The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-08
LEARN HOW TO MINE.
Importance of Fitting ones Self for
This Immense Industry.

In mining a knowledge of geology is
as essential to the greatest success as
knowledge OF mining practice and meth
DDS There are miners thoroughly yersed
III the art of mining, who are familiar
with every branch of the business above
and below ground, and who can under
take and carry TO successful termination
difficult mining problems. hut who lack
that essentlal-a knowledge Of geology,
SAYS the Los Angeles Mining Review.
There are many instances where ignor-
ance Of even the rudiments OF geology
on the part of the superintendent or
pany employing such. IL was a manager
OF this sort who commenced TO sSlk
shaft intended TO go to a depth OF 1000
feet or even deeper if necessary, to work
an ore deposit that was entirely super
fetal and which could have been mined
like q shallow duarry. Fortunately The
work was stopped before IL mad gone
more than 200 feet.
Another fellow, also an excellent miner
sunk q shaft. the collac OF which was IN
loose ore-taus. including pieces Of float
The shaft went down vertically, and the
deeper it got the further 1t was from the
vein The facts were ascertaned by his
successor. Such men should always have
Successors. as they can do much better
In q subordinate position, though men OF
this class do not think so. That is one
of the curious things about 1t ail-the
sublime confidence OF the miner in his
own judgment Of geological problem
he does not understand, and does not
even appreciate that he does not under
stand.
In another instance hrst-eiass miner
in charge OF work for company sunk
n shaft over 300 feet In depth to cut a
stratum OF ore bearing limestone that had
been eroded. The collar of his shaft
started fifty feet lower in the geological
horizon than the bottom OF the limestone
he expected to reach Half a mile away
was the shaft of another company down
over 200 feet In rich ore. The collar Of
feet
lower in altitude than that first men
toned but q fault with vertical dis
placement Of at least so feet ran between
the two shafts and the miner didn't see
#. His Ignorance cost his company more
than $4,000.
In that same region another manager
sunk shaft more than 100 feet struck
ore and an abundance Of water that had
TO be pumped, though tunnel 500 feet
long would have drained the place. A
remarkable thing in connection with this
mine was that the shaft was sunk 70 find
I ore below. which lay scattered about on
the surface. II is difficult 10 understand
/ how q shaft could cut ore which did not
outcrop, but the foa from which Gov
the Young student Of geology IT was a
| simple problem 4 fault had displaced
I the formation by a throw of about 300
( feet and or the top Of bluff back Of
the mine lay the ore bearing formation
I exposed on the gurface and containing
better ore than that found In the shaft
| The manager of that property does not
know the fact 10 rhis day.
| Instances Of the stupidity Of miners
/ and good miners. too-might be men
/ toned without number. but the cases
cited are sufficient 10 show thai tho
miner cannot learn ali there is to know
! by working for years in mines. and that
! tho "boois learning which many OF them
appear To despise would To them prove a
very valuable addition To their knoWl-
edge OF the theory and practice OF min
I ing,