'1
AN ALL
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
lit *
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
■ 1 1 "
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PER HEAP
IN ADVANCE
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VOL 1, N0.45
HYDER, ALASKA, WEDNESDAY, JULY 15,1925
FIFTY CENTS A KCKTH
UNITED EMPIRE IS
RUSHING DEVELOPMENT
With threer shifts employed,
the opening up of the United
Empire property, formerly the
Gold Cliff, is proceeding at a
rapid pace and shipments of
picked ore are already being
prepared for the smelter. The
ox-e is obtained from one of a
series of veins which ci’oss
the property in a northerly
direction and are said to carry
high surface values. The vein,
which is said to present 'ex
tensive surface showings, has
been crosscut by a 50-foot
tunnel, from which drifts are
are being run on the ore. The
tunnel is also being extend
ed to cross cut at several
hundred feet depth one of the
main veins of the system, the
outcrops of which are several
hundred feet farther up the
mountain and are said to car- i
ry big values
The propei-ty is bonded to A.
B. Trites, of Premier fame. A.
St. Claire Brindle, M. E. is in
charge of operations.
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The Forestry trail crew,
which has been engaged in
trail construction work in the
Fish Creek section for some
time, has moved to Texas
Creek to iesume work on the
pack trail started last year.
The work done in the Fish I
Creek area has greatly im- j
proved traveling and trans
portatian conditions and is |
much appreciated by the min- i
ers of that active section, who
have had a rather tough time j
transporting supplies to their j
properties.
Judge Henry Roden, of Jun
eau, one of the best know at
torneys in the Territory, and
candidate for the office of
Attorney General of Alaska at
the last general election, is «
visitor in Hyder. The vis;t
the first Judge Roden has
made to his section and com
bines both business and pleas
ure. Having been in the min- j
ing game himself in earlier ;
years, he is much interested in
the mineral possibilities of this j
section and is giving the camp j
a close inspection before re- j
turning to the capital city.
-e
The Chamber of Commerce 1
has installed in its new home
on International Avenue a
small display of local ores,
which will be increased as
fast as suitable samples can be
secured from the various
mines and properties.
A comprehensive display of
the .various mineral forms
found in the district is certain
to attract marked attention
from visitors and the Cham-1
ber of Commerce building is
a siutable place, being located
where practically everyone
who comes to Hyder will pass
the door and can hardly fail
to catch a view of the min
erals in the big windows.
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27,000 pounds of placer tin
was recently sent to the Ta
coma smelter from the Tanana
district.
SILVER MINES FIGHTING
TAX INCREASE PROPOSAL
A proposal made by the U. S.
Treasury Department to re
value silver mines from 1919
forward for taxation purposes
is receiving strenuous oppo
sition from the silver mining
interests in the States, accord
ing to recent press reports.
More than a hundred repre
sentatives of silver mining
companies attended a hearing
on the question heid at Wash
ington, D. C. July 14 and pro
tested the proposal revision.
The miners declare that the
proposal would have the ef
fect of increasing their taxes !
from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000
annually.
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Construction work on the new
Marmot River wagon road is
making good progress. A crew
of about 30 men under Harry
Scovil is clearing the route
thru the timber along which |
the road will extend to Mar
mot Forks and is also doing '
considerable rock work. The
latter portion of the work is;
responsible for the heavy j
blasting heard at intervals
during the past few days.
A small crew o f men is also
engaged in keeping in Repair j
the Porter Idaho pack trail j
across Marmot Glacier.
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Richard Wirt employed on j
the Bureau of Public Roads j
road crow, sustained last Sat
urday a severe cut on the
hand near the root of the
thumb which almost severed j
the leader. The injured mem
ber was treated by Dr. D. E.
Standard and is mending rap
idly.
Walter Blanton has leased
the popular Silver Grill to
Charles 'Untermann who has
been employed at the estab
lishment for some time.
The new proprietor is a wide
ly experienced caterer and
restaurant man and will main
tain the same high standard
of service established by Mr.
Blanton and will also special
ize in high class cakes and
pastries.
Mr. Blanton retains control
of the Northern Pool Hall, ad- j
joining the Grill.
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The Hyder Drug Company
has received direct from Bost
on a shipment of beautiful
42-piece chinaware dinner sets
of unusual attractiveness, the
decorations being of that
delicate and handsome type
know as the Chantilly design,
which is copied from a set of
Old Sevres china in the hist
oric Chantilly Chateau in
France.
The chinaware is to be given
away as premiums for cash
purchases, a coupon to be giv
en with each 25 cent purchase
and a double - coupon with
each purchase of Rexall pro
ducts.
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A shipmnt of thirty five tons
of ore from the Indian left for
the south on the Prince
Charles last week.
SUPERVISOR OF
SURVEYS SUCCEEDS
SURVEYOR GENERAL
The duties prescribed by
the mining laws in connection
with mineral surveys former
ly administered by the Survey
or General are now vested in
the United States Supervisor
of Surveys, according to a
communication received by
U. S. Mineral Surveyor P. R.
Backus, from Martin George,
Assistant Supervisor of Sur
veys. Mr. George says:
By Act of Congress of March
3, 1925, the office of Survey
or General was abolished and
the administration of all activ
ities theretofore in charge of
Surveyors General placed un
der the jurisdiction of the
United States Supervisor of
Surveys.
This becomes effective at the |
close of business on the 30th
inst. July 1st, the business of
the office will be conducted
as heretofore, excepting that
it will be administered as the
Office of U. S. Cadastral En
gineers.
The appointment of th?
United States Mineral Survey
ors is under the jurisdiction ,
of the Supervisor of Surveys,1
and all such appointments will
be made by him under such
rules as he may prescribe.
Orders for surveys of min
ing claims will be issued by '
the Office Cadastral Engineer,;
(Tormerly fhe technical and
administrative head of the Sur
veyor General’s Office force), (
who will be authorized by the
Supervisor of Surveys to ad
minister the work in connect
ion therewith and approve
plats and fields notes, and
otherwise to perform the
duties prescribed by the min
ing regulations to be perform
ed by the Surveyors General
in connection with the survey
of mining claims, including
certification as to expendi
tures made upon the claims.
'The field work in connection
with the surveys will be under
the jurisdiction of the District
Cadastral Engineer, formerly
the Assistant Supervisor of
Surveys, and all office work j
administered by the Office
Cadastral Engineer, formerly j
the Chief Clerk in the Survey
or General’s Office.
After July 1, 1925, your sur
vey returns, communications, i
etc., should be addressed to |
the Office of U.S. Cadastral ■
Engineers, Juneau, Alaska.
With the resignation of Mr.
George A. Parks, to become
Governor of Alaska, I wes ap
pointed Assistant Supervisor
of Surveys, and after July 1st
wull serve in dual capacity as
District and Office Cadastral
Engineer.
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Engineer Mine stock has |
reached unprecedented heights
on the New York curb. Quo
tations last week ranged about
$80 per share.
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Money may not buy happi
ness exactly, but it goes a long
way toward keeping down sus
pense.
RICH ORE FOUND ON
PORTER IDAHO—REPORT
Reports from the Marmot cir
culated Tuesday indicate that
a body of very high gi-ade ore
has been found on the Porter
Idaho. Details of the reported
find yvere not available up to
the time of going to press. Ac
cording to the current inform
ation a seven foot vein carry
ing ore assaying much high
er than any hitherto found on
the property, has been en
countered in the old workings.
This, however, is not stated as
fact. Neither Mr. Porter or any
other person in a position to
know positively regarding the
strike or its value has been
down from the mine for sev
eral day, hence the numerous
reports must be accepted
with conservation. Fourteen
men are employed at the mine
and 21 pack horses are en
gaged in packing the ore, each
animal being loaded with 3
sacks.
Ore shipments are now com
ing down from the mine at
the rate of about 2 tons a day
and a shipment approximating
25 tons is now on the beach
at the mouth of the Marmot
ready to ship to the smelter.
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Messrs. Beaton and Mellon,
who spent some time in the
camp a few weeks ago in con
nection with their local min
ing interests, returned last
week and are reported ne
gotiating a deal to take over
the Texas Creek Comstock,
properties. 1
Mr. Beaton, who is the seni
or member of the Vancouver
brokerage firm of Beaton and
Hemsworth, is interested in a
number of valuable local prop
erties.
Oren F. Hill is the latest to 1
join the ranks of the radio
bugs and has installed a No. j
24 Radiola portable 6-tube
supeHietrodyn© outfit in the
Hyder Drug Company store. I
The set^is the last word in
portable outfits and is so com
pact that it is contained in a
leather case no larger than an j
ordinary suitcase.
Reports from Stewart say an
ore purchasing concern of Vic-,
toria, with Welsh and Belgian
connections, is seeking ore
shipment from this locality,
and has already purchased a
good sized quantity of ore
from the Indian mine thru a lo- j
cal agent. Part of the value of i
the ore as shown by sampling
is paid down, and the balance j
of the purchase price later. !
Herbert Carmichael of Victor-!
ia is the purchasing agent.
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Deputy United States Mar
shal H. D. Campbell and Spec
ial Deputy Earl West, arrived
in Wrangell recently with the
body of Adolph Fait, who
fired five shots at John Dahl
strom, at Port Little Walter.
Fait fled to the woods and
later barricaded himself in a
gasoline boat and shot him
self in the head rather than
surrender.
MINING NOTES -
The Terminus is preparing
a^small shipment of ore which
will be sent to the smelter for j
[testing purposes. Work on the
main vein is reported proceed
ing with gratifying results un
der the direction of B. W. W. !
McDougall, engineer in charge
This propery is showing every i
indication of becoming a real
producer in the near future, j
according to disinterested au
thorities.
Good progress is being made
in the drilling operations on
the National Silver Mines'
properties north of B. C. Sil- j
vcr. Around 600 feet of drill j
hole has been run and has re
vealed the presence of a large t
and very promising ore body
at a depth of about 100 feet.
This will be further explored
by underground work, for
which preparations are under
way.
Preparations for extensive [
evelopment work are under I
way on the Silver Slipper |
Troup under the direction of
Tohn Ilaati, commonly known
as “John the Finn.” The prop
’s located a short distance
from the Silverado and so
:lose to tide water that trans
portation presents few diffi
culties. A horse trail is now
under construction between j
the property and the beach. A
crew is also at work on one of
the two main showings both of
which carry good working!
values and appear very prom-;
ising.
Managing engineer A. J. ■
Gaul of the Victoria Mines has
uncovered a large section of
the north extension of the new
ore zone recently found on the j
Dunwell, according to a num- j
ber who have visited the two j
properties in recen days. A
number of open cuts have j
been run on the lead, which j
retains in the Victoria pract-,
ically the same characteristics j
as on the Dunwell and also
substantially the same min
eralization. Judging from sur
face indications the new zone ,
can be cross cut by extending
one of the existing tunnels a
short distance.
Aviator Noel Wein was made
an honorary member of the
Pioneers of Alaska on the oc
casion of his recent flight to
the Koyukuk district. Present
ation of the Pioneer badge
was made by Past Grand Pres
ident Joe Ulmer, in the name
of Wiseman Igloo, No. 8, in
recognition of the first invas
ion of that section ot Alaska
by an airplane.
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The Standard Oil Company j
oil drills at Kanatak were 1
down 3,600 feet June 21; the !
Associated Oil Company was!
down 2,600 feet.
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The only trouble with be
ginning at the bottom for a!
lot of fellows is that they al
ways stay there.
BLOWS HEAD OFF
WITH DYNAMITE
Pete Fite, well known old
time resident of the camp and
employee of the Premier mine,
committed suicide Monday
morning by blowing off his
head with a charge of dyna
mite. The tragedy occurred in
the mine bunk house and was
apparently induced by finan
cial troubles. There were no
witnesses to the shocking oc
currence and the exact way
in which Fite accomplished
the grisly s et is a matter of
conjecture. The explosion tore
the unfortunate man's head
completely to pieces and al
so destroyed both hands.
From the latter fact it is
indicated that Fite placed
the charge of dynamite in his
hat and held it on his head
with both hands until the ex
plosion wiped out his life.
Aside from blood spatters in
:he vicinity of the body no
trace could be found of either
the head or hands.
Owing to the destruction of
he man’s features, the ident
ity of the headless corpse was
lot determined until some
ime after the body was found
oy other employees who were
attracted to the bunk house
oy the sound of the explosion.
Later, however, a small scrap
of paper bearing Fite’s name
was found in his clothing and
gave the first clue to his ident
ity.
The decexvsed, who had
worked at the mine for sev
eral years, recently returned
from a vacation in the south.
Aftr spending a short time in
town, Fite went up to Premier
iunday morning, evidently ex
pecting to return to work. At
the time of his departure he is
?aid to have appeared dispu
ted but, judging from re
marks to local friends had no
thought of his rash act at that
time. During his stay at the
mine he appeared despondent
to those who knew him but
dropped no hint of the im
pending tragedy. So, far as
can be learned he procured
the dynamite at the mine
soon after his arrival
The deceased was aged
about 50 years.
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Drillers for the Chilkat Oil
Company at Katalla are mak
ing good progress with the
well they are now drilling, ac
cording to George Hazelet,
who recently returned to Cor
dova from Katalla. He said
the water had been shut off
with a 12-inch casing at a
depth of between 100 and 200
feet, and that the driller*
were going ahead with a 10
inch casing at th$t point. The
old w’ells of the company avc
said to be still holding up their
production.
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While digging for clams on
Nuka Bay last week, two Sew
ard men uncovered a quartz
ledge, which it is believed
will run $100 per ton in gold.