f .... ..... 1
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
- -»
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
*3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
.... .
VOL 6, NO. 43
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 2,1930.
PRICE TEN CENTS
Another important step to
ward the fulfillment of the Pa
ward teh fulfillment of the Pa
eit'ic- Yukon-Alaska highway
proposal w a s consummated
Monday when President Hoov
er named the members of the
United States commission auth
orized by a recent act of Con
gress to confer with a similar
commission of Canadians re
garding the feasibility of the
great international road pro
ject.
The commissioners named
by the president were Herbert
H. Rice, of Detroit, an official
of the General Motors Corpor
ation; Ernest Walker Sawyer,
acting assistant secretary of the
interior and an indefatiguable
worker in the interest of Alas
ka, and Major Malcolm Elliott,
United States Engineer Corps,
and president of the Alaska
Road Commission.
-*-o
Lumber Mill Active
The saw mill of the Hyder
Lumber Company resumed its
lumber cutting operations Fri
day and is expected to remain
active throughout the remain
der of the season. The com
pany has been awarded the
contract for supplying the nec
essary lumber for the project
ed mill and camp on the Big
Missouri property, which will
comprise many thousands of
feet, and will keep the mill
busy for a considerable period.
Tn anticipation of increasing
lumber demands, the company
recently ordered another large
raft of logs from the Ketchikan
district and anticipates order
ing at least one more before
the fall storms render rafting
precarious. The company re
cently received a big raft of
saw logs containing upward of
a quarter million feet of tim
ber.
■o
LOCAL NOTES
Mrs .H. E. Cook and child ar
rived Saturday from Everett,
Wn., to visit Mr. and Mrs. Wrn.
Irwin.
U. S. Mineral Surveyor Frank
A. Metcalf and his assistant,
Ray McCormick, left Tuesday
enroute to Juneau, after a
short visit in the district.
Miss Vivian Le Vanway, sis
ter of Mrs Dabo, of Hyder, B.
C., left on the Windsor after
and extended visit.
James H. Fehse, railway
mail official and in charge of
the dispatch of Alaska mails in
Seattle, visited the district
Tuesday during the stay of the
Ketchikan mail boat.
*H. W. Stone, construction
superintendent for the Consoli
dated Mining and Smelting
Company, arrived this week to
undertake initial preparations
in connection with the project
ed Big Missouri mill construct
ion.
Following a conference with
Hyder Lumber Company offic
ials regarding lumber supplies
to be used, Mr. Stone went up
to the Big Missouri.
Mrs. Dorothy E. Fernald left
this morning enroute to her
home in Troutdale, Oregon.
CHAMBER COMMERCE
HOLDSLUNCHEONFOR
VISITING OFFICIALS
J. F. Bright, assistant region
al engineer from the San Fran
cisco headquarters of the Unit
ed States Bureau of Public
Roads, Mr. M. D. Williams,
district engineer in charge of
Bureau of Public Roads activi
ties in Alaska, and Mr. R. J.
Sommers, Territorial highway
engineer of Alaska, were the
guests ot honor at a splendidly
attended luncheon meeting of
j the Hyder Chamber of Com
merce at the Ideal Cafe Sun
■■ dty afternoon. Other notable
visitors included in the list of
guests were Mr. Walker Hav
ens, local repreestative of the
San Francisco syndicate en
gaged in developing the Mari
etta group on Texas Creek,
j and Mr. O. Anderson, superin
I tendant in charge of the Texas
! Creek road construction activ
I ities of the Siems-Spokane
: Company of Portland.
I
In addition to a large gather
ing of local citizens, several
prominent residents of Stew
art, B. C., also displayed their
interest in the affairs of the
Hyder district by attending the
luncheon. These included Mr.
R. E. Haack, manager of the
Stewart branch of the Bank of
Montreal, Mr. W. D. Smith,
; resident manager for the Pow
(er Corporation of Canada, and
| Mr. W. J. Crawford, Stewart
i business man. Mr. E. D. Had
don, president of the Chamber
1 of Commerce, presided and
discharged the duties of toast
i master in his usual versatile
manner.
Following the excellent
luncheon served by Meinhost
Max Behrmann, Mr. Bright
was presented and explained
that his visit was made in con
nection with a field inspection
of Bureau of Public Roads pro
jects in Alaska and also to fa
miliarize himself with condit
ions in the Territory. After
visiting most of the projects,
he had found the work done by
the Bureau very satisfactory
and was pleased to see the ben
efits resulting from the work
so far done. Mr. Bright then
paid a splendid tribute to the
judgement and efficiency of
Mr. Williams as district engin
eer in Alaska and declared his
' work to be very satisfactory to
the Bureau. He was also
pleased with the results of the
local road development work
of the Bureau and expressed
i the view that the roads will
i provide an assistance to mine
S development which will ulti
! mately justify the large expen
ditures involved. Mr. Bright
said this is the biggest year in
the history of the Bureau of
Public Roads organization,
wihch will expend about $13,
000,000 on its construction pro
gram. Some $9,000,000 of this
is to be used on Forest Service
road projects and $4,000,000
in National Park work; of
which about $1,000,000 will be
used in Alaska.
Mr. Williams, the succeeding
speaker, pointed out that the
Bureau of Public Roads has ex
pended close to a million dol
lars in developing and main
taining the local road system
Repairs To Titan Trail
Authorized by Trail Bureai
The Forest Service trail bu
reau has authorized expendi
i tures of $200 for repairing thi
| Fish Creek-Titan trail durinj
the current season, accordinj
to a telegram received by Jacl
Fitzgerald from Forest Range
M. J. Wyckoff, supervisor o
forest service trail projects ii
, this district.
The message authorized Mr
1 Fitzgerald to make within th<
limits of the appropriatior
such repairs as may be re
quired, employing necessary
labor at the rate of $6 per daj
and board. The trail is report
ed in bad shape, with manj
deadfalls and other obstruct
ions.
and expressed the view thai
after completing the Texas
Creek highway and the pro
jected Salmon River road im
provements will have done a!
that can reasonably be ex
pected of it in opening up the
district for mineral develop
ment.
“We feel,” he said, “ that wc
have done our share in helping
you to open up your mines and
I it is now up to you to make use
of the facilities provided in de
veloping a mineral production
that will justify the Bureau’!
expenditures.”
Mr. Williams said he real
ized that lowered silver and
other metal prices had serious
ly retarded the development
anticipated at the time the Tex
as Creek highway project was
authorized. Indications at that
time appeared to assure a sub
stantial mineral production
from the Texas Creek section
if improved means of transpor
tation were provided. Mr. Wil
liams expressed regret that the
expected development had so
far failed to materialize and
pointed out that the results ob
tained from the government’s
effort to assist mine develop
ment here will have an import
ant effect in determining its at
titude toward road develop
ment in other promising min
eral areas in the Territory.
“It is now up to you people,”
he said in conclusion, “to show
by the development of mine.'
that the confidence of the Bu
reau in the mineral possibili
ties of your district was justi
fied.”
Mr. Sommers discussed the
road situation from much the
same standpoint as Mr. Will
i iams, stating that he had con
curred in recommending the
Texas Creek project on behali
of the Territory in the beliei
that the mineral deposits ol
that section promised ample
'.justification for the large ex
| penditures involved. Although
mine development had nol
progressed to the extent antic
ipated up to this time, bettei
results may be anticipated ir
the future, as it was probabh
that owners of mining proper
ties were more or less inclined
i to delay their activities unti
- the completion of the road pro
1 vided cheaper means of trans
’ portation.
1 Mr. Sommers next turned his
attention to the Salmon Rivei
: flood control project devisee
1 by him last year and said i
■ was working out in an entirely
■ satisfactory manner. The pres
■ ent outlook is that the diver
i sion of the stream to the west
Machinery Arrives
i For Big Missouri
A 60-horsepower semi-die
- sel engine and a big Sullivar
compressor arrived on the mot
orship Windsor for the Big
Missouri. It is understood that
[the equipment came from the
Salt Chuck mine in the Ketch
ikan district, which is now con
i trolled by the Consolidated
Mining and Smelting Com
. pany.
1 ward can be maintained with
’ I out difficulty as long as the
! new channel is kept free ot
j timber debris. He regretted to
state, however, that the funds
: provided for maintenance out
I of the 1929 legislative appro
| priation are now exhausted, ex
:! cept for a few dollars, and ad
I ditional funds must be provid
;; ed to keep the channel clear of
i obstructions until more main
I tenance funds can be provided
by the legislature next spring.
Mr. Sommers warned that
neglect or failure to remove
these obstructions will inevita
bly result in the river return
ing to its former channels and
will also involve the loss of the
work and money so far expend
ed. Mr.Sommers suggested rais
ing locally a fund of several
hundred dollars for mainte
nance and possible emergen
cies and stated -that it is his
j intention to recommend to the
j legislature the appropriation
I of a maintenance fund suf
: ficiently large to provide ade
quate maintenance for several
years.
Mr. Walker Haven spoke of
of the possibilities of the local
mountain and glacial scenery
j as attractions for tourists and
, expresed the opinion that they
could be made a valuable ass
| et to the district. He also out
lined geological conditions on
the Marietta property and the
development program contem
plated by his company. This in
i eludes driving a tunnel under
I a glacial ice-cap for an unde
termined distance to reach and
;crosscut certain vein intersect
! ions. Mr. Havens also quoted
j assay returns from various
leads on the property showing
good values in gold and silver.
I Attorney Ernest Blue, local
representative of the Ilyder
' Lead Mines, Inc., outlined de
velopment on the company
properties near the head of
Texas Creek, showing a large
commercial ore resource al
ready developed and average
j values in two tunnels driven on
the ore of around $14 per ton.
Mr. Blue declared that the val
ue of the Texas highway to the
j district was examplified in the
I great reductions already ef
jfected in transportation charg
■ es and quoted freighting ac
count charges paid by his com
: pany showing remarkable less
1 ening of transportation costs.
In conclusion Mr. Blue ex
1 pressed the conviction that ul
j timate mine development in
j the district will fully justify
the work done by the govern
ment in highway construction.
Mr. J. A. Hall, president of
the Bank of Hyder, spoke in
, optimistic vein of the district’s
. future outlook, stressing par
ticularly the prospects for the
development of gold proper
ties. The camp is basically a
gold camp, he said. Recent as
says of ore from the Metcalf
Continued on Page 4
DISTRICT GIVES
FIG! WELCOME Tl
BRITISH WARSHIP
The visit of H. M. S. De
spatch during the past week
was a decidedly interesting
event to the residents of Hy
der and Stewart and provided
j much pleasant diversion for
! both young and old. To the
children, few of whom had
ever seen a real war vessel,
save perhaps in a movie or ill
ustration, the presence of tht
big war ship, with its nattily
clad officers and men and with
a real vice-admiral in com
mand, was an event that will
to most of them become a life
long memory.
Although directed officially
to the Canadian port, the vis
it of the fighting ship was in
all reality something of an in
ternational event in which the
Americans of Hyder partici
pated scarcely less than theii
Canadian cousins of Stewart.
The huge, lean-flanked gray
cruiser came gliding swiftly
along the verdant, pe$k
flanked reaches of Portland
Canal early Saturday after
and came to anchor under the
towering slopes of mile-high
Mt. Rainey almost directly op
posite Hyder a little after 3 p.
m. The first greeting received
by the British vessel was given
by the U. S. Bureau of Public
Roads motorship Highway
which met the warship a mile
or two below Hyder, with Dep
uty U. S. Marshal Donald E
Martin, and D. J. Mulcare, U
S. Immigration Inspector, and
J. L. Abrams, Customs Collect
or, on board to represent Alas
ka and the United States Af
ter a mutual dipping of flags
the Highway swung in behind
the big cruiser and accomp
anied her to the anchorage.
Shortly after coming to rest
the ship was boarded by tin
official reception committee
which included representative:
of Stewart Village, the Stewart
Board of Trade, the Canadian
Legion and the Hyder Cham
her of Commerce, and who ex
tended to the vessel and it.;
crew the greetings of the dist
rict. The committee was re
ceived by Vice Admiral Ver
non H. Haggard and his offi
cers, who expressed their
pleasure at their visit and ev
idenced deep admiration foi
the magnificent scenery along
Portland Canal.
Saturday evening was given
over to a dance and dinner for
the officers in Stewart Opera
House which proved the most
brilliant social function ever
held in the district. Sunday
was devoted to the entertain
ment of the enlisted men by
auto rides to Texas Glacier,
the Premier mine and other
points of interest. Practically
all the automobiles in the dist
rict were requisitioned and
'placed at the disposal of the
visiting tars, who appeared to
keenly enjoy their experience
! among the massive mountain
peaks. Those of the crew who
Were not permitted shore leave
Sunday were taken over the
same routes Mpnday, while the*
warship held open house dur
ing the afternoon and was vis
J ited by a large part of the dist
(FLOOD CONTROL
GOOD
Inspection of the Salmon
River flood control works by a
delegation of citizens this week
disclosed that the project is
working out in excellent man
ner under the direction of Mr.
T. H. Evans, local superintend
ent of the Bureau of Public
Roads. Piloted by Mr. Evans,
the party found the turbulent
stream rushing in a swelling
torrent along the western side
of the high, wooded bar ex
tending down the river basin
'.vest of town. Here a wide
and deep channel has been
formed by stream action since
the river was diverted last fall
from its former course along
the camp’s western border.
Aside from two large trees
which were undermined and
fell across the stream in recent
days, impeding but not block
ading its flow, the river was
free of obstructions and appar
ently in shape to handle a vast
ly larger flow of water. It wa3
also apparent that the stream
is steadily working further to
the westward and farther
away from town. Mr. Evans is
of the opinion that this will
continue as long as the channel
is kept free of obstructions and
will ultimately force the
stream well over toward the
far side of the valley. Constant
vigilance and watchfulness are
necessary to keep the channel
clear, however, and, as indicat
ed by Highway Engineer R. J.
Sommers during his recent vis
t, additional funds must be
provided for keeping the new
course free of stiynps and logs
pending an appropriation for
future maintenance by the
Alaska legislature. The remov
al of the fallen trees referred
o above, consumed the last of
he maintenance funds on
hand and further money re
quirements must be raised by
local contributions. No effort
will be made in that direction,
however, until it becomes nec
sssary to do so, as it is thought
the channel may remain fairly
clear during the remainder of
the low water period. How
ever, it is impossible to tell
when a new bunch of debris
will be washed into the chan
nel from the timber-filled bars
higher up the stream. When
this occurs there will be imme
diate need for funds and citi
zens will then be asked to con
tribute the amount necessary
o meet the emergency.
I
rict’s population.
Monday evening Vice Admir
al Haggard and the ship’s of
ficers were hosts at a delight
ful dinner party on board the
vessel. The guests at this
function included Mr. and Mrs.
Oren F. Hill, of Hyder, Mr. and
Mrs. Dale L. Pitt, Miss Eliza
beth Pitt and Miss Kathyrn
Scott, of Premier, B. C., and
Mr. and Mrs. P. S. Jack, Mr.
and Mrs. R. E. Haack, Mr. and
Mrs. H. P. Gibson, and Mr. W.
D. Smith, of Stewart, B. C.
During Monday evening Hy
der entertained the sailors and
marines at a dance which
taxed the big Pioneer Hall to
its utmost capacity. Delightful
music was provided by the
ship’s orchestra of highly
Continued or-Page 4.