AN ALU
ALA S K A
NEWSPAPER
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OP ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT
—
SUBSCRIPTIONS
SSoo PER YEAR
VOL 4, NO. 23
HYDER, ALASKA. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1928.
FIFTY CENTS A MONTH
sinking Equipment
FOR B. C. SILVER
An extensive shipment of
mine equipment for the B. C.
Silver is scheduled to arrive
from the south within a brief
period. The consignment is
made up principally of sinking
equipment and includes sink
ing buckets, automatic bucket'
dumping irons, cross heads and j
similar devices, which will be
installed in a new double com
partment vertical shaft now
being sunk from the No. 3 level
to cut the northerly extensions
of the ore zones found in the
Simpson claim of the Premier
Gold Mining Company, and
which were mined by the lat
ter company up to the very
i line of the B. C. Silver.
In a report to the headquart
ers of the Selukwe Company
in London in March 1926, Mr.
Banks expressed the view that
the Simpson ore leads extended
into the B. C. Silver at ap
proximately the horizon of the j
Premier 4th level, or 450 feet j
below the B. C. No. 3 level.
The new shaft is said to be
located very close to the south- j
erly border of B. C. Silver near }
the northerly end of the Simp
son claim and about 700 feel ;
from the portal of the-No. 3:
tunnel.
The work of sinking the tun- i
nel is expected to require !
about six months.
PORTER IDAHO
STRIKE TELEGRAM
DECLARED FAKE
One of the most brazen at
tempts of years to influence ;
the stock market, appeared |
recently with the publication ,
by a Vancouver Mining journ-!
al • of a purported telegram
from Angus McLeod, superin I
tendent of the Porter Idaho
asserting that the biggesl
strike in the history of the
Marmot River district had been
made on the Porter Idaho.
The message, as printed, bears
Mr. McLeod’s name, but the
name of the addressee does i
not appear. No details of the :
alleged strike are given, the
message stating that they were
being forwarded by mail.
The telegram is declared by I
, members of the Porter Idaho ;
* directorate and Mr. McLeod
himself as a deliberate fake. I
Mr. McLeod asserts that he
had not been down from the
mine for weeks before the tel
egram was sent nor did he au
thorize anyone else to send it.
Furthermore no ore discovery
of unusual importance has
been made at the Porter Idaho
for months, hence there was
no justifiable basis for such a
mesage. The fact that Mr. Mc
Leod possesses a reputation for |
unquestionable veracity, is con-1
sidered by all who know him i
as convincing evidence that!
he neither sent nor inspired
the sending of the telegram.
Company officials are con
vinced that the message em
anated from some one who
desired to take advantage of i
the recent stock boom in Van-J
couver by boosting Porter
Idaho to unjustified levels. Al
so they are thoroughly behind
Mr. McLeod in his determinat
ion to have the matter sifted
to the bottom in an endeavor
to reveal the identity of the
conscienceless individual who
sent the forged message.
MOUNTAINVIEW TUNNEL
ENTERING NEW ORE
ZONE AT 500 FEET
Prospects for the opening up
of a new ore zone at a vertical
depth of 500 feet are becoming
increasingly promising with
the extension of the new tunnel
on the Fish Creek properties
of the Mountainview Gold
Mining Company.
The tunnel, which extends
easterly from the main or
Skookum Creek tunnel, has
now reached a point in close
proximity to the Gold Vein and
penetrates a mineralized zone
carrying liberal ore disseminat
ions in stringers and small bod
ies showing considerable gray
copper and some galena, to
gether with sparse pyrites. The
ore is apparently of high grade
character but no assays had
been made at the time of the
inspection and the true value
was not determined.
The ore was encountered
shortly after the tunnel had
passed through a dyke which
traverses the northeasterly
corner of the property and lies
between the quartz-porphyry
belt and a shear zone in
which the Gold and other
promising ore bodies are locat
ed. The face of the tunnel is
over 1800 feet from the portal
of the Skookum Creek tunnej.
The important feature of the
ore discovery is that it indi
cates the probable persistence
of the richly mineralized Gold
Vein to a depth of 500 feet be
low the outcrops.
Manager Arthur Moa states
that the tunnel is being extend
ed in a Y, one branch of which
is projected to cut the Gold
Vein and the other to explore
the farther recesses of the
3hear zone.
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A W, FOX ACTING
SECRETARY OF ALASKA
A. W. Fox, former local at
torney, is at present acting
Secretary of Alaska, having
been placed in charge of the
Secretary’s office for two
months by Secretary Karl
Thiele, who is honeymooning in
the south.
-o
The growth of the Hyder
Public Library is shown in
gratifying manner by the
steady increase in the number
of volumes available to the
public.
The library contains at pres
ent a total of 759 works cov
ering a wide range of subjects,
embracing standard fiction,
biography, history, geography,
travel, philosophy, religion
dictionary and reference works
in addition to a long list of
juvenile books and technical
works.
The library also receives all
of the Alaska newspapers and
maintains files of each publi
cation.
The various subjects are di
vided as follows:
Standard Fiction 466
Juvenile 165
Geography & Travel 11
Religion & Philosophy 10
Biography 12
History 30
Miscellaneous 48
Dictionary & Reference 17
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Ice Cream Cones, Sodas, Sun*
daes—Northern Pool Hall
RUSHING WORK
ON RECONSTRUCTION
AT PREMIER
Arrivals from Premier report
that the work of reconstruct
ing the buildings detsroyed by
the recent fire is now well un
der way. Two shifts of carpen
ters and mechanics are at work
on a new bunkhouse to replace
the big bunkhouse carried
away by the conflagration, in
which the bulk of the mine em
ployees were housed. The new
structure will be built on con
crete foundations and, in ad
dition to being larger than its
predecessor, will be far more
comfortable and convenient
than was the former bunfc
house.
The building is to have a
frontage of 86 feet, with two
wings on each side 122 feet
deep. The wings will be sep
erated by a deep embrasure op
court 80 feet wide and open at
the rear end. As a result of this
form of construction, every
room in the building will be
an outside room.
The structure will be three
stories in height on the front
or down hill side, with a large
storage basement. The maih
floor, will be occupied by the
commisary, Killis store, post
office and barber shop. The
two upper floors will contain
155 rooms approximately 10
ft. square divided by hallways
extending entirely through the
building. Wash rooms and
other conveniences for the
men will be located on each
floor. On the basis of two men
to a room the building will pro
vide quarters for 310 men.
Plans are also under way for
the construction of a new com
munity hall, adjoining the
bunkhouse, and separated
from the latter building by a
concrete fire wall. This struct
ure will be 45 x75 feet and
three stories high and will al
so contain the mess house,
dining room, reading room and
library.
The company is also plan
ning to prevent another such
costly conflagration by the in
stallation of a new dam to in
sure an ample water supply
for fire protection.
JUST HATED TO
THROW ’EM AWAY!
Writing on expensive letter
paper under an engraved ad
dress, a St. Louis lady who is
said to have visited the district
with a tourist party three years
or so ago, recently addressed
the following letter to Post
master Oren F. Hill; enclosing
37 cents in Canadian postage
stamps.
“Postmaster:
Would it be too much trouble
to exchange 37 cts. Canadian
stamps for U. S. A.
We purchased more than we
used and just hated to throw
them away and my postman
said he couldn’t exchange
them in St. Louis.”
As the local postoffice does
i not deal in Canadian stamps,
the lady was referred to the
Dominion Postoffice depart
ment in Ottawa, where she
may ultimately make the much
desired "swap.”
-o
R. E. Lundvall, manager of
the Marlund Mines, Ltd., re
turned Thursday from a trip to
Seattle and Vancouver.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
HOLDS LUNCH MEETING
The monthly luncheon of the
Hyder Chamber of Commerce
was held in the banquet room
of the Ideal Cafe Tuesday
noon and was attended by near
capacity crowd of members
and guests. John Hovland,
trustee, presided as toastmast
er.
following a splendid repast,
Attorney Ernest Blue called at
tention to the absence of a com
prehensive write-up of the Hy
der district in the Alaska
Weekly Year Book for 1927
gttd urged that care be taken
by the Chamber to provide a
proper article for future issues
of that publication.
Referring to the mineral de
velopment outlook, Mr Blue
stated that the present year
promises to be the best from
the development standpoint in
the history of the district and
cite'd a number of important
facts in support of that view.
Outstanding among the evi
dences presented was the
statement that at least $800,
000 in mine development funds
is definitely known to be in
the treasuries or available to
various companies operating
in this district If the expendi
ture of this large sum did not
bring in more mines, Mr. Blue
said his faith in the district
would sustain a severe shock.
He had no fear, however, that
this would be the case; the
tremendous extent of local
mineralization made such an
eventuality unthinkable.
| Chas. F. Sandford, editor of
the Herald, spoke on the need
of closer co-operation of the
mining and business interests
in the Chamber of Commerce,
whose activities he declared,
benefited the mining interests
j more directly than any other
element in the community. The
speaker asserted that the suc
cess attending the Chamber of
Commerce road construction
efforts was ample evidence
that the organization can do
a great deal toward advancing
the mining industry and urged
the mining elements to get be
hind it.
Mr. R. W. J. Reed, deputy
Collector of Customs at Nome
and temporarily stationed in
the local office of that bureau,
was thg succeeding speaker
and expressed great confi
dence in the future of Hyder,
which he said gave every evi
dence of ultimately becoming
a g reat mining center.
Mr. Reed cited the public ben
efits accruing to the Nome dis
trict through the efforts of the
Nome Chamber of Commerce
as evidence of the value of
such an organization in pro
moting the welfare of its dis
trict and expressed the view
that everyone should be behind
the local organization.
Norman Tobias, of Winnipeg,
who, in company with E. W. L.
George, negotiated the recent
deals for the Virginia, Crest
and Border Groups for Winni
peg interests, is expected to
return to Hyder shortly after
March 1.
That the arrangements made
by Messrs. Tobias and George
were satisfactory to their prin
cipals is indicated by the arriv
al this week of the first pay
ments on the several proper
ties, nearly three weeks before
they were due.
LOCAL MAN PERFECTS
NEW SYSTEM OF
AEROPLANE CONTROL
Convincing evidence of the
practicability of his automatic
stabilizer for the control of
aeroplanes was given by Ed
ward Stark, local engineer and
mechanician, at a demonstrat
ion of the device given at the
Hyder Drug Co. store Tuesday
and Wednesday evenings.
The new invention, designat
ed as a “gravity stabilizing
seat combined with manual
control,” employs the bodily
weight of the pilot to maintain
the plane on a level keel by
exerting a counteracting pull
on the control flaps when the
plane varies from the horizon
tal. The seat differs from the
usual airplane seat only in the
degree that it is movable and
hung in the fuselage in such
manner that it will swing in
any direction in which the ship
may incline in the air. The tip
ping down of nose, wings or
tail immediately causes the
seat to swing in the same gen
eral direction. This movement
in turn exerts an immediate
pull on the ailerons or elevat
ors in the same manner ar
when the usual control or
“joy” stick is employed.
Fitted into a a perfectly pro
portioned and skillfully con
structed model biplane, the de
vice functions perfectly, the
slightest deviation from the
horizontal causing the controls
to automatically operate in
such manner as will bring! the
ship back to a horizontal po
sition.
One of the most important
features of the device is that
it will enable the pilot to guide
the ship under ordinary con
ditions without using his hands.
The invention, which has been
protected by patent processes
in this and other countries, is
the result of several years of
labor and experiment, during
which Mr. Stark has tested it
in every manner possible, short
of actual installation in a full
sized plane. So far as known
there is no device of such char
acter in use in any country.
The invention appears to pos
sess tremendous possibilities
with repect to airplane safety,
in addition to offering great
financial rewards.
The model used in the demon
strations is a faithful small
scale copy of a sport model bi
plane of 20 foot wing, spread
and contains every part found
in the full sized planes. The
wings alone contain several
hundred pieces, carefully shap
ed and measured and represent
a long period of tedious and
painstaking calculation and
iaoor.
The inventor is now planning
to give the stabalizing device a
final test to fully determine
its possibilities by installing it
in a full size plane. To accomp
lish this object, it is planned
to form a local syndicate on
the unit basis and offer the
units locally, thereby giving
the local public an opportunity
to share in such financial re
wards as the invention may
bring. Mr. Stark estimates
that a plane of the desired size
can be built with the control
device installed for a compara
tively small amount. The plan
has the endorsement of many
of our leading citizens and its
success appears assured. Wm.
Bunting and Clay Porter, who
R. R. RECONDITIONING
TO START SOON
Preliminary activities looking
to the revival of the Canadian
Northeastern Railway or Port
land Canal Short Lne. will
start locally within a period of
six weeks unless unusually se
vere weather should create
prohibitive conditions, accord
ing to late arrivals from Van
couver, where the project is
said to be attracting great in
interest in mining circles and is
the subject of mueh speculat
ion.
Although ultimate extension
of the line as an outlet for the
Peace River section may be
envisioned by the backers of
the project, it appears that
present plans contemplate a
purely local enterprise, based
on the mineral and other re
sources of the district. The
erection of a saw mill and
possibly a pulp mill are said to
be included m the company’s
contemplations.
The line is expected to be
ready for operation as far as
the Red Cliff mine, 15 miles
north of Stewart, by next Aug
ust. In addition to serving the
mines under development, it
is said the road will also be
utilized as a logging road in
connection with the sawnii)!,
which will be located near Bit
ter Creek. The plans also in
clude the extension of the road
to the head of Bear River to
serve mines in that locality by
the fall of 1929 and later prob
able extension to the Ground
hog coal area if found practic
able.
Hon. H. H. Stevens. M. P.,
and Mr. W. A. Lewthwaite and
their associates in the pur
chase of the road have organ
ized a company known as the
Vancouver Holdings, Limited,
which will control its future
destinies. The line will be op
erated under the name of the
Canadian Northeastern Rail
way.
■o
M. D.WILLIAMS PROMOTED
M. D. Williams, acting dis
trict engineer of the Bureau of
Public Roads since last March,
has been promoted to the posit
ion of District Engineer and
will continue in charge of the
Alaska district.
-»
Angus McLeod. Porter Idaho
superintendent, left Thursday
on a visit in the south.
jointly assisted M- Stark fi
nancially during h; o* li^r ex
periments, togeth#”* with W. C.
Blanton, have already sub
scribed $750 toward finan
cing the new proposal. Mr.
Blanton has also agreed to
undertake personal!'/ the sale
of the units when they are
placed on the market, probab
ly during the coming week.
The units will be sold at a nom
inal sum in order to give every
one an opportunity to obtain
an interest in the ingenious lo
cal invention which promises to
bring about a new era of air
plane control. As all who have
examined the device are con
vinced of its practicability, it
is probable that the small
amount required to finance the
syndicate will be speedily sub
scribed.
--—e ■
Ice Cream Cones, Sodas, Sun
daes—Northern Pool Hall.