"■ .
AN ALL
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OP ALASKA AND T HE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
/— " 1
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOL 4, NO. 13
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17,1927
FIFTY CENTS A MONTH
ANOTHER BEAR RIVER
GROUP REPORTED SOLD
Sale of the Mountain Boy
group In the upper Bear River
section, about 16 miles north of
Stewart, is reported in recent
Vancouver press announce
ments and discloses an increas
ing interest on the part of big
eastern mining concerns in this
district.
The group, according to the
reports, has been taken over
by a big but unnamed operat
ing company, which is also
said to be acquiring all the ad
joining claims from individual
owners to form a larger con
solidated property for econom
ical operation.
The Mountain Bay property j
is one of the earliest location* j
locations in the district and ad
joins the noted Red Cliff prop
erty, once owned and operated |
by Sir Donald Mann. The reg- j
istered owners of the group in- j
elude Robert, James and Johr
Stewart, of Dunwell fame.
John Conway, of Courtenay, B
C., and Frank P. Stewart, ol
Seattle.
O'
EASTERN OPERATORS
TAKE OVER BUSH CON
SOLI DATED HOLDIN GS
Still aonther local mining
property has passed into the j
hands of big- eastern Canada
mining operators, according tc 1
recent Victoria press reports j
In this instance the property
involved in the alleged deal u j
the Bush Consolidated, the
largest group of mining prop 1
erties in the Portland Cana
district and combining large
blocks of ground on both the
Alaskan and Canadian sides o1
the international boundary
line. The American propertie:
adjoin the Premier and Wood
bine holdings on the west
while the Canadian grouivp ;
borders on the Sebakwe and
other well known properties
lying north of the Premier.
The reports state that the
Consolidated holdings haye
been taken o\rer and will be
developed by the Whitney in
terests, which recently ac
quired control of the Flin Flon
property in Manitoba. The lat
ter deal is said to have been
one of the greatest mining un
dertakings in Canada in re
cent years and involves an ex
penditure of more than fifty
million dollars.
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CHICKAMIN ROAD
SURVEY COMPLETED
The survey crew of the Bu- j
reau of Public Roads working
on the Chickamin River during
the past summer, completed it‘ !
task of surveying a route for a
future wagon road from tide- i
water to the lower end of the >
Chickamin glacier sevei’al
weeks ago, according to re- i
cent reports from Juneau.
The party, headed by Walter |
J. Sisson, chief engineer and j
inspector-superintendent, took i
the field early in July.
The purpose of the survey was
to provide cost estimates for |
construction of a low type of j
development road into the
Chickamin district should the
mineral prospects justify.
MOUNTAINVIEW STRIKE
SHOWING UP VERY WELL
Recent development work on
the Mountainview Gold Min
ing Company’s Gray Copper
vein has revealed what is de
scribed by Arthur Moa, gener
al manager, as a very good
grade of milling ore running
both ways from the main tun
nel, which intersects the vein
1822 from the portal and 400
feet below the outcrops.
Before leaving for the out
ude recently, Mr. Moa inform
ed the Herald that the west
drift had penetrated the vein
for a distance of 55 feet, while
he east drift had been driven
on the ore 30 feet, with both
drifts showing a full face of j
ore all the way.
The vein lies in a quartz-por
phyry zone an d the ore is
strongly mineralized with chal- j
copyrite and gray copper. Ga
lena is also showing up strong
ly and promises to become one
of the main elements.
The fact that the vein is show
ing up so well at a depth of
100 feet is considered a very
favorable indication that some
very good ore will be found
near the upper end, where the
best va'ues are k .own to be
A new tunnel, started recent
ly and running in a north-east
erly direction from the main
tunnel, is being extended along
he quartz-porphyry zone and
has as its objectives the cross
cutting of the very promising
Marsh, Gold and T uby Silver
veins, all of which carry good
surface values and promise to
develop large and valuable ore
resources if they go down to
the same depth as the Gray
Copper vein.
Supplies sufficient to carry
on through the winter were
;aken to the camp recently
and the company expects to
employ' a crew of ten men
throughout the winter.
o
;
!
NEW DREDGES OPERATE
IN FAIRBANKS DISTRICT
The operation of several dred
ges in the Fairbanks district
during the past season has
filled the camp with new opti
mism and Fairbanks is said to
be taking on the appearance of
a permanent city. Two new
dredges began operations this
year, one on Fish creek and an
other on American creek in the
Hot Springs district. It is said
to be the intention of the Fair
banks Exploration Company to
begin assembling the first of j
its giant dredges shortly after j
the fii’st of the year and it is!
expected that at least two of j
the big gold diggers will be in j
operation next summer. The |
campany employed about 900
men during the seasori and a !
considerable number will be
retained on the payroll thru-1
out the year.
Hector McDonald, Premier
mine foreman, left for Van
couver to spend the holidays.
..See our brand new stock of
Christmas toys and novelties
at moderate prices— Bound
ary Gift Shop.
BILL PROPOSES ELECTION
OF ALASKA GOVERNOR
Election of the governor af
Alasika by the people of the
Territory is asked in a number
of resolutions introduced in the
House of Representatives by
delegate Dan. Sutherland, re
cent Washington press dis
patched announced.
The governorship biff, whidh
was described by the delegaie
as in line with the recent gov
ernmental policy of increasing
the authority of the residents
in Alaskan affairs, would take
the selection of the Alaska ex
ecutive entirely out of the
hands of the president. The
measure provides that the first
popular election would be held
the first Monday in November,
1930.
The delegate has also intro
duced a number of additional
resolutions on various subjects.
One provides for a $50,000 ap
propriation for acquiring musk
oxen for experimentation look
ing to their domestication; aji
other measure would author
ize appeal of all criminal pros
ecutions in federal courts to
the Ninth Circuit Court of Ap
peals. Others provide for the
transference of the criminally
insane in Alaska to St. Eliza
beth Hospital, Washington, D.
C., at government expense.
A fourth provides! for the es
tablishment of a land district
in southeastern Alaska and ap
pointment of a receiver and
registrar at Juneau. Other
bills empower the town of An
chorage to issue $100,000 in
school bonds; authorize the
patenting of public lands near
Seward to the Women’s Home
Missionary Society of the
Methodist Episcopal Church;
fix the salaries of federal mar
shals at $6,000 per year. Still
another would relieve Alas
kans from the necessity of fil
ing bonds in legal proceedings.
o
BOUNTY LAW MUST BE
STRICTLY OBSERVED
Trappers and hunters of pred
atory animals are warned that
they cannot collect Territor
ial bounties for wolves and
coyotes unless the law is fol
lowed in exact detail.
Many are reported losing con
siderable sums of bounty mon
ey through not realizing that
simply, presenting a pelt will
not entitle them to the bounty.
The session laws of Alaska
provide that the “radius and
ulna’’ of the left forearm ot
the animal must be attached to
the pelt when presented to a
U. S. Commissioner for bounty
payment. The sum of $15 is
paid for each pelt, with the
indicated bones attached, when
the hunter makes affidavit as
to the time and place where
the animal was taken.
u
The motorship Norco arrived
from Seattle direct Saturday
evening with a good sized car
go of Christmas merchandise
for local shippers. The vessel
also carried eight passengers,
all of whom were bound for
other points in this district.
WM. FILLIER MEETS
DEATH IN MARMOT
RIVER SNOWSLIDE
Overtaken by a great snow
slide on the Porter-Idaho trail
Saturday morning, William Fil
lier, miner, aged about 45 and
a pioneer resident of the Port
land Canal district, met a hor
rible death, and his compan
ion, A. D. Murray, also of
Stewart, escaped a similar fate
in almost miraculous manner,
after being twice hurled down
the precipitous mountain slope
and over the brink of a lofty
precipice by recurring slides.
Although badly bruised and
suffering from an injured hip,
Murray, after extricating him
self from the snow at the bot
tom of a deep canyon some
1500 feet below the trail, first
attempted to locate his missing
companion and later made his
way to the beach at the mouth
of Marmot River to give the
alarm by telephone to Hyder
and Stewart.
According to the story told by
Murray, who has been em
ployed at the Porter-Idaho for
the past four years, Fillier and
he were proceeding up the
steep mountainside about 10:
30 a. m. when the accident oc- j
cured at a point about midway j
between Marmot forks and the I
Green Point cabin, at an alti- ;
tude of 2000 feet. Each of the
men bore packs containing
supplies for the Christmas din
ner of the mine crew. Proceed
ing along the trail, Murray
was 50 feet or so in the lead
j breaking trail, noticed a slide
! coming down the mountain
i some distance above. Realizing
l they might be overtaken, Mur
' ray threw off his pack and
called to his companion to j
watch the slide and if it came j
i their way to hold on to some
bushes protruding through the
snow at that point. Murray was
passing over a cleared space at
the time and was without
means of supporting himself
against the onrushing snow.
The warning was scarcely giv
en before the tumbling ava- ]
lanche was upon them and j
both were engulfed in it3 chilly
maw. Murray states: that ■
he cannot recall hi3 sensations,
beyond that he felt himself ■
tossed and buffeted beneath
the onrushing mass for several
minutes before the slide sud- ■
denly stopped and he emerged
from the icy smother unhurt. :
Although able to see over a
wide area, Murray could dis
cern no sign of Fillier but not
iced one of the packs protrud
ing from the snow some dist- 1
tance away. Thinking it might :
be Fillier’s, he crossed to where
the bundle lay, only to find it 1
was the one he had discarded
shortly before. After a further 1
search he succeeded in finding :
Fillier’s hat but no other trace '•
of the missing man. Loath to 1
leave the scene without a more 1
extensive- search for his unfor- :
tunate companion, Murraythen •
proceded to probe the snow :
with branches cut from pro- <
truding bushes.
While thus engaged he was
| suddenly overwhelmed by a
second slide, which came rush- 1
ing down the slope at terrific i
j speed.
Caught by the hurtling mass,' i
SALMON DECREASE
CUTS NOVEMBER EX
PORTS TO LOW FIGURE
Alaskan products shipped to
the States last month had a tot
al value of $2,130,657, accord
ing to the monthly statement
of coiT^ctor of customs J. C.
McBride. This is the lowest fig
ure for November shipments in
a long period and is a result of
very large decreases in canned
salmon and copper shipments,
augmented by material losses
in other fish products.
The volume of the month’s
business was $1,508,311 less
than in November 1926, when
the value was $4,638,968. The
unprecedented small salmon
pack amounted to only $347,
870, against $1,739,594 for
November 1926. Copper ex
ports decreased from $1,127,
432 in November last year to
$390,447 last month, a de
crease of $736,975. A reduct
ion of $81,495 is also shown
in the herring pack , which tot
aled $420,494. The report,
however, shows moderate in
creases in the value of fur and
reindeer exports.
A feature of the month’s
business was a shipment of
14,170 pounds of wool and
4,300 pounds of vegetables.
-o
H. H. Tanner left for Seattle
Thursday to spend the holiday
season.
The Crawford Transfer Co.
has added to its extensive
tranfer and freighting equip
ment a new caterpillar tractor
sspecially designed to operate
in snowy country. The ma
chine is capable of hauling a
14-ton load on thesnow and is
equipped with a heated driv
es cab.
Murray was carried down the
mountain and flung into a
deep canyon crossing the
mountainside 1500 feet below.
What occurred during his de
scent, although he was evi
iently under the snow for
:hree or four minutes. His
most vivid impression is of bat
ling for breath against the
mothering particles which
illed his nose and mouth with
suffocating persistency. He
,vas also cognizant of when he
'ell over the canyon brink and
etained enough presence of j
mind to try to turn his body in
mid-air to avoid falling on his j
lead. Save at the moment of i
ilunging over the precipice, j
Murray was entirely covered '
>y the snow during the entire
:ourse of his descent. The brief
flimpse of daylight afforded
lim at that moment was blot
ed out a few seconds later as
le struck the deep snow on the
:anyon floor, several hundred
'eet from the rim. Finding his'
irogress stayed at the bottom j
)f the snow-filled gash in the 1
mountain, Murray struggled
'iercely to escape from the
snow covering his body and
it last freed himself, bruised
md battered but providenaial
y able to walk after a brief
iest. Seeing no sign of Fillier
le decided to make his way
jack to the beach, where he ar
•ived several hours later.
Following the receipt of Mur
ray’s report of the accident,
NORTHWESTERN LOSS
SHATTERS XMAS HOPES
OF ALASKA KIDDIES
Bearing many housands of
dollars worth of Christmas
gifts for Alaskan kiddies, the
steamship Northwestern, of
the Alaska Steamship Comp
any, drove headlong on the
rocks of Cape Mudge, near
the entrance to Seymour Nar
rows at 5 a. m. last Sunday
morning. The big liner, com
manded by Capt. “Jack” Liv
ingston,well known in this port,
went ashore in a blinding snow
storm with a list of 107 passen
ges and a crew of 75, while
proceeding at slow speed. The
blizzard is said to have been
the worst in years and for more
than eight hours after the ves
sel grounded, all attempts to
land the passengers were fut
ile, owing to thesnow and rag
ing seas. A line was passed a
shore soon after daylight but
could not be used, while the
ship pounded heavily on the
rocks and death threatened all
on board. Later the passing
halibut schooner Explorer suc
ceeded in reaching the badly
holed steamer and took off the
passengers and about 50 of the
crew, all of whom weie safely
landed at Campbell River.
The registered and first class
mails were also saved, but sev
eral hundred sacks of Christ
mas packages for Alaskan cit
ies had to be abandoned, as the
vessel settled and gradually
submerged to her main deck
fore and aft. Hopes are enter
tained that some of the par
cel post mail may be saved
but anything that water will
harm will be lost.
Mrs. Jane Warner, steward
ess of the ship, was the hero
ine of the wreck’ when she
calmly awakened the passen
gers and informed them that
the ship was aground but in no
immediate danger.
The latest reports indicate
that the steamer, which is fam
iliar to the people of. every
Alaska port, will be a total
loss.
a search party of ten men was
organized inHyder and Stew
art by Provincial Constable
Potterton and Oren F. Hill, dir
ector of the Porter-Idaho com
pany, and left for the scene
Saturday evening, with the in
tention of proceeding up the
mountain Sunday morning.
The party was provisioned for
several days and prepared to
make a thorough search for
Fillier’s remains. Among the
searchers were E. E. Charle
ton, Constable Potterton, Wm.
Hoble, Homer Ficklin, Gus.
Errickson, J. Reed and Jack
Storey. The names of the oth
ers could not be learned up to
the time of writing.
Despite his battered state,
Murray, who is almost a ner
vous wreck as a result of his
terrible experience, insisted on
accompanying the searchers
to the scene. Murray is said by
friends to have encountered a
similar experience on the same
trail several years ago.
The unfortunate Wm. Fillier
was an early-day settler in the
district, having arrived here
about 15 years ago, and was
well and favorably known.