DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OP ALASK*'AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT
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VOL 6, NO. 10
HYDER. ALASKA. SATURDAY,
uMui:
ER14,1929.
PRICE TEN CENTS I
INDIANS PLAN
SUITS AGAINST
UNITED STATES
The Alaska Native Brother
hood, of which W. h. Paul,
former prominent political fig
ure, ie president, contemplates
suits against the federal gov
ernment with the object of re
covering certain rights claimed
to have been held at one time
by Alaska Indians, but which
now have passed into other
hands, according to an official
announcement made by Mr.
Paul in Juneau a few days ago.
Millions of dollars are under
stood to be at stake in the pro
posed actions, which involve
lands, fishing streams and wat
ers, hunting and, trapping
grounds, forest and ' mineral
lands. ; ' *
In pursuance of their plans
the Native Brotherhood is said
to have retained Judge James
Wiekersham, former Alaska
delegate to Congress and at
present a candidate for the re
publican nomination for the
same office, to conduct the le
gal battles it intends to wage.
The Indian attitude, as out
lined by the Juneau Empire, is
as follows:
“It is contended by the Broth
erhood, through its leaders,
that the Indians were in poss
ession during the days -of the
Russian ownership of Alaska,
of vast fishing, hunting, trap
ping, mineral and other rights.
And that the lands occupied by
them including tidelands as
well as forested areas, were
recognized as theirs by right
by the Russian government.
The acquisition of the Terri
tory by the United States, it is
held by them, merely trans
ferred sovereignty and owner
ship of unoccupied or unappro
priated lands and resources
but did not deprive the Indians
any rights they held under
Russian rule. They further con
tend that Congress itself, has
upon occasion, recognized
these rights, but that in the
passage of years most, if in
fact not all, of them have been
taken away and are now held
by others with the consent and
support of the government.
Payment for those so lost will
be sought in the suits.
The Indian leaders realize
that before any suit can be in
stituted against the United
States it will be necessary for
Congress to grant legislative
authority for such action, and
a measure authorizing the Nat
ive Brotherhood to file the suit*
has been prepared. Mr. Paul
indicated that it is planned to
have the bill introduced at the
current session of Congress by
delegate Sutherland.
-O-;
M. C. Butler, prominent Seat
tle mining engineer, who is
taking an active interest in the
development of the Metcalf
and Finley and other proper
ties in the Texas Creek area,
arrived from the south Sunday
morning.
EARLY COLD SPELL ;•
VISITS DISTRICT
V* ' .
- • •
One of the moat severe early
cold apella of years visited the
camp throughout the past
week and caused many of the
old-timers to recall their sub
zero experiences in early days
in the North.
Although in most .easea. the
thermometers registered above
the zero mark, the cold \yas ac
companied by a biting ''wind
which forced hasty doiining of
warmer clothing .and entailed
unexpected inroads inter ■ the
communal coal piles. In evi
dence of the unusual severity
of the cold may~be <iited the
complete freezing‘over of the
small creek running through
town, and to.,.such a depth as
to form a much appreciated^
skating rink .for, the ubiquitous!
small boy.'‘A similar condition
hag not been observed during
a long-period of years, accord
ing to some ofthe old-time res
idents.
In addition to. disrupting
water supply systems, .the cold
also caused a break-down of
the electric light system in
Hyder and Stewart. The hydro
electiic plant .On Silverado
Gulch was put out of compuls
ion early in the week. Later
the engine driven plant at the
Dunwell'mine was 'also ren
dered ineffective save for
short periods in the evening.
This is said to have been due to
the freezing-up of the plant’s
water cooling system. The dis
ruption of the light service in
turn caused a general suspens
ion of of activities on tKVpart
of radios, motor driven water
pumps and other electrically
operated appliances, includ
ing the oil heating plant of the
Hyder Drug Co. Both the Her
and and the Stewart News
were unable to issue on the'
customary days owing to the
lack of current for their lino
type machines, while the cold
and absence of lights virtually
suspended activities in the
Herald job printingplant
throughout the week.
TERRITORIAL FUNDS
SHOW MARKED BAIN
With a net cash balance of
$785,961.18 on hand as of Oct
ober 31, the Territorial Treas
ury showed a gain of $94,065.
18 over the same date last year,
according to a recent an
nouncement by Governor Geo.
A. Parks.
The total cash on hand at the
close of business on the irtdf
eated date was $858^803.92,
against which were outstand
ing warrants aggregating $72*
842.74. /'
Total cash on hand on October
er 31, 1928, was $770,472.62.
Outstanding warrants amount
ed to a total of $78,531.93,
; leaving a net balance of $691,
859.70.
Julius Jensen, for 30 years in
, the hardware business in Doug
r las, died recently in Seattle at
the ripe age of 65 years.
T
A reduction in the maximum
possession of all species of
ducks, geese and brant from
the present 75 to fifty birds
has been recommended jto ’the
secretary of agriculture by the
Alaska Game Commission, ac
cording to reports from Jun
eau. The reduction was asked
in the interest of conservation
of migratory wild fowl and is
*ih line with conservation poli
cies now. being followed thru
out the country. .
Commission representatives
said such a reduction is advis
able in view of a reduction in
the supply of birds' observed on
interior breeding grounds. A
g; idual decrease of birds over
,a period of several ./ears has
been observed along th’e lower
Yukon, the Yukon delta and in
the Kuskokwim and other nest
ing areas. The decrease is not
due to over-hunting but is at
tributed mainly to predatory,
-animals and birds, Maruding
cayotes, which raid the nests,
taking eggs and yoiing have
virtually destroyed some of the
best breeding grounds in the
upper Yukon, Tanana, Della
a-id White River areas, white
.iaegars, gulls and other preda
tory birds have done immense
damage to wild fowl " in the
lov'er river districts;
60LD EXPORTS SHOW
STEADY UPWARD TREND
*. •' * ——•—
Gold afnd silver sent from
Alaska to the United States in
November attained a total val
ue of $746,797, according to
the monthly commerce state
ment of Collector- of Customs
J. C. McBride.
Of the indicated total gold
contributed. $=722-,400, silver
$24,397.
The value of last month’s
gold and silver shipments have
been exceeded only three times
in a monthly; period this year;
namely T^y-those of August,
September and October^ when
the monthly totals were re
spectively $800,415, $801,741,
and 1,206,337. Al) other
monthly shipments since last
December have been below
$600,000, the highest total for
the remaining months having
been $587,173 in July. Follow
ing are the monthly returnsfor
the year as shown by the re
ports:
Gold
$465,292
1928
Dec.
1929
Feby,
April
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Silver
$23,656
209,960
288,227
218,788'
475,558
568,167
787,134
769,785
1,189,750
722,400
12,485
25,516
25,179
23,814
19,d06
13,281
41,956
16,587
24,397
Total $5,684,061
Grand total gold
and silver
$235,877
$6,920,538
MOOSE PREPARING
FOB BIG ANNUAL
CHRISTMAS TREE
The Portland Canal Moose
lodge has*, as usual, taken the
inl.iative in preparations for
the annual community Christ
mas Tree and arrangements
for that much anticipated event
are new well Under way under
the direction of a capable and
eneigetic eommittee of lodge
Members.
Being an international organ
ization, the lodge w)>i also con
duct a similar entertainment in
•Stewart on the evening of De
cember 23. Every child In both
towns will be the recipients of
gifts, from the trees, as the
Moose, ever noted as lenders
among the patrons of child
hood, have made arrangements
with Santa Claus that will in
sure none of the kiddies bi ii:g
overlooked.
The entertainment will be
held locally.in Pioneer Hall on
Christrpas eve. and old Santa
wiil be present in person to
distribute the gifts to the little
folks.
The program will include an
entertainment by the school
children under the direction of
the teacher, Miss Geraldine
Torrance.
Those who wish to assist iu
defraying the expense of the
entertainment and also add to
Chiistmas joys of the kiddies,
may leave their don ations with
E. D. Iladdon a t the Bank .of
Hyder or in the Christmas
boxes placed in the business
houses by the committee in
charge.
■O'*-*
MAIL BOAT HAS
STRENUOUS TRIP
• : .1 i. .' '•
The Ketchikan mail boat
Taku II arrived early Thurs
day morning twenty-four hours
hours behind schedule and aft
er one of the most strenuous
and difficult passages ever ex
perienced by the vessel on the
local run. ..
Beset by freezing head winds,
snow,-sleet, and rough water
practically throughout the trip,
the vessel became so heavily
coated with ice that the craft
-was twice forced to lay to
while the encumbering coating
was cut away. Stops were
made at Hiddeh Inlet and
Tombstone Bay while the crew
removed the ice clinging to the
vessel’s bows and sides in
heavy masses and threatening
that much-feared form -of sea
disaster known to northern
mariners..as “icing down,” in
which a vessel becomes so
heavily weighted down with
ice as to be unable to surmount
the waves and sinks. '
As indicated recently in these
columns, the present outlook is
that the gold and silver exports
of the Territory for the year
will exceed those of any year
during the past decade.
rv ■ »
HOSPITAL DANCE
NEW YEAR'S EVt
The annual benefit dance of
the Hospital Associatidn will
be held in Stewart New Year’s
eve. In addition to providing an
enjoyabje entertainment, the
Association will also present
200 shares of Big Missouri
stock to some one; holding the
ticket bearing the winning
number.
As the hospital is in every
sense a community institution-,
being open to Hyder as well as
Stewart residents, it is entitled
to receive all possible support,
from the residents of Hyder.
But for the presence of this in
stitution, the doors of W.iich
are ever open to the needy as
well as the affluent, local resi
dents overtaken by sudden ill
nesss would in many instance
find themselves in an exceed
ingly sorry plight. IJnder the
existing regulations, only a
portion of the expense of main
taining the hospital is borne
by the government and to cout
tinue its beneficent ministrat
ions the institution must re
ceive more than $1,000. each
year in contributions from the
residents of the district.
as us presence is as oeneiic
ial to Hyder as to Stewart, lo
cal residents should not over
look the fact that Unless these
extra funds are forthcoming
the hospital will inevitably be
fonied to close. Also it should
not be overlooked that it is dis
tinctly unfair for Hyder citi
zens to leave the residents of
Stewart to bear alone the bur
den of maintaining the hospital
when they are permitted to par
ticipate in all the benefits it af
fords on equal terms with '.' a
residents of Stewart. The duty
of maintaining the institution
is undeniably one that should
rest equally on the residents of
both communities. As far as we
of Hyder are concerned, this is
a most auspicious time to dis
charge at least a part of our
obligation and not be niggard
ly in the doing. When you are
asked to buy a ticket, remem
ber that you are being asked
to do all you can to help main
tain the hospital and take tick
ets to the fullest amount you
can afford—even if it “hurts.”
Alaskans pride themselves
on doing things in a large and
generous way and it is up to
us to demonstrate that this at
titude is something more than
a mere pretense by subscribing
generously to an institution
which provides us with splen
did insurance against lack of
immediate care if overtaken by
sudden illness or injury.
—-o
John Peterson, one o f the
very earliest of the old-timers
of the North, was found dead
recently in his mine shaft on
40 Eldorado, at the mouth of
Chief Gulch, where he had
mined since 1896. He had ap
parently been dead for four or
five days when found. Indicat
ions pointed to his having been
at work when overtaken by
heart failure or gas. The posit
ion of the body indicated that
he was about to go up to empty
the buckets when overcome.
Mil COMMERCE
SHOWS RIG CUN
With merchandise shipments
valued at $3,263,£72 .Alaska
products sent to the United
^States last month attained the
highest value reached during
the month of November over a
Ion# .period of years.
Compared to merchandise ex
ports of $2,569,298 in Novem
ber. 1928 and $2,028,654 in
November 1927, Territorial ex
ports last month showed an in
crease of more than a half mil
lion dollars,'the most narked
advance for the month in morp
than a decade. -
• 'A ! '
Canned salmon, as usual, was
the most important item with
shipments valued at $1,134,
51 i.. Cppper was'second with
a total value of $785,88^, an
increase of of nearly $365,000.
over November shipments las£
year. • •• ..
Combined with gold and sil
ver shipments, the total value,
of all exports during the month
was $4,153,984." ■*' - -
Blue fo-xes ..$ 80,790
Other afiimals ....... • 46,430 -
Curios .,, , 8,210
Fish : Fresh and frozen -
(except sheli-fish) i : -
Halibut .. 508,568
Salmon . 98,86# *
All other ' 7,268?- *
Canned: (except stell- . > • •
fish) , .
Salmon .. .1,134,611 "
Cured or preserved:. ;-j •
(except shell-fish) . «*'r:
Cod . 1*686" '
Herring ............... 233,34#
Salmon .. 73,369''■
All other. 95’: -
Shell-fish: ' ]:. •
Clams.." 10:- -
Crabs 13,780 *
Shrimps.:. 27,324
Other fish products: ,Xr.
Meal ....;. 6,998:
Oil .!. . ,* 88,456 ''
Furs and fur-skins: ,
Seal skins 400 ;
Silver or black fox ?,.-5&--;
Allother ..-.. 3*330 -v
Manufactured furs . 1,050?.*^
Oil: Whale . 83,216- -i
Ore, matte,'regulus rs .
Copper..785,885 x ‘
Lead .......C.........:. 12,224.-.:
Tin ore and con-' j71
centrates.. 50,400
Reindeer meat. 7,350 s
Trophies, specimens 2,460
Wood: timber, lumber 23,477.
* All other articles. . 16,140.
Total value products
of Alaska. 3,263,872
Products of the Unit- v
ed States returned 137,528
Total value of for
eign products . 5,787 • -
Total value shipments
of merchandise. 3,407,187
Items included in “All
other Articles”:
Paintings .
Hairseal skins.
Zinc (4,299 lbs)..
Whale meal.
Whale bone .
Whale fertilizer ....
Whale tail....
$3,150
97
300
3,560
450
8,250
333