Gilpin observer., 1906-01-25
Need Of School for Miners.

A suggestion which seems along
practical lines is that the various large
mining districts establish trade schools
for the purpose of teaching practical
mining. In the first place. 1t should be
recognized that mining comes under
the head of skilled labor. That is to
say, the successful miner must be able
to use his head as well as his hands.
He must possess a knowledge OF tools,
Of powder, of timbering; must under
stand the nature of the ground in
which he may be working. should pos
sess working knowledge Of ore and
It's value, and in emergency should be
able to act on his own initiative.
There are a thousand and one things
! where intelligence and knowledge
count in the business of mining.
A proper course of instruction to the
young man who would learn the actual
business of mining would do away
with the acquiring of the rudiments Of
mining in haphaZard manner and IN
addition put him in possession Of
knowledge that would get him to the
front much more rapidly. 1t is bust
ness that offers opportunity for rapid
rise and there are numerous positions
of trust and responsibility that mining
companies are always looking for first
class men to fill.
Just how these trade schools are or
ganized and the course of instruction
provided are details that could readily
be worked out. The thing is not an ex-
pertinent. 1t has been tried in Germany
with great success, and the schools are
well patroniZed.
Consul Ernest l.. Harris of Chemnitz
writes that during the past five years
the number of trade-continuation
schools in Saxony has been increased
by ten, so that now the total number Is
fortysix The number of pupils at
tending these schools is 9,139. Twenty
six of the schools were founded by diff
ferent associations, fifteen by school
organizations, four by trade unions,
and one by private person. The
school in Chemnitz has the largest at
tendance, namely, 1,400 pupils. Five
hundred teachers in these schools have
other occupations, such as teaching in
the public schools, etc. The contin.
gent expenses in 1904 amounted to
$4,000. OF this sum $4,000 was raised
through tuition and matriculation fees,
SILL 900 from different cities, and IS, 900
from the state.
MS is question In winch the
school authorities, the mine operators
| and the miners themselves should be
| interested. The school authorities are
| interested because there is a demand
for practical manual training, which
they are beginning to realize. We have
come to the point where utility educa-
| ton is as much a part of the duty of
the state as the purely literary educa-
| tion.
The mine operator is interested in
securing the highest grade of labor
that can be found, and the higher the
grade the greater the efficiency of the
working force and the cheaper the
property can be operated
The miner is interested in seeing
the standard of the business raised. 1t
means a continuation of high wages (;
1t furnishes more rapid ladder of ad-
yancement and tends to keep out the
competition of undesirable labor. The
older miners will, of course, not be af
fected. They are now in the harness
and have learned their work in the
hard school of experience.
The younger generation, the sons OF
the men now working in the mines will
be given better opportunity of acquir-
ing a practical and theoretical knowl-
edge of the business that will be a
great benefit to the whole industry
Leadyille Herald Democrat.