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VOUME 10, NUMBER 17.
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HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JANUARY ~€, 1934.
SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS
WILL ASK AID FOR
GOLD INDUSTRY
Governmental aid for the
gold mining industry through
providing credit for mines not
now productive and for the
development of new gold prop
erties worthy of development
in the United States and its
possessions, including Alaska,
will be asked of Congress, it
was announced recently by
Governor John W. Troy, of
Alaska.
The proposal is backed by
mining operators of the Paci
fic Coast and congressmen.
The federal government will
be urged to extend assistance
to the gold mining industry
along lines similar to those
now employed in assisting ag
riculture and industry, and the
projects: would be self-liquidat
ing.
Under the plan as outlined
by Governor Troy, the govern
ment would take first mort
gages ion gold mining proper
ties financed by federal loans.
Prospectors would al'sio be giv
en free technical assistance by
federal-employed mining en
gineers.
-o
Stewart Resident Passes
Louis Kassum, a well known
resident of Stewart, departed
this life Tuesday night after a
long illness due to tuberculosis.
The deceased was a miner by
occupation and was employed
by the Premier Go,Id Mining
Company during a major part
of the twelve or thirteen years
he resided in this district. Mr.
Kaissum was a native of Croatia
and aged about 43 years. He
is survived by a widow and
two sons who reside in Stewart.
The funeral was held Thurs
day with the final rites of the
Catholic church, with Rev.
Father Leo Bosse officiating.
Interment was in the local
cemetery.
-o
Wolfle Fails To Prosecute
Alleged Coin Snatcher
A grand jury complaint
against William Gratz, a New
York salesman, was dismissed
when the court learned that
the complainant, Conrad Wolf
le, Spokane promoter, had left
for his home, according to an
A. P. dispatch from New York
on December 29.
Wolfle, who had been a guest
at the Waldorf-Astoria, had
Gratz arrested, charging that
Gratz had snatched $150 from
his hand after enticing him in
to a coin-matching game.
Hyder Democrats Hold
Lively Caucus Session
At a lively precinct caucus,
held Tuesday evening i>n the
Moose Hall, a large gathering
of members of the Democratic
party elected B. B. Smith, Mrs.
Annie M. Campbell and Chas.
Skoning as a local precinct
committee for the ensuing year
and also named N. M. Traver
sy and Holger Johnson m dele
gates to the Democratic divi
sional convention to be held in
Juneau, January 24.
The meeting also endorsed
the national administration,
the Territorial officials, Alaska
Delegate to Congress, A. J.
Dimond and Territorial Rep
resentative J. K. Green, and
passed a resolution endorsing
remonetization of silver at a
fixed ratio with gold and de
claring that the gold standard
monetary system has failed.
Another resolution pointed
out that United States Fisheries
Commissioner Frank T. Bell
has branded fish traps as “vic
ious” and ordered 100 traps
closed during the coming year,
and declared the caucus as fav
oring a plank in the Territor
ial Democratic platform call
ing for the abolition of all
fish traps in the Territory.
Resolutions were also passed
severely condemning an edit
orial appearing recently in
“The Seattle Star,” suggesting
sinister motives behind bills in
troduced in Congress by the
Alaska Delegate transferring
jurisdiction and control of the
Alaska fisheries and fur-bear
ing animals from the United
States to Alaska.
The article in question was
attributed to a “prominent
resident of Juneau” and intim
ated that the Delegates bills
would have the effect of“trans
feiring stealthily” the seal
herdo of the Pribilof Islands
from the United States to the
Territory and to “private con
trol for looting,” if by alleged !
“deception” they should slip |
through Conerress.
The article further asserted
that the measures would per
mit the governor to call a spec- .
ial session of the Legislature,
which would be authorized
“immediately to dispose of or
deal with those vast and vau
uable properties in any man- ,
ner.’’ and declared that in such
case “It would not take long to
land them in the lap of the one
gigantic Morgan-mvned mono- ,
poly that now owns most of
Alaska.”
Aside from the implications
relative to Alaska officialdom,
the article was of small import
ance, as it revealed only a most
amazing lack of information
Continued on Page 3
THOMAS POWERS
PASSES BEYOND
Thomas Ward Powers, pion
eer resident of the district and
Territory and known from one
end of Alaska to the other,
reached the end of life’s trail
early Friday morning at the
residence -of Mrs. Oren F. Hill
Death came after three weeks
of illness and was due to tox
aemia.
Starting with a severe cold,
his illness became gradually
more serious owing to compli
cations induced by a threat
ailment of long standing, al
though the original complaint
was speedily overcome by care
ful nursing and medical atten
tion. Following a short period
in which every hope was had
for his ultimate recovery, he
became worse again, under
stress of conditions created by
the chronic ailment and sank
steadily until the end, despite
everything that could be done
by the skillful medical aid and
nursing, accorded him by Dr.
J. W. Vosburgh, and two
trained nurses, Mri H. Roch
fort and Mrs. «T. A. Crawford,
assisted by Mrs^ -Hill, Mel
Matheson and Alex Murray.
His final hours were peaceful
and attended by the death-bed
rites of the Catholic faith, per
formed by Father Leo Bosse.
Death closed his earthly career
during a period of unconscious
ness lasting from midnight un
til 3:30 a. m.
Probably no death that has
occurred in the Portland Can
al district was the cause of
more general sorrow than that
of this genial, generous and
kindly resident, who was per
sonally known to every man,
woman and child and enjoyed
the highest regard of every in
dividual.
Deceased was a native .of No
ra Scotia and 48 years of age.
During a career of more than
25 years in the north, he re
sided at various times in al
most every section of Alaska
from Hyder to Nome. After
spending some years in inter
ior Alaska, he came to Hyder
n 1919 and was in the employ
3f the Premier Gold Mining
Company throughout the inter
vening period. As (superin
:endent of transportation for
that company he established
record for efficiency and abil
ty which earned him the high
?st confidence of the company
officials, as well as the respect
)f all who served under him.
Mr. Powers is survived by a
ivid/ow, who resides in Vancou
ver, B. C., and two sisters, both !
resident sof San Francisco.
Funeral services will be held
Sunday at 2 p. m. in Pioneer
tall.
“Ghost Walks" for
CWA Workers
Representative Joe Green, as
paymaster for the local CWA
Employment Board, delivered
Thursday, Alaska Road Com
mission pay checks aggregat
ing $527.40 in value to the
crew of CWA workers em
ployed on the Salmon River
flood protection project.
The checks covered an ag
gregate of 828 hours of labor
during December on the basis
of 30 hours per week per man
and represented the first fed
eral funds received here in con
nection with the CWA unem-1
ployment relief program. A I
eeeond payment of about the i
same amount is alsb due the
workers and is expected to ar
rive shortly from the A. R. C.
headquarters in Juneau.
A major portion of the funds
was paid to men who have
been wholly without employ
ment during the past year and
who were subsisting largely
by Territorial relief fund's. The
remainder was distributed
principally to residents who,
if not actually destitute, were
fast nearing that unfortunate
state, and to others who had
earned only a small income
during the past year, princi
pally at the E. C. W. work
camp.
So far no employment has
been given to those who pos- ;
sessed or earned a sufficient 1
amount last summer to carry 1
them through the winter, as <
the real object of the CWA
appropriation is to take men
and families off the local relief
no He-, and not to provide jobs
for those who have sufficient 1
mean to tide themselves ever
until spring by conserving 1
their resources.
The Employment Board real- :
ixes that nearly every man here ^
could use extra money, but
feels: that none who possess •
sufficient resources to carry i
them through will begrudge 1
the employment given to those [
who earned very little or noth- *
ing at all during the past year '
or more. However, it is not ‘
the intention of the board to re- *
fuse employment to those who ^
have a few dollars but will
need assistance before spring
and consideration is now being *
given to those applicants who i
face this contingency. The
present program provides for 1
twenty-five more work days, 1
during which the board plans {
to provide some employment
for every man in camp who *
faces actual want. It is the (
desire of the board to be as i
fair as possible in the allot
ment of the work, although a
first consideration must at all a
times be given under present f
NO DECISION ON
RIVER PROJECTS
Washington, D. C. —(special
correspondence)-Ever since he
has been in Washington, Dele
gate Dimond has endeavored to
hasten action on the rivers and
harbors and flood control pro
jects in the Territory, which
have been approved by the
army engineers. Several Alas,
ka items were contained in the
rivers and harbors bill before
Congress, but. that bill was
shelved when the Public Works
Administration was created.
Orally and by letter, follow
ing set-up of the PWA, on
many occasions, the Delegate
has urged these projects as
public works of worthy charac
ter and suggested that allot
ments be made for them. How
ever, the administration has
moved very slowly in approv
ing any rivers and harbors or
flood control work. This was
forcibly illustrated when Har
old L. Ickes, administrator of
the PWA, informed the Dele
gate that the “problem is one
on which this Administration
tias not reached a definite de
cision. ”
To date, the only sizable pro
jects approved are those pro
viding for flood control of the
jpper Mississippi and the Sac
•amento rivers. It is believed
:hat when and if a more liberal
attitude i3 adopted with res
oect to this class of work, Alas
ka will share proportionately
vith other sections of the
country.
Eugene Richardson Dead
Eugene M. Richardson, for
ner well-known local resident,
massed away in Port Angeles,
Wn., December 22, according
a a letter from his daughter,
Vlrs. N. R. Bradley, of Bever
ey, Wn., received by George
lunn this week.
During a residence of several
rears in this district, Mr. Rich
irdson was at 'one time atssoci
ited in the proprietorship of
he Good Eats Cafe on Main
street with Harry Boer and
ater was employed as culinary
hief by Mr. Bunn at the En
gineer mine on Marmot River,
fe left here in the fall of 1929.
-n
E. M. Reynolds is again able
o be around after a severe
ttack of the grippe.
Hubert Thomas and others
ecently reported as prostrated
<y the malady are also on deck
gain.
Mrs. Ray Snyder was a vic
im -of the complaint this week.
londitions to those who need
t the most.
During the remainder of the
/ork period, those employed
/ill be able to earn in the ag
;regate approximately $1,028.