The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1911-05-18
THRILLING VOYAGE TO DIXIE
WITH NEW MINE MACHINERY
How the Trip Made Machinery and Character of Mines
Personnel and Management of Company-Jos.
Eakin Ranch Base of Operations.

Things are humm1ng III the land
of Dixie these days; that is the
mining Dixie. The Salmon Riv-
er Mining company, under the
very efficient management of j.
r. Painter, is installing a thor
oughtly modern and up to date
plant at the Joe Eakin bar, fiji
teen miles from Dixie, which will
be used as home ranch and head
quarters. The Eakin ranch, it
will be remembered by the Globe
readers, was purchased by this
company something over year
ago, at which time Mr.. and Mrs.
Eakin visited in Grangeville with
their daughter, Mrs. Overman,
wife of Sheriff j. l. Overman,
while closing up the sale and be-
fore taking up residence at Seat
tie.
The Salmon River Mining com
pany which is promoting this en-
terprise is composed of Philadel-
phia business men and capitalists,
and has it's headquarters and Of
fees in that city. Its director
ship is composed of such lead
ing business men as John Hast
ings, the well-known gold-leaf
man, who is president; w. War
rell Wagner, vice president; Is
asac Wolstencroft, secretary and
treasurer. Besides these, Alex |.
Dupont, of Dupont Bros, powder
men, and number of other lead
ing men of Philadelphia, wealthy
men, and men of high standing,
are connected with the enter
prise. Supt. j. r. Painter is him
self one of the largest stockhold-
ers.
After concentrating all the
preliminary deals a number of
months ago the company de-
termined to fully exploit the pro-
perry which had been purchased
by them only after careful inspec
ton by thoroughly reliable ex-
perts, and the matter of the ex-
pense necessary to accomplish
this end was only secondary
consideration after the conclu-
sion was reached. But how to
get the necessary machinery on
the ground to accomplish the
work, with the nearest railroad
at Grangeyille, IS miles distant
and roads in no condition foi
transporting heavy machinery
and Salmon City, the next avail
able point of shipment, $50 miles
distant, with only the turbulent
Salmon river with its rapids anC
box canyons as a means of trans
portation, was the perplexine
problem.
The matter was put up to j
r.. Painter, the general manager
for solution, and he decided to
construct a flotilla of nine boats
at Salmon and bring all of the
heavy machinery in by the wat
err route, taking chances on the
dangerous condition of the river,
and the possible wreckage and
loss which might be entailed,
which he considered more prac-
ticable than the alternative of tn
wagon route, which would be re-
sorted to for conveyance of the
less weighty articles.
The fleet of nine boats of ten
thousand tons burden, were
completed and sent out in two
groups, the last one leaving Sal
mon City on Friday of last week
under the skillful pilotage of
Commodore Harry Gulkie, with
Manager Painter aboard. The
total tonnage of the shipment
will approximate something like
80 thousand lbs, and consists of
power shovels, hydraulic pumps,
piping, and all other needed
machinery and supplies for the
use of the large force of work
men which will be employed
while the machinery is being in
stalled.
In past years a trip through
the, canyon has been considered
a dangerous proposition, and no