AN ALL
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
$5.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOL 1, NO. 3
RYDER, ALASKA, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22,1924
FIFTY CENTS A MCK1H
FIRE FIEND
VISITS STEWART
Stewart B. C. was visited by
a veritable epidemic of fires
during the past week. In add
ition to the blaze in Dr. But
ler’s office in the Portland
Canal News Building Satur
day, details of which are given
elsewhere in this issue, the
electric power house of the
Stewart Public Utilities, and
the home of Hugo Stratford
adjoining, were destroyed by
the fire demon early Wednes
day morning; and the tent
house occupied by Mr. and
Mrs. Sidney Fraser while their
house is being built, also went
up in smoke on the preceding
Monday evening, with a loss
of all its contents.
The power house fire was a
serious and costly affair, cut
ting off the electric lightserv
ice and the water supply
and for a time threating to
involve adjoining buildings.
Theplant and also the Strat
ford home were completely
destroyed, in addition to the
water works tower, with a
loss of approximately $10,000.
Although damaged by the
flames, it is thought that the
engine which provided pow
er for the plant, as well as
the water pumps can be re
paired. The electric generator
was destroyed. The contents
of the Stratford home were
also burned, with the except
ion of a piano and a few
pieces of furniture.
An automobile stored in the
plant was also lost. None of
the burned properties were in
sured, As a result of the de
struction of the plant, the
city is being lighted by the
International Electric Com
pany, which also supplies
light to Hyder. The cause of
the fire is un known. It is not
decided whether the destroy
ed plant will be rebuilt or not.
The 90 day period allowed
by law for filing annual assess
ment work on mining claims
will expire next Sunday, Sept
ember 28.
For the accomodation of those
who are unable to reach the
Recorder’s office before the
closing hour, the office will re
main open until midnight next
Saturday.
Friends~of Joe Grashio, pro
prietor of the Malamute Bar
ber Shop, will be pleased to
learn that his health is much
improved as a result of med
ical attention received in Se
attle. Letters received on the
last mail state that although
feeling much better he intends
proceeding to Arizona, where
he expects to find renewed
health.
Harry B. Stoner, old timer of
the district and widely known
mining man, returned on the
Prince Rupert to look after
his numerous mining interests.
Mr. Stoner has optioned 14
claims of his Stoner group, sit
uated along the internation
al boundary line near the Daly
Alaska properties, to Matthew
-o
Support your home town pap
er.-50 cents a month.
DR. BUTLER BURNED
IN OFFICE FIRE.
Dr. Richard Butler, Stew:
art’s genial alleviator of ach
ing molars, sustained severe
burns on his right hand in a
fire occuring at 2:30 Saturday
in his offices in the Portland
Canal News building, Stewart,
as a result of an explosion of
I gasoline.
Jack Scott, of the Stewart
Meat Market was the hero of
the occasion and is credited
with diverting a possible dis
aster by a combination of
[quick thinking and unusual
muscular ability, displayed by
rushing to the scene a small
barrel of water, with which
the blaze was quickly quench
jed. Due to his timely action,
| but slight damage resulted.
; Dr. Butler’s right hand was se
I verely burned. He was tak
ien to the hospital for treat
ment. It is reported that he
will probably be unable to re
|sume his practice for two or
three weeks.
Lodge, of Moncton, New Bruns
wick. The terms of the option
i provide for cash payments of
?12,000 to Mr. Stoner, together
with a substantial interest in
the company financed by the
Lode interests. The Stoner
group comprises an addition
al 12 claims besides those tak
en over by Lodge. Consider
able surface development work
has been done and several
promising veins have been un
covered. The group was pre
viously bonded by the Woods,
Trite, Wilson interests but on
ly a small amount of work was
done before the option expir
ed.
A large compressor arrived
:on the Curacao for Seims and
■ Carlson, contractors for the
Salmon River X’oad construct
ion work. As the new section
of roadway is to be cut along
the base of the hills on the east
side of the valley, considrable
rock must be cut. The new
road will be run at an elevation
that will render it immune to j
the frequent floods along that
jsection of the valley.
'hyder a. c. forming
BASKETBALL TEAM
The recently organized Hy
der Athletic Club, is planning
a series of basket ball games
with the Stewart aggregation
of basket tossers, during the
winter, in addition to a variety
of other sports. Suits and
other equipment for the bas
t ket ball team arrived on the
I Curacao. The team is in proc
ess of organization at present j
and anyone who has had
eperience at the game or others
who wish to join may have an
opportunity to secure a place
by applying to Walter Blanton.
The Club is a peppy organiza
tion and all who are inter
ested in sports should help
boost their efforts to provide
amusement during the winter
:by joining.
| The Alaska Weekly—For Sale
■at The Midget Emporium.
PREMIER AMONG GREATEST
DIVIDEND PAYERS IN HISTORY
Again demonstrating that j
it is one of the most product
ive and spectacular mines in
history, the great Premier
will shortly* add pother
quarterly dividend of $400,000
to the more than six million
dollars paid in dividends since
the first distribution of net
earnings December 31, 1921,1
according to a statement made
a few days ago by R. W.
Wood, president of the Pre
mier Gold Mining Company,
to the Vancouver Province.
Mr. Wood is quoted as stat-1
ing that the forthcoming div
idend, the third quarterly
payment of the present year,,
will he distributed October
3rd.. With the paying over
of this amount to sharehold
ers, the famous mine will
have paid a total of $6,800,
000 in dividends since the'
first dividend was declared
in December 1921.
As the company is capitalized
at $5,000 000,the above fig- j
ure represents total payments
to shareholders amounting to
136 per cent within a period ,
of less than four years.
In addition to this spectac
ular dividend production, the
mine has been to a large ex
tent equipped and developed 1
from its own earnings.
Perusal of the pages of min
ing history discloses few silver
mines that have achieved such
a spectacular record, and few
quartz mines of any character
have paid a greater amount in
dividends in an equal period of
production.
During the year 1928 the Pre-.
mier mined a total of 145,655
dry tons of ore, from which
was produced 117,294 ounces
of gold and 2,746,551 ounces
of silver, according to the last
annual report to stockholders.
In addition the stated amount
of ore yielded 62,191 pounds
of lead.
Of the total tonnage mined
during the year 57,796 tons
were milled at the mine; 52,
992 tons was shipped to the Ta
coma smelter, and the remain
ing 34,877 tons was sent to the
Granby smelter at Anyox, B.
C„
Conservative estimates of the
assured ore in the mine work
ings at the beginning of the
present year were 360,000 tons
averaging 85 ounces in gold
and 15 ounces silver, with an
average value of $26 per ton.
In addition there was a large
tonnage of low grade ore de
veloped above mine level that
could not be profitably milled
under present conditions but
may be considered a possible
future asset. Diamond drilling
carried on below the working
level of the mine also disclosed
further ore reserves approx
imating 146,000 tons, with an
indicated average value of .89
ounces in gold and 8.2 ounces
of silver per ton, in addition to
areas containing ores running
as high as $50 per ton.
Recent unauthenticated re
ports from the mine also indi
cated that a sixty foot vein of
$45 ore had been encountered
on No 6 level, present working
level, during the course of dia
mond drilling operations.
I
MINING NOTES
I
Included in the mill machin
ery arriving on the last trip of
the Curacao for the Riverside
mine, were a seventy horse
power diesel engine, a large
generator, Traylor gyratory
crusher, Colorado ball mill
and an ore classifier, in addit
ion to a large assortment of
other equipment. The mill
site is still in course of prep-'
aration, but the work of act- j
ual construction will soon be i
under way. The new and spa- j
cious bunk house, capable of
accomodating a crew of 60
and also the new cfeok house
and dining room have been
painted red with white trim
mings and present a fine ap
pearance.
F. C. Winkler and associates
are preparing to diamond
drill the Heather claim, in the
Long Lake section, and have
let a contract to Boyle Bros.
The drill was landed on the
property Saturday by the Mc
Grew Transfer Co. 17 head of
stock being used to take the
equipment to the ground. Ow
ing to the rough character
of the country, the task was a
difficult one and its accom
plishm ;nt a marked testimon
ial of the freighting capacities
of the company.
Twelve feet of ore averaging
$16 per ton has been encount
ered by Messrs. Gus Seiffert
and Jack Pederson at a depth
of 75 feet on the North &South
Line properties in the Bear
River section. The vein was en
countered slightly more than
100 feet from the portal of
the tunnel and is strong and
well defined. It is the intent
ion to drift both ways on the
ore at once, and work will be
prosecuted through the win
ter if found advisable.
The property is located near
the Dunwell on the Glacier-Bit
ter Creek divide and is under
bond to the North & South
Syndicate, of which Messrs.
Seiffert and Pederson are the
active principals. Permanent
quarters have been construct
ed in anticipation of future op
erations.
The government is construct
ing two and a half miles of
road to the Dunwell mine in
Bear liver valley to facilitate
shipment of ore during the
coming winter. An appropriat
ion of $8,000 has been made
available for the work. It is
ACCIDENT AT i
PREMIER MINE.
T. Caruso, an employee of
the Premier mine, suffered
painful and perhaps serious
injuries to his eyes by an acci
dental explosion of giant pow
der in an ore chute at the
njine Friday morning. It ap
pears that the accident was
due to the powder being scatt
ered through the broken ore
by the failure of a charge to
explode in the mine, while
breaking down was in prog
ress. The explosion of other
shots is said to have thrown
the charge out of the face be
fore detonation, scattering the
powder through the broken
rock. As a result a fragment
of the powder found its way
into the ore chute where Car
uso was working. When he at
tempted to break a jam in the
chute with an iron bar, the
metal struck the bit of pow
der, causing the explosion.
Numerous small fragments of
rock and dust were blown in
to Caruso’s face and eyes, one
of which appeared badly in
jured. After treatment at the
Mine hospital, the company
sent the injured man to Van
couver, Saturday for expert
treatment.
also reported in Stewart that
there is an excellent prospect
that funds will soon be avail
able for necessary improve
ments on the Porter-Idaho
pack trail on the Marmot, as a
result of recommendations by
George Clothier, represent
tive of the Department of
Mines.
Several scow-loads of ore from
the Porter-Idaho went south
on the Mogul. The shipment
comprised something over fifty
tons and with the last previous
shipment of 66 tons brings the
total amount shipped to date
to something over 150 tons.
Owing to the large lead con
tent, shipments are now being
sent to the Selby smelter, as
the Tacoma smelter is unable
to recover the lead values.
Reports from Stewart indi
cate that the Dunwell and Gla
cier Creek properties are ready
to resume operations, following
the reconstruction of the old
Portland Canal Mining Comp
any flume, through which wat
er was obtained for power pur
pose.".. B.ih properties have
been closed down for the past
two weeks or so, owing to the
old flume breaking under the
strain of an excess of water
! resulting from heavy rains.
Preparations have been made
for continuing work on both
properties during the winter
season. Several new buildings
have been constructed on the
Dunwell and an electric light
plant has been installed. Two
Ingersoll Rand drifter drills
have also been added to the
mine equipment and will do
much to facilitate future oper
ations. The managemenet is
planning to commence ship
ping ore within a short time
after work is resumed.
Exploration work is contin
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
COMPLETES MAP WORK
The U. S. Geological Survey
party under associate topog
rapher R. N. Wilson, which
has devoted most of th
mer to collecting j data tor u
topographic map of the Sal
mon river district, completed
its labors last week and left
for the Outside on the Wales.
The area surveyed is approx
imately 16 miles long by Id
miles wide and extends along
both sides of the Salmon valley
northward to where the bound
ary line turns westward near
Mt. Lirdeborg. The survey al j
included the Texas Creek val
ley as far as Chickamin glac
ier, and also a portion of the
Thumb Creek section. A large
part of the data was secured by
means of panoramic photo
graphs. These will be fitted tc
gether to make a composite
photograph showing'most of
the elevations, contours and
flow o ' streams. About 200 of
the vi.ws were taken in ell.
The m;>.p to be made from the
data secured will be on the ba >
is of ICO foot contours and vv i:
show, in addition to the gen
eral tenogranhv o^ ft1'
ry, all tunnels, roads and traib
ill tiliJ aicu. a _
will probably not be finish.d
for 18 months or so. Incl d
ed with Mr. Wilson in the pa
ty were L. W. Eabel, John _J.
.Jhoreti, Jr. and John Burn >
geon. The party was in the
field from May 8 to September
18. Mr. Wilson proceeded to
Washington, D. C. and Messrs
Rabel and Shorett to Seattle.
uln 6n the Glacier Creek prop
erties, following the recent cut
ting oL' a large vein of low
grade ore that appears prom
ising.
All efforts during the past
wee!: io obtain further infor
mation regarding the situat
ion at the I)aly-Alaska have
failed.
President Jesse J. Kahn ar
rived from Vancouver Satur
day but refused to discuss the
reported strike until he had
visited the mine, to which he
repaired a few hours after ar
rival and had not returned up
to the time this article was
written.
LARGE INCREASE IN
ALASKA AUTOMOBILES
An increase of approximaelj?
33 per cent in the number of
privately owned automobiles
in Alaska during the past 12
months, is shown in statistics
collected by the officials of the
U. S. Forest Service in this dis
trict. According to the figures
given, there is now a total of
1,166 machines in the Territo
ry, as against 831 in 1923. . n
addition there are 119 mach
ines owned by various govern
ment agencies, making a grand
total of 1,225.
Juneau leads the towns of the
Territory in the number of pri
vately -owned cars with an ag
gregate of 255. Fairbanks i3
second in the list with 203;
Ketchikan third with 179 ,anl
Anchorage, fourth_with 147.
i