John A. Whitney, known as the "Dynamite King," appeared in a Portland Evening Express feature published on April 28, 1927, titled "Dynamite King Demonstrates Harmlessness of His Wares If Intelligently Handled." The article explored Whitney’s work with explosives across New England and described his dynamite storage facilities, or “magazines,” located beyond the easterly end of the Martin’s Point Bridge. The accompanying photograph shows Whitney using his jackknife to cut open a stick of dynamite—a moment meant to illustrate his point about the substance’s stability.

As the title suggests, Whitney aimed to challenge the public perception that dynamite, its storage, and its transport were inherently unsafe. During the interview, he unsettled the reporters by demonstrating how difficult it was to detonate dynamite. At one point, he kicked a 50-pound case of dynamite from a wheelbarrow to the ground. He also handed a reporter a stick of dynamite and told him to throw it at a concrete wall. When the reporter declined, Whitney cut open the stick and broke it in half himself.