HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY THE PACIFIC - YUKON - ALASKA HIGHWAY
/■. ' '
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
^ i .— . . J
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
>**" ■ 1 .. 1
SUBSCRIPTIONS
*3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOL. 8, NO. 10
1IYDER, ALASKA, DECEMBER 19, 1931
BY THE YEAR $3.0f
ALASKA BREAKS
GOLD PRODUCTION
RECORD OF DECADE
Alaska’s annual gold and
silver production records for
more than a decade were brok
en last month when shipments
of the metals for the year
reached a total of $8,249,331,
according to Customs Service
figures. This was $437,298
more than the total of gold
and silver exports for the en
tire calender year of 1930 and
has not been exceeded by the
output of any year since 1919.
As indicated in the customs
service report for November
published in another column,
November production of gold ;
and silver amounted to $1,-•
082,566. This was one of the
heaviest November movements,
of these metals in years and
was close to the peak record ,
for the current year, set in
March with a total of $1,365,
679. August shipments were
the third largest for the year,
totaling $1,002,464. Providing
that December production
maintains the same average,
for the year will exceed $9,
000,000 and will then be the
heaviest since 1917, when the j
annual production totaled
$14,939,440.
--o- i
Pioneers Elect New Officials
__
Chas. Duke, of Stewart, was \
elected president of the local 1
Igloo of the Pioneers of Alas- j
ka at the annual election held 1
in Pioneer Hall Tuesday even
ing. Other officers chosen to !
preside over the affairs of the
Igloo during the coming year
were: Louis Watkins, first [
vice-president; Patrick Staple-!
ton, second vice-president; j
Clyde Hager, secretary; T. II.
Evans, treasurer; George!
Bunn, chaplain; Chas. F.
Sandford, historian; J. J. Re
gan, seargeant at arms; Roy;
C. McLeod, trustee.
The new officers will be in
stalled at the next meeting,
to be held the first Tuesday
in January.
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Friends Pay Roden’s Fine
Friends from Nome and Ket
chikan united in securing the
release of Henry Roden, prom
inent attorney,who went to jail
recently in Juneau rather than j
pay a fine of $200 for con-!
tempt of court.
While the major portion of:
the money to pay the fine was;
raised in Juneau, friends thru-1
out the Territory telegraphed 1
their contribution and the fine
was paid before Mr. Roden
became aware of the testimon- j
ial to his widespread popular
ity.
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Shortest Day Next Week
Next Tuesday, December 22,
will be the shortest day of the
year. Also it will be the day
on which winter officially be
gins, although it has seemed to
us that the frosty bearded old
gentleman has been on the job
hereabouts for quite some
time. However, the astronom-1
ers say the day marks the time !
of the winter solstice, when the
sun enters the tropic of Capri
corn and starts back on the
long journey which culmin
ates in the summer solstice
and the longest day in the year
on June 21.
New Drill Program
For Big Missouri
The Buena Vista Mining Co.
drilling program on the Big
Missouri property will be con
tinued for an additional two
months period after the close
of the present contract period,
which was scheduled to ter
minate December 15, it be
came known this week, altho
no official announcement has
been made.
Dr. H. Jure, one of the Con
solidated M. and S. Go. geolog
ical staff, arrived Thursday to
examine recent geological de
velopments and M. M. O’Brien,
the company mines manager,
is also expected to arrive here
Saturday by special boat from
Prince Rupert on a hurried
trip. What the new develop
ments portend could not be
ascertained.
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Alaskans Have Old
Ag'e Relief Plan
John D. Morgan and Larry
Lan, both residing at Cordova,
have devised a plan that they
believe would effectually re
lieve all future suffering caus
ed by unemployment and des
titution from old age, if it
could be made effective. This
plan has been submitted to j
Delegate Wickersham, who in
turn has referred it to Walter
3. Gifford, chairman of the
President’s organization for
unemployment relief. The
plan provides that all wage
earners of both sex be com
pelled through the proper
channels of legislation to con
tribute a small portion of their
monthly wages to a fund to be
known as the “Free Givers
Fund.” It is contemplated that
contributions would be made
as follows: Those earning from
$50 to $100 per month to pay
25 cents; from $100 to $150,
50 cents; from $150 to $200,
75 cents; from $200 to $300, ;
$1.00; from $300 to $400,
$1.50; from $400 to $500,
$2.00; all over $500 to pay '
$2.50 per month. The profes
sional and business people of
the country to be charged ac
cording to the amount of busi
ness done each month, no class 1
of business or political office <
holder to be exempt from this
tax. ;
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Canadian Exchange
Falls to 30 Per Cent
The exchange on Canadian
currency increased to 30 per
cent locally, following a sharp
decline in New York Monday.
This is the highest rate of ex
change charged in many years'
and is proving a severe hard
ship to local tradesmen, owing
to the fact that most of the
money in circulation locally
comes at present from the Can
adian side of the boundary
line.
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Hospital To Close
December 4 31
Owing to the failure to se
cure sufficient local pledges
of support during the winter
reason, despite strenuous ef
forts on the part of the hos
pital board and interested cit
izens, it has been definitely de
cided to close the hospital at
the end of the present month,
according to reports from
Stewart this week.
A dance will be held New
Year’s eve,, the returns from
which, it is hoped, will help
to clear up the present deficit.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS
TREE WEDNESDAY
The annual community Christ
mas celebration for the child
ren of Hyder will be held in
Pioneer Hall next Wednesday
evening (Dec. 23), instead of
on Christmas eve, as has
been the custom in the paSt.
The program, to be given by
the children of Hyder public
school under the direction of
Miss Isabel Thoma, teacher in
charge, will include a wide
variety of entertaining feat
ures ranging from songs, re
citations, dances and musical
numbers to a humorous play.
The little folks have been prac
ticing assiduously for some
weeks and may be expected to
provide a decidedly interesting
entertainment.
The crowning event will be
the distribution of gifts from
the big Christmas tree by Santa
in person. Each child will re
ceive at least one gift, in addit
ion to a supply of goodies. The
complete program to be given
by the children follows:
1. Christmas at Home.
2. Dance Bobby Reid
3. A Christmas Wish Paul
Hummel.
4. Song: Santa Claus Lana
Lower Grades.
5. The Day After Christmas
Lower Grades.
3. Who Took That Pie? Jew
sl Rice and Kenneth Legge.
7. Play: The Millinery Shop,
Llpper grades and high school,
i. Piano duet: Jewel Rice and
Peggy Reid.
3. Busy Maids Lower Grade
jirls.
10. Christmas Carols Upper
grades.
11. A Hasty Cure Eric Lind
jaard, Sarah and Catherine
Finlayson.
12. Minuet: Jewel Rice, Peggy
teid, Sarah Finlayson, Frances
Sandford.
-.-o
\laskan Seal Herd
Gaining in Number
Increasing 81,981 between
\ug. 10, 1930, and the same
late in 1931, the fur seal herd
)n the Pribilof Islands, Alas
ka, now includes 1,127,082
mimals, according to the Bur
mu of Fisheries, Department
>f Commerce.
These figures indicate a eon
inued satisfactory growth of
he herd, the Bureau declared.
The recent sale of 9,515
fur-seal skins, which were
:aken in the 1930-31 season,
yielded approximately $150,
300 to the Government and the
sealing company. Averaging
£17.07 per skin, 5,535 dyed
black skins were sold; 3,980
lyed logwood brown skins av
eraged $15.02. The price of
black skins has declined 10.5
per cent since 1930 and the
price of brown skins 9.2 per
cent.
The Pribilof herd is now
made up of 358,642 cows, like
number of pups, 178,036 year
ling and 2-year-old females.
11,121 harem and idle bulls,
and 220,641 males of all other
classes.
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Zapora Due Tomorrow
The motorship Zapora is due
to arrive from Seattle some
time Sunday. The vessel was
scheduled to leave the Puget
Sound port Tuesday at mid
night.
NOVEMBER EXPORTS
■ UP TO AVERAGE
Alaska exports to the States
j during November, including
! gold and silver, attained a to
ital value of $2,175,406. ac
cording to the monthly state
ment of the Collector of Cus
toms, J. C. McBride. While
j somewhat lower in value than
! fpr the same month last year,
j the decrease was well up to
the monthly average for the
piesent year in spite of the ad
verse conditions of the period.
Canned salmon, as usual, was
the leading item for the month
in the merchandise exports
with a total value of $390,217.
Halibut attained second place
on the list with $165,352: her
ring was third with exports
totaling $101,313, and copper
was fourth with $87,439.
The gold and silver exports,
totaling $1,082,566, were con
siderably lower than for No
vember, 1930, when the total
was $1,376,326. Following is
the complete list of commodi
ties and their respective values.
uiue lUAes . <*>
Other animals.
Curios.
Fish: Fresh and
Frozen (except
shell-fish)
Halibut .
Salmon ..
All other.
Canned (except
shell-fish)
Salmon .
Cured or preserved
(except shell-fish)
Cod .
Herring .
Salmon . .
Shell-fish
Clams .
Crabs .
Shrimps .
Other fish products
Meal .
Oil .
Furs and fur-skins
Seal skins.
Blue fox .
Silver or black fox
Red fox .
White fox .
Mink .
Muskrat .
Beaver...
All other .
Manufactured furs..
Ore, matte, regulus
Copper .
Lead .
Reindeer meat .
Trophies, specimens
Timber and lumber
All other articles ..
no
1,350
457
165,352
23,820
11,903
390,317
169 ;
101.313 ;
23,891 j
2,866
2 223
14,012
9,692
12,459
196
25;
100 ,
1,030,
1,150
37 1
2,352
270
2.868 I
87.439
9,249 i
8,618
5,770
10,250 I
14,045 i
Total value of pro
ducts of Alaska. 903,368
Products of the Unit- ;
ed States returned .. 139,368
Total value of for
eign products. 420
Total value of shipments
of merchandise. $1,092,830
Gold . 1,077,499
Silver . 5,067
Grand Ttoal . $2,175,400
-o
Whist Drive Pleasant Affair
The monthly whist drive of
the Friendship Club was held
in Pioneer Hall Thursday ev
ening and was a most enjoy
able function, with good at
tendance.
Mrs. R. C. Young carried off
the prize in the ladies’ divis
ion and the mens’ prize was
annexed by Clyde B. Hager.
New Motor Law Effective
Jan. 1: Tax Paid Here
j The new motor license law
.passed by the 1931 Alaska
Legislature will become ef
fective January 1, 1932.
The new statute provides a
license tax for every type of
automobile operated in the
Territory of Alaska, regard
I less of the character of own
ership or use.
The lax on autos or trucks
carrying passengers for hire
is fixed by the law at $15 per
j annum. On all other automo
| biles,, trucks, delivery car.',
and motorcycles the tax is $10
1 per annum. The law defines
| “per annum” as the mean eal
i endar year for which license
! is issued, but provides that af
ter September 1, the license
fee shall be one-half of the
amount taxed for the full cal
endar year.
A feature of the new law
is that it provides that the tax
shall be collected and the li- j
cense plates be issued by the j
municipal clerks of incorpor
ated towns and by United
States Commissioners in their
reSDective nrecinH* and i
United States Marshals and i
their deputies are charged
with the enforcement of the
law.
The act provides that any i
citizen of the United States or j
the Dominion of Canada who
shall bring into Alaska an!
automobile bearing license j
plates of and duly licensed un-!
der the laws of any state of
the United States or any prov
ince of Canada and who shall
use such automobile for pleas
ure only shall be exempt from
the provisions of the Alaska
act for a period of 90-days af
ter entry into the Territory, j
License plates are to be at-1
tached in the usual manner at (
the front and rear, so that 1
they shall be plainly visible.
The law provides fuither,
that any person, firm or cor
poration operating a motor
vehicle in Alaska without hav
ing paid and secured a license, i
or without having the license
plates attached shall be guilty [
cf a misdemeanor and punish- j
able by a maximum fine of j
$100 and the costs of action
upon conviction, and each day ^
of operation contrary to its j
provisions are to be deemed a
separate offense and punish
able accordingly.
License plates for local use
have been received and will
be issued by the U. S. Com
missioner on application.
I
Jack Bur'm Passes On
J. A. Burns, well known
iv'-nhern barker, who operated
the Northern Pool Hall bar
ber shop in Hyder two years
ago, died suddenly at Mile 39
on the Haines Pleasant Camp
load during the first days of
December, according to Ju
neau advices.
Mr. Burns was engeged in
operating a road house at that
point at the time of his de
mise. He was 45 years of age)
and is survived by one broth-j
er, who resides in Michigan.
Particulars of the death were
not received.
-o
District Court Meets
The United States district
court for this division will
hold its next session in Ketch
ikan commencing January 11,
according to late reports.
IMPORTANT ALASKA
MEASURESPROPOSED
BV WiCKERSHAM
In addition to many bills for
pensions and private claims
Delegate Wickersham has pre
pared and sent to the Clerk of
the House for introduction in
Congress many important
measures, among which are
the follQwing:
A bill to amend the Organic
Act and give the Territory
greater powers; providing
that the Legislative Assembly
shall have power to provide
for the creation and organi
zation of counties and county
government; that no county
shall have less than 500 legal
voters nor a less area than 2,
000 square miles, and shall
not be created until the quest
ion is first submitted to the
legal electors residing within
the proposed county and ap
pi'oved by three-fifths majority
of the legal votes at such
election.
That the United States shall
annually pay to the Territory
a sum equal to fifty per cent
of the amount received from
the share of the U. S. in the
operation of the seal fisheries
of the Pribilof Islands.
To repeal the Act of Con
gress entitled ‘‘An Act to pro
hibit the manufacture or sale
of alcoholic liquors in the Ter
ritory of Alaska.”
To establish a Supreme
Court for the Territory of
Alaska, to be composed of a
Chief Justice and four district
judges.
To authorize the construct
ion of a Coal Bunker as a part
of the Alaska Railroad at Sew
ard, and appropriating $75,
000 therefor.
To authorize the Secretary
of the Treasury to purchase
block 8 in the town of Juneau
for the site and better fire
protection of the Federal and
Territorial building, and ap
propriating $80,000 for carry
ing out the purposes of the
Act; providing that the town
of Juneau shall first donate
$4,000 to assist in the purchase
of the land.
To authorize the entry of fur
farming homesteads, after a
lesee has resided on the land
for at least three years and
paying $2.50 per acre for said
land.
lo repeal the present law
providing for the location of
placer mining claims and re
storing to Alaska the general
mining laws of the United
States, as pertaining to placer
claims. (By request of the Ter
ritorial Legislature.)
To provide that no boat, trap,
or other property, belonging
to any Indian or other person
residing in Alaska, shall be
seized and held for forfeiture
for alleged violation of the
fisheries law, until after ar
rest. trial and conviction of the
owner or operator of said prop
erty.
Amending a bill to provide
that it shall be unlawful to
wantonly wast_* or destroy
salmon or other food fishes
taken in the waters of Alas
ka; nor shall any portion of
food fishes, except the offal,
be manufactured into oil or
fertilizer.