New-York tribune., 1903-05-03


man. the early training for particular calling
was thrown to the winds IN the eager willing
ness of the American to do at once the work
which came to his hand. The rail splitter be-
came statesman of heroic mould; the soioier
became a tanner and later on resumed his SOL
diering to command conquering host; another
tanner q contemporary of the general, developed
into a Napoleon of finance; the village attorney
became a world renowned scientist; the doctor
was metamorphosed into celebrated jurist, ana
so on through the entire series Of professional
confusion out Of which great and useful men
emerged not singly, but in battalions-
This has had its effects a succeeding gen.
Grafton Our young men are now encouraged to
find out their own bent. and the parents are only
ex officio members of a committee IN Whch
their sons consider the advantages of the sew
eral- caIIings open to them. Therefore, possibly,
it becomes useful 10 discuss the matter, appeal
ing both to the seasoned sense Of parentage and
20 the enthusiasm Of more impetuous youth
It has been suggested above. by one striking
incident that the work of mining engineer
may be rendered enormously profitable On the
other hand a glance at the rank and file of the
profession will suggest that the rewards are not
evenly distributed and that wide extremes of
success and failure readily discernlole IL
is So Of course, in varying degrees. with all the
professions; an occupation which to be success
full requires certain qualities and aptltudes
must necessarily develop wide differences in
the results achieved by men of unequal capac-
ity.
Competition is the acid which etches the pro-
fessionaI character. BY looking at the unsuc-
cessful we can learn why they were so hope
Iessly handicapped in the competition into which
they entered and thus by elimination. may
determine what type of man is most likely to
achieve success. Such chart OF the shoals OF
life may aid the young mariner who essays to
sail forth to-day, and will assist those, his
mentors whose advice he sets out upon the
voyage of life.
The first requisite Is sound physique and
good health. Good health is helpful in every
vocation. although it is fact that great things
have been done by those who. crippled by III
health were still able to follow sedentary oc-
cupation: thus Darwin. Huxley and Spencer
each completed monumental lifework. despite
protracted disabilities such as would have made
an ordinary man a plaintive invalid. lawyer
or a doctor need not be robust TO be efficient,
and we know that a naval architect has de-
signed swift ships though blind; mechanical
genius has prospered as an inventor although
deaf and chemist has won reputation al
though partially paralyzed. But mining engi-
neer must be physically fit-that is true beyond
peradventure Wide experience is only gained
by travel, by investigation Of mines under
great variety of geological and economic condi-
tions for example, an engineer known to the
writer travelled on an average $4,000 miles per
annum for twelve years in countries ranging
from the Arctic to the tropics. under conditions
which included journeys on horseback covering
several hundred miles, expeditions snowshoes
in high attitudes, exploration on camelback
over the Australian desert, not TO speak OF the
more ordinary experiences OF tedious trans
continental journeys by train and voyages
round the world by steamer. Even under ordi-
nary conditions, engineer. during a large
portion of his career. must climb through under
ground workings, travel amid continued dis
comforts. face frequent peril and willingly in
cur the loss of adequate food and sleep. to such
extent that, unless he is endowed with a
strong body, he not only cannot endure the
hardships, but he will become unfit mentally
for the work Of his professon-work which re-
quires sound judgment at every turn-the kind
of good sense which can only come to the mems
sana when it is in corpore sano.
Therefore, youth TO whom nature has de-
MED the heritage of health and strength should
choose life which demands activity as the
first requisite. Let such one recognize the
nsurmountabie obstacle before it is too late
and direct himself to an occupation which is less
trying to the physical man.
mining engineer needs all the other qualities
which conduce to success in any career. Power
of application is needed for the solution of the
problems that will present themselves from
day to day; logical mind is itself useful
engine; the power CT concentration is like mill
in operation; energy is required in a calling
subject to competitive strain. and keen powers
of observation are helpful in all scientific and
technical investiga tions. These requirements,
if met will make up an individual capable OF
giving adequate expression to that combination
of contemporary science, art, knowledge and
practice which We recognize as modern engi-
neeriEg.
Nevertheless a man may have all OF these
and yet fail to crown his career with success.
as success is usually counted in terms of esteem
and possessions. To young man about to be-
come mining engineer | would urge the
cessity of two qualities which innate; these.
If absent, cannot be supplied from the outside.
but if present can be cultivated to fruitful
proportions. / mean honesty and tact Honesty
is the very foundation OF science. To say that
two and two make five may be. In bookkeeping
wrong; in technical science it means chaos.
1t is a truism. easily forgotten. that the meth
eds Of an engineer are based upon the facts OF
experience. and that amy disregard of them
brings inevitable disaster Whether that disre-
gard takes the form of a too sanguine tempera-
ment or the less attractive shape of untruthful-
ness in either event the young man thus char
acterized starts life with handicap which he
is never likely To overcome. There are other
eallings in which this attribute in its milder
form is not an unmixed evil; let him choose
them and avoid the exacting demands OF engi-
neering. which. before everything else. calls for
veracity of thought and action. For honesty
is desirable not from the ethical point OF view