*' • ■ 11 1
SPECIALIZING* IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
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DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
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VOL 6, NO. 21
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH 1,1930.
PRICE TEN CENTS
X
HOUSE MEASURE
TO PAVE WAY FOR
INDIANLAWSUITS
With the introduction of a
bill by delegate Sutherland in
the House of Representative ;
authorizing the Tlingit and
Haida Indians to bring suit
against the United States in the
Court of Claims, the Indians of
Southeastern Alaska have tak
en the first legal steps toward
regaining certain property
rights alleged to be owned by
them and alienated by the
United States since taking poss
ession of Alaska in 1867.
The bill as drawn, would op
en the way for a wide variety
of suits against the govern
ment, as it provides that “all
claims of whatsoever nature,
legal or equitable, which said
Tlinget or Ilaida Indians of
Alaska or other tribal, com
munity or individual property
rights, taken away from them
by the United States without
compensation therefor * * * *
shall be submitted to the said
Court of Claims *******
for settlement and determinat
ion of the equitable and jiK>l
value thereof, and the amount
eqqitably and justly due said
Indians from the United States
therefor.’’
Authority is also sougth for
filing suits either separately or
jointly by the two tribes within
5 years of the passage and ap
pioval of the act.
The rights claimed by the
Inidans include fisheries, trap
ping, hunting, forests, mineral
lands and much valuable wat
ei front property in various
southeastern Alaska towns.
o
HIGHWAY PROJECT
RECEIVES BIG BOOST
The annu,al convention of the
International Road Builders’
Association, with more than
31.000 delegates from 32 coun
tries in attendance, recently
passed a resolution urging a
joint appropriation by the Can
adian and American govern
ments of $5,000,000 for the
completion of a road across the
1.000 mile gap from Hazleton,
B. C. to Fairbanks, Alaska on
the proposed Pacific-Yukon
Highway.
The action of the convention
is considerel the biggest boost
the great Highway project ha:3
received since its inception by
Donald MacDonald.
A committee composed of in
fluential Seattle and Alaska
business men has also been or
ganized in Seattle to further
ihe interest of the Highway
and to study the financing and
construction problems on both
sides of the international
boundary line, for the purpose
of working out plans and pro
viding ways and means for the
accomplishment of the project
.-O
The Hyder Lumber Company
responding to a considerable
demand for local lumber, i;
making preparations to resume
lumber cutting within a few
days: The equipment is now
being placed in shape for the
expected activities.
SCHOOL ELECTION
NEXT SATURDAY
The annual school board
election will be held next Sat
urday under the provisions of
the 1929 school election law,
requiring such elections to be
held annually on the second
Saturday in March. The school
board has designated Chamber
o f Commerce Hall as the poll
ing place and the polls will be
open from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m.
As the new law provides for
one, two and three year terms
for the board members, there
will be put one director elected
in the forthcoming contest. The
new member elected will suc
ceed Mr. T. H. Evans,, the pres
ent board treasurer,, who is
concluding his term of office.
A meeting will be held this
evening to nominate candi
dates for the position of direct
or. Following the election the
new board will select its own
officers for the ensuing year.
Under the new election law
all voters must be citizens of
the United States, 21 or more
years old, actual bona fide res
idents of the Territory, and
must have resided in Alaska
continuously during the entire
year immediately preceding
the election and in the school
district continuously for 30
clays next, preceding the elect
ion. Voters must also be able
to read and write the English
language, unless incapaciated
by reason of physical disabil
ity.
-o
WILL PRESS CLAIMS
AS SHORTEST ROUTE
FOR PEACE RAILROAD
! The Stewart Board of Trade
decided at a recent meeting to
inaugurate a vigorous cam
paign in support of Stewart’"
claim for recognition as the
shortest and most logical out
let for the Peace River section.
Insofar as distance is con
cerned, this claim is fully sus
tained by all the evidence so
far appearing in connection
with the several proposed
routes, Stewart being situated
several hundred miles nearer
the Peace than any other B. C.
port and with a practically
water grade route all the way
to Peace River.
New maps presented at the
meeting showing the proposed
route were turned over to the
committee in charge of the pro
ject with instructions to have
cuts suitable for advertising
purposes made therefrom as
soon as possible for use in the
campaign.
---o
Prophets of an early spring
are finding confirmation of
their theory in the recent ap
i pearance of a large flock of
j small birds of the linnet type
which frolic daily along the
J slopes of Eagle Point and on
the adjacent tideflats. It is also
: pointed out that two wild
; ducks have lately been disport
ing themselves in the creek be
; tweeii First and Second Ave
| nues. The birds have become
i so used to the presence of
j human beings tha t they ap
pear to scarcely notice people
passing along the board walk
a dozen yards from the creek.
i NEWSY JOTTINGS
BEARING ON LOCAL
MINING ACTIVITES
Recent developments at the
Georgia Riv§r Gold property
are said to indicate that the
rich vein of ore encountered in
ihe No. 3 tunnel during the
first part of the year and from
which high gold values were
obtained, has no connection
with the Southwest vejn, one of
the principal ore exposures, of
which it was formerly believed
to be a part. The vein is now
thought to be the lower exten
sion of a vein the surface out
crops of which appear in a
I creek channel between the
| Southwest vein and the prom
i inent Bullion vein.
Assays obtained from the
vein in January^re said to
have ranged in some instances
to more than $43 per ton, al
though the average is about
$11. The values are almost en
tirely in gold.
x i ciiut i lurtunfu u recuru iuw
level of $1.29 on the Vancouv
er Stock Exchange this week,
despite the fact that the mine
is on a solid productive basis,
with several years ore reserves
n sight and is giving returns of
over 16 per cent on the invest
ment. In addition the comp
any is fast -bringing the noted
Prosperity and Porter- Idaho
, properties into regular pro
duction, thereby fuither en
hancing its future productive
prospects. Why, under such
conditions the stock should go
down to such low levels is dif
ficult to understand. With ev
ery condition favorable to an
■ncrease of the company share
value, the stock has continued
to show a downward tendency
| for months that is in no degree
explained by the general stock
market depression.
In addition to being one of
the most spectacular dividend
papers in mining history, the
Premier is the acknowledged
leader among the Canadian
I gold mining companies with
i respect to return on the invest
ment. No other gold property
I in the Dominion pays returns
j comparable to those of Pre
mier. Dome pays but 12 per
cent, Hollinger, 11.3 per cent,
Teck-IIughes, 9.6, McIntyre,
| 5.5, Lake Shore, 4 per cent.
Earlier returns on the Premier
| investment have ranged much
| higher than at present. From
1923 to 1927 the return was
better than 30 per cent, while
the highest was 55 per cent in
1922.
!
o
A. H. cenkenuort lett Mon
i day evening enroute to Seattle
to resume treatment for the
foot infection which caused
him so much physical discom
1 fort and disability during the
j past year. An operation per
formed in Seattle recently ap
parently removed the infected
condition and Mr. Benkendorf
leturned home, only to discover
that an apparently insignifi
j cant cut on the foot, sustained
before leaving Seattle, was de
! veloping symptoms of the orig
inal malady.
I
WILL EXTEND
TUNNEL ON THE
PUFUS ARGENTA
It is proposed to continue the
tunnel on the Rufus Argenta
another 150 feet with a view to
striking the promising Erickson
vein. This was decided upon
by the directors after the fol
lowing encouraging report was
leceived from the contractor,
according to a press announce
ment in the south.
“Came in from the Argenta
today and we are through with
50-foot contract. The format
ion was' practically the same
fiom where we started up to
tne last two rounds, when, in
stead of going with the hill
side, as it did before, now it is
going into the hill, or in the
right direction according to
the surface showings. The
rocks are Bear River green
stones with specks of hematite
iron. The face of the tunnel
has never before been looking
so promising, but, according to
M. M. Reese, mining Engineer,
we may have to go at least 100
feet further to reach the vein.”
WILL GIVE FUNDS
TO HOSPITAL
The Stewart branch of the
Canadian Legion decided at a
recent meeting to devote the
proceeds of its next whist drive
to the hospital, it is reported
by the Stewart News. This is
a most commendable move, as
the hospital is. urgently in need
of funds. Tlie ex-service men
are to be congratulated in tak
ing the lead in a matter that is
so much for the benefit of the
entire community.
Wellington Beaton, Vancou
ver financier, arrived Saturday
to take charge of the body of
his son, Harold Beaton, who
perished from exhaustion and
exposure on the Georgia Riv
er trail some days ago while
attempting, to make his way
through the deep snow from
the Georgia River mine to the
company camp on the Portland
Canal beach nine miles below.
Mr. Beaton was accompanied
by his daughter, Mrs C. Austin,
and her husband. Mr. Austin,
remained heie to take charge
of%tbe company’s beach camp,
formerly held by the deceased
Mr. Beaton. The widow and
infant child of the deceased
accompanied Mr. Beaton and
Mrs. Austin back to Vancou
ver, where the last rites foj- the
unfortunate young man will be J
held.
The whist drive of the Friend
ship Club attracted a good
sized gathering of whist devot
ees to Pioneer Hall Saturday
evening. The entertainment
was a most enjoyable one. Nine
tables were filled by the con
testants. The ladies’ prize was
won by Mrs. E. L. Dale, who
also annexed the sweepstakes
prize for the evening. Richard
Wirth won first honors in the
gentlemen’s division.
I ---O ——————— —
Johnny Dallas and wife re
turned Wednesday from a vis
1 it in Ketchikan.
CURIOS ITEMS IN
ALASKA COMMEHC1
Alaska’s annual exports in
elude as curious an array o
products a3 may be found ii
the shipping records of anj
country in the world.
In addition to the many mil
lions of dollars worth of miner
t Is, fish and fish products anc
furs sent annually into th<
commerce lanes of the Unitec
States, customs records dis
close the export of such unique
products as seal hones, whale
tail, walrus hides, reindeer
horns and hides, as well as
large quantities of reindeei
meat. Other interesting ex
ports include, sheep wool
ivory, whale oil, fresh milk
and cream, paintings, wood
pulp, whale fertilizer, whale
meal and whalebone, paint
ings, wood pulp, reindeer of
fal, live animals, hairseal skins,
curios, game specimens and
trophies, vegetables, coal, mo
hair and various others. The
aggregate value of these cur
ious commodities amounted
to $140,228. The leading item
on the list in point of value
was whale oil and the second
was wool.
Although Alaska may seem
to the uninitiated to be far
removed from the popular con
ception of a sheep raising
country, the Territory la3t year
exported sheep wool valued ai
$47,025, while the aggregate
v alue of wool shipments .since
the inauguration of the wool
raising industry in 1924 ap
proximates $105,000. The in
dustry is still in its infancy but
its' growth is well exemplified
by an increase of wool exports
from a few hundred pounds
in 1926 to 89,332 pounds last
year and total exports of about
220,000 pounds to date.
Of the valuable group of
products resulting from the
whaling industry, whale fertil
ize! is aje°ri'r.g item and sec
ond only to whale oil, of which
hundreds of thousands of gal
lons are exported annually.
Shipments of oil last year to
talled 948,376 gallons, valued
at $375,330. Whale fertilizer
exports in 1929 amounted to
945 tons, with a value of $31,
758. Shipments for_ the past
four years aggregated $115,
207 in value.
Despite the almost complete
almost complete abandonment
of whalebone stays by the fair
sex, whale bone continues to be
an important item on the list
of Alaska’s curious exports.
Shipments amounting to a to
al of 59,326 pounds, valued at
$12,703 were made during the
past three years. Walrus ivory
also form sa quaint and valu
able product, with shipments
totaling 42,539 pounds, valued
at $43,117 since 1924.
Curios as it may seem, paint
ings of Alaska scenes form one
of the mot prominent items on
the list. Last year they attained
a total value of $18,122,
while the total for the past
three years, embracing 122
paintings, was $36,447
-o
F. R. Wilson of the Hyder
Lumber Company, returned
Thursday from a vacation in
the south.
.
I
BACKS BIG HIGHWAY
“The north country of British
Columbia and the Yukon Terr
itory are solidly sold on the
plan for an Alaskan road,”
declared Geoorge A. Clothier,
government mining engineer
for mineral survey district No.
6, in a recent interview in Van
couver, where he was attend
ing the meetings of the Canad
ian • Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy.
. Mr. Clothier knows the needs
of the north and the geological
and geographical features as
few men do. For ten years he
was engineer in charge of the
northern district of B. C. and
became thoroughly convinced
that but one thing was holding
back the territory from the
prosperity its tremendous min
■ eral lesources entitled it to—
! cheap transportation.
“Premier Tolmie’s northern
road plan will open up a count
ry that would be a revelation
to residents of southern British
Columbia,” Mr. Clothier de
clared. “The north contains
great areas of country known
ro be richly mineralized and
cheap and easy transportation
would not only lead to immed
! late development of these
1 districts, but would bring pros
pecting activities that would
undoubtedly disclose many ore
deposits now unknown.” Mr.
Clothier declared that the cost
of a northern road leading
from Hazelton would be much
less than estimated by people
who knew only the southern
interiors and coast areas of
British Columbia. After the
Mass River has been passed, a
road leading along the foot
hills of the coast range would
■•trike comparatively smooth
I pleateau country where few
! problems were presented and
j exceptionally cheap construct
ion possible, he said. . /<
WANT ALASKA
EAGLES PROTECTED
The extraordinary capacity
of Outside conservationists for
“protecting” the wild life of
Alaska is being once more
demonstrated by the introduct
i ion of bills in both houses of
Cngress making it unlawful to
kill or capture Bald Eagles or
| to disturb or destroy their nests
j or eggs, save upon such occas
ions as when the birds happen
[to be caught in the act of de
stroying “wild or tame lambs
or fawns, or foxes or fox farms.
The measures are aimed to
protect the birds “within the
continental United States, Por
to Rico, Hawaii and Alaska—
with special emphasis on Alas
ka— and also prohibits molest
ation of any other species of
eagle found in the indicated
areas, unless engaged in the
depredations, indicatgd. The
bills, which are said to have
the endorsement of the Nat
ional Committee on Wild Life
Legislation, provide a maxi
mum fine of $100 or 60 days
in the calaboose for violation
thereof.