Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-10-29

in it's rough and ready fashion, TO
those who have dug fortunes out OF
ito hidden stores of metals and min
erals. was not in any way laid out
for the special accommodation of such
vonng men as wish to study the theory
and science of mining engineering.
The valuable elements to be mined
are scattered haphazard over wide,
desolate regions, while the centers of
population, and, correSpondingly, the
centers of education, cluster together
without reference to the structure of
the earth under them. In other words,
the young and aspiring mining en-
gineer who wants to place himself in
actual contact with real mines finds
himself often at distance from his
theory and science-and vice versa.
The modern department of mining
engineering at big up-to-date technl-
cal school in the east-where we have
mining science but practically no min
ing worth talking about-presents
therefore some queer incongruities.
Here in Boston at the Massachusetts,
Institute of Technology, as the instruc-
tor who has in charge the mining en-.
gineering courses approaches you,
your preconceived idea of what pro-
fessors of science should look like
scribed white hair, the indispensable
expression of thought the even,
methodical voice; but his hands indi-
cate the continual handling of heavy
tools and grimy things generally; and
though he takes his seat in patent
revolving office chair, before very
business-like desk. he still retains his
complete uniform of practical but un
academic blue overalls,
The three "R's" of every kind of
engineering whateyer-in other words,
the preliminary base from which to
study it-must comprise chemistry,
physics and mathematics AS the
professor in the unprofessional blue
overalls would tell you, Everything in
engineering, from a crowbar up, be-
gins with and ends and is manipulated
in these three things" The young
to extract the treasures of the earth
begins in the comparatively dry at
mosphere of these exact and exacting
sciences; but at the same time he APP
pears internationally with his nose not
far from drawing board strewn with
compasses and ruling pens, for a min
ing engineer must also be fair
draughtsman. After a little we meet
him all over Boston and far out into
the country with his mysterious three
legged instruments, kindly requesting
us, as we sit in the parks, to take
some other bench SO that he can see
his companion with the striped pole
IN the other side of the pond. Sur
Seying is very important part of a
miners accomplishments for he must
always be depended on to find his way
a mile and more under ground in any
direction, to run tunnels and laby-
rinths skewed at all sorts of COM
plicated angles, and, with nothing in
sight ahead of him but fine steel
wire with a light behind 1t and a,
plumb.bob on the end held vertically
over a tiny mark on the floor to come
out even in the end to the tenth part
of an inch.
At the same time that these various
studies are in process the future min
ing engineer also becomes acquainted
with minerals in his laboratories and
with geology out of books and in the
lecture rooms, with an occasional trip
outdoors to view the methods of ma
ture in our glacial New England land
scape
SO far it is plain sailing; but now
comes the problem of getting into
actual contact with the metallurgical
work of a mine and with the structure
of the earth in which mines are
work ID prafitably. Generally speak
ing there are no mines in eastern
Massachusetts,; but for the benefit Of
this future mining engineer there is
plenty of mining machinery busily at
work. even within a stones throw of
Trinity church and hardly block
away from the public library. He has
only to pass from one room into an
other and there, under the very halls
where lecturing and book learning
flourish, is a glowing of furnaces, a
rumble OF grinding mills, and jar of
falling stamps, all going on in half
concealing atmosphere of dust from
rock crushers.
In this big room there are many
young men in scorched shirts with
their sleeves rolled up and with very
dirty hands and faces. BY the express
sion on their countenances as they
peer into the glowing furnaces, watch
ing the evolutions of tiny bits Of the
earth's crust under high temperatures,
you may guess that whatever they are
doing is at least interesting. There
are. in fact, more machines at work
and more things goings on in this
room than at many a real mine. In
one place, ores rich in Mexican silver
are being ground up in miniature
matchmaking pans in which quick
silver captures and holds the precious
metal after the mere earth and dross
have been ground and sifted away. In