r .. ■ 1 1 i
SPECIALIZING IN'
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
#3.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
VOL 7, NO. 29
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1931.
PRICE TEN CENTS
STEAMER PASSENGER
ATTEMPTS SUICIDE
Walter McKenzie, a passen
ger from Anyox, on board the
Canadian National steamer
Prince George, slashed his
throat with a razor in a suicide
attempt while the steamer was
docking at the Stewart wharf
Thursday morning. In addition
to cutting himself three times
acioss the throat, McKenzie
also slashed one wrist.
Following his grisly act,
which occurred in his state
room, McKenzie rang the bell
for the steward before he fell
to the floor unconscious. Re
sponding to the call, one of the
cabin boys found the man cov
ered with blood from his
wounds and the room resem
bling a shambles. Dr. Whillans
was summoned from Stewart
and found the man in a critical
condition and ordered him to j
the hospital.
On regaining consciousness
in the hospital McKenzie
would not discuss his rash act
but said he wanted to see hi
father, who is a resident of j
Smithers, B. C. McKenzie, !
who is about 30 years of age. j
is believed to have a chance
for recovery. He is said to have
been in Anyox for about five
weeks but could not obtain ■
work until a few days ago. He j
was apparently enroute to j
Smithers at the time of his i
rash act, which appears to
have been done in a fit of des-;
pondency.
As attempted suicide is
punishable as a law infraction
in Canada, McKenzie is held
in custody by Constable Pot
terton and is guarded day and
night in the hospital pending
the outcome of his injuries.
o
New U. S. Marshal Arrive? ,
Speculation regarding the !
identity of the next incumbent ;
of the local office of the Unit-j
ed States Marshal was set a'
rest Thursday with the arrival i
of Warren S. Harding from \
Juneau to take over the duties I
of the office, recently vacated
by Donald E. Martin, who was
transferred to the main office j
at Juneau.
Mr. Harding is an old-time j
Alaskan peace officer, with
many years of experience as1
deputy U. S. Marshal and;
special agent for the national
prohibition enforcement de- j
partment in the territory. lie
also has held the position ol
chief of police of Juneau. Dur
ing his years in Alaska Mr.
Harding has visited over a
large part of the territory be-!
tween Nome and Juneau and
is a real Alaskan in every re-1
spect. The writer has known
the new deputy marshal by |
reputation for many years and
is of the opinion that United
States Marshal White could
not have selected a better of
ficer for the local position.
-o
MCDONALD CONVICTED OF
KETCHIKAN MURDER
Bert McDonald was found guilty of
the murder of George I*. Marshall,
aged Ketchikan fish buyer, by the
trial jury in the district court at
Ketchikan Friday, according to Se
attle radio reports received last even
ing.
McDonald was sentenced immedi
ately to serve a life term in the pen
itentiary.
Luke S. May, famous Seattle crim
inologist, was the chief witness
against McDonald.
I’. C. Power Company
Plans Early Action
Early commencement of con
struction activities by the Port
land Canal Power Company oi
its Davis River power projec
is indicated by Edwin R
Wright, resident engineer o
the company, in a letter t<
Oren F. Hill received hen
Thursday.
The message, written a
Seattle April 17, states tha
the company is assembling
materials for the coming con
struction activities. The lette;
gives no indication regardinj
the probable time of starting
although intimating that tin
decision is awaiting the returi
of Mr. Willis T. Eatcheller
president of the company
from the east.
Mr. Wright also dislosei
the intention of the company
to employ as many local mei
as possible on the constructioi
work by inquiring as to tin
probable number that will b<
available.
o
Chamber Commerce Launches
Highway Branch Campaigr
A new plan for advertising
the Pacific - Yukon - Alaskf
Highway project and showini
that Hyder is the first Alaskt
town that may be made acces
sible to tourist travel by a shor
branch road was launched by
the Hyder Chamber of Com
merce when the Herald jot
printing department completec
the printing of a quantity o
envelopes for that body, eacl
beaiing on the reverse side i
two-color map of the High
way route, showing the prox
imity of Hyder and Stewar
and bearing the caption: “Hy
der the first Alaska town or
he International Highway b\
rOO miles.”
The location of Hyder anc
the Highway are shown in rec
and the map, which displays
a large section of the uppei
British Columbia and Alaskr
coast lines, was reproducec
from the official map issued b\
the United States Internation
al Highway Commission.
To secure the widest possible
publicity through the mediun
of the map, the Chamber ol
Commerce has authorized tht
Herald to make use of tht
plates in printing stationery
for local business houses anc
others. Virtually every busi
ness in Hyder has ordered i
supply of stationery bearinj
the map.
R. G. Mellin Passes On
Richard G. Mellin, well
known mining engineer, whc
was formerly in charge of the
Hyder Lead, Riverside anc
other local mining operations
passed away in Duncan. B. C.
last Saturday, according to ad
vices received this week.
Mr. Mellin, who was a native
of England and aged 56 years
was associated with numerous
important mining enterprise
and was one of the most highly
regarded members of his pro
fession associated with thii
district. He is survived by {
widow and children, who re
side at Duncan.
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Two new Ford trucks of th<
double wheel type arrived o:
the Zapora for the Bureau o
Public roads. The trucks wer
consigned to the Hyder Mac
hine Shop, local Ford agents
■TO URGE EARLY
CONSTRUCTION OF
■ HIGHWAY BRANCH
t. ___
■ j A special meeting of the
( Hyder Chamber of Commerce
, iias been called for Vt ednes
day evening with the object of
, furthering the early construct
J ion of the proposed branch of
the projected International
Highway to Stewart and Hy
| der.
i The meeting will be attended
' j by representatives of the o‘ew
[! art Board of Trade, who will
( present proposals for joint ac
! tion by the two bodies aimed
i at securing the cooperation of
the two Canadian steamship
[ j lines and also for enlisting the
. | support of Vancouver in hav
( ing a local branch of the big
{| highway built as soon as pos
, l sible.
, | It is pointed out that a branch
road to Stewart and Hyder
! will provide an opportunity for
j thousands of auto tourists to
visit Alaska long before north
1 ward extensions of the high
way to other parts of the Ter
j iitoiy could be completed. This
i would be of vast benefit to
! Vancouver and other Canad
' ian towns along the highway
route and should be a strong
incentive for their cooperation
in getting the short route to
Alaska under way as soon as
possible.
Find New Means
of Fire Protection
Residents of Hyder, B. C..
have discovered a new means
of water storage for fire pro
tection in the shape of cisterns
situated on the bluff overlook
ing the Hyder-Stewart road.
Joe Moran and Jim Duffitt
are credited with the discovery
that water storage pits may be
! easily sunk in what appears to
be a peculiar decomposed rock
deposit on the rocky bench
I overlooking the road. The
material is said to be soft
enough to be easily dug but
will hold water. They recent
ly completed a reservoir of
I this character opposite the
Crescent Rooms which is cap
able of holding several thou
sand gallons of water. Water
from springs and rain flowing
down the higher hillside is
sufficient to keep the cistern
filled. The stored water pip
. ed to the Crescent building,
has a fall of about 150 feet,
a sufficient head to be very
effective in case of fire.
Alex Frazer, owner of thg
i Frazer Hotel, is planning to
■ construct another and larger
| cistern opposite his establish
ment and other property own
, ers along the road are said to
■ be contemplating similar ac
tion.
. I-n
Would Tax Alaska Autos $5
; Representative Johnstone, of
,1 Fairbanks, has introduced a
bill in the Alaska Legislature
• under the terms of which each
; | automobile and motorcycle de
i livered in Alaska would be
■ subject to a tax of $5,.accord
| ing to Juneau reports,
i Alaskans, according to com
; | petent authorities, are already
11 the worst taxed people of the
' Western hemisphere, but some
> of our legislators are apparent
- ly not adverse to slapping on
. | a few more for good measure.
CONTINUANCE OF
DEPRESSION CAUSES
NEW CONCERN
Continuance of the great
business and industrial depres
sion despite the recent smug
predictions of the financial
overlords that prosperity was
“just around the corner,” is
causing renewed concern and
the outside press is once more
| being flooded with theories
! and suggested remedies. Re
i cent Washington reports indi
cate that the situation is pre
occupying political and busi
ness circles in the capitol to
thei exclusion of every ques
! tion, including prohibition.
The result is a new flood of
palaver which in the main
means little or nothing in so
far as any definite conclusions
are concerned. As one writer
puts it, no one seems to know
what is the matter or what to
do abut it. The economists are
divided into two and twenty
jarring sects, he says, but in
a general way there are two
school of thought. The first be
lieves the depression does not
arise entirely from the same
circumstances attending simi
las periods in the past, that it
contains a new element and
may be the forerunner of a
new series of depdessions.
The second school is said to
consider that the situation is
simply a part of the business
cycle resulting from such con
ditions as overproduction, con
centration of gold, the fall in
the price of silver, ahd a com
bination of other circumstanc
es, political as well as econom
ic. The only points they are
jail agieed upon are the obvi
ous facts, which even the man
on the street can see, that
there is overproduction and
underconsumption and much
! distress, not only in the United
j States but all over the world,
i In their great wisdom they al
so concede that there is either
something wrong with the ma
chinery that produces, distrib
utes and consumes, or it is fun
ctioning under bad conditions.
Which, facts, by the way, most
everyone else can discern with
out straining their eyes or un
duly agitating their mental
machinery.
Remedies are proposed by
both schools ranging from
shortei hours and higher wag
es to schemes for inducing the
United States and other coun
tries with a large gold surplus
to distribute it among those
which have little or none
Others contend, although these
appear to be a decided minor
ity, that lower wages are es
sential to a restoration of the
economic balance. Some pro
fess to see as a fundamental
cause of condition a dispropor
tionate distribution of wealth
between capital and labor as a
lesult of vastly increased em
ployment of machinery and
modern methods, with a re
sultant of elimination of the
necessity for many hands.
Those who are particularly
interested in Oriental markets,
which has suffered greatly j
from the silver decline, are of
one opinion that international
stabilization of silver prices
would be the panacea. Still
another school suggests that
producers limit production by
W o I f I e Indicted On
Swindle Charges
Conrad Wolfle promoter of
the Cantu Mining Company,
former controller of the Cantu
property on the east slopes of
Cantu Mountain in the upper
Salmon basin, was arrested in
New York City April 13 under
federal grand jury indictment
charging him with fraud in
connection with his promotion
of the Cantu company, accord
j ing to a New York press re
| port.
The specific charge against
Wolfle is fraudulent use of the
mails. The report says Wolfle,
who is widely known in West
ern mining circles as the de
veloper of the United Coppei
mine at Chewelah, induced r
number of people to invest in
the local development project
by promising a return of then
money with 10 per cent, in
terest at the end of the yeai
j if they were not satisfied. lie
is said to have obtained more
;han $150,000 from investor:
n Seattle and other points in
Western Washington. Wolfli
was arrested and later releas
ed after posting a $5,000 bond
The indicted promoter ob
tained control of the Canti
pioperty, one of the mos
promising in the upper Salmor
valley, something over twe
years ago, but, beyond a small
amount of work last year, har
done nothing to develop the
ground.
It is understood that influ
ential Seattle stockholder:
have undertaken to straighten
out the affairs of the Cantu
company with a view to under
taking futher development.
Although several local peo
pie were induced by Wolfle tc
become officials of the Cantu
company at the time of its or
ganization, they were not cog
nizant of the irregularitie: :
with which he is charged, a: i
Wolfle personally conducted
all the company business fron
a Seattle office, generalh
without advising his associate
officers regarding his promo
tion methods.
That none of the other di j
rectors are held responsible foi ,
the alleged frauds is shown be !
the government making Wol ]
fie the only defendant.
B. C. SILVER REPORTS PROGRESS !
The following official repor.
of B. C. Silver development ir
February, was issued by the
Selukwe Company headquart
ers in London on April 2.
All work confined to 6 level
6 sublevel and 3 sublevel.
Six level; 654 drift con
tinned further 28 tt. on E. ore
body, north east of No. 2 shafi
in favorable country, Best 5 ft
sample assayed $18.
Six sublevel: 631 drift, north
easterly drive on orezone be
tween 5 and 6 levels continued.
Advanced 50 ft., all in well
mineralized country. Two 5 ft.
back samples assayed $63.76
and $54.28 respectively. Low
values found throughout bal
ance of heading. Some cross
cutting also done to determine
limits of zone.
Three sublevel; 331 drift.;
southwesterly drift on orezone
above Main 3 level, advanced
23 ft., all in favorable silicified
country showing some good
values.
Total development 125 ft.
agreement to check over-pro
duction.
TERRITORIAL TAJ
INCREASES LIKELY
That there will be some in
crease in Territorial tax rates
by the present Alaska Legis
lature is indicated in recent re
ports from Juneau. Although
it is likely that the burden of
such increases will most likely
fall on the fisheries, signs are
not wanting that other indus
tries, and also individuals, may
find themselves compelled to
carry increased tax burdens if
the plans of some of the leg
islators go through.
Tax increase measures for
revenue purposes so far intro
duced include a $5 a year tax
on individuals, except soldiers,
sailors, volunteer firemen and
various others, for the relief of
indigents; a $5 tax on autos
and motorcycles delivered in
the Territory, additional taxes
on fish traps, mines and other
industries.
Up to April 17, a total of 112
bills had been introduced in
the House, in addition to 70 in
the Senate. This is said to be a
record for the first three
fourths of a legislative period.
Recently introduced general
measures of importance in
clude two House bills concern
ing the eight-hour employment
question one of which covers
hydraulic and dredging, the
other providing a general 8
hour day for industries other
than agriculture, dairying and
household industries.
Another bill designed to pro
tect the lumber industry in
troduced by Rep. Ziegler
would place an excise tax of
12 cents per case on all food
products packed in the Ter
ritory and shipped in fibre
board containers.
A bill by Senator Lomen pro
vides that all labor engaged on
public works in Alaska must
be paid the going wage for
similar employment on private
projects.
A bill appropriating $2,500
for the continuation of cooper
ative mining investigations has
men offered by Representa
tive Hellerich and Senator
Sundquist has introduced a
measure continuing aid to
prospectors.
Representative Johnson, of
Ketchikan, has introduced a
measure regulating motor ve
hicle traffic and Senator Dia
mond has presented a bill re
pealing the mining law limit
ing the staking of placer
claims and requiring annual
assessment work on unpatent
ed mining claims, including the
year of location.
Bills providing for commis
sions for a territorial tax sur
vey, to draft plans for the re
construction of the Pioneers’
Home, and to study conditions
affecting dependent and de
linquent children, have also
been introduced.
A bill introduced by Rep.
Johnstone would increase the
allowance of Alaska pensions
from $30 to $40 for women
and $45 a month for men.
-o
Hans G. Mross, well known
Texas Creek prospector, and
claim-owner, returned Sunday
from the States to look after
his local mining interests. Mr.
Mross plans to remain here
during the greater part of the
summer.