HYDER-FIRST ALASKA TOWN THAT CAN BE REACHED BY THE PACIFIC - YUKON - ALASKA HIGHWAY
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HYDER WEEKLY HERALD
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VOL. 8, NO. 5
HYDER, ALASKA NOVEMBER 14, 1931
BY THE YEAR $3.0<
SILVER CONTINUES
UPWARD MOVE
The marked upward trend
in silver started last week con
tinued through the present
week. Tuesday the white met
al reached 371/-* cents an ounce
on the National Metal Ex
change in New York. This is
the highest figure attained by
the metal since September,
1930 and was estimated to
have increased the purchasing
power of one billion persons—
or practically half of the
world’s population—by more
than $1,275,000,000. Figures
on the increase in valuation
are based on estimated world
supplies of 15,000,000,000
ounces and it is impossible to
arrive at an accurate figure.
Of the total amount, it is be
lieved 10,000,000,000 ounces i
or about two-thirds, is held in
China and India. Much of this
huge supply is hoarded by the
natives of those countries. The
advance increased their pur
chasing power for the time at
least in corresponding ratio.
Silver touched an all-time
low of 25'Vj. cents an ounce on
February 16 last, hence the
price this week represented
an advance of more than 11
cents. The highest figure ever
attained by the metal was on
November 25, 1919, when it ;
reached an all-time high of
$1.37Vs an ounce.
Various reasons have been i
advanced for the recent ad
vances. It appears that the '
principal factor behind the up- j
ward motion has been a gener- i
al improvement in commodity
prices. This it is explained,
has tended to set off short cov
ering in silver markets of the
world, the principal of which
is in London. The rise in the |
latter market has been trans
ferred to the New* York mar
ket. It is also said that a large
number of small traders have j
been taking a “flyer” in the
silver market. Their buying
made the stock market go up
in 1928 and 1929 and is now
having the same effect on sil
ver, according to close observ
ers.
The view is also h6ld that as
a result of public participation |
in silver transactions of late j
the professional traders have j
lost control of the market. It
is believed in some quarters
that the market has risen too
rapidly and is therefore due
for a decline on technical
grounds.
With the sharp advance sil
ver properties listed on the
Vancouver Stock Exchange
took a new life and trading in '
shares has been the briskest in >
a long period.
A Vancouver report said
some of the more optimistic j
Eastern brokers predicted a re- j
turn to 50-cent silver, basing
their view on reports of inter
national action for a confer
ence on silver prices.
Still another view is that the
Asiatic outlook has an import
ant beating. Observers are
pointing out that China and
Japan, in the event of war,
will need silver to buy goods
and pay troops, and the few
hundred million ounces avail
able ip India and Shanghai
PuLIic Meeting For
Christmas Entertainment
At the last meeting of the
Loyal Order of Moose a com
mittee of three was appointed
to meet with like committees
from other organizations of
the community with the view
of having a community Christ
mas Tree for all the children
of Ilyder under fourteen
years of age.
A public meeting will be
held on Wednesday evening
November 18, at 8:30 p. m. at
the Chamber of Commerce
building to discuss the matter
and appoint committees for
adequately caring for the
children.
It is hoped that all who are
interested will be at the meet
ing, even if they do not belong
to any local organization.
-O
Chamber of Commerce
Is Asked To Aid
Silver Movement
The Hyder Chamber of Com
merce has been asked by the
Board of Trade of Wallace,
Idaho, to bring its influence to
bear toward inducing a dis
cussion of the silver question
at the annual meeting of the
Western Division of the Unit
ed States Chamber of Com
merce, to be held in Spokane
on December 4th and 5th. The
Board of Trade letter urging
this action indicates that it is
not the present intention to
place the silver question upon
the program as a major sub
ject of discussion. In order to
secure a discussion it will be
necessary to bring consider
able pressure to bear upon
the management of the meet
ing. the letter says.
The Wallace Board of Trade
includes with its request a
copy of a resolution adopted
by that body on October 7, de
manding that the president
call an international confer
ence on silver.
The matter will be taken up
at the next meeting of the Hy
der Chamber of Commerce
and is expected to result in the
desired action by that body.
Thanksgiving Eve. Dance
Is Scheduled
The newly appointed Fi
nance committee of the Hydar
Chamber of Commerce has
announced plans for holding a
public dance in Pioneer Hall
on Thanksgiving Eve, Novem
ber 25th.
The entertainment is to be
given with a view to providing
levenues to carry on the
Chamber’s labors in behalf of
the community welfare during
the coming winter.
The program will be carried
out along somewhat unusual
lines as dancing will be con
tinuous throughout the evening
and supper will be served caf
eteria style starting at mid
night and continuing until 2 a.
m.
The price of admission has
been fixed at the nominal sum
of 50 cents for males, ladies
free.
-o
Mr. Paul Cl. Bischoff. Metallurgical
Engineer arrived from Seattle on the
City of Anaeortes today enroute to
Davis Itiver where he will spend
several months on the Commonwealth
group with Emil Davis.
would not last long. It is sug
gested that buyers in the East
are picking up silver bullion
quietly.
'DELEGATE OUTLINES
RIVER OUTLOOK
In a letter to the Hyder
■ Chamber of Congress, Alaska
I delegate to Congress James
Wickersham states that he had
interviewed Major Malcolm, El
liot of the War Department
Engineers, regarding the Sal
| mon River flood prevention |
project and outlines the pres-!
j ent situation and future out-;
look as follows:
j Major Elliott, as district en
j gineer, submitted a report on
September 15th to the Divis
ion Engineer at San Francisco,
on the necessity for protection
i at Hyder against the ravage?
of the Salmon river. This re
port, with recommendation or
otherwise, has not yet been
sent to the higher offcials at
Washington.
“From the facts as I learn |
! them, I fear that there is
scarcely a- remote possibility of '
this project being started at!
Hyder before Congress ad- j
journs next summer, and cer
tainly not this winter, as you
hope, so that the unemployed
now in your section might be
given 'work.
“If the project is favorably
reported by the Washington
office an effort will be then
made to have it included in,
the Rivers and Harbors bill.
That bill will not be passed ,
until toward the end of the |
session. The next question I
then would be as to the sum
Congress might appropriate to
carry out the provisions of the j
measure.
“To illustrate the meaning
of that, would call attention to j
the fact that early in 1930 the
Rivers and Harbors bill was
passed providing for projects
aggregatng in cost $ 155,000,
000, but to carry out these pro
jects an appropriation of but
$55,000,000, was made by j
Congress, with approximately
! $25,000,000 added in appro
1 priation last winter. As a result!
only one-half the sum neces
sary to carry out the Rivers
and Harbors bill projects was
provided for. As a consequence 1
many of the approved projects
still await money for their con
struction.
“Alaska had five or six j
items in the R. and H. bill and
was fortunate ip having three j
of them selected for construct-1
lion, viz; at Ketchikan, Port
: Alexander and Seward. And
. it is possible that these and
the many other projects that
| were selected by the bill may
! be given the preference when
' the next appropriation is made
| for River and Harbor work.
“Of course we shall do ev
j erything possible to have the
Hyder project included in the
: next River and Harbor bill,
i but if it is, there is no assur
j ance that it would be among
the projects selected upon
which the appropriation made
would apply.
“If it should not be included
in the bill a special bill might
| be introduced for this particu
lar project, but whether it
could pass Congress at the
coming session is a question.
“The facts that I have given
you are not encouraging for
the immediate or soon employ
ment of the idle men who so
IIHTL CHAMBER COM,
OFFERS SILVER PUD
Restoration of silver value
| through a sales agreement
S among the major or producing
! nations tops a four-point pro
I gram which the International
! Chamber of Commerce has in
j iated throughout the world ac
cording to Washington news
j reports.
Silas H. Strawn, chairman of'
| the Chamber’s United States
committee, made public the
| report of a committee of ex
perts. He said negotiations
were already under way with
private groups and govern
ments primarily concerned to
make the recommendations ef
fective.
The other proposals are that
any government finding itself
unable to secure a sufficient
supply of gold “might consider
the purchase of an amount of
silver against which notes of
low denomination, covered by
silver to almost the full value
of the gold coin which it sub- j
stitutes, would be issued;
That the International Cham-,
her seek to have governments
restore their subsidiary eotft
ages to pre-war fineness, with
in the limits of their national
law to help restore confidence
in the value of the metal.
That those “interested in the 1
sale of silver might with ad
vantage emulate the example
set in other industries by es
tablishment of research insti
tutes for the purpose of devis- j
ing new uses and expanding
present uses of the product.”
At the same time the experts
expressed an opinion that no j
international conference for j
stabilizing the silver industry !
is likely under governmental j
sponsorship, except as a side j
issue of a general economic:
conference.
The committee was composed !
of Ernest Franklin, of London,f
E. D. VanWalree of Berne, j
Holland, and Marshall W.
Tuthill of New York.
---■>
A daughter was born to Mr. !
and Mrs. Holger Johnson in;
Stewart Hospital Tuesday
morning.
badly need work in your vicin
ity, but I think it only fair to :
all concerned that your Cham- \
ber should be appraised of the
real conditions as I find them
from an investigation among
the departments involved. Per-1
sonally I fully appreciate the
need of the work that your!
Chamber asks for.
“You ask if there is any- ■
thing more your Chamber can !
do to expediate matters in the j
effort to have work started on I
this project. And my answer1
is that I do not think so. If j
the report of the district en- j
gineer’s office is unfavorable
it is not likely that any other'
favorable action would be tak- |
en by Congress this session.
But if it is favorable, and we
will hope it is, you can under
stand the procedure that
would have to be gone through
with.
I can only assure the Cham
ber that I will keep in close
touch with this deserving pro
ject and do whatever is pos
sible for me to do to bring it to j
a satisfactory conclusion.”
Plane Rescues Sick
Man From Interior
Completing the errand of
mercy which brought them ov
ir .from Prince Rupert under
highly difficult flying condit
ions late last week, Pilot D. D.
Murphy and the Northern B.
C. Airways Moth seaplane,
ent to the Echo Lake region
! o pick up Lineman-operator
Robert Quinn of the Dominion
telegraph service, returned
h6re early Monday afternoon
with the sick man, after a
quick flight to that section, lo
cated some 70 miles north of
Stewart.
Continued fog a'nd rainy
weather held the plane lvert
over Saturday and Sunday but
clear, sunshiny weather en
abled the ship to get away
Monday morning. The flight
to the interior and return was
accomplished shortly after
noon and the sick man was
taken to Stewart hospital foi
examination by Dr. Whillans.
It was found that he was not
suffering from pneumonia, as
reported, but from a form ol :
stomach trouble and it is i
understood that his condition i
was not precarious.
Pilot Murphy reported that j
he was unable to land on Echo
Lake because of ice but made
a landjfcg on a larger Jake
about s^c-n miles away. Oper
ator Quinn, assisted by com
panions, managed to make his
way to the landing point on
snow shoes. .
After a short stay here, the
plane, with Mr. Quinn on
board, returned to Prince Ru
pert.
--o—
Moose Tender Thanks To Ladies
The Loyal Moose have requested
the Herald to express their gratitude
to ladies of (lyder and Stewart who
assisted at the Halloween party giv
en by the lodge to the children oi
Hyder and Stewart. Published a<*
counts of that function listed onlj
the names of those ladies who were
the heads of the various committees:
but many other ladies also contribut
ed in making the party a success and
in recognition of these’ highly valued
eervices the Moose tender their grate
itil thanks to all who participated.
-o
Good Progress At
Georgia River
Good reports on progress
connected with the new de
velopment program on Georgia
River have been received by
the Vancouver officials of
Georgia River Gold Mines,
Ltd.
A crosscut is being driven
from the Bullion tunnel with
the object of cutting the
Southwest vein at its intersect
ion with the main vein and di
rectly under the No. 1 tunnel
on the Southwest vein, where
an ore shoot carrying an aver- j
age of over $35 per ton in
gold has been opened up. The
new crosscut will give an ad
ditional depth of 200 feet, or
a total depth of 400 feet be
low the surface. A further
depth of about 200 feet can be
attained by crosscutting from
No. 3* tunnel.
--o--—
Five representatives of the Prince
Rupert Board of -Trade arrived today
by motorboat to present to the resi- j
dents of Stewart a proposal to have j
the government extend to the ports '
of Prince. Rupert and Stewart during
winter seasons the same ship loading
weight schedule as is in effect during
the summer. It is said that the cur
tailment in winter is detrimental to
both ports.
The matter will be fully presented
at a dinner given in Stewart this
evening under the auspices of the
Stewart Board of Trade,
WILLS COMPANY TO
MAINTAIN SERVICE
With the arrival of the Wills Nav
igation Company motorship Zapora
Friday, Capt. Curry master of the
vessel, vigorously denied repeated
Local rumors- to the effect that the
company planned to greatly curtail
or discontinue its local service.
Capt. Curry made known that the
company has no intention of retiring
from the Seattle-Hyder run and be
yond a slight temporary curtailment
of' local service made necessary by
the natural reduction of traffic dur
ing the winter season will continue
to provide as adequate service as
may be necessary to fill local require
ments. This assurance, he said, may
be relied upon absolutely and no one
need hesitate to route their ship
nents by the Wills company vessels
because of the. local rumors referred
:o. The company has already sus
ainod substantial losses of business
mcause of these irresponsible reports,
which have been so persistent as to
ndicafe' that they were deliberately
’nspired.
Not only has the company no in
ention of pulling out. but, on the
ontrary,. is planning to provide still
better service between Seattle and
Hyder next summer by placing a
new boat on the run and inaugurat
ing a new schedule with sailings at
about 10 day intervals, Capt. Curry
said.
During the winter months the com
pany plans to maintain a regular 20
day service, which it is believed will
be adequate to care for local traffic.
In accordance with this schedule the
next sailings of the Zapora will be on
November 24 and December 16, with
subsequent trips at 20 day intervals.
Considering from the standpoint of
community interest, it is unfortunate
that some local shippers will permit
themselves to overlook the fact that
the Wills company has and is rend
ering excellent service and is there
fore entitled to receive the closest
cooperation and support that the
community can afford.
Says Outside Business Improving
M. M. Rosenberg, Tacoma lumber
man passed through Hyder yesterday
aboard the M. S. Zapora on his way
to Ketchikan, Wrangell and Juneau
in search of red cedar timber to fill
a large order in the south.
Sir. Rosenberg was very optimistic
regarding conditions on the outside
and stated that business is on an up
ward trend.
Mayer Lumber Mill Operating
Albert J. Mayer, who recent
ly acquired a fine tract of land
n the upper Texas creek val
ley, has installed a saw mill
plant and is reported to be en
gaged on a good-sized contract
;o supply select timber for re
placements on the tramway
towers of the Premier Gold
Mining Company. He is being
assisted by Neil H. Stevens.
The land was taken up by
Mr. Mayer under the home
stead laws and is said to con
tain a large amount of the
finest timber that can be found
in the Salmon valley district.
The tract also contains a lake
which is the home for a good
sized family of beavers, as
well as numerous muskrats,
which may with proper prop
agation be greatly increased
and yield a substantial rev
enue in course of time.
In addition to erecting the
sawmill, Mr. Mayer has also
constructed a substantial
dwelling, where he and Mrs.
Mayer expect to reside most
of the winter.
-o
Fire At Radio Station
Little Patrick Kristovich discovered
a fire blazing merrily on the roof of
the Hyder radio station at noon today
and but for his timely discovery the
radio would probably have been de
stroyed, as a brisk wind was fanning
the flames into vigorous action. Pat
rick gave the alarm to Manager E. L.
Dale, who quenched the blaze with a
hand extinguisher after it had eaten
a large hole in the roof and the burn
ing ashes were falling into the inter
ior. Patrick received a reward of one
big dollar from Mr. Dale and figures
he is pretty rich.
Bar Silver was quoted at 35% cents
in New York Friday.
Pound sterling was listed at $3.77.
Sales on "the New York stock ex
change yesterday totaled 1,600,000
shares against 1,100,000 shares
Thursday,