Wesley Earl Dunkle, The Years for Stephen Birch 1910- 1929
Charles Caldwell Hawley
Note: The spelling "Kennicott" is used for a place, enough. The first stop was only across the inlet to a the former mine headquarters and concentrator town cabin at the mouth of Ship Creek (present day An in the Wrangell Mountains, Alaska. The town is next chorage). The next day the Traveler was caught in to the correctly spelled Kennicott Glacier. pack ice at the restriction in the inlet at the Fore "Kennecott" is used for the mines above the town or lands. It moved in and our with the tide for the next the mining company, Kennecott Copper Corpora five days, making only a few miles progress each day. tion (KCC). It is sometimes difficult to be consistent After escaping the ice trap, the Traveler should have in use of the alternative spellings. taken only rwo more days ro round the Kenai Penin sula and motor up Resurrection Bay to Seward. In stead it took five more days under gale conditions. n late February of 1915, Earl Dunlde and his Once, Captain Cramer, only comfortable in the pro I bride of about two months, Florence, nee Hull, tected waters of Cook Inlet, tried ro pull into a shal mushed across the ice of upper Cook Inlet into the low bight thinking it an anchorage. Dunlde talked village of Knik, Alaska. Earl was a geologist and engi him our of the artempr. Again, after turning the cor neer. Before her marriage, Florence had been the sec ner toward Seward, Dunlde convinced Cramer to retaiy of Stephen Birch in Cordova and Kennicott, hold a course into Port Dick, a calm anchorage, Alaska. Earl was on his way to the Broad Pass region, through tidal rip seas running to thirry-five feet. On at the head of the Chulitna, to make a mining ex the last part of the trip, Florence was able to keep amination for his employers, the Alaska Syndicate. only a "couple of oranges" down.' Such travails were The examination seemed warranted: By the previous a normal part of Dunlde's life. He survived ship and November, twenty-five prospectors or companies had train wrecks, at least eight forced aircraft landings staked claims suftldenr to blanket a strip of land and made many more solo crossings of frigid glacial eight miles long by one-half mile wide. The promot streams than anyone should have attempted. ers were describing the belt as the "Rand of Alaska." From 1910 to 1929, ·wesley Earl Dunlde's pri About four tons of equipment and supplies, some mary employer was Alaska Development and Mineral shipped the previous fall, awaited Dunkle at Knik. Company, the exploration arm of the Alaska Syndi Certain critical items, perhaps assay or mining gear, cate and, later, Kennecott Copper Company (KCC). were, however, missing. The deficiency was serious At times, he worked for the related Beatson Copper enough rhat the Dunkles decided to return to Seward Company, Midas Copper Company, Bering River for the missing items. Coal Company, and KCC or its direct operating Earl and Florence mushed a few miles down the predecessor, the Kennecott Mines Company. Some inlet to ice-free Goose Bay and Captain Sam Cra of the work for KCC was for its wholly owned sub mer's gas boat Traveler. The trip began easily sidiary, the Alaska Steamship Company. Newspapers of the time often reported that Dunkle worked for Charles Caldwell Hawley has been a hard -rock geologist, with rhe Syndicate or the "Guggies" or Guggenheims.2 In an interest in histol)', since 1952. He is continuing research on 1953, Dunkle recorded nine reel to reel tapes with a Dunkle to produce a full-scale biography. long time Kennecott friend, Henry Watkins.3 On the 90 1998 Mining HistOJ)' journal
Kennecott Mine Staff, Ca. 1914. (Dunkle is third from right; Stephen Birch is to Dunlde's immediate left; W. H. Seagrave is next left to Birch. Frank Rumsey Van Campen is far left). Author's collection; same as University ofAlaska -Fairbanks, Helen Van Campen Album UAF74-27-427. tapes, Dunlde simplified his employment history: He Dunlde's family called him Earl. Friends, includ worked for Stephen Birch. Birch was the man most ing his college classmates, used nicknames, "Dunk" responsible for the success of the Kennecott M ines in or "Bill." Earl attended public schools in Warren, the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska. Later Birch was Pennsylvania, only a few miles from his birthplace. president, then chairman, of KCC. He was fifteen He entered Sheffield Scientific School of Yale Uni years older than Dunkle. At the rime of DunJde's ar versity in 1905 and graduated with a Ph.B. degree, rival in Alaska, however, Birch was still deeply in mining specialty, in 1908. Dunkle took general hon volved with the day-to-day operation of the mines at ors in his junior year, was inducted into the National Kennicott, Alaska and often was in the field with his Scientific Honoraty Fraternity, Sigma Xi, and was young mining and geological staf£ Dunkle, and his class vice-president in his senior year, 1908.5 At Dunlde's friend Watkins, had the highest regard for Yale, Dunlde excelled in athletics. His main sport Birch, as a man and as a company leader. Dunkle, was crew, but, with three other men, he annually clearly, wanted to emulate Birch. sponsored and participated in a decathlon for the en Wesley Earl Dunlde was born on the 4th of tertainment of his fellow students.6 Music was an March, 1887, at Clarendon, Pennsylvania. The other interest. At Yale, he joined the Freshman Man Dunldes were a family of South German origin who dolin and Banjo Clubs. (In 1927, he played flute in had come to the New World in the 1730s. Just be duets with Florence's piano at Contact, Nevada. He fore the War of 1812, Earl's great-grandfather and still played flute in 1953 at Colorado Station, three brothers crossed the Appalachians to the Clar Alaska.') ion River region in the fertile Allegheny Plateaus of The class of 1908 was one of Yale's best mining northwest Pennsylvania. Although earlier Dunldes classes. Fifty-one men entered in 1905 in either were literate and English speaking, Earl's father, John pre-mining or metallurgy.8 Based on their later ca Wesley, was of the first Dunkle generation to earn a reers several men, including Dunlde, were excep formal collegiate education.4 tional. Two of them, David D. Irwin and H. D. Wesley Ettrl Dunkle, The Yettnfor Stephen Birch 1910-1929 91
(Dewitt) Smith, worked with Dunlde at Kennicort eran shaft mine. The assayer's job proved invaluable before the zenith of their own mining careers in Af to Dunlde because the mine manager at Veteran was rica, where they again mer Dunlde. Hemy Carlisle W. H . Seagrave. Seagrave, in turn, had connections had a long and distinguished mining consulting ca to Guggenheim consultants John Hayes Hammond reer. Dunlde's best friend, Howard "Parker" Oliver, and Pope Yeatman. Seagrave had been one of developed oil fields and mines in Mexico. After the Hammond's mine superintendents at the Robinson properties were expropriated in 1922, Oliver stayed Deep mine in the Witwatersrand gold fields of South active in Mexican-American affairs for the balance of Africa. 12 The Guggenheims were the operating com his life. 9 ponent of the Alaska Syndicate. The Syndicate had Dunlde began his mining career in the iron mines just purchased che Beatson copper mine in Alaska's of the Mesabi Range in Minnesota. As early as Prince William Sound. Probably on the advice of August, 1908, he found employment at the huge Yeatman, Seagrave was sent ro manage Beatson. In Canisteo mine. 10 At Canisteo, Earl read a magazine July 1910, Seagrave sent for Dunlde. Although his article describing the construction of a railroad into initial assignment was at the Beatson mine, within a the interior of Alaska to tap fabulously rich copper few days of his arrival in Alaska, Dunlde had the op ore of the Bonanza lode. 11 He vowed, someday, to go portunity to visit the Copper River project at Childs to char northern territory. The opporcunity arrived Glacier near the Million Dollar Bridge and meet Ste quicldy. The following year, Dunlde made his way to phen Birch. 13 In the fall of 1911, Seagrave was Ely, Nevada to work at the McGill smelter. While moved to Kennicotr as general manager of the Bo there, he acquired the assayer's position at the Vet- nanza mine.
...
Wesley Earl Dunkle (Dunk) and Dick Watkins(?) at Beatson, Larouche Island, Ca. 1911 . Author's collection; Helen Van Campen, probable photographer. 92 1998 Mining History journdl
occurrences at Kennecott and was holding down the job of field exploration engineer for the Morgan Guggenheim inrerests". 14 Either job, mine geologist or scout, would have been sufficient for most men. From 1912 through 1916, Dunlde examined at least 106 mining proper ties for Alaska Development and Mineral Company. In addition to properties in the Prince William Sound and the Wrangell Mountains, Dunkle exam ined properties in southeastern Alaska, in Cook Inlet, and the Kenai Peninsula. In 1913, he examined rwenry-five properties in three districts in British Co lumbia with commodities ranging from iron and coal to silver and lead-zinc as well as ten properties in dif Business Card, Weslely Earl Dunkle, Ca. 1912. Author's colle c ferent parts of Alaska. Dunlde's examinations in rion. cluded the expedition to Broad Pass, briefly noted at At the end of 1911, Dunkle received his first sen the start of this account, and a two-month long solo ior professional assignment. He succeeded ]. F. trek through the newly discovered Chisana goldfield. Erdletts as engineer for the Alaska Development and He examined one gold property, the Thomas, in the Mineral Company. As the field exploration engineer, Culrose district of Idaho.15 On his travels, Dunlde or scout, Dunlde examined properties for acquisition went by foot, boat, horseback, and in winter by dog by the Syndicate and watched competitive compa ream or snowshoe. The KCC owned Copper River nies. He also had responsibility for geologic studies ar and Northwestern Railway provided a railway pass, the Wrangell Mountain mines. In 1954, Dunkle or, occasionally, a track for Dunkle's own locomo wrote, referring back to his first mining job in Min tion on a tricycle "speeder," as captured on ftlm by a nesota, "Four years later I found myself engaged in long time friend Helen Van Campen. 16 (Helen was making the first detailed geologic study of the ore the wife of Frank Rumsey Van Campen, a mine su-
Wesley Earl Dunkle on Copper River and Northwestern Railway, Ca. 1915. Courtesy, University of Alaska -Fairbanks, Rasmuson Col lection. Helen Van Campen Album Accession Number 74 -27-525N. Weslq Earl DunkLe, The Yer1rs for Stephen Birch 1910-1929 93
Dunkle Trip. Late May-June 1912. Author's map.
perintendent at Beatson.) It was an extremely active pumice. The vessel became the temporary home to time in Alaska with hundreds of small prospecting thousands of exhausted birds confused by the vol ventures throughout the Prince William Sound and canic storm. Back in Cordova Dunkle gave the first Wrangell areas. Typically, Dunkle's expenses were scientiHc observations of the eruption to a reporter only about $10 per month because someone was al for the Cordo~~a Daily Alaskan.19 ways willing to feed and house him, if he did not Between scouting trips, Dunkle's bases were Seat sleep on the rrail. 17 de, Washington, Cordova, or the mines in the Some of the early property examinations re Wrangell Mountains. Although Dunlde's later career mained in Dunkle's mind because of concurrent hap had greater engineering and mining successes, the penings. He was at W . A. Dickey's copper prospect very productive period 1912-1915 was the highlight in Landlocked Bay when word came of the sinking of of Dunlde's career as a geologist. He was involved in the Titanic in April of .19 qy Six weeks later, he the discovery of the Jumbo ore body, in the contro made a quick trip to the Willow Creek District north versy on the origin of chalcocite, and in a strangely of Cook Inlet, then headed out the Alaska Peninsula related problem, the acquisition of the Mother Lode to Chignik. At Chignik, he boarded the 390 ton pro perry. steam-sailer Dora, nicknamed the "Bull Terrier of When Dunlde first went to Kennicott in the fall Alaska," to return to Cordova by way of Unga Is of 1912, the Bonanza was still the only known ore land. At one o'clock on the afternoon of June 6, body. There were claims along the Jumbo fissure, 1912, as the Dora made the turn towards Kodiak, but the fissure was essentially barren of copper on the Dunkle was on the stern talking to Captain McMul outcrop. At the time, Stephen Birch wanted one len when a volcanic mountain erupted at Katmai. By more opinion on the geologic controls of ore, as it 7 P.M. the sky was totally dark and the Dora was was important to claim location and assertion of ex covered by as much as eighteen inches of coarse tralateral rights. 20 (The earliest stalced claims in the 94 1998 Mining Hi.stOI)' journal
Kennicott area followed the contact of the Nikolai hundred feet down. "21 Greenstone and the Chitistone Limestone, where Dunkle quicldy confirmed the Potter view: The there was common weak copper mineralization. The ore bodies were controlled by nearly vertical north Bonanza, though, was well above the base of the east trending fissures, not the formational contact. Chitistone formation, and lay in a northeast fissure Theory was applied to practice in the discovery of the almost at right-angles to the contact.) Jumbo ore body. Because of the incredibly steep to A young geologist-engineer, Ocha Potter, work pography near the ore bodies, and the almost vertical ing for a small rival company, Houghton-Alaska-Ex orientation of the ore within the fissures, the most ploration of Michigan, was sure the control was in effective way to prospect was to drive openings paral the fissures: " .. . we made our way across a small gla lel ro northeast fissures and periodically drill or cross cier and over the mountain arriving at the mine cut over to the structure. At the Jumbo, the drive about 1:30 A.M. The mine crew was sleeping and began in the wall of, and parallel to, the nearly bar there were no guards. I had brought candles and we ren fissure exposed at the surface of the Jumbo claim. climbed down the one small shaft and thoroughly At about 300 feet into the mountain, miners crosscut inspected the deposit, with consciences untroubled over to the fissure and found about a foot of chalco by the graduate mining engineer's professional eth- cite. Turning their heading back toward the outcrop, .lCS. " the crew blasted one round. The new blasted face ex "The ore was rich beyond belief . . . I decided the posed three-feet of chalcocite in the fissure. After a ore body ran across the mountain range and not par second round, the miners uncovered a face full of allel to a limestone-greenstone contact as described in chalcocite, "and the place looked like a coal mine." all the official literature on the subject. If I were Continuing their drive back toward tbe surface, the right, then the Kennecott claims had not been prop crew stayed in solid chalcocite for 120 feet where the erly staked and government mining regulations ore terminated against a fault, nearly parallel to the would limit mining to their side lines only, a few bedding. Crosscutting at the fault disclosed an ore
Lib
Headline, Cordova Daily Alaskan, June I 0, 1912. Author's collection. Weslq Earl Dunkle, The Yeanfor Stephen Birch 15) I 0-1925) 95
body eighty feet across of nearly pure chalcocite. 22 mines would become much leaner with depth. Gra Dunkle calculated an apparent value of the ore as ton's view was a bombshell, as the economics of the $26 million. 2J Kennicorc, Alaska mines depended upon shipping Shortly after making this prediction, Dunkle was almost pure chalcocite ore or concentrate ro the re back in New York having lunch with Birch at com mote smelter at Tacoma, Washington. pany headguaners when Murry Guggenheim arrived. The young geologist, Dunlde, did nor use micro Dunlde began discussing the discovety of the Jumbo, scopic science. His observations underground sug soon realizing that Guggenheim had not heard of ir. gested char there was no change in mineralogy with In retrospect, Dunlde was awe-struck about a mining depth. The chalcocite looked like a "primary" vein enterprise so large that the discovety of one of the mineral. He assumed the grade of ore would hold great ore bodies in the histoty of mining-the with depthY Jumbo-was not considered particularly newsworthy Graton's bomb was dropped just as another prob at headguarters.24 The discovery was, however, no lem, that of the Mother Lode, was emerging. The ticed by others. The discovety of the Jumbo ore body Mother Lode was about 4,000 feet northeast of rhe occurred a short time before the organization of Bonanza, and on the same apparent trend. lr was dis KCC from the holdings of the Alaska Syndicate. The covered in 1906 by Warner and Smith, the discover existence of a second rich ore body at Kennicott, and ers of rhe original Bonanza. The deposit was claimed the high World War I price of copper, upheld the by Warner and Smith and a partner, Oscar Sale. price needed by the original incorporators to recoup Soon afterward, Sale had a freal< accident in which he their original investment. 25 was washed under the ice on the Chitina and only The Jumbo discovety was the result of a good saved by luck when he found a hole downstream. geologic theory and diligent work by practical min The accident affected Sale mentally; shorcly thereaf ers, led by W . H . Seagrave and general mine fore ter, Sale disappeared and was never heard from again. man, Melvin Heckey, a miner for whom Dunlde had His disappearance affected the title to the Mother the highest regard. The chalcocite and Mother Lode Lode over the next seven years, when Sale could be problems had both scientific and human roots. Up declared legally dead.23 until about 1915, the mineral chalcocite, a mineral About chis rime, Dunkle began to work seriously containing almost eighty percent copper, was almost on the geologic factors, the so-called ore controls, universally regarded as a secondaty mineral. Secon rhar int1uenced the distribution of ore at Kennicocc. daty or supergene minerals form near the earth's sur Empirically it was agreed that che ore occurred along face: Copper and other metals are dissolved above the steep northeast fissures; also that rhe bottom of the water table and reprecipirated as they react with the ore was generally 80-100 feet above the base of rhe ore below the water table. Chalcocite forms as a re host formation. The lowermost parr of rhe formation placement of bornite or chalcopyrite, minerals with was generally so barren of copper that it was called appreciably less copper, below the water table. "the unfavorable lime." Although the barren and At Bingham, Utah and at Ely, Nevada chalcocite mineralized limestones were similar visually, Dunkle was secondaty. As the mines deepened, the copper determined analytically that the barren limestone was ore grade dropped. The primary ores undemeath the nearly pure calcium carbonate, but the mineralized chalcocite blankets at Bingham and Ely were, then, unit was a dolomite, containing magnesium as well too lean to be mined. Would the same thing happen as calcium.29 A few months later, Dunlde observed to the rich chalcocite ores at Kennicott? that the base of the ore, and other enlarged shoots Stephen Birch engaged one of the leading geolo along the veins, occurred where a broken, or brecci gists of the time, L. C. Graton of Harvard Univer ated, zone crossed the fissure at a high angle. 30 These sity, to find out. Graton, in turn, used the new tech broken zones were nearly parallel to the sedimentaty nique- examination of polished opaque minerals layering of the formation. The base of the ore almost under reflected light-to make the determination. always was a brecciated zone that was first called Graton's conclusion was char the chalcocite at Kenni "The Bedding Plane" and later, at rimes, the "Flat cott formed by the replacement of bornite, and that Fault." it was secondary.26 The implication was that the At the time that Dunkle determined the relation 96 1998 Mining Hist01y Journal
of ore to dolomite, he was still on good terms with hundreds of feet above the base of the dolomite and, the mine crew at the Mother Lode, although Birch I believe, was the largest single body of such high was not. Dunlde was allowed underground to look, grade copper ore ever discovered anywhere." 34 and, at the Mother Lode, the ore also was in dolo Dunlde left Kennecott for a period in early 1916, mite. By the time he had deduced the relation be indirectly because of problems in recovery of the cop tween ore and the "bedding plane" fault, Dunkle was per ore at Kennicott. As mining got undetway, it be also persona non grata at the Mother Lode and was came evident char there was a great deal of copper refused underground access. He had to return to carbonate ore, briWantly colored malachite and azu Kennicott without the hoped for observations, unfed, rite, even in the deeper workings. The earliest built and at 25 degrees below zero. In the spring of 1913, mill at the mine concentrated so-called disseminated Dunlde was able to make surface observations that ores by gravity. Dense chalcocite was separated from showed wide low-angle breccia zones on about half of less dense limestone and dolomite with jig and table the Azurite claim, owned by Birch, and the Marvel concentrators. Almost all the copper carbonate ore, ous claim of the Mother Lode. 31 He calculated that however, went through the mill to tailings. The loss the small ore body then being mined at the Mother was on the order of twenty-five percent of the total Lode was about 1,100 feet above the base of the cop ore. A brilliant young mill man (metallurgist), E. T. per host formation. He thought that there could be a Stannard, had been working on problems at the con huge ore body below. centrator at the Guggenheim mine at Braden in Correspondence between Birch and Dunkle in Chile. Birch proposed to bring Stannard to Kenni late 1913 and early 1914 indicates that the Mother cott at a salary of $500 per month to work on the Lode matter was of significant concern at headquar concentrator. Seagrave asked Dunlde for his opinion: ters. In a confidential letter sent to D~nlde early in Earl thought, "He'd be a veq poor mill man if he 1914, Birch requested: "On this same map I wish couldn't save that much in this mill." 35 the workings of both the Jumbo and the Bonanza; Stannard came to Alaska and solved all milling and where the Mother Lode people are working. problems. He installed the new process of oil flota Give courses and distances wherever you can. After tion at both Kennecott and Beatson, and discovered you have made this map I would like one showing two ways to solve the copper carbonate problem. He where the workings of the Bonanza mine would in reacted the carbonate fines with sodium sulfide and tercept the Mother Lode location if it continues on ammonium polysulfide, which formed a thin copper the same strike and dip as the present workings indi sulfide coating on the carbonates, in effect fooling cate, and at what depth below the Mother Lode the flotation circuit. More importantly he designed workings ... Keep this information to yourself and and built the first successful ammonia-based copper only consult Mr. Seagrave as to what you are do leach plant. Total recovery in the mill went from sev ing."J2 enty-five or less to more than ninety-five percent.36 The uncertainty caused by the chalcocite problem Stannard had definitely paid his way, and also caused Kennecott to temporarily hold a conservative had moved closer to Stephen Birch. Although Stan course on property acquisition-in effect, to mini nard did not have Birch's management ability and mize losses if Graton was right. The purchase of the style, Birch respected Stannard's meticulous planning Mother Lode was deferred. During the early years, and record-keeping. Moreover, in many respects especially before the adjudication of the Sale estate, Stannard was a capable administrator, as well as a Mother Lode shares were freely available at 10-15 brilliant engineer. Birch selected Stannard to groom cents per share. By the rime Kennecott acquired a as his successor. By 1916, Stannard was in a strong controlling 50 percent interest in Mother Lode in enough position within the company to make a about 1919, share prices had escalated to $18.33 power play. In part using the tremendous wartime Dunlde next saw Mother Lode in 1924, after the demand for copper, Stannard convinced Birch that formation of the Mother Lode Coalition Mines joint the old practical miner Seagrave should be replaced venture: ".. .an orebody about one thousand feet by a younger technically educated manager, Stannard long and up to 80 feet wide of almost solid glance himself, who would increase the productivity of the [chalcocite] had been exposed there. It extended to mines. At that time, Seagrave was general mine man- Wesl~)' Earl Dunkle, The Years for Stephen Birch 1910-1929 97
ager over the Jumbo and Bonanza at Kennicott and In 1929, Dunlde undenook his longest and most the Beatson Mine at Larouche. Stannard had risen to complex examination for Birch. He was in Africa for an equivalent position-in charge of the concentra nearly nine months. It must have been an incredible tors at Kennicott and Beatson. The mine superinten trip, traveling mostly by train from Cape Town to dent under Seagrave at Kennicott was H. D. Smith, Johannesburg to Elisaberlwille (now Lubumbashi), understudied by another 1908 Yale graduate, David back to the Transvaal, again north to Elisabetlwille, D. !twin. Beginning in late 1915, Dunkle had been then probably to Okiep north of Cape Town, before moved back to Larouche Island as mine superinten returning to America in December.45 dent at the Beatson. In early 1916, Seagrave was dis The trip was partly a Kennecott and Yale reunion. missed and Dunlde was replaced by Stannard's man At one mine he saw A. B. Emety, who briefly pre Stadtmiller. The miners at Larouche offered to strike ceded Seagrave as general manager at Kennicott. He to keep Dunlde, and he could have gone back to his also met his old Kennecott and Yale friends David D. scout position. As a long time Seagrave partisan, l1win and H. D. Smith. hwin was opening the Roan though, Dunlde left Kennecott with Seagrave and Antelope in the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic mine foreman Heckey to try mining at Contact, Ne Republic of Congo). Smith was beginning a career vada.37 with Newmont to take over African mines, first at In 1916, Contact had its best year ever. 38 Okiep.46 Dunlde was back in the Kennecott fold in 1920, On Dunkle's return to New York, in addition to but stationed at Pier 2 in Seattle. He continued to recommending investment in some of the promising scout for prospects in Alaska, western Canada, and mines that were in the construction stage, he urged the northwest contiguous states. 39 In 1923, Dunlde acquisition by KCC of early-stage chrome, copper, moved to Anchorage to manage two Kennecott op and gold prospects in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Muny tions, one the Mt. Eielson (Copper Mountain) Dis Guggenheim and Birch generally favored expansion trict in McKinley Park, the second, the Mabel in the and considered the acquisitions favorably. Stannard Willow Creek District.40 In 1924, Dunlde was back, did not want African operations but favored buying briefly, in the Wrangells41 and had the chance to go into African operating companies and forming a cop back underground to see what had happened at the per producer's cartel.47 Stannard's plan won out, al Mother Lode. though the effects of the depression made everything What happened next is uncenain, but from 1925 moot for years in Africa and Kennecott ultimately to 1927, Dunkle was again in Contact, Nevada with disposed of its unprofitable depression-era African Seagrave. Most of the copper production from their investments.48 Nevada-Bellevue mine at Contact was won with con In 1930, Dunkle permanently severed his ties to ventional underground methods. Dunkle, however, Kennecott and went on his own. He maintained a also managed an experimental in situ acid leach op friendship with Birch until Birch's death in 1940, eration, probably with at least tacit backing from the while continuing a rather cautious relationship with smelter at near Bingham, Utah which was supplying Birch's successor Stannard until his death in 1949. sulfuric acid for the experimental process. 42 Letters of In the post-Kennecott years Dunkle had one great this period between Dunlde, Birch, and Stannard, success at the Lucky Shot Mine.49 This success led mostly concerned with prospects in the Prince Wil him into aviation, where with Steven Mills, Charley liam Sound area of Alaska, read, essentially, as inter Ruttan, and Jack Waterworth, he founded Star Air nal Kennecott correspondence. 43 At least, there was Service, the direct ancestor of Alaska Airlines.50 After no loss of respect because, with the failure of the the death of Florence in 1931, Dunlde married leaching experiment and losses from the conventional again, to Gladys "Billie" Borthwick Rimer whom he mining operation at Contact, Dunlde again returned first met in Africa in 1929.H to Kennecott in 1928. In that year, he examined The odds in mining always favor failure, and prospects in the Kantishna and Broad Pass regions Dunkle failed with hard rock and placer operations from Kennecott's base in Seattle and continued to at Flat, Alaska. Dunlde lost a small fortune in at push for acquisition of copper prospects in Prince tempting to operate Golden Zone, the best prospect William Sound.44 that he had found on the 1915 examination of the 98 1998 Mining Historyjoumttl
!1r. J, .. ~ ])vnk le 6; ot8 G rajfon St, Rttsbur9 Post Cards. WED to fa ther, John Weslq Dunkle, and ~- · brother L. D. Dunkle, 1929, on board RMS Windsor Castle lJ. S f( and from Elisaberhville (Lubumbashi, Republic of Congo).
'Zl il/e. r )ft -v '4 1>e..vr ~ne •. M..,. L ri\ ~·:r). . . I"TT. . :.JI. v vn I \J r. t\Co1 ~ &.. ~~i.-.1 ~fAn\ . bo t€) Gr~~ ~~ 1-Y~ the.. ,(', \kt,e. r~-tt~ b t.Jt-" . ':)Yr\ '~ ~ ~. . 1 ~-,~ · ~0~ 'Y'{ e..,~ ..... k··P~-·· ... ' ...... - h~ b sce-e all 'lJ . S. A: .
~ Stah'iJ. I . 1....~.-. tAdl .. Wesley E11rl Dunkle, The Ye11rs for Stephen Birch 1310-1323 99
UHION.CAST\.C LINE TO SOVTtt AHO EAsT A'RICA,
From top to bottom:
RMS Windsor Castle
ROYA\. MAIL &TCAMIUII uWINOSOA CAST\. &:~ 18,SliS7 T OH S. Srandard Bank,Eiisabcthvi lle {?).
Native blacksmiths and forge --- 100 1998 Mining Hist01y journal
Broad Pass District. At Lucky Shot, Dunkle had al poned the book and embarked on a last project, the most perfect depression era timing, opening the mine Broad Pass coal (lignite) field. At the end, in 1957, in 1931. At Golden Zone, he collided with and lost he was working on an innovative coal drier. On Sep to the economics ofWorld War II. The mine opened tember 29th, Dunlde left his camp at Colorado Sta in 1941. With partners Glen Carrington and L. C. tion ro search tor a water supply for a full scale coal Thomson, Dunlde had a moderate success in a placer processing plant. He did not return. After a massive mine venture at Caribou Creek in the Kantishna unsuccessful search by civilian volunteers and troops District, a mine that continued to operate for two from Ft. Richardson, two friends, Howard Bowman years after the war. and Gren Collins, found Dunlde's body on the trail In later life, Dunlde gathered material for a book buried under a few inches of snowY about the early Kennecott days and his own life. He Dunlde left a rich legacy to Alaska. The legacy is found support from Mt. McKinley explorer Brad more in a style of life, diligently pursued, than in Washburn. Washburn even lined up an editor and material possession. publisher for Dunlde,52 bur in 1954 Dunkle post-
NOTES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ing Good." The Cook Inlet Pioneer 1, no. 4, June 26, 1915. Florence Hull Dunkle was a 1908 graduate of Obe r The author is particularly indebted ro Wesley Earl Dunkle's lin; she was a class officer and presidenr of a women's li t sons, the !are John Hull Dunlde, William E. Dunkle, and Bruce erary society (Oberlin College, Ohio, alumni records). Borthwick Dunkle, for discussing their father's life and unstin t 2. "W. C.[error]Dunkle, engineer for the Alaska Syndicate." ingly furnishing correspondence, photographs, and family Cordovn DnilyA!ttsknn, June 10, 1912, I; "W. E. Dunlde, memorabilia. Joe Antonson, State of Alaska Historian, Rolfe M.E., Guggenheim engineer." Fnirbnnks Dnily News Buzzell, Section of History and Archaeology, Stare of Alaska, Miner, February 23, 192 3, I; "Guggies inspect copper and Diane Brenner, archivist at rhe Anchorage Museum of Hi s property." Fnirbnnks Dnily Neu,s-Miner, July 10, 1924, 2; rory and Art, have encouraged and helped me, repeatedly. "W. E. Dunkle, engineer for the Guggenheim inte r ests ..." Fnirbtlnks Dnily News-Miner, July 24, 1928, 8. REFERENCES CITED 3. The Dunkle rapes were recorded in the winter of 1953 at Mrs. W. E. Dunkle's house in Washingron, D. C. The Note: Dunkle tapes recorded in 1953 are cited as, DT and by major voices on the tapes are W. E. Dunkle and Hemy original reel, tape, and, occasionally, side (A or B), for example, Watkins. Watkins came ro Alaska in 1900 on the same DT,RI,r2,sB. The tapes used are a cassette rape vers ion from vessel as George Hazeler's Chisna mining group (Tower, the Anchorage Museum ofArt and History. Elizabeth A., Iceb/1/md Empire: [Anchorage, Elizabeth A. Tower, 1996], 52-53,302). Watkins was hired by Stephen Abbreviations: AC-author's collection of Dunkle correspo n Birch in 1908 for the Bonanza mine project, and he stayed dence, photographs and memorabilia. The collection was mainly at Kennicorr until rhe fall of 1914, rhus bridges a rime gap obtained from the Dunkle family and from mine property ex in the tapes before Dunkle's arrival in Alaska in 1910 and aminarions since 1967. BBD-Bruce Borthwick Dunkle, 58- at Kennicott in 1912. Stephen Birch, WED-Wesley Earl Dunkle, WmED-William E. A reel ro reel copy of the Dunkle tapes is at the Se c Dunkle, JWD-John Wesley Dunkle. rion of History and Archaeology, Dept. of Natural R e sources, Alaska, Anchorage. !. DT,R6,£2,sB; also RI,t2; R8,tl.sA; also, see "Broad Pass is 4. Page, Clara Adelia Dresskell, Dunkle-Dusk-Twilight Booming." Knik News 1, no. 21, March 6, 1915, 1; Ettming, (Manuscript genealogical report, 1977); the gene "Who's who in the Broad Pass Region." Knil? News 1, no. alogy includes Dunkle, Peter Snyder, Thirty sixftet ofboys, 24, March 27, 1915, 1. This issue of the Knik News noted Trndition nnd Times, Oil Histmy nnd Discove1y, Lumbering " ... Dunkle, the mining engineer, departed Tuesday for in West Virginifl. AC. the Broad Pass Count I)'· Jack Cronin, with his dog team, is 5. Church, H. E. (ed), Clrrss Histmy, 1908, Sheffield Sciemific taking him."; "Many outfits in the Broad Pass." Knik News School, Ynle Unhtersity, V.I. (New Haven, 1908), 102. l, no. 26, April 10, 1915, I; "Broad Pass has Future", 6. Obituary Article, Wesley Earl Dunkle, Yttle Alumni Mngn Knik News I, no. 29, May 15, 1915, 7; "Broad Pass ma k- zine, December 1957. Wesi~JI Ef!rl Dunkle, The Years for Stephen Birch 1910-1929 101
7: Church, Clms History. 102. also, Communications WmED I 5. no. I, 66-67,80. Also, Dunkle, " . . Copper and BBD. April, 1997. River," (1954), 3. 8. Chittenden, Russell H., Histmy of thr. Sheffield Scientific 27. Dunkle," . .. Copper River," (1954), 5. School ofYnle Unit,ersity, 1846-1922, V. II. (New Haven, 28. Dunkle," .. . Copper River," (1954), 24. Also, see Leu er, Yale University Press, 1928) 378,61 0. WED to SB, December 26, 1913. Letrer in Packer C, 9. Carlisle, Henry, "David D. !twin." Mining JJ'ngimering Doc. 7, Kennecotr Copper Company, Doc. Inv. List, Salt Qune, 1964), 88-91; see, also, Belin, G. d'Andelot (ed), Lake City; also, "Early Days of Kennecott, Alaska", as rold Thirty year histmy, C!tw of1!)08. Sheffield Scie11 tific School, to H. C. Carlisle by L. A. Levensaler, (Ca. 1960). Typ e Yale Uni11mity. (New Haven, 1940), Henry Coffin Car script (copy) in Rasmuson Library, Levensaler Files, Univ. lisle, 129-130, David D. Irwin, 225-227, Howard Taylor of Alaska, Fairbanks, 5,7.; also,see, Porrer, "Alaska" 26,39. Oliver, 305-307, Henry D<'witt Smith, 371 -372. 29. Dunlde, " ... Copper River" (1954), 12-13. 10. Letter, WED to]WD,August 31, 1908.AC. 30. Ibid, 14-15. I I. Dunk!<'. W. E., "Economic geology and l1istory of th<' 31 . Ibid, 17. Copper River District, Alaska:" (1954). Report No. MR 32. utter, SB to WED, January 6, 1914. Letter in Packet C, 87-4. Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources, Division of Ge o Doc. no. 9, Ke nnecorr Copper Company, Salt Lake City. logical and Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska. 2,25. Note: The Kennecott files show chis letter as from C. T. 12. DT.R5.rl. Ulrich roWED. C. T . Ulrich was Birch's secrerary; ar this 13. Ibid time Ulrich had not been to Alaska and Ulrich was nor a 14. Dunkle," ... Copper River," (1954), 2. engineer or geologisr. I assume that rhe Jeerer (which is on<' I 5. Richelsen, W. A., "List of Reports on Properties Exa m of two lerrers mailed on the 6th of January to answer ined, Alaska Development & Minerals Co." (Seattle, WED's letter to SB of December 26, 1913) was from March 28,1945), Report in Kennecott Exploration Com Birch, with a copy bearing Ulrich's signature. pany files, Anchorage, I 9; also, see, Dunkle, W. E., "Letter 33. Dunkle," ... Copper River," (1954), 24. report to Stephen Birch, Report on Chisana district, D e 34. Ibid. 17. cember 14, 1914", Kennecott Exploration Files in Anchor 35. DT,R5,t2. age, Alaska, 6. Dunkle noted, "I arrived at Chisana on July 36. Douglass, W . C., "A history of the Kennecorr Mines, Ke n 3d and left on September 9''." necott, Alaska," (Special Publication, Division of Mining, 16. Helen Van Campen Album, Rasmuson Collection, A r State of Alaska 1964-197 I, reprinted 1971). Available D i chives, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Accession Number vision of Geol. and Geophysical Survey, Report MP -21, 74-27-525. Fairbanks, AK. 10,12; also, see Dunkle, " ... Copper 17. DT,R8,tl.sB River," 24-25. 18. DT,R8,tl,sA 37. DT.R5,t2 19. "Darkness, Lurid Light and Thunder, Volcanic Eruption 38. LaPoime, Daphn<' D., Joseph V. Tingley, and Richard B. Continues Three Days." Cordow Daily Alnskrm, no. I I 5. Jones, Mineml Resource.r of Elko County, Ne/11/Wt. (Nev. JunelO, 1912, l. Bur. Mines and Geology, Bull. 106, 1991.) In 1916, Con 20. Dunkle, " ... Copper River," (1954), 12. tact yielded about 689,000 pounds of copper; it a p 21. Porter, Ocha, "Alaska", (Copy of typescript, ca. 1940.) proached that figure again in I 929, see cable 20. Manuscript in private collection of Warren McCullough, 39. Richelsen, " ... properties examined, Alaska Development Helena, MT, 39. & Minerals Co." (1945),3,4,10,14,16. 22. Dunkle," ... Copper River," (1954), 18. 40. "Engineer anives in Anchorage ro starr exploring." Fnir 23. DT,R8,t2,sB bflnks Daily News-Mine1~ Februaty 23, 1923, 1. 24. DT.ibid. Also, this story was first rold to me by Hugh E. 41 . "Guggies inspect copper property." Fnirbrmks Drtily News Matheson, mine engineer and executive originally from Mimr, July 10, 1924, 2; see, also Dunkle,"... Copper Alaska now in Denver; Mr. Matheson heard the story from River" (I 954), 17. his father, also an Alaska mining man. Hugh could not 42. Dunkle is placed at Contact, Nevada from 1925-1927 by remember the punch line; he thought it was something various sources. He is identified as manager of the oper a like "I didn't know that we had one of those [copper rion at the Nevada-Bellevue in an internal memorandum, mines] up there." December 9, 1925, Hirsr-Chichagof Mining Co. The 25. Dunkle," ... Copper River," (1954), 18; also, see, Gra u memorandum is in v. 3, only box of Hirst -Chichagof rec man, Melody Webb, "Big Business in Alaska: The Kenn e ords, Rasmuson Libraty archives, Unjvecsity of Alaska, cott Mines, 1898-1938." (Fairbanks. Cooperative Park Fairbanks. Wm. E. Dunkle and the late John Hull Dunkle Studies Unit, National Park Service. Occasional Paper No. remembered being in Contact, Nevada in 1927 when I, 1977) 22-23.56; also, see, Navin, Thomas R., Copper Charles A. Lindbergh landed at Paris; communication, Mining & Managemellt: (Tucson, Univ. of Arizona Press, April1997. 1978), 262,426. 43. Correspondence between Stannard, Birch, and Dunlde on 26. Bateman, Alan M., and McLaughlin, D. H. "Geology of the Rua Cove and other prospects in Prince William the ore deposits of Kennecott, Alaska." Economic Geology Sound, Alaska: Files of Kennecott Exploration Company, 102 1998 Mining Hist01y Journal
Anchorage, especially letters of October 31, 1926 and Fe b shareholder, and was president of successor Star Airlines ruary 14, 1927 are written like intemal memos, as if which was Alaska's largest air carrier in 1937. Star Air Dunkle was only seconded to Contact, Nevada. Service is the direct ancestor of Alaska Airlines. Part of the 44. In "Local jottings," Fairbrmlu Daily New.r-Miner, July 24, airline history is in Satterfield, Archie, The Alnsktt Airlines 1928, 8; see, also, letter, WED to SB, November 11. Stmy. (Seattle. Alaska Northwest Publishing, 1981); also, 1928. Letter in Ken necott Exploration Company files, in see Dunkle, Wm. E., A Birds Eye View. (Camarillo, CA, Anchorage, argues for acquisition of Rua Cove, partly to Julie Sellers Press,1988), 7-9. forestall competition from Consolidated Smelting and Re 51. Dunkle mer Mrs. Rimer in Africa in 1929. They were fining (later Cominco). married in 1935 in Valdez, AI<. As Gladys Elizabeth Grey 45. DT,R5,t3. Also, detailed timing on the African trip is pro Borthwick, "Billie" graduated with first class honors in vided by a Letter oflndication (Credit) issued in New York 1924 in zoology from St. Andrews University in Scotland. in February 1929 and by post cards from Dunkle to his She taught at the University of South Africa in 1925 -1926 family from London, Cape Town and Elisabethville (AC). and, in 1931, earned a Ph. D. in zoology from the U nive r Company correspondence also shows that Dunkle was in siry of Cape Town. (Alumni records, St. Andrews and Un i New York in January 1929. versity of Cape Town.) 46. DT,R5.t3. See, also, Citation no. 9 regarding Smith and 52. Letters, Brad Washburn to WED, February 20, 1953; Irwin. WED to Washburn, March 20, 1953; WED to Washburn, 47. DT,R5,t3. March 23. 1953; Washburn to WED, March 30, 1953; 48. Navin, Copper Mining & Management. (1978), 266-267, Howard Cady, editor-in-chief. Little Brown & Co. to 355-356.426. Washburn, April 6, 1953; Washburn to WED. April 8, 49. Baragwanath, John (G.), A good time wtts had. (New York. 1953, WED to Howard Cady, April 11, 1953, and WED Appleton-Centuty-Crofts, 1962),142-44,245; Stoll, Wi 1- to Washburn, April 11, 1953; Washburn to WED, April liam M., Huntingforgolrl in Afttska's Trtlkcetna Mountaim. 19, 1953. and WED to Washburn, April 25, 1953. (Ligonier, PA, William M. Stoll, 1997), 105 -115,30 I. 53. "Search Widens for W. E. Dunkle." Anchomge Daily 50. Dunkle and Steven Mills, Jack Waterworth, and Charlie Times, October 4, 1957, I; "Searchers find Dunlde's Ruttan fou nded Star Air Service; Dunkle was its largest Body." Anchomge Daily Time.r, October 5, 1957, 1.