November 1, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Shelton Cinemas hosts
chamber gathering
County (
ter
R~lroad Ave., Shelton.
Fina ncial adqisers offer
free seminar
The two Belfair Edward Jones financial
advisers are hosting a free educational semi-
nar called "Key Life Decisions: Are You ~e-
Belfair.
The seminar is free, but space is limited. To
make a reservation, call the Edward Jones of.
fice at 275-7177.
attorney from Houle and Goodell; and Mark
and David Rill from Rilrs Chapel.
Edw~d" Jones provides financial se~ces for
individual investors in the United States, and
through its affiliate, in Canada.
Chamber membership
meeting at casino
Anna's Bay Center for Music hosts the SheI-
ton Mason County Chamber of Commerce's
November membership meeting from 6-8 p,m,
Nov. 29 at the Little Creek CasinoResort.
The gathering includes a conversation about
Businesses sought to host
2013 chamber events
Shelton
resident John
Eaton, owner
of Dirt Cheap
Cycle in
Shelton, last
week
returned
from five
months in
Alaska
diving for
gold. Here, he
displays
almost 50
ounces of
gold his crew
retreived in
one week
from the sea
bed off
Kodiak
Island.
Courtesy photos
Businesses interested in hosting a Shelton
Mason County Chambbr of Commerce member-
ship meeting or Business After Hours gathering
The following dates in 2013 are open: the
bership meetingluncheon, the Oct. 9 Business
After Hours, the Nov, 13 Business After Hours,
Learn public speaking skills
at chamber worksho-
Kat~ Ka~n of Hood Canal Communica-
Shelton business owner finds adventure deep in the sea
By G()RDON WEEKS
Slow business at his Dirt Cheap Cy-
cle shop propelled John Eaton north to
Alaska and deep into the sea in search
of gold. But diving for gold became an
adventure as well, and Eaton plans to
return soon, perhaps as a cast member
of the Discovery Channel's unscripted
show "Bering Sea Gold Under the Ice."
"I think it was Mark Twain who said
when we're old and reflecting back on
our life, it will be the things that we
bytheS~i~bhMa~b~C0u~tyChambe~fC~m didn't do that we will regret, not the
~ce fro~ n~ I p~ ~ovi 2 ~he Grove things we do," said Eaton, a Shelton
S~e~Brewh~ns~i2~3S~Fi~iShe!~n resident since 1989. "Maybe I'm an
~b Busin~|~0~sho~ ~reoffer~: adrenaline junkie, but I've got to do
fre~ ~o ~h~ber:memb~ ~ng~orksh~ stuff like that. It was an adventure, a
five-and-a-half month adventure."
The 52-year-old Eaton returned to
~ the ~ ~day ~aC~ ~i T~ RSVPi ~]i Shelton last week from his underwater
work in the Bering Sea near Nome, and
off Kodiak Island. At the bottom of the
Bu~in~ ~na~i~n~ sea, Eaton used a 10-inch dredge like a
vacuum cleaner, sucking up to 15 cubic
~ ~i~ yards of materials per hour up to the
ship where gold was filtered in a sluice
~ ii ~t~nSr ~: ?::ni t ~aei ~ !:ntc m°en :s~!d~ ~d
~or~d again ~ ~ich~!!~ ~ral ~nd h~ staff a~ P
you do it."
Eaton's customers at Dirt Cheap Cy-
gl~es an~ ~at~ fo~ ~on ~t~ ~i~me~t~ cle, purchasing parts for quad vehicles
~0ol chfl~ T~ :i~m~ ~e ~oi|~et~d ~ll popular in Alaska, encouraged him to
N~vem~i an~ tho~ de|~ve~ed: t~ et~ent~ seek fortune in the 49th state.
Eaton said two factors sent him
to ~a$~ i~2~ north: th~ declining disposable income
of middle class customers that slowed
business, and the spike of gold prices,
approaching $2,000 an ounce. He left
She|~0n branch:of Heritage Ba~k; th~ M~ his business in the hands of his long-
J0hn~o~ age~y 0f ~l S~ate insu~an~i S~ge time employee, aichie Wiley.
Books~Maria~!SFineJe~et~iIZ~MAS~i~i "Since 2008, since the market
apteO] iP ud n !R ty at ay p crashed, all small businesses have
~rty M~fi~gementi Green Diamond R~ had a rough time," he said. "If I had
~enteriM~s~C~ntyTil~Tayi~!~cel the amount of business coming into
~he ~o~ C6unty S~o~ A~tivit~e$ Cen~i: my store as per 2008 levels, I wouldn't
E~eep$iOn~l Fh~es~er~ i~ i C~rve$ fo~ ~I have had the time to go to Nome to dive
for gold."
Eaton said he checked out two boats
C~untryStbreiCame~B0ut~queandth~ Discovery Channel was using for its
~nd Shelt0n offices 0fH~od C~nai: CommuniCa~
series Bering Sea Gold," but said he
believed the boats were too small and
Ki~e~ ment.didnt feature the proper safety equip-
boatInstead'captainedhe signedby a 72-year-oldab°ard a 50-fOOtman,
who along with his 69-year-old part-
iIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i! ii iiiiii iiiii!ii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiii iii i il il ! i :i/!ii i !ii!iiiiii iii i1
Above, ,John Eaton looks like
he's walking on water, but he is
about to plunge into the ocean.
He's spent 12,000 hours at the
bottom of the sea. At top, he uses
a ladder to climb back aboard.
riverbeds a mile out to sea, he removed
the first three feet of stone called over-
"It takes a lot of strength. That dredge
weighs several hundred pounds. You
are constantly moving underwater.
You don't work a regular schedule.
Your schedule is the weather's sched-
ule. If the weather is good for ten days
straight, you work ten days straight."
During his crew's best 10-hour
stretch, they recovered 11 ounces of
gold.
During Eaton s last week, the crew
collected just under 50 ounces, a net
sum larger than the gross sales at his
shop in a month, Eaton said.
And then there were the periods
when the flat boat ("Like a party barge
you'd see on a lake") couldn't take the
volatile weather and choppy seas. The
crew was stuck on shore once for two
weeks, another stretch for two and
a half weeks. Both times, Eaton flew
from Nome to Seattle, a $1,600 round-
trip ticket.
During his first month in Nome, Ea-
ton rented a room and a shower at a
"flophouse" -- for $2,600 a month. Gas
was $6 a gallon, milk $8.99 a gallon.
Eaton said he missed two things in
Shelton: his friends and the weather.
Home only a few days, Eaton already
is eying a possible salvage adventure
off the Philippines.
A buddy is interested in finding silver
dumped into the sea by the retreating
ner, had more than 100 years of gold burden to reach the bedrock. "The last Filipinos and Americans to keep it away
mining experience between them. six inches or so are paydirt," he said. from the Japanese during World War II.
"If there was anyone to learn from, it The results could be seen even down Eaton is seeking advice on signing
was them," Eaton said. in the murky waters, "I wear a bright with an agent for his possible run on
When the weather permitted, Eaton light, and I can see the specks of gold "Bering Sea Gold Under the Ice."
spent nine to 11 hours a day about 36 going up the dredge," he said. "I'm definitely going back next sum- '
feet deep on the ocean floor. On former "It's very hard work," Eaton said.mer."
Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012 - Page B-3
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