The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-05-17
D. c. Jackling---His Marvellous Mining
Career Modestly Told in An Interview

able thought TO the question of en-
! ginesfing.
How did that idea arise in you
mind?
] While teaming, had become inter
ested in the work of city engineering
such as laying out streets, and tina
!, sort of thing; l hadn't seen any rea
engineering, but the use of the tran
sit and level captivated me; so / go
1t into my mind that | would like t,
study civil engineering. worked
again on the farm that summer, ant
in the autumn of 1889, when | wal
20 years old, l started for the Mis-
souri, school of mines at Rolla, Mis-
souri,.
Were you sufficiently prepared t
enter?
was not sufficiently advanced tt
enter in the freshman year of any
technical course. so / had to take some
preparatory work. and pursue mix.
ed course for the first year. l didn
have any money except what'I ha(
earned myself in these years on the
farm and otherwise, but l had earn
ed about enough to pay my first year
1t didn't cost me much, because
got room and board for $3.50 q
month.
! In what other ways did you obtain
| funds?
During the summer vacations of the
first and second years, | got a job on
the Nj. X, & r. railroad, in the main
tenance-of-way department, and
worked in Texas. Indian Territory
and Kansas. Thus for part Of the
time l had to do with real construc-
ton work. building an extension of
that line from Coffeyville, Kansas, in
to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. |
Had my first real engineering practice
there, and by the time l had worked
my second summer, l began to get
some knowledge of engineering things.
! went back to school again in the
fall; and the next summer | stayed
on during a summer session. In the
meantime l had been appointed stu
dent-assistant to the professor of
chemistry and metallurgy.
What was his name?
Cuti1bert P. Conrad. / think he was
from Pennsylvania. Early in the fol-
lowing year he died, and / then had
oh Of ha oh ~,
and at the same time l was carrying
on my own studies.
In which branch of engineering?
l had abandoned the civil engineer
ing course, as my experience on the
railroad did not appeal to me. i
wanted to take course in mining
and metallurgy, but didn't
have time to do it. The metallurgi-
cal course was shorter, so / worked to
the degree of bachelor of science in
metallurgy. According to the rules Of
the Missouri school of mines, it re-
quires some practical work before one
can get the degree of metallurgical
engineer.
In what year did you graduate?
Going unprepared in 1889, and in
part earning my own way by work.
ing during my vacations and being
assistant in teaching part of the time,
/ finished the four years course in
three years and graduated in 1892. ]
did not get my engineers degree until
ten years afterward, in 1908.
What did you do then?
I stayed at the Missouri school Of
mines assistant professor i'm chem
istry and metallurgy for another year
after 1 had graduated, and left there
finally in 1893.
And you went from there to-?
j changed my mind pretty frequent
ly First l was going to be school
teacher; then a civil engineer; then
a mining engineer, but found my work
was leading me into metallurgical
studies, and lastly l was pruning again
for a career of teaching. After year
of that, I concluded ] didn't like it,
pulled up without anything particular
in view, and started out to look for
job. I went to my uncles farm dur
ing the summer months, and tried to
find a position by correspondence.
was offered a position as teacher in
some of the schools, but I had decided
I didn't want that; so in the autumn
Of 1893. went to Kansas City. The
old Kansas City Consolidated COM
pany's Argentine plant was running
then, and some of my friends were
there.
Whom did you meet there?
Curtis Alexander was the assayer,
and I tried to get position from him,
but failed The only thing l could get
was a job pushing slag-pots. That
was all right, but just about that time
Cripple Greek was beginning to at
tract a good deal of attention, and
decided l would go there.
Did yo,r know anybody at Cripple
Creek?
didn't l1now anybody in the west al
ALL but 7 got together what few things
] had and prepared to go anyway. ]
found ] hadn't enough money to pay
for a ticket, but got little from my
aunt; she did not have much, but had
always helped me some, so borrowed
ono,,oI, fray,, har f, oaf mo fo CoInra-