The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-12-25


near the entrance of Penobscot Bay indicates
the locality of Dix Island, which although not
particularly inviting to an agriculturist, pro-
duces indirectly larger crop of corn, potatoes,
or wheat to the acre than the most. productive
farms of the West The island has an area of
about so acres, of solid granite, with here and
there prominence or boulder, between which
sufficient soil has accumulated to sustain few
moderate sized spruce trees or to afford susie
nance for small flock of sheep, with noses
well sharpened. One spot, long cultivated, has
been made quite productive in fruit, vegetables
and flowers. This island is about ten miles
southeast of Rockland, between which, the lit
tie steamer Fire Fly, Capt Crockett, runs each
way, every day, leaving the'island at O'Clock
A. M. and returning at 2 O clock P. NJ About
HOO men are constantly employed on the island,
in ouarrying, cutting and carving granite for the
United States Government. The discovery OF
granite. of the finest quality and free from iron
or sulphur, where it can be shipped without
the expense of drawing it a distance to a land
ing, is very important consideration. 1t is
also found that the granite can be cut and fit
ted for the building much cheaper on the
island than it could be in New York, so
that accommodations have been provided
for cutting, dressing and carving the granite
and fitting each piece or its place before it
leaves the Island. About twenty years ago the
discovery was made that this Island has a
mine of wealth in its excellent and inexhaust-
ible store of granite, it containing qualities
which gave it superiority over most granite. 1t
was purchased by the late Horace Beals, G. P
Of nd IF
field Mass. who composed the Dix Island
Granite Company. MI. D. I'll. Smith was en-
ployed by the company soon after the purchase,
and for the past ten years he has had the sup
| pervision of the entire business of the Island.
His practical experience and general business
capacity and integrity have secured for him
the confidence of the company and the esteem
of all in its employ. The first contract of any
Importance obtained by this company was to
furnish granite for the Treasury build
ing in Washington AS much of
the granite was sent away in an
unfinished state and the building progress
ed slowly, but small number of men was re-
CURED So well satisfied was Mr.. Mullett the
Supervising Architect and Secretary Boutwell,,
with the qnality of the stone and the facility
for getting it ont and shipping it that con-
tract was made for supplying the granite for
the Post Office and Court House in New York.
This building, which, when completed, will
have but one or two superior in the country, has
| reached the second story and the work is being
| pushed forward with all possible despatch.
The cost of the building will be about $780,
900, a large proportion of which will be expen-
ded on the island. The quarrying of the stone
| is done by the company under the direction of
| Mr.. Smith, the general Superintendent Mr..
| Henry Roberts, formerly of Alfred but more
| recently employed on Government buildings in
| Washington, has the supervision of all the me-
| chanical work. Over a mile of sheds, if built
| in direct line, are required for cutting and
dressing the stone. Each shed has an assistant
| foreman with two foremen over all, while Mr..
! Roberts has supervision over all the drawings,
pattern making, and finishing each stone, which
is made to exactly fit the place it was intended
| to occupy. From 400 to 600 of the best stone
cutters in the country are employed, whose
! wages are from $500 to $3.50 per day. Three
| large boarding houses have been erected the
past season. The Shamrock is capable of &C
commodating 400 persons, -the Dix Island
House 25O,-and the Aberdeen 200. There are
| also several smaller houses where boarders are
| accommodated besides private residences; two
| of which occupied by Mr. Smith and Mr..
Roberts, are finished and furnished in as good
style as most of the dwellings in our cities, and
| all are comfortable, tidy, and convenient.
| Sixty FORCES are kept in constant operation to
| sharpen the operators tools and to do other
| work required. The company have two stores,
one recently erected, the second story of which
| is finished OFF into large and commodious
| Hall that will seat 800 persons. Religious ser
| vices are held in it every Sabbath by clergymen
| of different denominations who are paid liber-
I ally by subscription raised among the operators
| for that purpose. Although the number of
children on the island is small a school house
has been erected by the company for their use
| and school is sustained the most of the year.
The granite cutting, carving, dressing, boxing,
| Sc, done and paid for by the government, is
| under the superintendent of Rodney L. Fogg,
Esa Of Augusta vel kpaMp and sggieefsetfc
officer. He has from 600 to 800 men under his
direction who are generally intelligent and well
informed, who understand their duties as well
as their rights and therefore everything moves
ON pleasantly. Hon. George Goodwin of Wells,
formerly high Sheriff of York County, has
charge of the government supplies and is
assistant Superintendent Mr. Pickard, son
of Hon. Amos Packard of Bangor
| is clerk in the government department and
! Capt Davis of Gardiner, who served his coun-
l try during the war in various capacities, is
| time keeper. Mr.. +. A. Maxfield Of Deering.
/ formerly employed at Fort Preble is pat
tern maker Messrs. Martin & Weber have
the general direction of the assistant foremen
| in the sheds. .sgi aifa -r9 III va
The work on the Post-Ofice building com
menced about two years ago. The building is
| nearly heater shape, conforming to the lot,
| with front on the Park, ON Broadway, on
| Park Row and on West Park. The Park,
Broadway and Park Row fronts are about
fl.ac Lon. l. e
is only about half the length of the Park front
This irregular form renders the work of shap-
ing and fitting the granite more difficult
than If the building was rectangular. A stone
is now ready to ship to be placed on the portico
on West Park 'front.' which is 10 by is feet,
16 inches thick, and weighs Is tons. 1t re-
quired the work of four men two months to
cut and finish it, besides the labor required to
quarry and get in the shed. 1t will cost about
$4,000 when landed in New York. An account
of the labor expended on each stone is so accu-
rately kept that the cost of finishing each can
be definitely stated Several vessels are con-
stantly employed in carrying the stone to New
York and bringing back supplies. The Dix Is
land Co. have the entire control of the is
land, the government paying for the facilities
afforded in cutting and finishing the stone. The
boarding houses are supplied by this company
which receive pay for board at S. per week.
The meat bill alone, for a single month is about
$4,000 The company keep two stores in oper-
alton where each man, employed who desires, can
draw to the extent of his monthly pay, but many
OF the workman pay cash for all their purchases
and receive the full amount of their months
wages. No village of the same population is
more orderly or civil, which is attributed large
ly to the fact that no intoxicating liquors are
allowed on the island. A man who should at
tempt to sell liquor here would find that how
ever hard Jordan's road might be to travel, he
would have to travel it mighty quick. III
The Dix Island Company employ about 300
men III quarrying and other operations, who
average 1928 day. The company pays out be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 a month for wages
and supplies, besides what is paid on govern
ment account, making. the total disbursement
ON the island near $125000 month. Mr. f. Pr
per is the chief clerk and treasurer of the COM
pany through whose hands all the money pass
es, and MIR. Lovejoy is assistant. 1t may be
stated as an evidence of the public spirit of the
operators on the Island that $1,000 were raised
IN a few days in aid of the Chicago sufferers,
and money sufficient to support preaching for
year has been subscribed allowing each man
from fifteen to twenty-five dollars Sabbath
according to the distance he comes. The hall is
free for religious and benevolent purposes and
DIXON ESD Of New Y6fR MAI Ia " iaFse cb
tai and one OF the owners of the island makes
1t a visit every month or two and has ALWAYS
adopted liberal policy in all the various de-
partments in which he has an interest, and has
been ready to contribute of his own means to
sustain any movement tending to promote the
comfort or the moral and intellectual improve
ment of all ON the island. Les sa 80
Ihere is no State in the Union where there
are greater facilities for obtaining a livelihood
than IN Maine. The islands of the sea, which
nave been looked upon as dangerous excres-
cences in the way of safe navigation. are now
found to possess mines of wealth far exceeding
those of the most fruitful fields. With our gran
lte, the best in the world and the most avaiIa-
hxru -