1 '
AN ALL
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE,DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
I VOL 5, NO. 39
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JULY 6,1929.
PRICE TEN CENTS
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NEW ORE FIND
ON TEXAS CREEK
IS PROMISING
A new ore discovery of unusual
type and apparently of consid
erable promise was made last
week in the upper Texas creek
area on property owned by
Frank Blasher, pioneer pros
pector of that district.
The ore i3 a crystaline white
quartz heavily impregnated
with chalcopyrite intermingled
with zinc bands, sparse galena
and small patches of an un
identified sulphide of dull,
black hue. Along the fractures
the ore is beautifully colored
with irridescent patches hav
ing the appearance of peacock
copper. Some of the specimens
brought to town this week by
Mr. Blasher are fairly agleam
with rainbow hues and present
a decidedly attractive appear
ance.
The ore as a whole appears
to be of a type not found here
tofore in the Texas area, hav
ing little resemblance to the
lead- silver ores common to
that region. No assays having
been made up to this time, the
value of the ore has not been
determined.
According to Mr. Blasher,
the vein has been traced for a
distance of 700 or 800 feet,
most of which is covered by
heavy overburden. Wherever
uncovered, the ore is said to
show a width of about four
feet. Mr. Blasher has been
working on the property for
se'.eral years but was not
aware of the presence of the
vein, which in no way resem
bles the galena deposit on
which he has been driving dur
ing that period. Discovery ol
the lead is attributed by him
to Jack Davis, who is said to
have located it by purely de
ductive processes., the first out
crops being discovered under
the overhanging roots of a big
tree. The property on which
the vein was located is situated
on the north slope of Texas
valley close to Emerald Lake
and about l1/* miles above the
government cabin.
•o
AIRPLANES WILL
CALL AT HYDER
That the Washington-Alaska
Airways will include Hyder in
the list of southeastern Alaska
towns at which its airplanes
will call when local traffic of
fers, was indicated by Anscel
Eckmann, pilot of the seaplane
i Ketchikan, which arrived here
L Monday afternoon,
r- It is understood that no reg
ular service is contemplated,
as there is not sufficient traf
fic to warrant the company
making Hyder a regular call
ing point at present, but planes
will call here at intervals and
local traffic demands will be
cared for as far as possible
under present conditions.
The company is increasing
the number of planes in its
fleet and will soon be in a po
sition to meet all air transpor
tation demands of the south
eastern Alaska district. The
Ketchikan is the latest addit
ion to the company’s seaplane
l
ANTI-SPEED LAWS
TO BE ENFORCED
ON LOCAL ROADS
Several accidents resulting
from careless driving on the
local highways in recent days
have drawn attention to the
need for a closer observance of
the Territorial speed laws. As
a result, the Hyder Chamber
o f Commerce has decided to
issue a warning to car drivers
to keep within legal speed lim
its under pain of prosecution
if they fail to do so.
It is said by officials of the
Chamber that many local driv
ers fail to observe the law in
any degree. Some are said to
drive at an exceedingly reck
less pace along the winding
Salmon and Texas Creek high
ways and even round the
sharp turns at high speed
without attempting to give
warning of their approach by
sounding their horns. This
careless and highly dangerous
practice is said to have result
ed in a number of head-on col
lissions of cars during the past
two or three weeks, but for
tunately without serious re
sults. It is pointed out that a
continuance of such practices
will eventually lead to serious
if not fatal accidents and for
this reason the local law offi
cers have been requested to
see that the speed regulations
are more closely observed in
future.
The Territorial traffic laws
provide that no motor vehicle
of any type may be lawfully
driven at a greater speed than
25 miles per hour. Trucks
of one ton or less may not ex
ceed 20 miles per hour, while
those of more than one ton are
limited to 15 miles per hour.
The law also provides that
any vehicle meeting Another
vehicle going in another direct
, ion must slow down to a speed
of not more than 12 miles per
hour, which is also the passing
speed on all occasions. Ve
hicles approaching a curve
are under the necessity of
slowing down to not over 12
miles per hour and cars must
give due warning of their ap
proach by sounding their horn
before attempting to round a
curve.
The law also requires that
brakes, lights and other saf
ety equipment shall be in good
woiking order and within the
' customary legal standards for
such equipment.
| fleet. The ship is of the same
type as the Juneau, which vis
ited the camp several weeks
ago, but is slightly larger and
possesses a higher rated speed
and carrying capacity. A
third plane, the Sitka is operat
ing around Seattle and a fourth
ship of the air-express type,
with capacity for six passen
gers, was recently completed
and will probably be em
ployed in the Alaska service.
| C. L. Hibbard of the Outland
Silver Bar Mining Co. arrived
from Seattle Tuesday to visit
the company properties in the
upper Salmon section.
ANGUS GILLIS IS
SERIOUSLY HURT
IN AUTO ACCIDENT
Angus Gillis, diamond drill
employee of the Premier Gold
Mining Company, became the
unfortunate victim of a sad
automobile accident Monday
afternoon, when the Northern
Light Mining Company truck,
driven by Angus McKenzie,
overshot a sharp curve on the
switch-backs below the Pre
mier mine and plunged over
the brink of a rock-strewn
embankment, breaking Gillis’
back and inflicting other ser
ious injuries which he is not
expected to survive, although
he is said to have still a bare
chance for future existence.
By some singular caprice of
fate, McKenzie escaped with
no worse injuries than a few
slight bruises.
Details of the accident given
by the two men disclose that
they were coming down the
hill from the upper Premier
camp when McKenzie, who is
said to have had but little driv
ing experience, apparently
lost control of the car on one
of the sharp turns near the
new Premier hospital, with the
result that one of the front
wheels ran over the the edge
of the grade, permitting the
truck to topple over the steep
declivity extending some 40 or
50 feet below. Realizing the
dangerous situation, Gillis
managed to jump from the
car before it went over the
edge but unfortunately landed
among the jagged rocks
squarely in the path of the
falling truck, which apparent
ly struck him as it plunged
down the embankment. After
recovering consciousness in the
hospital, Gillis said the last
thing he could recall after
jumping was of lying on his
back on the rocks and seeing
the truck fall on him, adding,
however, that “it did not hurt.’’
After striking Gillis, the car,
with McKenzie still at the
wheel, over is said to have'
turned over several times be
fore coming to rest a short dis
tance below the point where
Gillis lay. McKenzie extricat
ed himself from the wreck
without difficulty and assisted
in the rescue of his less fortu
nate companion.
Gillis was taken to the hospit
al, where it was found that his
spinal column was fractured a
short distance above the low
est ribs and that the lobe of
one lung had been punctured,
apparently by broken ribs.
Owing to the serious charac
ter of his injuries, the unfort
unate man was not expected
to survive the day of the acci
dent but was still alive Friday
evening, when this article was
written. It was then believed
that he had still a bare chance
j to survive, provided he was
able to pull through another
day or two.
Discussing his inability to
stop the car in time to prevent
the fatal plunge, Mr. McKen
zie said it was due to the fail
ure of the brakes to hold.
CONSOLIDATED CO,
BUTS CONTROL OF
RAILAOAD PROJECT
The Consolidated Mining and
Smelting Company has purch
ased the entire railroad and
other local interests of the
j Vancouver Holdings, Limited,
and is now in full control of
the Canadian Nrtheastem Rail
way Company, according to
advices received in Stewart
this week from Hon. H. H.
Stevens, chief sponsor of the
much discussed Stewart-Peace
River railroad project.
Although an expected event
uality of the railroad situation,
the announcement has been
the source of great satisfaction
to the citizens of the district,
as it means not only adequate
finances for that important
project but also indicates the
probable early rehabilitation
of the old railroad and extens
ion at least as far as the head
of Bear valley, where the Con
solidated company is develop
ing the George Copper proper
ty, estimated to contain many
millions of dollars worth of
gold-copper ore.
The announcement confirms
recent reports from the south
to the effect that Canadian Pa
cific Railway interests would
take over the Stewart line-as
a part of their scheme for de
veloping the local mines of the
Consolidated company.
In view of the close affiliat
of the C. P. R. and Consolidat
ed companies, the eventual
absorbtion of the line by the
former company as a new west
ern outlet appears practically
assured.
FOURTH CELEBRATION
The Independence Day cele
bration Thursday, although
somewhat dampened by the in
clement weather, was success
ful in every particular and was
greatly enjoyed by the resi
dents of the district on both
sides of the boundary line;
which appears to become prac
tically non-existent for a time
on the occasion of public holi
days in this neck of the North.
No parade was held this year,
the festivities being confined to
an extensive program of field
sports for young and old; a
baseball game between the Hy
der and Stewart ball teams,
and a dance under the auspices
of the Pioneers of Alaska in
the evening.
Lack of sufficient space pre
cludes publication of the long
list of winners in the various
field contests, which included
pole vaulting for the first time
in the camp’s history.
The baseball game proved a
walk-over for Stewart, who al
lowed the Hyder team but one
solitary run, meanwhile piling
up so many runs for their own
side that the score-keeper wore
out all his pencils chalking
them up. Coming almost on
top of the very excellent show
ing at Stewart on Dominion
Day, when Hyder won a hard
fought and well earned contest
by a score of 17 to 6, the fail
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NEWSY JOTTINGS
BEARING ON LOCAL
Further increasing its local
mining interests, which previ
ously included six of the most
important mineral locations in
the district, the Consolidated
Mining and Smelting Co. has
concluded a deal for the pur
chase of a group of four claims
owned by Louis Legge and G.
Mathieson and situated adja
cent to the George Copper, it
became known this week.
The installation of the new
power plant on the Northern j
Light property was completed j
last week, according to arriv- j
als from that section. The j
new equipment is said to be j
working in the best manner j
possible and will provide am
ple power for a wide increase
in the volume of underground
activities. It is also reported
that a full crew will be put to
work within a brief period.
Reports from the south indi
cate that the Northern Light
company has decided, as a re
sult of the recent merger with
the Premier Border, to wind up
its affairs, shareholders in the
company to receive share for
share in Premier Border stock.
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CANADIAN AIRPLANE
TO AID PROSPECTING
A Western Canada Airways
seaplane arrived at Stewart
this (Saturday) afternoon to
convey a number of prospect
ing and survey outfits and sup
plies to various points in the
region back of Stewart. The
plane is scheduled to carry
a surveying crew and several
prospectors into the Bowser
Lake country where they will
work on properties acquired
recently by the Consplidated
Mining and Smelting Co., and
another into the Iskut section
for the recently organized
Northern Prospector Syndicate
of Stewart. Other outfits are
also said to be figuring on em
ploying the plane to transport
men and supplies to various j
other remote points.
J. A. Hall, president of the
Bank of Hyder, was an arrival
from Vancouver this morning.
ure of the locals to do better
was a dstinct shock to the Hy- i
der ball fans. The Stewart team
has now won four games in the ;
annual series for the Universal
cup and needs but one more
game to win the series.
The closing event of the cele
bration, the Pioneer dance,
was one of the most enjoyable
entertainments of the year and
attracted unusually large pat
ronage. Excellent music was
provided, while the luncheon
prepared by the skillful hands
of the pioneer ladies was all
that could be desired. The
dance continued until 3 a. m.
Friday morning, all present
being decidedly loath to leave
until the last possible moment.
AIRPLANE BRINGS
PRIESTLY COMFORT
TO STRICKEN MAN
The wide utility of the air
plane in Alaska and the highly
diversified benefits it brings to
residents of remote places in
the Northland was illustrated
here in most effective manner
Tuesday, when one of the fleet
sky messengers brought spirit
ual comfort and consolation
from afar to the bedside of one
who lay at death’s door.
The plane in question was the
new seaplane Ketchikan, of the
Washington-Alaska Airways,
which arrived from Ketchikan
via Anyox late Monday af
ternoon, and the one to whom
its swift services brought
prompt “benefit of clergy” was
Angus Gillis, shattered victim
of the tragic automobile acci
dent at Premier Monday after
noon.
Believing death near, the in
jured man asked for a priest
to administer the dissolution
rites of the Catholic faith. Rev.
Father Leray, being absent
from the district, it was decid
ed to send the airplane to An
yox for Fr. Champaign, resi
dent priest of that district., the
costs being generously under
taken by the Premier Gold
Mining Company, by whom
Gillis was employed.
The plane, piloted by Anscel
Eckmann, left here at 11 a. m.
Tuesday morning, with Mrs. O.
F. Hill and deputy United
States Marshal Donald E. Mar
tin as passengers. After pro
ceeding down Portland Canal
for approximately 30 miles,
the plane swung eastward over
the mountain range which sep
arates PortlandCanal from Ob
servatory Inlet and arrived at
Anyox at 11:35 a. m. Father
Champaign was taken on
board and the airplane hopped
off on the return journey to
Hyder at 12, noon. The back
trip was negotiated in exactly
31 minutes,, landing being
made here at 12.31 p. m., one
hour and thirty-one minutes
after departing. Allowing for
the 25 minute lay-over at An
yox the actual flying time for
the approximately 90 mile
journey was one hour an six
minutes.
NEXT BALL GAME
The next game of the base
ball series will be held in Stew
art next Saturday evening,
according to an announcement
by officials of the local base
ball club. The change from
Sunday afternoon is said to be
due to the desire of members
of the Stewart and Hyder
teams to devote their Sunday’s
to other forms of amusement,
now that the balmy days of
summer are at hand.
Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Blanton
have taken up their residence
in Stewart, where Mr. Blanton
is now engaged in the broker
age business.
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Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Bunting
and family returned this morn
ing after an extended visit in
Lhe south.