' amenability to treatment. Du.
ing the process the ores havb
; been given a wide variety of
laboratory and other tests
which are stated to have den*
ostrated the possibilities 01
profitable exploitation in a.
satisfactory manner Contrary
to reports that the Indian ores
are of such highly refractory
and complicated character
that profitable handling woulu
be exceedingly difficult, it is
stated that the Premier tests
have shown that this is not in
keeping with the facts, as it
has been demonstrated that it
can be done successfully and
profitably.
Owing to the undetermined
state, of the negotiations be
tween the Premier and Indian
interests, it is improbable that
lurther details of the trans
action will be disclosed until
the deal is closed.
Owing to the interest display
ed by local old timers in the
greatest of all Northern sport
ing events, the annual Tanana
River breakup sweepstakes,,
the Herald presents below a
table showing the date and
hour on which the ice com
menced to move at Nenana
each spring for the past ten
years. The sweepstakes is
probably the world’s greatest
guessing contest and the purs<_,
made of entry fees sent in bj
contestants in all parts of the
; Territory, represents a smali
• fortune to the winner. Last
vear the pool amounted u
$14,512 and was won by foui
, parties, two residents of An
chorage and two of Fairbanks.
The previous purse record waj
$10,000, in 1923. The time ol
the breakup from 1917 to the
present year follows:
1917— April 30, 11:30 A. M
1918— May 11, 9:33 A. M
1919— May 3, 2:33 P. M
1920— May 11, 10:46 A. M
1921— May 11, 6:42 A. M
1922— May 12, 1:20 P. M
1923 —May 9, 2 P. M.
1924— May 11, 35:10 P. M
1925— May 75, 65:32 P. M.
The Alaska Game Commis
sion, during its recent session
in Juneau, cancelled the guide
license of Allen Williams of
Fairbanks, for having allowed
a member of his hunting party,
Kenneth Walker, of Califor
nia, to kill a mountain sheep |
before the opening of the sea- •
son last year.
Walker was arrested and
fined $100 and his trophy was j
seized. The cancellation of
! Williams’ license renders him
ineligible to act as a licensed
i guide for 5 years.
:-o
The flouring mill at Tanana ■
Valley Milling Corporation re
cently started up on a 10-days
run of wheat. The grain, ap
proximating 15 tons, compris
es a portion of the harvest oi
local farmers last season, and
has been in storage until this
time undergoing a process of
drying. , ,v _ ; •*.
ALASKA PRODUCTS
SHIPPED MARCH
Shipments of merchant! e
from Alaska to the Uni..
States totaled $1,780,085 a
cording to the monthly repo i
of Collector of Customs J. C.
McBride.
The report follows:
Curios . $ 2,089
! FISH:
Fresh & frozen
except shell-fish):
Halibut. 142,581
salmon . 19,877
banned (except
hell-fish) :
lalmon . 477,269
Cured or preserved
(except shell-fish):
Cod . 552
Salmon . 2,820
Shell-fish:
Crabs. 850
shrimps . 25.628
^urs and fur skins: %
'ilver or black fox.... 3,840
All other. 63,535
3re Matte, regulus:
Copper... 934,620
Cead . 11,537
Trophies, specimens .... 100
Wood, timber and
lumber . 1.487
All other articles. 33,998
Total value of pro
ducts of Alaska ....$ 1,720,828
Products of United
States returned . 57,157
Total value of for
eign products. 2,100
Total value of ship
ments of merchan
dise . 1,780,035
Items included in "All other
articles.”:
422 oz. palladium .... 32,579
13 mfd. furs . 1,236
4 paintings. 150
6 hairseal skins. 33
Total 33,993.
-o
Between 1,000 and U200
men will be. employed by the
Fairbanks Exploration Com
pany in its mining develop
ment in the Fairbanks district
this summer, according to
Crosby E. Keene, assistr.rt
manager of the company.