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SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
- J
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
/—I" ■ ■' ■ 1
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOL 6, NO. 17
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1,1930.
PRICE TEN CENTS
ALASKA SECOND
LARGEST GOLD
PRODUCER! 1929
Alaska not only broke her
own gold production record
for the past decade in 1929 but
also achieved the distinction of
second place in the list of gold
producing states of the Union,
according to estimates made by
the Bureau of the Mint.
California was the state pro
ducing the largest amount of
gold in 1929 and was credited
with $8,306,500 in the year’s
total, while Alaska with $7,
783,300 came second and
South Dakota, with $6,379,700
was third.
Refined gold production in
the United States was estimat-1
ed by the mint bureau at $2,
128,027 ounces, valued at $43,
990,200. This was a reduction
of $2,175,200 from the count
ry’s gold o utput of 1928 and'
represented a sharp decline
from the record output of 19-1
15, which was $101,035,700. 1
The 1929 silver output was
4 estimated by the mint at $32,- j
540,678. This was an increase
of 2,475,093 ounces over 1928 j
output. Utah was the largest j
producer with 19,907,925 oun-i
ces. Montana was second and j
Idaho third.
i
The motorship Norco arrived
from Seattle via Ketchikan
early Monday evening. In ad
dition to a quantity of, local
cargo, the vessel also brought j
feed supplies for the Premier,!
which were landed at the i
Stewart dock.
--o
The Friendship Club held a
whist drive in Pioneer Hall
Thursday evening, with a con
siderable number in attend
ance.
Nine tables were filled during
the tourney.
The prize for ladies was won
by Mrs. C. N. Crone and R. C.
Young annexed the gentle
men’s prize.
-o— .
The Bank of Hyder complet
ed this week the installation of
a new steam heating system.
The plant was installed by Gus
Errickson under plans devised
by Ernest Blue, who recently
installed a similar system in his
home. As a result, the bank is
now one of the most comfort
ably heated business structures,
in the camp.
-o
Conrad Wolfle, head of the
Cantu Mining Company, con
trolling the Cantir and Silver
Bell properties in the Texas
Creek area, arrived from the
south Monday evening.
-o
Dick Olson, who has been
employed at the Sebakwe
and District Mines property
as blacksmith, left for Ketchi
kan last week. Mr. Olson will
stay in Ketchikan for a while
and then visit Seattle before re
turning here in the spring.
(JOHN I.. CAMPBELL
DiF.S IN SOUTH
John L. Campbell, one of the 1
camp’s best known pioneer res
idents and owner of the Camp- j
bell boarding house, passed
away in Tacoma, Washington,
| Tuesday evening, it was stated
* in a telegram from Mrs. Camp
! bell leceived here Wednesday
morning.
Mr. Campbell’s demise, the
message said, was the result of;
! pneumonia in its most serious
I form; known generally as
J double pneumonia.
Mr. Campbell, who had been
i ill from other causes for about
j two years, left for the south
| some weeks ago. At that time
he was well on the way to com
plete recovery, hence the news
of his death was a shock to his
friends in Hyder.
me deceased was a real
pioneer of the North, having
come to Alaska and the Yukon
during the great Klondike gold
tush. At later periods he re
sided with Mrs. Campbell in
! various parts of Alaska, inelud
| ing the Nome district, where
! he spent several years.
Coming to Hyder with Mrs.
! Campbell in 1919, Mr. Camp
' bell remained a resident of the
! district throughout the remain
j ing years of his life, save for a
I few short visits in the States.
I He was a man of excellent hab
j its and an upright citizen and
enjoyed the respect and regard
of all who knew his sterling
worth. In the absence of defi
nite information, his age, birth
place and antecedents cannot
be stated with certainty. He is
said by friends to have been
born in the southern states and
is believed to have been about
70 years of age at the time of
his unfortunate passing. So far
as known, Mrs. Campbell, to
j whom the sympathy of the
| community goes out in her sad
bereavement, is the only sur
viving relative.
The entire directorate of the 1
Big Missouri Mining Company I
was le-elected at the annua!
meeting held in Tacoma a few j
days ago, according to press j
reports. The report of Capt.;
Duncan McVichie on Big Miss
ouri mine development was not
ready for the meeting, it was i
said, and will be mailed to the
shareholders later. Informal
reports at the meeting are said
to have shown “extensive de- j
velopnrents in progress on the :
Big Missouri property.”
Sunday is ground-hog day,
when, according ot the ancient
belief, the ground-hog comes;
out of his hole in the hope of
finding that spring is at hand.!
| but returns to his winter hiber-j
nation for another six weeks if ;
he sees his shadow; the action j
meaning, of ecflirse, that spring
will be late. If he fails to see
his shadow, he is supposed to I
stay out and the spring will be
early.
Judging by the reports of
unusually cold weather all
over the country, the ground
hog would probably do well to
stay in his winter bed for a
while.
I
LARGER PLANT
PLANNED-FOR
INDEPENDENCE
With development consider
ably advanced during the past
season, extensive work is
planned on the Independence
Mining Company property in
the lower Bear Riyer section
this year, about $100,000 being
available for the purpose, ac
cording to a statement by Mr.
S. P. Fitzgerald published in a
Vancouver paper.
The Independence company
is controlled by the Revenue
Consolidated Mines, Ltd. Mr.
Fitzgerald stated that it is the
intention to install a compress
or equipment of much greater
capacity than the outfit now on
the ground. This will be of suf
ficient size to operate at least j
three drills, Mr. Fitzgerald
said. During the 1929 season
1065 feet of underground de
velopment was done on the
property. Veins No. 3 and 4
were tapped in the canyon and
will be drifted on this year.
The underground tunnelling
will also be extended to pick
up ore previously located by
diamond drilling., of which 3,
000 feet was done. Mr. Fitz
gerald said the general results
of development last season
were very satisfactory and en
couraging and proved that the
leads go to depth. The work
being still in the leached zone,
values were somewhat irregu
lar, but on the w'hole good min
eralization was encountered.
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i
B. C. MINERAL OUTPUT
SHOWS GAIN OVER 1928
I
I
An increase of approximate-!
ly five million dollars in value
is shown by British Columbia’s
mineral output in 1929, com
pared with 1928, according to
an estimate made by J. D. Gal
loway, provincial mineralogist,
and released by the British
Columbia department of mines.
The increase noted is equiva
lent to about 7 per cent. The
actual metal production shows
little change, however, the rise |
in value being accounted for!
by higher prices. A noticeable ;
feature of the year’s operat- j
ions is that the total tonnage ;
mined increased about 8 per
cent, indicating the strides that
have been made in the treat
ment of low grade ore..
The value of the mineral out
put for the year is estimated by
Dr. Galloway at 870,030,976,
as compared to $65,372,583 in
1928.
--o
Local friends of Mr. and Mrs.:
W. C. Arnold will be pleased
to learn that they are now the ;
proud parents of a son, born in
Ketchikan last Saturday and
tipping the beam at 7 1-2
pounds in his natal hour.
Dent forget the hospital dance
at Stewart Friday evening. '
NEWSY JOTTINGS
BEARING ON LOCAL
MINING ACMES
The Premier Border Gold
Mining Company is reported
contemplating a diamond drill
ing program for the Northern
Light property. Results at
tained in the long tunnel,
projected to intersect leads be
lieved to extend north from the
adjoining Premier property,
are currently reported to have
been somewhat disappointing,
although revealing promising
mineralization.
The sudden and unexpected
closing down of the Sebakwe
and Silverado operations dur
ing recent days is a subject on
which there is wide speculat
ion in mining circles. So far
there has been no announce
ment, official or otherwise, to
explain why two of the most
important exploratory opera
tions in the district have been
discontinued.
The failure to find important
lower extensions of the large
ore body previously located on
the third and fourth levels of
the Sebakwe is looked upon in
some quarters as a probable
cause for the suspension of ac
tivities on that property. Else
where the decline in silver is
believed to be an underlying
leason.
The shut-down on the Silver
ado is attributed generally to
disappointing results attained
in the search for the lower ex
tensions of the remarkably
rich leads found on the surface
two years or so ago, although
it is said on good authority
that considerable ore of mill
ing grade was located in the
upraise run by the Premier
company during the past year, j
The effect of the silver de
cline on local mining and mine
financing is a subject ofpara
mount interests among mining
men at present. While the
pessimistically inclined view
the situation with something
akin to alarm, it is the majority
view that prices will soon re
turn to more normal levels.
This view is sustained to some
extent by a recent upward ten
dency said to be due to an in
creased demand for silver from
the Far East, where buying re
cently became almost nil.
“Metals and Mineral Markets”
leports that recent reactions
and more active interest in the
market resulted from heavy .
buying from India and both
buying and selling for China
account, although the journal
admits that the tendency is un
certain. The December 28 is
sue of The Mining-World and
Engineering Record (London) j
reported the British silver mar- j
ket at the lowest level in 21
years. Silver was said to be
within 3»16d. per ounce of the
lowest price recorded there in
97 years.
The zinc market also appears
in an uncertain state, with a
steady downward tendency
manifested since October 19,
when the average price was
6.85c. During the past month
the price fell as low as 5.15c.’
I MORE CANDIDATES
FILE FOR PRIMARIES
Reports from Juneau an
nounce that Frank L. Knight,
Anchorage banker, has filed
for the nomination of Territor
ial Treasurer on the republican
ticket. Wallstein G. Smith,
present incumbent of the of
fice, has also filed for the nom
ination.
Elmer E. Reed, former clerk
of the district court at Nome
and for several years chief
deputy in the office of the U. S.
Marshal'for the First Division,
is a candidate for the republic
an nomination as Territorial
Auditor. Mr. Reed has the
support of many influential
people throughout the Terri
tory and is highly qualified by
long experience in important
government offices.
•o
Pete Lowe, who has been en
gaged since October in freight
ing supplies to the Mountain
Boy property in the upper
Bear River section, returned to
town Monday and reported
that supplies for the remain
der of the winter season are
now on the ground.
Two shifts are employed un
der the direction of Harry
Thomey.
Later
Since the above report was
typed, word has come from
Stewart that the Mountain Boy
operations have been closed
down. The reason for the shut
down is not known.
-o
HOSPITAL DANCE FRIDAY
A benefit dance for the hos
pital will be held in the Canad
ian Legion Hall, Stewart, next
Friday evening. The committee
in charge have arranged an ex
cellent program and all attend
ing are assured of a good time, |
in addition to helping to main-1
tain the district’s most needed
institution. The price of ad- j
mission will be $1 for gentle
men, ladies free.
n.
A. H. Benkendorf, proprietor j
of the Hyder Dye Works, who !
left recently for Seattle to se i
cure medical assistance for an i
infected foot, is now well on '
the way to complete recovery,!
according to letters received
Monday by Mrs. Benkendorf.
Following his arrival in Seat
tle it was found that the com
plaint from which he wras suf
fering was gangrene of the
bone, caused apparently by a
frost bite on his foot, sustained
last year. It was the opinion of
several physicians that ampu
tation of the limb would be
neccessary, but he was later
given a serum treatment by his
former physician, with highly
successful results; the progress
of the infection being entirely
stopped within a few days. An
operation was then performed
to remove a quantity of dis
eased tissue and resulted suc
cessfully. Mr. Benkendorf
wrote that he would be about
again in a few days.
EIELSON PLANE
FOUND WRECKED
ON ARCTIC COAST
Discovery last Saturday of
the shattered wreck of the air
plane of Carl Ben Eielson, not
ted Arctic flyer, and his com
panion, Earl Borland, on the
desolate north coast of Siberia
about 90 miles from North
Cape, by Joe. Crosson and Har
old Gillam, Alaskan flyers,
ended the long and hazardous
rearch for the missing airmen,
who disappeared November 9
after taking off from Teller,
Alaska, on a 500-mile flight^o
I the trading schooner Nanuk,
j fast in the Arctic icepack north
| east of North Cape.
The wrecked plane and its
occupants had made one flight
to the ice-bound schooner and
returned with over $30,000
I worth of furs, and was making
j a second trip when it dropped
! from sight..
| The bodies of the missing fly
| ers had not been located up to
| the time of the last reports, but
| there is scarcely a doubt that
that both Jhave perished.
Indications are that unless the
remains of the unfortunate avi
ators were buried beneath the
118 cases of gasoline carried in
j the cabin of the plane, their re
covery is very improbable, ow
ing to the presence of numer
ous wolves and other wild ani
mals, which would be apt to
discover and devour the bod
ies, even though covered with
I mow after the crash.
To Alaskans generally, the
I death of Eielson brings a sense
of personal loss, as his name
was synonymous with the
growth of commercial aviation
than any other individual is
than any othe r individual is
due the credit for the splendid
air service now firmly estab
lished in interior Alaska and
which has been not only a boon
to travelers over the wide
spaces of the North, but also
has been instrumental in sav
ing the lives of dozens of sick
and injured persons who could
reach medical assistance only
through the medium of the air
plane. In the eyes of the world
Eielson’s greatest fame rested
principally on his 2,200 mile
flight with Sir Hubert Wilkins
over the top of the world from
Alaska to Spitzbergen in 1928;
but to Alaskans his daring
flights through Arctic cold and
storm to succor the afflicted
were deeds of greater worth.
If we mistake not the spirit
of the north, Alaskans will
one day raise a monument to
his memory as the father of
aviation in Alaska and one of
the Northland’s greatest her
oes.
--o
Douglas L. Shaw, former res
ident of Ketchikan, who has
been located here for some
time, left for the First City last
week to resume permanent res
idence there.
Dont forget the hospital dance
at Stewart Friday evening. ' .