Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-03-29
AN INDUSTRIAL CAPTAIN
Col. s. B. Miner, Former Grant COun-
ty Boy, Getting Rich in the Rocky
Mountains.

Recently the Grant county friends
and relatives of the Miner family
received newspaper accounts and
pictures Of the great Miner dam at
Miner, near Twin Falls, on the
Snake river, Southern Idaho. The
gigantic feat was accomplished by
a company of capitalists, headed by
Col. Stanley B. Miner, millionaire
miner, banker and promoter Of
great enterprises, formerly a resi-
dent of Little Grant and Blooming
ton.
At cost of 50, 500, 900 the new
company built a modern dam across
the river, which is a large stream,
and constructed a system of irriga-
ton bitches, the water from which
will reclaim over 1870, 1000 acres of
the richest valley land in the noun
tain country.
Not only have they utilized the
water of the river for irrigation,
but they are preparing to harness
the power to be obtained from the
falls below the dam, which will be
amply sufficient to run an electric
railroad, now under construction
down the valley, and furnish all
kinds of power and electric lights
for several towns.
The dam is near Twin Falls, an
enterprising new town, and the
name of the company is the Twin
Falls Land and Water company.
The big dam was closed on March 1,
and the bitches rapidly filled with
water. The tract to be reclaimed
is mostly government land, which
settlers are taking up in hurry at
so cents per acre. The rate for IT.
rigation is fixed by law, and cannot
exceed $25 per acre, the payments
probably to be made in install
ments.
A new town Of tents and few
buildings, christened Miner by the
unanimous vote of the people, has
sprung into being at the dam. The
falls are Miner Falls. The closing
of the dam on March 1 was attend
ed by a great celebration, Mr.. Mil
ner being present and with his own
hand lowering one of the big gates
to dam up the water. The day was
ideal, mercury registering SO above,
according to the account in the
local paper, which promises an
ideal climate to all who go there.
The enterprises promise hand
some returns to Mr.. Miner and the
other members of his company.
THE LITTLE GRANT COLONY.
In the early days Of the county in
the Little Grant neighborhood there
settled colony of intelligent Eng
lishmen, some of whom entered
government land, while others
bought of still earlier settlers. A
number of these families were
neighbors in England, and the trans
planted community enjoyed the
new country most happily. Among
the families sooner or later attract
ed by kindred and old-country ties
to this community of prosperous
people we're the Milners,-James,
John and William, three Bark fami.
lies, the Newmans, the Welsaes, the
Youngs, Addisons, Hales, Hopes
Pendletons, Hamers, Garthwaites
Edwardses, Webbs, Hays, Briscoes
Bartons, and perhaps others moi
remembered at the present writ
ing. Mrs. John Miner and Mrs
Robert Newman were sisters of the
three Bark brothers, who, with
nearly all of the heads of the above
named families, have passed to the
Great Beyond.
The John Miner family lived or
the farm afterward owned by PhiliI
Brother, and now the property Of
Henry Pink. They were a happy
family, enjoying the rugged, care.
free life of the pioneer. The chill
dren did not miss the meager public
school facilities, as the parents were
cultured people, and transmitted
their knowledge to their sons and
daughters.
After some years of this body
and character building life, the son
Stanley went to Bloomington to at
tend school, and also to learn the
furniture and undertaking business
of Linn Hoskins, with whose ex-
cellent family he made his home.
The Min er family remained for a
time, but soon moved to the Wood
ruff farm, near Beetown, and thence
into Iowa, where they prospered
exceedingly.
At this time Stanley was a mild
hammered. pleasant. unSOphiSticated