«"■ 11 ,
SPECIALIZING IN
MINING NEWS OF THE
PORTLAND CANAL
DISTRICT
HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALASKA AND THE PORTLAND CANAL MINING DISTRICT.
r~..- ^
SUBSCRIPTIONS
83.00 PER YEAR
IN ADVANCE
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VOL 6, NO. 36
HYDER, ALASKA, SATURDAY, JUNE 14,1930.
PRICE TEN CENTS
CHAMBER COMMERCE
REPRESENTATIVEWILL
GO TO HAZELTON
In an effort to promote con
struction of a branch of the
proposed Pacific-Yukon-Alas
ka Highway to Hyder and
Stewart, Messrs. Frank Reich
enback and H. W. M. Rolston.
representing the Hyder Cham
ber of Commerce and Stewart
Board of Trade, respectively
will leave Tuesday morning
for Hazelton, B. C., to attenc
the convention of American
and Canadian officials and
press representatives who wil
meet at that point June 21-2:
to further construction of the
great international highwaj
project.
The convention will culmi
nate the journey of a largi
automobile caravan from Van
couver to Hazelton, which ha
been suggested by Premier S
S. F. Tolmie, of British Colum
bia, as an effective means >o j
displaying to the visiting dele
gations the scenic and othei j
characteristics of a large por |
tion of the country througl j
which the projected highwaj j
would pass. Included amonr i
the large number scheduled t- |
make the trip to Hazelton, a
the northern end of the roai
which would form the firs
section of the Highway, an
Premier Tolmie, Ernest Walk
er Sawyer, executive assistan j
to the Secretary of the Inter 1
ior of the United States, Gov j
George A. Parks, of Alask? j
and other notables.
As indicated above, the ef j
forts of the local representa J
lives will be directed principal j
ly to securing the construct j
ion of a branch of the highway ;
to Stewart and Hyder as soon
as possible, thereby opening a j
rvay for automobile travel to j
Alaska by a short route long i
before the main highway could I
be completed to Alaska via !
Northern British Columbia and 1
the Yukon Territory. It is be
lieved that the proposed short j
route will prove an attractiv< !
trip to thousands of auto tour
ists who might not have''the i
time or means to make the fai
longer journey to Fairbanks.
An added inducement for thi !
construction of the proposed j
short route is that this district |
and particularly the Texa: i
Creek and Chickamin Rivei I
sections, are conceded to con j
tain an unparalleled array o$
scenic grandeurs, including
mile - high mountain peaks
massive and far - spreading
glaciers, many of which can
be reached and traversed by;
automobiles, and a vast array
of entrancing wooded valleys
and beautiful lakes, which
would undoubtedly draw many
tourists, once the way was
opened.
The annual meeting of the
Revenue Mining Co. was due to
be held in the south June 12
and is expected to be follbwed
by an early announcement rel
ative to the company’s contem
plations for further develop
ment of the Independence
property in the lower Bear Riv
er district.
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J. Monroe returned from the
$outh Tuesday.
i PREMIER ANNOUNCES
USUAL DIVIDEND
Premier Gold Mining Comp
any has announced the pay
ment to shareholders on July
6 of the usual quarterly div
idend of six cents per share.
Payment will be made to
shareholders of record on June
16th.
The forthcoming dividend
will be the second of the same
proportions paid this year and
will total in the neighborhood
of $300,00. The payment will
bring the grand total of divi
dends paid by the famous
mine during its 10 years of op
eration to $14,850,497.
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Prospector Aid Fund
Applications Suspended
As a result of the practical ex
haustion of the Prospectors’
Aid Fund, for the present, at
least, no mqre applications for
aid will be received,, it was an
nounced recently by B. D.
Stewart, ex-officio commission- ;
of transportation. Mr. Stew
art said that approximately ,
$6,000 of the $20,000 appro- ]
ated by the 1929 legislature
:s available but will be re
quired to take care of applicat- '
ions already approved. Mr. j
Stewart said it is possible that (
a limited amount of money i
may become available later in i
che year through the cancell- <
ation of some approved appli- 1
:ations, some of which have <
not been used. Otherwise there 1
will be no more money avail- i
rble in the fund for new appli- ;
nations until a new appropriat- :
on is forthcoming. <
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New Steamship Schedule 1
The summer sailing schedule 1
of the Canadian National *
steamships became effective
locally this morning with the <■
arrival- of the Prince Rupert at 1
7 a. m. During the continu- jl
ance of the summer schedule i <
lhe Prince Rupert or Prince j *
George will arrive here early ! *
Saturday morning and depart
at 9 a. m., and the Prince 1
Charles will arrive and depart 1
on Tuesday morning. t
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Work Suspended On Premier
Border Property
Work was suspended late last
week on the Northern Light ;
^roup of the Premier Border
Gold Mining Company on tele
graphic orders from G. R. Ban
2roft, consulting engineer. The
message intimated that the
shut-down was connected with
an impending “deal.” but con
tained no details.
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The recent local inclination
for unusually tall radio aerial
poles was again examplified
last week by the erection by E.
this week by the erection by E.
M. Reynolds and William Mc
Grew of towering spruce sticks.
The Reynolds rfiast is 103 feet
high, while two poles erect
ed by Mr. McGrew are a few
feet shorter.
It is claimed by radio owners j
that the employment of such j
lofty aerial supports greatly!
diminishes interference from
electric transmission line leaks
and other sources of radio dis
turbences.
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S. McManning of Premier left
for Ketchikan on the City of
Anacortes,
FLOOD CONTROL
PLANS OUTLINED
Report and recommendations
of Board of Engineers, U. S.
War Department, for control
of Salmon River Floods.
(Continued from last week),
The town of Hyder is at pres
ent in great danger from floods
of the Salmon River in that
there is a likelihood of a major
flood passing to the east from
the lower end of Dike No. 2.
inundating the town and caus
ing severe immediate damage
to property. Following a flood
of this kind a low-water chan
nel might be created through
‘he town, which lies upon
low ground. This shifting of
the river through the town
might completely destroy the
majority of the present build
ngs and would work excessive
lardship on the citizens of Hy
ler.
No accurate record of flood
stages has been kept, but from
i consideration of all data
ivailable it would appear that
lood stages have in the past 10 |
rears attained a height of 6
'eet above low-water level. |
rhis would give an estimated
iverage high-water discharge
•f 20,000 cubic feet per second.
1 is estimated that the maxi
num probable high-water dis
charge is greatly in excess of
his amount. Statements of lo
:al inhabitants are to the ef
ect that floods have occurred
n the following years, viz,
917, 1920, 1921, 1926, and
929. This is an average of one
very three years and it is be
ieved that average floods oc
cur over this periodicity. It is
nobable that higher floods oc
cur every fifteen years.
There is no other possible lo
ation for the townsite without
roing into Canadian territory,
is on acount of the steepness
>f the mountains there is no
uitable high ground avail
ible along the Salmon River*
'alley and all of the valley
loor is subject to the same
lood conditions. To move the
own site toward Portland Can
d would involve driving of pile
oundations for every building
tnd street. This would be un
table, subject to rapid deter
oration, a great fire hazard,
ind of prohibitive cost.
The town should not be aban
loned altogether, because it is
he only American port of en
ry into the highly mineralized
salmon and Texas Creek min
ng districts. To abandon Hy
ler altogether would be to
urn over to Stewart and Hy
ler, British Columbia, the port
>f entry to this valuable asset
>f the United States. The
leighboring town of Stewart,
British Columbia, which lies in
he flood plain of the Bear Riv
;r and which is subject to ap
jroximately the same flood
conditions as is Hyder, is now
)eing protected from flood
■vaters by a heavy rock dike
1,000 £eet in length, construct
ed by the bureau of public
,vorks of the Province of Brit
sh Columbia at public expense
without local contribution. A
itatement from the department
ihows that to date $14,660 has
jeen expended upon this work
ind a further extension of 1,
200 feet is now contemplated
it a cost of $18,000.
THREE ACCIDENTS
OCCUR IHWEEK
Involved in various accidents,
three persons sustained pain
ful injuries in the district dur
ing the past week.
George Haggerty, miner, was
struck on the head by a falling
rock at the Prosperity mine
last Saturday and' was brought
down over the Porter-Idaho I
tram for treatment. It is under
stood that his injuries are not
serious. The second accident
occurred Tuesday evening in
Hyder and resulted in Miss
I Vivian La Vanway receiving a
broken arm through falling to
the tide flat from the piled
roadway on First Avenue
while riding a bicycle.
The third accident involved
D. A. McDonald, an employee
of the public works depart
ment in the Stewart section,
who was hurt about the back
and hips by a fall on the Mim
ico trail, where he was en
gaged in bridge repair work.
He is in the hospital.
Louis-Hanson, Ketchikan mer
chant and owner of valuable
mining properties in the Texas
Creek section, left for home
Tuesday after a week in the
district looking after his local
interests.
In view of the above it would
appear to be good policy for
the United States to take steps
looking toward the protection
of American interests and
property in this locality. * *
******** j£js practjcakic,
to control the floods of Salmon
River by the construction of ap
proximately 4,000 feet of dike
or levee to throw the waters in
to the southern half of the val
ley, and the clearing of an ad
equate flood way through this
section to permit these waters
to pass into Portland Canal at
a safe distance from Hyder.
There are no bridges involved.
Hyder is located in southeast
ern Alaska at-the head of Port
land Canal, at approximately ,
latitude 55 degrees 55 minutes
north and longitude 130 de
gres 1 minute west. It is on the
boundary line between Alaska
and British Columbia and it ,
about 2 miles from Stewart.
British Columbia. The nearest
important towns are Ketchi
kan, Alaska, distant about 160
miles, and Prince Rupert, Brit
ish Columbia,distant about 140
miles.
Docking facilities at Hyder in
clude two commercial wharves
for large vessels. These are
open-pile structures and are
open to the use of the public
upon payment of the usual
wharfage charges. A permii
for one additional wharf has
recently been granted.
Due to its distance from the
regular route of travel Hyder
is not a regular port of call fbr
the large ships plying the in- f
side passage to ^southeastern i
Alaska. It is served by a week-;
ly mail boat from Ketchikan!
and by one of the large boats !
which calls about every three;
weeks. Indications are very !
favorable for a development
which will warrant regular
calls by other boats.
(Continued next week)
GORST TRANSPORT PLANE
MAKES FURTHER VISIT
The Gorst Air Transport fly
ing boat now stationed a
Ketchikan paid the camp ;
second visit Thursday. Thi
ship, piloted by C. L. Scott
brought four passengers, in
eluding three round-trippers
Messrs. Wendell Dawson, en
gineer of the Zellerbach Pape;
Company, and his assistant
whose name was not learned
Paul Powell, mining engineer
and one local man, Dan. Cana
van. The plane remained here
only a short time before set
ting out on the return joumej
with the three engineers and
and Archie Long as passen
gers. Pilot Scott stated that the
trip from Ketchikan was ne
gotiated in one hour and five
minutes by crossing over the
mountains to Portland Canal
Mr. Dawson and his assistant
made the trip for the purpos*
of making an aerial recconais
-ance of the water resources
along Behm Canal in connect
ion with the Zellerbach papei
pulp plant project in the vicin
ity of Ketchikan.
Since the above was set ir
type the plane made a third
risit, arriving late last evening
with four round trip passen
Sfers, who remained over night.
The list included Perry Jenk
ins, Ketchikan canneryman
Mrs. Charles Patching,, Mis'
Florence Copeland, both rela
:ives of Mr. Jenkins, Thos
Davies, of the Davies Manu
’acturing Co., Ketchikan, and
Mr. Joseph Howe, a tourist and
Dutside motion picture man.
The plane returned to Ketchi
<an at 10 o’clock this morning
-o
Knox — Reid
Mr. Edward Stanley Knox, oi
stewart, and Miss Lorna Reid
)f Vancouver, were united ir
natrimony by U. S. Commiss-'
oner Chas. F. Sandford at the
Commissioner’s office Tuesda>
rfternoon.
The groom has been for some
;ime a member of the diamond
trilling crew at the Big Miss
>uri mine and enjoys a wid<
icquaintance in the district
vhile the bride is a new-comer
laving arrived from Vancouv
er Monday evening. The young
:ouple plan to make then
lome in Stewart.
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Mew Game Regulation
Lowers Limit for Marten
The Secretary of Agriculture
las prescribed 10 martens as
:he bag limit for trappers dur
ng the open seasons specified
’or these fur bearers in Alaska
This is an amendment to tin
fame regulations which be
:ome effective July l,v nexi
ind will become effective on
August 1, 1930.
The trapping season for mar
ten is fixed by the new regula
:ions in this district from Dec
ember 16 to January 15.
The bureau of biological sur
rey also calls atention to the
requirement that-before mar
ten can be sold, shipped out of
the Territory, or otherwise dis
posed of, they must be sealed
with a seal prescribed by the
Alaska G a nj e Commission
within 90 days after the close
:>f the season in which they are
taken.
MIT COMMERCE
! SHOWS BIG DROP
; ALL COMMODITIES
! Shipments of Alaska merch
’ andise to the States last month
were the lowest in value of any
’ similar month for many years
past, it was revealed by the
May report of Customs Collect
or J. C. McBride.
The total value of all merch
andise exports was only $708,
490, a decrease of $1,361,584
compared to May, 1929. Large
reductions in canned salmon
and copper exports were the
principal factors in the slump,
although the statement shows
a general reduction in the val
ue of fish, fur and metal prod
ucts, exclusive of gold and sil
ver. Two items, fresh and mild
cure salmon alone showed an
increase over May, 1929.
Copper shipments fell off
$526,148 compared to those i
the same month last year and
canned sa 1 m o n shipments
slumped from $439,930 in May
1929 to $19. Furs decreased in
value from $355,704 to $40,- *
825.
Gold and silver shipments
were also below the monthly
average for the p^st year with
total values of $254,473, ot
which gold contributed $244,
615.
The list of commodities and
values follows:
Animals . $ 515
Curios .. 50
Fish: fresh and froz
en (except shell-fish)
' Halibut . 39.625
Salmon . 58,359
Canned( except
shell-fish)
Salmon . 19
Cured or preserved
(except shell-fish)
Cod. 11,572
Herring . 260
Salmon . 91,220
Shell-fish:
Clams . 34,712
Crabs . 6,76^
Shrimps . 4 79
Furs and fur-skins:
Blue fox ..".. 2,490
Silver or black fox. 1,850
Red fox .. 13,32”
White fox. 6,735
Mink . 2,169
Muskrat . 106
Beaver .2,320
All other . 10,477
Manufactured furs . 500
Ore, matte, regulus:
Copper . 305,213
Lead . 7,735
stone, marble . 9,379
Trophies, specimens .... 100
Wood, timber, lumber 17,910
* All other articles. 160
Total value products
jf Alaska . 628,805
Products of United
States returned . 77,63
Total value of for
eign products . 2,000
Total value shipments
of merchandise . $708,490
Gold and Silver Shipments
Gold .L $244,615
Silver . 9,858
Grand total exports $969,963
-o
D. B. Stewart, supervising
Mining Engineer of the Bureau
of Mines, arrived Tuesday from
Juneau on a tour of inspection.