- ~ <
AN ALL
ALASKA
NEWSPAPER
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELO PMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
$5.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
V’
V0L 4, NO. 3 • ” HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1927 FIFTY CENTS A MONTH
_ ! "" " 1 .’ I ------■■*■■■■■
FINE VALUES FROM
NEW TEXAS FIND
Assays of ore samples taken
from the fine vein recently dis
covered by Sam Swenning on
his Boundary Group in the up
per Texas Creek section, have
shown excellent values. Re
turns ranging as high as $105.
36 per ton were received by
Mr. Swenning from several
samples submitted for analysis
during the past few days. One
sample of surface ore of aver
age character showed 61.60 oz.
of silver, 43 per cent lead, 14
per cent zinc and a trace of
gold. Another sample broken
at random from the lead show
ed $2.40 in gold, in addition
to the other elements indicat
ed above.
The vein averages about 2
feet in width over a distance
of 500 feet and is heavily min
eralized, fully 50 per cent of
the vein matter being solid ore.
In the interval since the dis
covery, several weeks ago, Mr.
Swenning has run a number
of open cuts on the lead and
states that the ore shows no
variation either in extent oi
character at the greatest depth
attained.
Before leaving for his home
in Ketchikan, Wednesday, Mr.
Swenning said that as result oi
his observations during the
past two seasons he is convinc
ed that the Texas section will
become a wonderful mineral
producer as soon as adequate
transportation is provided. He
will return to the district next
spring.
M. S. NUKCU KliTURNS
TO LOCAL RUN
The Northland Transportat
ion Co., motorship Norco re
turned to the Seattle-Hydei
run this week, arriving from
Seattle, via Ketchikan Tues
day, with list of 16 local pass
engers and 70 tons of general
cargo.
The visit was the first made
by the Norco under the new
schedule arranged recently by
the Hyder Dock Company. The
vessel is slated tm visit this
port at intervals of 20 days or !
so.
-c
The Grand Trunk steamer
will not arrive until Sunday
morning, according to word re
ceived in Stewart, The delay
is believed to be due to a dis
arrrangment caused by the re
cent accident to one of tht
company vessels.
-o
Jens Pederson, late manager
of the local business of the
Salmon River Dock Co., left
for Seattle via the motorship
Norco. Mr. Pederson plans tc
remain in the Sound country
for a time but may return tc
Ketchikan in the spring to take
a position there.
During his long residence in
the district Mr. Pederson has
made a host of friends wht
sincerely regret his departure
for other fields.
-o
Harry Townsend, former con
sulting engineer of the Big
Missouri Mining Co. arrived
from the south Monday even
ing and visited the upper Bear
River section.
Mr. and Mrs. E. E. Marshall, j
of Philadelphia, arrived from
the south Saturday. The couple
are interested in the promising
Washington Group of the
Washington Mining Co., in the
Marmot section. They will re
turn south Sunday.
ROAD OFFICIALS VISIT—
ACCEPT NEW HIGHWAY
M. D. Williams, assistant dis
trict engineer of the Bureau
of Public Roads, and Robert J.
Summers) highway engineer of
the Territorial Board of Road
Commissioners, arrived from
the westward Tuesday on the
Bureau of Public Roads motor
ship Highway.
The visit of the officials was
made in connection with the
bureau’s local toad improve
ments, including the Cem
etery-Fish Creek section of
the Salmon River road, which
has been completed by the
jonnson-uaraner uo., and tne
Texas Creek wagon road, now
under construction by Siems
and Carlson, and other local
road and trail projects.
Mr. Williams, as head of the
Forest bureau road activities in
Alaska, inspected and accept
ed the Cemetery-Fish Creek
unit, 3Va miles long and con
structed at a cost to the gov
ernment of approximately
?115,000. The construction
embraced some 34,000 feet of
sock work, in addition to four
bridges and a considerable
number of culverts, drains, etc.
As the contract did not include
airfacing, that work is now
being done by the local Bur
eau of Public Roads road
irew under superintendent
Thos. H. Evans.
The completion of this pro
ject will provide local traffic
with a splendid new highway,
if the most substantial char
acter, extending from the cem
etery, a short distance north
ef town, to the vicinity of 8
Mile. Being constructed along
he mountain slopes, and at a
eonsiderably higher elevation
:hant the old highway, traffic
o and from the upper valley
will no longer be impeded by
he frequent floods which
made the old road almost im
passable at times. The Bureau
jf Public Roads is justly en
titled to receive the grateful
hanks of the community for
nstalling this much needed
'improvement.
Mr. Williams also inspected
he Texas Creek road project,
where Seims and Carlson, con
ractors, have two camps in op
3i-ation and have a crew of
about 60 men employed at
bearing, grubbing and grad
ing. The work is being carried
in in the most efficient and
ixpeditious manner by the vet
iran contracting firm and Mr.
Williams was greatly pleased j
at the excellent progress so j
:ar achieved.
The outlook at present is that j
ill grading will be completed
iver the 4*/2 mile course for
.vhich appropriation has been
made by the ctose of the pres
ent season.
Timber for the new bridge
will be hauled to the selected
ite during the winter and |
.he bridge will be installed
next spring by the Bureau- of
?ublic Roads. The completion
if this work will open the new
lighway to traffic.
-o
Thomas Dodd, old-timer of
the Fairbanks and Anchorage
sections, who arrived recently,
accompanied by Mrs. Dodd,
will open a new cigar store in
the Main Street building form
erly occupied by B. Taylor.
-o
Clay Porter,'after a short tie
up resulting from the fractur
ing of a couple of ribs in a fall,
ig on his feet again.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
FETES VISITORS
M. D. Willianjs, assistant dis
trict ertgineer of the Bureau oi
Public Roads and Robert J
Sommers, highway engineer oi
the Territorial Board of Road
Commissioners were guests oi
honor at a luncheon given by
the Hyder Chamber of Com
merce at the Ideal Cafe ban
quet rooms Friday noon. The
function was probably the
most interesting of its kind so
far held by that bodyr and not
only attracted an unusually
large number but was also pro
ductive of a widely increased
understanding of local road
development matters and of
the possibilities for future roid
construction. Attorney Ernest
Blue wsa the chief speaker and
outlined the road needs of the
Texas Creek area, pointing
out that no country could
achieve important development
until roads had opened the
way. Rome did not become
great until roads had been
built to the utmost limits of
her vast empire, Mi*. Blue de
clared. Texas Creeks holds al
most unlimited ore production
possibilities, he said, but pres
ent transportation conditions
rendered development both
costly and difficult. After
quoting figures showing the
cost of commodities landed in
the section are several hundred
per cent higher than the orig
inal cost, Mr. Blue closed with
an eloquent and forceful plea
for increased road facilities.
Various phases of the local de
velopment situation and the
road needs of the district were
also discussed by S. A.
Knowles, superintendent of
the Big Missouri, Clay Porter,
managing director of the Port
ter Idaho, Wm. Gray, head of
the Hyder Lumber Co., Mal
colm Smith, prominent Texas
Creek claim ow ner, and Chas.
F. Sandford, publisher of the
Herald. Curtis Gardner, of the
Johnson-Gardner Co., and Mr.
Carlson, of Seims and Carlson,
told of some of the difficulties
encountered by road construct
ors in this section and Mr.
Chas. Hill, Tacoma visitor,
gave a graphic example of
how roads create development
out of his own experience.
Mr. Williams and Mr. Som
mers explained the operations
of their respective depart
partments, pointing out that
the apportionment of funds
for road work in Alaska is
made according to certain fix
ed principles and that all pro
jects submitted by the local
road officials must be support
ed by convincing evidence of
their need and must receive
the approval of the depart
mental heads at Washington
before allocation of funds is
authorized. Mr. Williams call
ed particular attention to the
fact that road projects are not
selected, in accordance with
the whims of the officals but
are the result of extensive in
vestigation of the needs of
each district, in which the
claims of each section are care
fully weighed and considered
before recommendations are
made. The amount of funds
available is sometimes another
important factor in making se
lections, Mr. Williams said. Mr.
Sommers also explained the
cooperative system employed
by the Territory in the allocat
ion and expenditure of Terri
torial x-o&d funds through the
Bureau of Public Roads in il
luminating manner.
ROAD TO BIG MISSOURI
UNDER WAY
The long needed wagon road
to the Big Missouri is now ir
process of becoming a reality
the project having been au
thorized by the B. C. road au
thorities last week.
A crew of 60 or more men is
at present employed on the
project, which will be rushed
to completion as fast as poss
ible.
In addition to providing wag
on communication between
Ilyder, Stewart and the Big
Missouri mine, the road will
also be of great benefit to a
large numbr of properties ly
ing between the B. C. Silver
and Big Missouri, as well as
many others located in prox
imity to and beyond the latter
property. Thus the project is a
matter of extreme importance
to the entire upper Salmon dis
trict and will result in a mark
ed reduction of transportation
costs over a wide area.
o
MOTION PICTURE
SHOW RESUMES
The motion picture show,
which has been suspended for
several weeks, will resume op
eration Sunday evening at Pio
neer Hall.
The establishment is now un
der the management of Wil
liam Mullins, widely known
Alaska motion picture man,
i who has-operated movie shows
I from Nome to Juneau and is
I known in almost every section
> of the North. Mr. Mullins Is
! also an old time comedian and
| was a bright light in the vaud
eville world for many years.
Mr. Mullin’s initial offering
will be featured by an eight
reel production of Eleanpr Me
herin’s widely known novel
“Sandy,” starring Madge Bel
lamy and Harrison Ford. The
story was recently printed ser
ially in many of the leading
newspapers throughout the
United States and is marked
by tense dramatic interest and
teems with gripping situations.
Mr. Mullins has been fortunate
in securing a picture of this
class for his premiere offer
ing.
In additon to this brilliant
eight-reel feature, the program
will include a rip-roaring com
edy entitled “Long Fliv the
King,” featuring that inimit
able comedian Charley Chase,
supported by a scintillating
cast of beautiful girls. This is a
veritable riot of fun and worth
the price of admission alone.
This splendid feature program
will be further supplemented
by a one reel subject “Vari
ites,” which is something of a
paradox in picture plays and
decidedly interesting. A more
classy program has never been
shown in Alaska.
The show will start at 8 p. m.
and the prices will be as usual.
Don’t miss it.
u
Big Missouri has been listed
on the Vancouver Stock Ex
change. Latest quotations were
.28 bid, .32 asked.
President J. A. Hall of the
Chamber of Commerce presid
ed as toastmaster and extend
ed thefthanks of the Chamber
and community to the visitors
for the road work done by
their departments in this dis
trict.
The luncheon served by the
Ideal management was excel
i lent and evoked much pleased
I comment from those present.
CHAS. BARBEE VICTIM
OF AUTO ACCIDENT
Another grim tragedy sent a
wa.ve of horror sweeping
through the community early
this week, as a result of the
death of Charles Barbee in an
auto accident occurring at the
upper end of Main Street in
the piled district shortly after
midnight Sunday.
“Charlie,” as he was familiar
ly known to almost everyone in
the community, had just re
turned from a trip to the road
carnp in a car borrowed for
the occasion from Fred J
Hughes of the Bureau of Pub
lic Roads engineering staff.
The trip was made primarily
for the purpose of taking Bob
Willis back to the camp, where
cmpxwj' cu, aim me pan
were accompanied by Mist
Irene Gladstone, sister of Mrs.
W. R. Reid, and Hubert Thom
as, proprietor of the Boundary
Gift Shop. After leaving Wil
lis at the camp, the remainder
of the party returned to town,
and arrived at the junction ol
International Way and Volun
teer Drive about 1:40 a. m.
Miss Gladstone and Thomas
left the car at this point and
proceeded to the Reid resi
dence, a short distance away.
After bidding the pair good
night, Barbee drove the cai
slowly along Volunteer Drive
to it3 junction with Main St.
On arriving at the latter point
Barbee, for some reason that
has not been clearly establish
ed, failed to make the sharp
turn into Main Street, with the
result that the car plunged
thru the wooden railing at the
end of the street and fell head
long to the tide flat, some eighi
or ten feet below. The un
fortunte driver was caught be
neath the heavy car as it fell
with a resounding crash, and
sustained a severe fracture oi
the skull. When picked up a
few moments later by persons
fro m nearby night resorts who
were attracted by the noise
Barbee was unconscious and
bleeding freely from a number
of ghastly wounds on the head.
Ready hands placed the injur
ed man on a stretcher and he
was hurried to Stewart hospi
tal in one of the Seppi cars but
expired enroute.
As no one witnessed the acci
dent, the true facts attending
the sad fatality will probably
never be known. In the opinion
of U. S. Commissioner T. W.
McDonald and others who ex
amined the shattered death car
the steering gear failed to act
when required owing to the
breaking of one of the front '
springs. This view is substanti
ated by the fact that most
of the leaves of both front
springs wei'e broken, and with
half of 7 or 8 leaves missing;
and the additional -fact that
the only remaining spring on
one side bore every every ap
pearance or having broken
shortly before the accident. ,
Marks on the end of this brok
en piece, indicate that it had
been dragging on the ground
for a considerable time prior
I to the accident. Mr. Thomas
states that both Barbee and
himself knew the car was out
of order and for this reason
Babree drove no faster than
i five miles per hour on the
trip down the valley.
It is pointed out that the
breaking of the spring referred
1 to would permit the body of
the car to rest on the axle,
thereby impeding the action :
of the steering gear. Barbee i
WORK RESUMED
ON SILVERADO
Development work has been
resumed on the well known
Silverada property as a result
of the recent discovery of a
four foot vein of steel-galena,
details of which were given in
the last issue of the Herald.
A crew of five miners and a
cook went up to the property
early this week and several
men were added to the force
later in the week.
John Haahti is directing op
erations and plans to thorough
ly explore the new lead with
a view to continuing develop
ment during the winter if con
ditions are found favorable.
RECENT VISITOR
MEETS SUDDEN DEATH
A telegram announcing the
demise of H. W. Johnson, as
sociate of Curtis Gardner in
Johnson-Gardner Company, of
Portland, was received by Mr.
Gardner Tuesday. .
The message contained no de
tails, but indicates in the state
ment that Mr. Johnson’s body
was found in Stillicum Creek,
near Portland, that his death
was accidental.
Mr. Johnson left Hyder week
before last after a short visit
in connection with the John
son-Gardner operations on the
Cemetery-Fish CreeWection of
the Salmon River i^eid.
The announcement of his sue’
den demise was a de id,
shock to his numerous fricnu ’
and is deeply regretted by all
who knew him.
-o
The Hyder-Stewart base ball
team broke even with the
Prince Rupert ball tossers in
the two games played at
Prince Rupert Tuesday and
Wednesday in connection with
the Prince Rupert Exhibition
and Stampede.
Rupert carried off the first
tjame by a margin of one in a
hard fought contest, the final
score Rupert 5, Hyder-Stewart
L Batteries Lloyd. Tonkin and
Bruce.
The second contest was a
walkover for the locals, who
took first honors by a score of
14 to 3. Batteries: Besaw and
ronkin. The Hyder-Stewart
:eam included the following
players: Besaw, Buckmeier,
Lloyd, Tonkin, Mills, Gregg,
Gardner, Bruce and Kennedy.
The team left for Rupert Mon
iay evening on the Catalla and
returned Friday on Ernie Lew
is’ “Ellen” and a Prince Ru
pert motorboat.
was an expert driver, hence
;he accident can hardly be at
xibuted to any other cause
:han a breakdown of the car
itself.
The deceased was a native of
Washington, 24 years of age
and had resided in this district
about four years. Being per
;onally known to nearly every
ane in this section, his untime
ly passing is a cause of general
sorrow and regret. He is sur
vived by his father, and a
brother, who reside in Wash
ington, in addition to more dis
ant relatives. He was a mem
ber of the Moose and Elk
lodges.
At the request of the rela
:ives, the body of the unfortun
ate young man was embalmed
ay Mortician Merl F. Thomas,
who came over from Ketchi
aan for that purpose, and was
shipped to Seattle on the Nor
:o Tuesday night.