HYDER WEEKLY MINER
’ / . _/_
VOL IV, NO. XUI
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HYDER, ALASKA, MONDAY, MARCH 3,1924
FIFTY CENTS A MCKTJ
Lafollette Demands Probe Of
Alaska Coal Land Transfers
Following hard on the heels
of the Tea-Pot Dome oil grant
expose, the revelations of
which have created one of the
greatest national scandals in
the history of the United
States, Senator Robert M. La
follette has introduced a res
olution in the senate calling for
an investigation of an alleged
plot whereby the coal areas
set aside for the use of the
Navy in the Matanuska coal
fields were turned over to the
Interior department during the
incumbency of former Secre
tary Fall, whose alleged man
ipulations in connection with
the leasing of the Tea-Pot
Dome naval oil lands form the
basis of the present oil probe.
Following repeated tests; the
Navy department spent ap
proximately a million dollars
developing the Eska mine in
the Chickaloon area, installed
a coal washing plant costing
nearly a quarter million, osten
sibly to prepare the coal for
naval use, then, for no appai
einl. reason, all government1
work ceased; it was announced
I that the operation of the Chick
ialoon plant and the use of
Alaska coal was “impractical,”
and the coal lands were turn
ed over to the Department of
the Interior. It now develops
that S. Sumner Smith, of the
Bureau of Mines, who directed
the governmental development
jwork and supervised the large
expenditure of money, later ap
j plied for a permit to operate
the mines privately.
The investigation asked by
Senator Lafollette is said to be
animated by recent charges
laid before President Coolidge,
by John E. Ballaine, of Seward,
in which Ballaine declared
ithat under a plan sponsored
by Secretary Fall, private in
terests, after obtaining possess
ion of the naval reserve coal
lands, planned to sell the coal
to the Navy, ^allaine charged
that coal from the Mat
anuska area suitable for all
; purposes of the Navy can be
laid down at the seacoast for
i $9.50 per ton, as against $11 a
ton, the price paid by the Navy
for coal at present.
NENANA-MCGRATH
MAIL PLANE TEST
HIGHLY SUCCESFUL
A private telegram reaching
Seattle February 21 announced
that the first test run of the
government mail aeroplane
over the proposed Nenana-Mc
Grath air mail route was en
tirely successful, the plane re
cently sent in by the Postoffice
department for use by Aviatoi
C.B. Gilson covering the dis
tance, 230 miles, in four hours.
Dog teams usually require 20
days or more to make the run.
NEW YUKON SILVER
STRIKE LOOMS BIG
The latest reports from the
new silver strike in the Bear
river section, 50 miles from
Keno City, indicate that the
new district may develop into
an amazingly rich silver field.
Capt. Erickson and Robt. Fis
cher, have located three rich
veins of silver bearing ore at
a point about four miles from
Silver Hill, scene of last sum
mer’s strike. One of the veins
carries grey copper that assay
ed 2,200 ounces to the ton.
Hargraves and Bussey, who
are connected with the Yukon
• Treadwell fining Company,
were among the first to locate
ground in the new field. News
of the strike drew a consider
able number from Keno City,
and many stampeders se
cured claims in spite of 30 be
low weather.
Thirty seven tons of mine
machinery and equipment for
the Riverside 'mine arrived on
the freighter Oduna. The ship
ment included a semi-Diesel en
gine and a compressor, in ad
dition to other mine apparatus,
which will be installed at an
early date.
The shipment is the forerun
ner of an extensive movement
of machinery for the newly
projected 100 ton mill which
will be installed during the
coming season. The mine is
said to have a large supply of
good milling ore in sight and
is expected to become an ex
cellent producer next summer.
VALENTINE APPEALS
REPRESENTATIVE DECIS
Following the denial by Judge
T. M. Reed of a petition by Em
ery Valentine, of Juneau, ask
ing for a permanent injunction
restraining the city of Juneau
from appropriating $2,000
of municipal funds for the pur
pose of sending a represent
ative to Washington on behalf
of the proposal to divide Alas
ka and to assist in furthering
other measures of importance
to Juneau and the. First Div
ision. Valentine, through his
attorney appealed the case to
the Circuit Court of Appeals
at San Francisco, according to
the Alaska Examiner, the new
political journal published by
John W. Frame in Ketchikan,
j The Examiner in making the
announcement charges that
jthe Juneau Empire is owned
and controlled by the “corpor
ations” and, although giving
a full account of Judge Reed’s
! decision denying the injunct
ion, failed to announce that
1Mr. Valentine had appealed.
A splendid series of Para
mount and First National at
tractions continue to please the
show-goers at the Stewart Op
era House motion picture show
and a cursory survey of the
bookings for coming weeks re
veals some of the most popular
film productions of the past
year, including such artistic
and powerful productions as
When Knighthood Was In
iFlower,” featuring beautiful
| Marion Davis, and others of
equal or greater celebrity.
Next Saturday, March 8, the
| offering will be the splendid
j First National film version of
that powerful and^appealing
j story “Tolerable David, with
! Richard Barth^lmass, hailed as
'the greatest of the younger
film actors of the present day.
{ The story is brimful of action
and filled with powerful sit
uations. The following Satilr
day, March 15, the theatre will
i present Pola Negri, in a grip
ping tale of love and intrigue,
i“The Passion.”
Shenandoah Flight Halted
By Order Of President
Presaging possible complete ,
abandonment of the project, ,
President Coolidge has given !
orders to suspend all prepar
ations for the proposed Arctic I
flight of the haval dirigible !
Shenandoah until Congress!
has an opportunity to express j
its views on the subject. The
presidential action is said tu!
be animatedi by objections
raised by certain congressme i
against the expenditure of the
3850,000 which would be in
volved in the flight. Although j
efforts were started at once to
secure congressional assent to
the flight, naval officers are
doubtful if sanction can be ob
tained in time to carry out the
plans this summer. Although
opposition to the flight has
been expressed in congress, no
organized fight has developed
and Representative Rogers, of
Masachusetts,, had planned to'
press for action a resolution foi
the House to go on record as
in favor of the expedition.
Hyder. Minstrels Stage
Very Pleasing Entertainment
Doubtless never before has
Hyder witnesed a more genu
inely entertaining theatrical
performance than was staged
at Pioneer Hall Wednesday
evening by the Hyder Minstrel
troupe for the benefit of the
Dorcas society and librarjrfund
of the Hyder M. E. church.
There was not a dull moment
throughout the entire perform
ance; the program from begin
ning to end sparkled with clev
er jokes, topical and local hits,
merry songs, good music and
clever characterizations. And
not alone was the dialogue and
musical offerings of the most
entertaining character but the
acting was also of a quality
scarcely to be expected in a
strictly amateur performance.
Many of the characterizations
presented were of decidedly
difficult description but were
acted in a manner that dis
closed not only fine acting abil
ity but also careful study and
training, as well as the excel
lent stage directing abilities of
Miss Marion Hunt, to whom is
due the chief credit for the
splendid performance.
Following a delightful open
ing overture by Mrs. F. E. Red
dick, piano, and Victor Dur
and, violin, the performance
opened with that famous old
darkey classic, “Carry Me
Back to old Virginny,” hum
med with splendid effect “back
stage” by the company while
the curtain rose, disclosing tide
“grand ensemble” of the old
fashioned minstrel shows, with
Ernest Blue as interlocutor, Dr.
F. E. Reddick as “bones,”
Mrs Mehlfeld as “tambo”, and
the remainder of the troupe,
consisting of Messrs. Fred
Cameron, Earl Hinckley, Harry
Howard, J. O. Lyon; Mesdames
■Albert Mayer, Louis Legge;
Misses Marion Hunt, Maye
Coombe, Dorothy Mehlfeld,
and Agnes Lundvall grouped
in picturesque array in the
background. The following
number was “Oh! Harold,” one
of the latest song hits of the
I East, by the company, which
I
Stickled the audience immense
ly and gained for the players
much well merited applause.
Then followed a'T&pid fire ex
change of quips and jokes
between the interlocutor and
various qharacfdrs, «comia
songs and recitations; a song
by Miss Coombe, a character
dance by Miss Helen Hall and
George Arseneau. Antonio
Grashio next appeared in a
delightful poetical rendition of
‘The American Beauty Rose,”
a poetization of George Be
br.n’s famous ’’The Sign of the
Ruse.” Mr.Grashio is an ac
complished aJnd experienced
entertainer and his recital
brought out in the fullest de
gree all the charm and pathos
of the exquisite bit of poetry.
Mr. Grashio’s clever present
ation was rewarded by two in
sistent encores in which he dis
played additional skill as a jok
ster and story teller.
Following an intermission the
rise of the curtain disclosed the
interior of a negro church,
with the congregation assem
bled to hear the celebrated
j darkey divine, Rev. Rufus
; Huntington Washburn Cool
idge, impersonated by H. H.
Howard, discuss profiteering
in all its aspects, as well as
other things. The burlesque
was extremely humorous and
one of the best things on the
program. Mr. Howard as the
colored pulpit expounder por
trayed the character in a way
that made the ribs of a major
ity of the large audience ache
long after they had left the
hall.
In addition to those already
referred to, the following are
entitled to special mention for
their meritous work: Mr. Cam
eron, whose recital of “Admis
sion into the Army” was one of
the best things on the program J
Dr. Reddick, whose, songs and
jokes as end man were a source
of continuous JamusemeHti;
Miss Hunt, whose recital of
“The Banjo” and rendition of
the song, “Dese Bones” were
(among the hits of the evening.
Pioneers Start Move For Free
Government Assay Office At Jcneai
On Ms visit to Juneau last
summer, Secretary Work, of
the Department of the Interior,
in reply to a request from T. J.
Ross, pioneer Alaskan miner,
that a free government as&a?
office be established at Juneau,
declared that the suggestion
was a good one and recommen,
ded that steps be taken to
bring the matter before con
gress at an early date.
The matter was taken up by
Igloo No. 6,Pioneers of Alaska,
land a committee consisting of
J. T. Ross, William Steinbeck
and Nels Anderson was ap
pointed to draft a suitable res
olution for presentation to the
authorities at Washington. The
committee reported at a late
meeting of the Igloo and the
report and resolution are now
in the hands of the printer and
will be ready for distribution
among other Igloos and com-*
niercial bodies throughout}
Southeastern Alaska for their
co-operation and sanction at an
early date. Copies will al o be
forwarded to members of Con
gress and Alaska’s delegate
will be asked to present a bill
providing for the construction
and maintenace of an assay
office at this place.—Stroller’s
Weekly.
.BELIEVED TOLOVANA
MAN BURNED TO DEATH
Reports from the Tolovana
section say that the cabin of
William Hirsch, located about
SO miles up the Tolovana riv
er, burned to the ground and
that no trace can be found of
the owner, who, it is believed,
perished in the flames. Three
natives visited the cabin Jan
uary 13, finding Hirsch alive
and apparently in good spirits.
When they returned a week
later they found a note pinned
to a tree about forty yards a
way from the cabin. It was
dated the 13th. and is very
rambling in its wording. The
writer also spoke of “thought
transference.” The natives said
that a heavy snow had fallen
and that no tracks could be
found showing that Hirsch
had left the cabin.
Mr. Hinckley gave a decidedly
clever impersonation of a brus
que and independent negro
character and also contributed
a number of good jokes ana
songs. Mrs. Mayer presented a i
fine characterization of a ne
gro “mammy” and led the song ;
“Missouri Waltz” in a wav
that made a decided hit with
the audience. Mrs. Legge a?
a darkeytown belle gave a fine
characterization and her song.
“ Just a Little Longer” was
among the hits of the evening
J. O. Lyon made a splendid
comedian and his song “I Don’t
jWant a Gal,” the words and
music of which were his own
composition, was among the
very clever contributions. Mrs.
Mehlfeld displayed consider
able ability as a comedian in
her role of end man and her
rendition of the song, No
body’s Darling was very good.
Special praise is also due to the
two juvenile members of the
cast, Misses Dorothy Mehlfeld
and Agnes Lundvall, who as
the “Gold Dust Twins” dis
played remarkable thespian
ability and achieved a distinct
hit with their song.
The performance was very
successful financially, the
hall being filled practically to
capacity. Business arrange
ments were conducted by Mess
ers Howard, Hinckley and Ly
on.
S. P. Fitzgerald, guiding
spirit of the Independence, and
Titan operations and one of
the most widely known mining
min, of if he Portland, Canal
district, returned Thursday
from a business trip to Vic
toria, Seattle and other south
ern points During his visit in
the former city Mr. Fitzgerald
completed the organization of
the Independence properties
a >d says the stock placed on
the market was far oversub
* ribed within a few day* orin
c'pally by Victoria people, al
though a small blo£k was dis
posed of in Seattle. The sale
o ' the initial one hundred and
fifty thousand shares has pro
vided ample working capital
to meet all requirements, Mr.
Fitzgerald says, but a fir
greater amount could h ive
been disposed of easily had it
b=?en desirable. He says the
Portland Canal section is at
tracting wide attention ;n Vic
toria and Vancouver and many
are seeking investments in the
d strict. The news of the Dun
well strike has created a sen
sation in southern B. C. and
may lead to much new invest
ment and development in the
near future.
Mr. Fitzgerald states that
Messrs Erickson, Forest and
associates successfully floated
the Rufus group, located or.
Bear river above the Indanen
dence group, in Victoria during
his stay in that section.
Mr.Fitzgerald says it is the in
tention of his company to con
tinue the development nro
gram inaugurated last fall for
the present but a new schedule
will probably be arranged for
next summer’s operations. Mr.
Fitzgrald brought in six tons
of supplies and equipment for
the Independence, including
cars and rails. He intends to
remain here only a short time
and will return to Victoria af
ter completing necessary ar
rangements at the Indepen
dence.
BILL FOR ELECTION O*
ALASKA GOVERNOR
Recent Washington advices
report that Delegate Dan SMth
erland has introduced a bill in
the lower house of Congress
providing for the direct elsct
of a Governor of Alaska. The
measure provides that the firs;
election under its provisions
shall take place November 4th,
next; that candidates to be el
igible, must have been bona
fide Presidents of the Territory
for three yeal-s iknmed I iely*
preceding the election, and
that the term of office shall be
four years.