HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY THE PACIFIC - YUKON - ALASKA HI GhWAY
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VOL 7, NO. 46
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1931.
PRICE TEN CENTS
SAWYER PRESENTS
HIGHWAY PROPOSALS
Ernest Walker Sawyer, As
sitant to the Secretary of the
Interior of the United States
government, has begun a series
of conferences with high offic
ials of Canada to stimulate in
terest in the proposed exten
sion of the International High
way to Alaska, according to
Victoria press reports Tuesday.
He held discussions with
Premier Tolmie of Britih Col
umbia; George Black, Speakei
of the Dominion House of
Commons, and officials of the
Public Works Department of
Canada and British Columbia.
Mr. Sawyer issued a state
ment saying that at the con
ferences Premier Tolmie pre
sented maps showing 500 miles
of the proposed highway had
been surveyed in British Col
umbia and that Speaker Black
submitted data on 300 miles ot
the proposed extension in Yu
kon Territory.
Mr. Walker declared that
United States officials were
ready to proceed with definite
civil engineering operations
looking to the construction of
the highway extension as soon
as Canadian officials were
prepared to undertake the
same work, thus in effect plac
ing further progress of the
Highway project squarely up
to the Canadians.
Donald McDonald, of the
Alaska Road Commission, who
is regarded as the father of
the British Columbia-Alaska
Yukon highway plan, is ready
to report on more than 180
miles of the proposed route,
extending from the Richardson
Highway to the Yukon Terri
tory, the reports said.
■o
Rock Work on Salmon
Road is Completed
Rock work on the Salmon
River highway improvement
project between Nine-miie
and Eleven-mile was complet
ed this week by the Johnson
Gardner company, contractors,
and surfacing operations are
now in progres.
The design of the Bureau of
Public Roads to improve and
render this section of the 13
mile highway to Premier safe
to traffic, has been accomplish
ed in highly effective manner.
The road has been made much
wider and also considerably
straighter by the elimination
of numerous short curves and
the grade has also been elevat
ed at certain points where en
roachments of Salmon River
were threatened. The surfac
ing operations will be com
pleted next month.
-o
Trollers’ Tax Upheld
In an oral ruling recently
Judge Justin W. Harding
overruled a demurrer filed
against the Territor’s an
swer affecting the Territorial
tax of $250 on non-resident
trollers. In reality, the judge
upheld the law of 1929 as con
stitutional and valid.
The case was brought by a
Seattle troller who held that
the tax was confiscatory, as
his earnings were not in excess
of $500 a year.—Stroller’s
Week!y. ^
Congressman Says Mine
Law Can Be Changed
Removal of existing restrict
ions on location of placer min
ing claims in Alaska seems
likely to result from the visit
of the Congressional delega
tion to Alaska, it was intimated
recently by Congress
man William R. Eaton, Repub
lican of Colorado, Chairman of
ehe House Committee on Pub
ic Lands and member of the
Appropriations Committee ,
who was in a party going
south on the steamer Aleutian.
“If the proper sort of bill is
prepared by Alaskans and in
troduced in Congress to wipe
mt the restrictions and extend
:o the Territory the general
mining laws of the United
states, it probably will receive
avorable consideration from
he Public Lands Committee,”
Mr. Eaton said.
During the delegation’s trip
0 western and interior points,
Mr. Eaton added, many per
•ons discussed the matter with
him and other Congressmen,
all urging remedial action.
At the recent session of the
Alaska Legislature, an act was
oassed repealing the so-called
Wickersham Act but it re
luires validation by Congress
jefore it can become effective.
The legislature also repeal
ed all Territorial laws support
ng the Wickersham Act.
-o
Zeller Takes New Position
R. A. Zeller, for nine years
supervisor of the Tongass Na
ional Forest, with headquart
ers at K'etchikan, has been of
ered and has accepted a sim
lar position in the Superior
National Forest in Northern
Minnesota, it was announced a
,'ew days ago by regional for
ester B. F. Heintzleman.
The Superior Forest is one
>f the most important in the
nation’s system of national for
ests, and is visited annually by
ihousands. Mr. Zeller was
supervisor of the Tongas For
est during the greater part of
the past ten years and made
1 splendid record as an admin
istrative officer.
Territory Has $632,137 in
Cash On August 1st
The Territory ended the
month of July with a net cash
cash balance on hand in the
treasury amounting to $632,
137.14, according to the
monthly financial statement
compiled by W. G. Smith,
Treasurer, and made public
by Gov. George A. Parks. The
total cash on hand was $702,
078.20, with warrants out
handing in the sum of $69,
949.06.
The net balance was $277,
112.51 less than that on hand
on August 1, 1930. The reduct
ion is about the same shown for
earlier periods of the year and
is due to the red salmon failure
in Bristol Bay last season.
-o
Stewart Board of Trade to
Hold Dinner Meetings
j -O
The Stewart Board of Trade de
I elded tills week to institute the prac
i tice of holding monthly dinner meet
i ings adopted by the Hyder Chamber
cf Commerce some months ago.
The dinner sessions are to be held
on the third Tuesday of each month.
The Board of Trade ha3 also ex
tended an invitation to visit the
district to Premier S. F. Tolmie of
British Columbia and to Hon. R. J.
Mainon, federal minister of railways,
during contemplated tours.
PLANS MADE FOR
SILVER DISCUSSION
The silver problem will be
discussed at the Fourth Pan
American Commercial confer
ence which will meet in Wash
ington, October 5 to 12, under
the auspices of the Pan-Amer
ican union, bringing together
commercial leaders from 21
republics, says the Mining Con
gress Journal.
With Mexico, the United
States and Peru accounting for
70 per cent of the world pro
duction last year, consideration
of the silver problem by rep
resentatives of these three naf
ions at the forthcoming com
mercial conference “undoubt
edly will have an important
effect on any future negotiat
ions on the silver situation,”
it was stated by the Pan-Amer
ican union.
A conference of British bank
ers, industrialists and export
ers to consider long term cred,
its to China and cooperation
between British and Chinese
capital in China’s industrial
machinery trade, has been rec
ommended by the British Eco
nomic mission which recently
concluded a survey in China.
Suggestion is made that Brit
ish iron and steel manufac
tures maintain resident experts
in Japan and China. It is al
so recommended that there be
group organizations in China
of British machinery export
ers to prevent wasteful inter
British competition and
strengthen British representa
tion.
o
Wheat Grows From
Tree Fungus
The remarkable spectacle of
several stalks of fully grown
and full-eared wheat growing
from a large tree fungus at
tached to a section of decay
ing log is to be seen in the
show’ windows of the Hyder i
Drug Co. The wheat is about
three feet high and decidedly
vigouous in appearance, de- j
spite its peculiar environment.
The freak growth was dis
covered by Joe Meyers, well
known gardner, on his prop
erty adjoining the river bank
on the west side of the upper 1
townsite. One end of the log
was in the 'river; the other,
to which the fungus was at-1
tached, protruded over the
bank. It is believed that the
decaying log established a
water connection with the fun
gus which accounts for the
vigorous grow'th of the wheat
on such an ordinarily unfavor
able surface.
Princess Alice Arrives
With Tourists
The palatial Canadian Pacific ]
liner Princess Alice arrived
from Vancouver Thursday j
morning with a large party of
tourists. The vessel remained j
here several hours to permit j
the visitors, numbering some
120, to visit points of interest,
including the Premier mine.
The list or passengers included
travelers from almost every section ;
of the globe; all parts of Canada,
the United States, England, Europe
and Honolulu being represented.
The visitors were greeted by a del
egation from the Stewart Board of
Trade, who arranged for their trans
portation to the Premier,
CONGRESSMEN FAVOR
R, R, RATE CHANGE
Hope for the downward re
vision of the excessively high
rates now in effect on the
Alaska Railroad is seen in
press reports of interviews
with various members of the
congresional investigating com
mittees who have visited the
Territory this summer.
I virtually every one ot the
congressmen interviewed have
expressed themselves as op
posed to the high rates insti
tuted some months ago fol
lowing the visit of a select in
vestigating committee consist
ing of Senators Ilowell, Kend
rick and Thornes, of Idaho.
In a recent press interview
I Congressman Frank Murphy,
| of Ohio, voiced the opinion of
| a majority of his committee
in the following statement,
made after a tour of the rail
road belt and interior districts.
“The government should
rectify the mistake it has made
in its policy of administering
the affairs of the Alaska
railroad. Lower rates should
be restored. Service adequate
in every particular should be
maintained, ” Congressman
Murphy said.
“Increases in rates on the
Alaska railroad were uneces
sary and unjust; their effect is
to decrease the system’s busi
ment of the country, the con
gressman continued.
‘ ‘The system should not be
allowed to deteriorate; it
should be improved. Neither
Congress nor the interior de
partment should worry or
quibble about operative ex
penses. The nation can afford
to meet this comparatively
small deficit.
“Alaska has enriched the nat
ion with its great wealth. The
Territory merits generous con
sideration.
“The many and varied re
sources of Alaska are marvel
ous. Time and money will be
needed to develop them. The
Federal government through
its legislative branches should
be willing and eager to lend
every possible aid.
“I think all members of the
Congressional party are of one
mind in this regard.’’
•o
Alaska Homesteaders
Must Live up to Law
In an Alaska case that was be
fore the General Land Office
recently it was made clear that
l where an entryman failed to
[make his homestead his home
! for seven months out of a year
ifor three years during a con
i tinuous residence of five years,
! he forfeited his right to a pat
ent.
The fact that the claimant
may have been very seriously
ill much of the time and phys
ically unable to reside on the
homestead, unless he had been
committed to an insane asylum,
is not considered a valid ev
cuse for lack of residence.
Where illness has been the
1 preventative cause for failure
to secure patent an opportunity
i is usually given for another fil
i ing by the same person.
Stewart Gives District
Fine Boost
| A splendid boost for the Hyder
I district was given by D. B.
Stewart, supervising mining
engineer for the Territory in an
interview given to the Juneau
Empire following his visit to
Hyder during the recent inter
national celebration period.
As reported by the Empire,
Mr Stewart declared that the
residents of the Portland Canal
district are not discouraged by
the present mining outlook ant', |
are carrying on considerable !
work as well as keeping up j
the neseccary assessment work j
on their ground.
‘While the Portland Canal
district is commonly regarded
as a silver-lead camp, it ha*
sufficient gold ores to keep
interest alive in prospecting
and development work,” Mr.
Stewart said. “The Premier
Mine produces about 60 pei
I cent of the entire lode gold ,
output of British Columbia. In |
1929, the latest year for which j
figures are available, it yield- |
ed 96,636 ounces of gold with
a value of $1,932,720. The Big
Missouri also has gold bearing
rock.”
“On the American side there
are several properties with
good ore values in gold. The
Metcalf property on Banded
Mountain has produced rock
assaying very high in value.
The Marietta group,, east of
the west fork of Texas Creek
is another of the same nature.
On both of these crews are em
ployed in development pro
gram.”
On the Marietta, Mr. Stew-j
art said, a tunnel is being'
driven along bedrock through j
solid ice beneath a glacier, fol
lowing some high grade float
that was the orginal discovery. ;
It has been carried several |
hundred feet through the ice.
and those interested in the J
pioperty say they are on the
vein.
Several outside mining com
panies have representatives in :
the district watching develop-,
ments. There is no indications j
of discouragement anywhere in
the district, he said. (
Mr Stewart also gave an in
teresting description of the in
ternational celebration, which
he declared “was a notable
event and would have done
credit to a community much
larger than the Portland Canal
ones.
Relief for Stewart Unemployed
Early relief for the targe unem
ployment in Stewart was presaged in
t tie arrival Wednesday of John An
derson, superintendent of roads for
the Atlin district, to select camp sites
for road construction camps, so they
may he built as soon as possible aft
| cr instructions to proceed are re
I ceived.
■ Construction is said to be awaiting
i an agreement between the federal
I and provincial governments regarding
unemployment relief measures.
It is understood that the work to
I be undertaken will be devoted to the
I ixension of the Bear River road and
i other road improvements. Mr Ander
| son selected two camp sites in the
I upper Bear valley. Relief work will
I be provided for unemployed persons
I who have registered for employment.
. The work is expected to last through
out the coming winter.
---o
Premier Wins Baseball Series
By winning the third game of the
series at Stewart last Sunday, the
Premier baseball team won the an- ,
nual contest with Stewart for the
Hiam cup. The score was 5 to 0.
The game went but 5 tunings ow
ing to a high tide invading the field
and all but forcing the outfield play
ers to swim for the ball in the back
lots.
HUGE HUSH FISH
pick men
That the Salmon pack of
1931 will reach tremendous
proportions by the end of the
season was indicated by fig
ures made public a few days
ago by the Bureau of Fisher
ies office in Juneau.
According to the figures, up
to August 1, the pack was
nearing the 3,000,000 case
mark, with the probability that
it would go close to the 4,000,
000 mark. Fully half the pack
is reds, nearly a million and
a half cases having ben pack
ed.
T'he pack, as reported to
August 1, last year was 1,036,
000 cases.
Bristol Bay, as usual, put up
the greater part of the pack,
nearly a million and a quarter
cases. Reports from all sect
ions indicate that the fish are
still running strong.
Special Edition Soon Ready
The Hyder Chamber of Com
merce special advertising edit
lion of the Hyder Weekly Her
ald, on which a special com
mittee of the Chamber of Com
1 merce has been working for
•everal weeks, will be issued
about September first.
Although designed primarily
to advertise the Pacific-Yukon
Alaska international highway
project, and draw attention to
he possibilities from the stand
point of tourist travel of a
branch highway to Hyder and
Stewart, the publication will
be in reality a compendium of
■elected information regarding
l he Portland Canal district
md Alaska as a whole and
•vill be decidedly interesting
is well as a splendid advertise
ment. The edition will be pro
fusely illustrated and will con
.ain a number of specially writ
ten articles in the highway and
other subjects, one of which is
Horn the pen of Premier Tol
mie of British Columbia.
The publication is in no way
■onnected with the Hyder
Herald, except that the Herald
■taff and plant will contribute
in its publication. It is in no
sense a money-making ven
ture, as the revenues are ex
pected to be virtually absorbed
by the production costs and a
majority of the contemplated
1500 twelve-page copies will
be distributed among advertis
ing agencies, tourist bureaus,
road and automobile clubs,
newspapers, steamship com
panies and governmental of
ficials, where advertising will
be most effective. Copies will
be sold for private distribution
at 15 cents per copy, which
barely covers the production
cost.
-o
Mr. Horace W. McCurdy,
president and manager of the
Puget Sound Bridge and
Dredging Co. of Seattle, work
ing on the Thomas Basin pro
ject in Ketchikan, came over
on the motorboat ‘“Esquimo”
Sunday to visit Mr. and Mrs.
A. O. Moa.