HYDER - FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY THE PACIFIC - YUKON - ALASKA HIGHWAY
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
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VOL. 8, NO. 12
IIYDER, ALASKA, JANUARY 2, 1932
BY THE YEAR $3.0(
SAYS U, S, WILL BE
FORCED OFF THE
GOLD STANDARD
The Philadelphia Record, in
a first-page editorial, urges
that “Congress should take
the United States off the pres
ent gold standard immediate
ly.”
“This nation will be forced
off eventually, when it will do
us little good,” the editorial
declares.
“If Congress acts now it will
save much human suffering
and speed the return of the
rest of the world as well as
this country to normalcy.
“We need inflation to cure
our own depression. But it is as
important that we must forget
gold to relieve the despair of
the rest of the world which is
in debt to us.
“The smartest thing smart
Uncle Sam can do at this mo
ment is to let his debtors get
the best of him. Sometimes it’s
smart to be dumb.”
^ - -
m
*rire Destroys Regan Cabin
The picturesque log cabin
home of J. J. Regan in the
Forest townsite was destroyed
by fire shortly after 8 a. m.
Monday morning.
Mr. Regan was not home at
the time, having left the
dwelling on a trip up the val
ley shortly before the fire de
veloped. When the blaze was
discovered by neighbors, the
flames had gained such head
way in the cabin that entry
was impossible and none of
the contents could be saved.
The fire apparently origin
ated in an explosion in the
heating stove, in which Mr.
Regan had placed some dried
out wood shortly before leav
ing. The lid of the stove was
found in the ruins consider
able distance from the stove,
indicating that it had been
thrown there by an explosion.
The loss will approximate $2,
000 and is partially covered
by insurance.
As the central subject of a
beautiful winter scene made
by H. A. Ives, local landscape
photographer, the cabin po
ssessed unusual celebrity. The
picture, entitled “’Neath Win
ter’s Mantle,” has proved high
ly popular with art lovers and
has been widely circulated in
Alaska and the States.
Mr. Regan has taken up
temporary residence in the
cabin formerly occupied by
George Devine.
-o
Stewart Hospital Closed:
Dr. Whillans Departs
Culminating a long series of
futile efforts to secure suffic
ient local revenues to meet
the operating costs not provid
ed by the B. C. government,
the Stewart General Hospital
closed its doors Thursday. Fur
ther increasing the highly pre
carious situation resulting
from the closing down of the
district’s only public hospital,
Dr. H. A. Whillans the sole
public medical practicioner
in this section, has decided to
Gov’t. Abandons Plan To
Sell Alaska Cable System
Representations made by
Alaska delegate to Congress
James Wickersham, combined
with protests from practically
every section of the Territory
and Pacific Coast states have
resulted in the federal gov
ernment abandoning its in
tention of selling the Washing
ton-Alaska Military Cable and
Telegraph System, according
to Washington advices.
As will be recalled by Her
ald leaders, a bill was sub
mitted by the War department
to the last Congress authoriz
ing the sale of the system. No
action was taken by the com
mittee to which the measure
was taken. To prevent the in
troduction of a similar meas
ure in the present Congress,
delegate Wickersham made a
special plea to Secretary of
War Hurley, setting forth the
various reasons why the gov
ernment should not dispose of
the system.
A very gratifying reply was
received from General Doug
las McArthur, chief of staff,
enclosing correspondence with
the president, in which the for
mer said:
“As you will see from this
correspondence, the War De
partment is in general agree
ment with your point of view.
rn the absence of further in
struction, the department does
not intend to reintroduce the
legislation in question.”
In addressing President Hoov
er on the important subject
Secretary Hurley among other
things said: “I am enclosing a
letter from the Alaska Dele
gate, wherein he urges on the
part of the people of Alaska
Uiat no legislation be initiated
authorizing the sale of the
Alaska Communications Sys
tem. As expressed in my letter
of Dec. 3, 1930, the War De
partment, per se, had no ob
jection to this sale; however,
it is understood that the com
mittee which originated the
recommendation for sale did
not at any time obtain a per
tinant expression from the
people or government of Alas
ka. This being the case, it
would appear that the enclos
ed letter of the Delegate might
well be taken into considera
tion before resubmitting legis
lation to Congress.”
The President undoubtedly
took into consideration the let
ter of the Delegate, with the
result that the sale of the
system will not be authorized.
at least temporarily abandon
the local field and has betaken
himself to Victoria.
Before departing south
Thursday morning, Dr. Whil
lans indicated that it is his in
tention to remain in the south
at least six months and that he
may not return at all unless
conditions improve. The hos
pital matron, Miss Agnes Wil
liams, also left for Vancouver
Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. John Kasper
and Helen, of Hyder B. C., left
for Prince Rupert Monday
night to visit relatives.
FIRE THREATENS
DOWNTOWN DISTRIC1
The entire downtown sectior
of Hyder was threatened wit!:
destruction by a fire develop
ing in the upper story of Nor
them Pool Hall and Silvei
Grill restaurant building short
ly after noon Tuesday and
but for timely discovery would
undoubtedly have caused
great damage in that closely
1 settled area.
The blaze was discovered
by proprietor W. C. Blanton,
who went to investigate the
j noise made by the heat break
| ing a window in the rear end
of the upper floor. He was
! met on the stairway by a wave
! of smoke and flame, which
drove him back to the lowei
I floor. As the chemical fire
wagon is stationed immediate
ly across the street, the appar
atus was speedily brought in
J to play by Gus. Erickson,
I “Long-Shorty” Carlson and
Alex. Murry, who gradually
fought their way up the stairs
and quenched the flames in
side of the building. Mean
while Hubert Thomas was en
gageu on uic rooi wun a nanu
; extinguisher keeping the
flames from breaking through
the rear wall, as they momen
1 tarily threatened to do.
Later investigation disclosed
; that the fire resulted from the
ignition of wood creasote,
I which in some manner had
leaked from the smoke stack
i into the safety flue running
; from the lower floor. The ov
; er-heated flue in turn ignited
an adjacent wall. The fire had
approximately been smoulder
; ing for a considerable time, as
| every wall of the room was
badly scorched. Providentially
the upper windows were clos
ed, with a resultant absence of
draught, or a costly conflagra
tion would undoubtedly have
occurred.
The damage will approxi
mate several hundred dollars
and is covered by insurance.
-o
, World’s Gold Equals
Cube Of 31 Feet
If all the monetary gold in
the world were cast in one sol
id brick it would form a cube
only 31 feet in each dimension,
according to a writer in the
New York Times. Total mon
etary gold stocks amount to
about $13,000,000,000, which
nearly two-thirds is in United
States and France, jvith Eng
land holding about five per
cent of the total amount.
10URNE SAYS SILVER
SHOULD BE RESTORER
That the United States can,
should, and within three years
will, without necessitated as
sent or cooperation of any
other nation, remonetize silver
on the basis of 1G to 1 was the
recent declaration of Jonathan
Bourne, Jr., of Colorado, for
, mer United States senator.
* In making his sweeping de
claration Bourne challenged
intelligent criticism of the fol
lowing statements:
“First, the remonetization
of silver on the basis of 1G to
1 would immediately thereaf
ter double the volume of the
, world’s primary money with a
resultant increased conserva
tive credit basis of twenty
times the amount of primary
money thus added to the
world’s stock.
“Second, within one year
after the remonetization of sil
ver the world’s price of wheat,
cotton and sympathetically all
agricultural products would be
more than doubled in their
monetary value.
“Third, our present tendency
to reduce wages in this country
would be checked and within
i two or three years after the re
] monetization of silver the tend
i ency of increased wages would
generally develop throughout
| the United States.
“Fourth, our foreign mar
ket would steadily increase by
helping China, India, Russia.
Mexico and the South Ameri
can nations.
“Fifth, it would do more to
revive trade throughout the
world than any other single
action that could be taken by
the United States or the world
in general.
“Sixth, the securities, espcc-!
ially the common stocks of all
corporations enjoying honest
efficient managements and j
properly financed, if listed on
some of the great stock ex- j
changes of the country, would
almost contemporaneously
show increased activity and,
market values and probably'
within a period of two or three
years reach prices in excess ol
those attained in 1928 prior to
the debacles of 1929 and 1930.
Hospital Benefit
Dance Successful
The benefit dance tor Stew
art hospital, held in the Legion
Hall, Stewart, on New Year’s I
eve, was very well attended
and proved a financial success.
Music was provided by P. S.
Jack’s excellent orchestra.
I
I
f
Picmier Helds Novel
New Year Even!
I _
Premier residents celebrated
j the going out of the old year
and the advent of the new
with another of the novel New
Year celebrations which have
| for years been one of the out
standing annual entertain
ment events of the district.
This year the entertainment
took place in the charming
: and colorful setting of a Jap
j anese tea garden and was in
many respects the prettiest of
| all previous New Year celebra
tions held at Premier. The
I entertainment took the usual
cabaret form and was held
under the auspices of the Pre
mier Community Club.
The big Community hall pre
sented a most pleasing spec
tacle. Cherry trees, resplend.
ant in pink blossoms and with
the spires of quaint pagodas
peeping through the foliage,
formed a delightful setting
and the colorful effect was
further enhanced by beams
from numerous vari - colored
Japanese lanterns. The Orient
al atmosphere was carried out
faithfully throughout, even
the waiters, waitresses and
orchestra being clothed in
Japanese costumes, while chop
suey formed the main feature
of the supper menu.
The entertainment program
was distinctly pleasing and in
cluded songs by Miss Eliza
beth Pitt; a clever duet in cos
tume by Miss Lilly Davidson
and George Neysmith; a duet
by Mrs. Stanley Alton and
Miss Helen Smith; a comedj
skit by T. Dunn and Coley
Kltink and a pietty presenta
tion of the intricacies of the
Argentine tango by Miss Lilly
uaviuson ana Aiex. iviurry.
Promptly as the stroke of
midnight heralded the passing
of old 1931, a huge bubble
burst suddenly with a loud re
port and revealed the New
Year, 1932, represented by
little Nelson Embleton. The
manner of presenting the New
Year was entirely unusual and
unexpected and proved most
effective.
The entertainment was at
tended by three sleigh loads
of visitors from Hyder and
Stewart and the fun lasted un
til 3:30 a. m. New Year’s
morning, with everyone enjoy
ing a splendid time.
Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Crawford
also added greatly to the
pleasures of the evening by
contributing harmonica and
piano numbers for the square
dances, which were keenly en
joyed.
The entry of the New Year
was observed by the appear
ance at midnight of old and
decrepit 1931, impersonated
by Charles Bebo, followed by
Harry Stewart, as 1932, who
appeared all spick and span J
in modern evening habili
ments.
Everyone enjoyed a snlen- i
did time until around 3 a. m. ;
Friday morning.
' A financial report of the en- j
ertainment will be published
n the next if-ue of the Her
tld.
SILVER PROBLEM
UID BEFORE SENATE
BV SEN, mil
The silver problem was
again called to the attention
j of the U. S. Senate by Senator
Key Pittman, of Nevada, dur
\ ing the early days of the pres
! ent session.
A verbatim report of the
address printed in the Con
gressional Record fills nearly
10 pages and unfortunately
is too long to be reprinted here.
Senator Pittman cited sta
tistics showing a drop in Am
! erican foreign trade and said
the cause of the decrease was
the lowered exchange rate in
countries with which the Unit
' ed States traded.
Troubles in the United States
are complicated, the senator
; said, by England’s temporary
1 abandonment of the gold
standard.
“We can’t export in compe
I tition with Great Britain,” he
i said.
He added that Great Britain
i was not as interested in a sil
i ver conference as the United
j States because England has a
i -10 per cent advantage in all
I foreign markets.
“But it is the duty of this
: government to invite all coun
! tries to a conference,” he said,
adding “if we expect to deal
| with the rest of the world we
I must either lower our stand
! ard as Great Britain did or
j raise the exchange value of the
moneary of other coutnries.”
Pittman said an agreement
I o restore silver could be made
affective without the coopera
tion of either France or Great
Britain.
Stewart Celefca-aies
Christmas With Spirit
Stewart citizens celebrated
Christmas with a spirit and in
a manner seldom seen in such
a far northern clime.
The main street was gaily
decorated with numerous
strings of colored electric
lights and a large Christmas
tree over 50 feet high was in
stalled in the open at Fifth
and Columbia streets. This
was decorated with festoons
of colored lights and formed a
gathering spot for Christmas
festivities in which many of
the town’s populace participat
ed.
Over a hundred children par
ticipated in the Community
Christmas celebration in Le
gion Hall Christmas eve., after
several sleigh loads of the
youngsters indulged in a hunt
for Santa Claus during the
afternoon. He was located just
entering the town by the Stew
art-Hyder road and spent a
jolly time with the children,
after regaling them with a
big candy treat.
■-o
Lacey—Kelly
Mr. James F. Lacey and Mrs.
Jessie L. Kelly were united i'1
marriage by U. S. Comm’—'''
er Chas. F. Sandfor ’ a
commissioner’s office on
23rd.