VOL IV, NO. XLUI
HYDER, ALASKA, MONDAY, MARCH 10,1924
1
FIFTY CENTS A t(Mfl
First Alaska Air Mail Flight
Over Nerana-McGrath Route
Proves Entirely Successful!
Bringing to a successful con*
elusion the initial test trial of
air mail service in Alaska un
der winter conditions, Air pilot
Carl B. Elison landed at his
home field in Fairbanks at 6:
46 o’clock on the evening of
February 22, accomplishing in
nine hours what has required
twice that number of days by
dog team service, according to
the Fairbanks News-Miner.
The News-Miner gives the fol
lowing details of the flight
over the 230 mile course:
The trip to McGrath was
made in two hours, thirty min
utes without accident. On the
return trip, a faulty compass
and side wind, coupled with
low visibility, put the plane
out of its course down the Kan
tishna valley for one hour and
twenty minutes. Lost for the
time being, Eilson sought in all
directions for Nenana or some
other land mark. A light in a
cabin, the only habitation he
had seen since leaving Mc
Grath, attracted him and he
circled it to get his bearings.
The cabin was somewhere in
the flat northeast of the mouth
of the Tolovana river. After
picking out a landing spot for j
an emergency return, Elison j
again struck out with less than
one hours’ gas supply on hand.
When half way up what prov
ed to be Goldstream valley, he
sighted the beacon flare on the
Fairbanks field. Landing in the
darkness one ski runner was
brushed off on a tree top, the
landing gear was damaged,
and the propellor broken. Re
turning from McGrath he was
in the air four hours, ten min
utes. Elison said the air service
to McGrath was entirely feas
ible. The skiis proved perfect
for landing and taking off on,
the snow. Elison was presented
with a watch by Fairbanks cit
izens at the end of his plucky
flight. He expected to make
another trip within a week if
the damaged plane was repair
ed on time.
SURVEY PARTY TO STUDY
PT. BARROW OIL FIELDS
Enroute to Fairbanks to join
Dr. Phillip S. Smith and party,
with which it will proceed by
the winter trail to the Arctic
coast for the purpose of mak
ing an extended investigation
of the oil fields lying along the
Arctic shore in the vicinity of
Point Barrow and eastward, J.
B. Mertie and three assistants
recently passed through An
chorage on the way to the in
terior. The two parties will pro
ceed from Fairbanks to fhe
headwaters of the Alatna riv
er, where they will remain un
til spring. After the breakup
they will cross the Endicott
mountain range to the Arctic
slope, aftjer which they will
separate and cover the oil dis
trict by different routes, bui
reuniting again at Pt. Barrow
next fall. One party will pro
ceed down the Colville river
and thence to the Chipp river
country, the other will go into
the Meade river section.
Both parties will consist ol
eight men each. The Barrow
oil area extends for several
hundred miles along the Arctic
coast. The first party sent out
to investigate the area, which
contains numerous oil seepages
and occasional small lakes of
oil. went in by the ocean route
last summer but failed to cover
more than a small amount of
territory owing to the lateness
of arrival and the extreme
shortness of the season.
Bill heads, Letter heads, State
ments, Envelopes, cards, Hand
hills, Invitations, etc. neatly
done at the Miner Job Shop.
TRAPPERS SAY FOOLISH
LAWS KILLING BUSINESS
“The United States govern
ment is giving the trapper and
prospector a ‘raw’ deal by the
enforcement of ‘ “foolish” ’
trapping laws that drive the
trappers to ‘ “bootlegging” ’
furs, says S. W. Jensen, a trap
per and prospector from the
Yentna district, who recently
called in Anchorage on a bus
iness trip,” says the Anchorage j
Times.
“Jensen brought in furs and I
a small quantity of gold dust
which he said he recently pan
ned out on Clearwater creek.
‘ “I would like to see the time
come when the fur laws are re
vised to give the Alaskan pros
pector a fair opportunity to
trap enough fur to make his
prospecting expenses. Most of
the trappers make their stake >
for mining from catching fui
bearing animals, but of recent
months the fur regulations,
laws and rules change so fast
that a fellow never knows
when he brings furs to mark
et whether he is going to the
bank or to jail.” ’
The Midget Emporium is dis
playing a splendid collection
of photographic views by the ;(
well known local photo-artist I,
H. A. Ives, that is well worth j.
looking over, for a handsomei i'
collection of Alaska views can
not be found in the Territory^ ;
out. The display embraces j
a large assortment of local 1
scenic views, as well as a large j
assortment of scenes taken in
other parts of the Territory, in- |<
eluding the famous glaciers oi ;
the Alaska coast and beautiful|;
natural scenery.
Forest Service Planning
Reconstruction Of Texas
Creek Trail This Summer
The Forest Service division of
the Department of Agricul
ture is planning to reconstruct
the Texas Creek trail so that it
will be passable to pack horses
during the coming summer, ac
cording to a letter from Chas.
H. Flory, district forester for
this district, received during
the past few days. The mes
sage, written in reply to the re
cent petition of the miners anu
claim owners of the Texas dis
trict, asking for the construct
ion of a wagon road through
the Texas creek valley during
the coming open Reason, says;
‘‘I am advised by Forest Sup
ervisor Zeller that he plans on
reconstructing the Texas Creek
trail so that it will be.passable
for pack horses during the
coming season.
“While this perhaps does not
furnish you with as good trans
portation facilities as desired,
will at least make the country
accessible for pack trains and
will enable those holding
claims on Texas Creek to do de
velopment work on them.
“I do not believfe, however,
from the information at hand
that we would be justified In
recommending tha construct
Ion of a road up Texas Creek
at this time.”
Members of the miners' road
committee, while expressing
satisfaction over the assurance
that/ travelling; conditions, in
the Texas valley will be im
proved to some extent by the
construction of a pack trail,
are nevertheles determined to
continue their efforts to secure
file much needed wagon road.
“The development of the
district cannot proceed except
at a snail’s pace until an open
highway is provided,” said one
'prominent member of the com
Imittee. “A pack trail is all
right as far as it goes for it at
i least assures a vast improve
'ment over present traveling
| conditions. But with a large
I tonnage of ore containing ship
ping values in plain sight, there
lie every reason to believe that
jore shipments will commence
as soon as a road can be made.”
“The failure to get the desired
result through the Forestry bu
reau has not discouraged us,
however, and we intend to con
tinue our efforts until we get
the road. If we don’t get re
s ilts,”he continued, “at least
it will not be for lack of effort.
ALASKA JUNEAU TO
INCREASE FORCE
While the report is not corrob
orated by any of the officials
of the company, there is no
reason for doubtiqg the truth
fulness of the statement that
the Alaska Juneau Gold Min
ing Company contemplates in
creasing it force to the extent
of 100 additional men, says the
Juneau Empire,
contain vast ore depositspany
The fact that the A. J. lately
took over the Ebner mining
claims which are known to con
tain vast ore deposits is reasofl
for believing the report of in- j
creasing the force true. The in
crease will be largely in the j
lumber of underground miners
employed, which will mean a
proportionate increase in the !
>utput of gold, the mills and |
offices, in fact, practically all |
iepartments, except that of
fetting out the ore, are al-!
•eady fully manned.
The Alaska Juneau Company
las gradually but surely over
come obstacles and inaugurat
ed improvements until it now
•anks among the first of the
nining industry, not only of
America, but oc the world.
The people of the world pay
;he equivalent of 200 million
iollars a year for matches, and
every day of the year the world
ights nearly 14 billion matches
>r several for every man, wom
m and child. Nearly 30 mil
ion dollars is invested in match
naking equipment in the Unit
ed States alone..
OREGON INDIAN SCHOOL
CLOSED TO ALASKANS
_\
As a result of a recent ruling
by the United Slates Indian
Field Service, of the Depart
ment of the Interior, Indian
and Eskimo children from
Alaska will no longer be per
mitted to enroll as pupils ai
the Chemawa Indian School at
Salem, Oregon. Alaska stud
ents now in the school, how,
ever, will be allowed to com
plete their courses, if they so ;
elect. The reasons given for |
this drastic change of policy :
are decidedly obscure. The rul-;
ing will compel many young :
natives of the northland to'
look elsewhere to obtain a
broader education than may be
obtained in the Bureau of Ed
ucation schools in the Terri
tory, a majority of which are
of decidedly limited scope as
compared to the Chemawa in
stitution.
ALASKAN SENTENCED FOR
VIOLATION MANN ACT
Dan Terzig, who was arrested
some weeks ago at Boise, Idaho
on a white slave charge, fol
lowing his elopement from An
chorage with Mrs. Mary Paak
anin, wife of a well known
Uyak, Kodiak Island, trader
and mother of several small
children, has been sentenced
to serve six months in the
county jail at Caldwell, Idaho.
The Miner, 50 cts. a month
I
Shipping Last Year Greatest
In History Of Territory-Big
Tonnage Increase Registered
Last year was the greatest in
in the history of Alaska in the
number of vessels entering and
clearing at Alaska ports, ac
cording to figures made public
by Collector of Customs John
C. Me Bride and published in
the Juneau Empire.
Compared with those of 1922
and 1920, the previous banner
year, the figures are as fol
lows:
Entered Cleared
1923 2,559 3,441
1922 2,080 2,004 j
1920 2,221 2,199
Last year was also the banner
year In the matter of tonnage,
both domestic and foreign. The
number of vessels engaged in
the domestic trade entering
Alaska ports was 1,234, with a
total of 473,885 tons. The num
ber clearing was 1,959, with a
tonnage of 478,103 tons. In the
foreign trade 1,325 vessels en
tered, with a total tonnage of
017,866 tons. The number
clearing was 483, tonnage 152,
322.
DECLARES ONLY LONG
CLOSED SEASON CAN
SAVE MARTEN
Endorsing a proposal made by
Canadian authorities that Brit
irh Columbia, Yukon Territory
and Alaska cooperate in form
ulating a closed season of from
three to five years for the pro
tection of marten, E. P. Walk
er, head of the Biological Sur
vey in Alaska, says that unless
a closed season is established
in the very near future it will
be too late to save the animal
from extermination. The mar
ten is verging on extinction at
the present time, he says, and a
closed season is the only means \
by which they can be restored.!
Mr. Walker’s view is endorsed !
by Alaska fur buyers and deal-1
ers, all of whom say that the j
marten catch is growing stead
ily smaller each year and have |
grown to be a rarity in hereto
fore prolific sections.
!
The mail steamer Prince of |
Wales arrived from Ketchikan !
Thursday, bringing several i
passengers and a practically 1
full cargo of freight, in addit- j
ion to the^weekly mail. Owing i
to the vessel arriving at an eai-1
ly hour, Postmaster Oren F. j
Hill went to the dock ahd per
sonally carried the first class
matter to the office. Ag a re
sult of this gratituitous and
public spirited service the
letter mail was distributed and ;
ready for delivery before the i
majority of Hyderites were out
of bed and those whose corres-}
pondence required immediate
answer were given ample time
to reply. This was not by any ;
means the first time that the
Fostmaster has performed this 1
service. He has done so during
As it is not included in his dut- j
ies he is justly entitled to the
thanks of our citizens. In view
of the usually short stay of the [
mail boat, the service is one of
preat benefit to those who de
sire to answer letters at once.
Low Advertising Rates-Quiclc
I-!os From Little Black Ads.
MAKING ALASKA
ARRANGEMENTS FOR
ROUND WORLD FLIGHT
Lieutenant Bissel, U. S. A. ar
rived in Juneau Recently )to
make arrangements at various
points along the southern coast
of Alaska for the forthcoming
attempt of American army fly
fc 's to encircle the world by air.
According to Lieut. Bissel the
trip will include seven stops on
Alaskan territory. The first of
•.hese will be at Sitka, which
will also be the only landing In
Southeastern Alaska. The fout
r lanes will first proceed from
Seattle to Prince Rupert, then
ce to Sitka, Cordova, Chignik,
Dutch Harbor, Atka Island and
Attu Island, in the order nam
ed. Leaving the latter station,
the planes will proceed ovei
fc JO miles of ocean to Shumshu,
Japan. The flight will be divid
ed into six sections in the pro
posed trip, which will be ap
proximately 36,000 miles m
length. The longest flight of
the entire globe circling trip
will be the one from Attu Is
land to Shumshu, Japan. It is
proposed to fly across a por
tion of Greenland and the
North Pole, according to Lieut.
Bissel. The four planes are now
being built at Santa Monica,
California. They will weigh 3
1-4 tons each and have a wing
spread of 60 feet. Power will
be supplied by 410 h.p Liberty
motors and each plane will
carry two men.
Owing to a misstatement u
was erroneously reported in
last weeks’ issue of the Miner
that a portion of the receipts
of the recent performance of
the Hyder Minstrels would go
to the library fund of the M. E.
Church. It appears, however,
that the Hyder Public Library
b’und was the proper destinat
ion of that portion of the funds
not allotted to the Dorcas Soc
iety. The Public Library Fund
was established’ something
over a year ago by Dr. F. E.
Ueddick, the first funds being
derived from a show given by
Dr. Reddick and others. The
fund has since ben increased
from time to time until at pres
ent there is over $70 on hand,
which will be eventually in
treased to a sufficient amount
to start the proposed library.