The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-08-02
Scope and Value of State Mining Bureaus
tBy E. X. Soper head of the department of
Mining and Engineering, University of Idaho)

lveys, cooperating with the United
States geological survey.
Recognizing this fact, most of the
western states have established mi.
ming experiment stations or mining
bureaus. and under recent agreements
with the United States bureau of
mines the state organizations COOP
crate with the federal bureau.
Among the states that maintain
mining experiment stations or state
mining bureaus. most OF which are in
connection with the schools of mines
of the respective states, are Arizona,
California, Colorado, Minnesota, Mis-
souri,, Oregon and Utah.
The scope of these state mining
experiment stations is well stated in
the Utah act creating a station in
that state. The particular purposes
for which the Utah station was estab-
lished are there stated to be the
finding of ways and methods of pro-
fitably treating low grade ores, of Sc
curing higher percentage extraction
of metals from these ores, of obtain
ing other information that shall have
for its object the benefit of the min
| ing industry and the utilization and
conservation of the mineral resources
of the state, and to publish and dis
tribute bulletins and articles relating
to the department and it's work"
The cooperative plan under which
most of these organizations work is
Essentially as follows: The work is
under the direction of the officials of
| the state experiment stations and of
| engineers and metallurgists of the
limited States bureau of mines as
signed to duty at these state expert
ment stations by special arrangement
with the federal bureau. The oper-
,ating expenses are thus shared by
the state and the federal government
the latter usually paying the greater
part and never less than half Under
such cooperative agreement, for
every dollar appropriated by the state
for the support of state mining bu-
reau the federal government appropr-
ates an equal amount, the total to be
used entirely within that state for re-
search or for other activities relating
to the mining industry. The results
OF the Investigations thus carried out
are published at the expense of the
federal bureau and distributed free to
all persons interested
State and Federal Cooperation.
An agreement has just been reach
ed between the mining department of
the University of Idaho and the Unit
ed States bureau of mines for coop
erative work in Idaho. Under the
terms of this agreement the federal
bureau of mines is to appropriate
funds equal in amount to those ap-
propriated by the state to carry on
the work and, in addition, to bear the
expenses of the publication of reports
and bulletins. The plan is to make a
careful survey to determine Just what
the problems are in Idaho and to I'M
dertake Investigations and expert
ments looking toward their solution.
In order to make a start and to Sc
cure this cooperation, since the state
as yet makes no provision for mining
and geological research, the mining
operators of the Occur d'Alene dis
trict generously contributed a fund
which was increased by an equal sum
from the federal bureau of mines A
from the staff of the United States
bureau of mines will be assigned to
duty at Moscow in the near future
to begin this work.
Idaho, through the fame of the
Occur d'Alene region and the numer-
Gus mining districts in the central
and southern parts of the state, is one
of the great mining states of the west
1t contains extensive mineral re-
sources as yet largely undeveloped
throughout its entire area. According
to State Mine Inspector Robert N.
Bell, the production of Idaho's mines
for the year 1916 will exceed $4S,00O,-
900 gross value, representing profit
of $11,500,000. Moreover, there are
numerous minerals deposits in this
state, which were worked 20 to 40
years ago until the rich, oxidized or
free milling ores near the surface were
exhausted, when the properties were
abandoned or closed down, leaving
large bodies of lower grade and more
refractory ores untouched Many such
deposits are known i'm Idaho, the ex-
ploitation of which only awaits the
development of improved methods of
extraction of the metals contained.
Furthermre, there are extensive
known deposits of ore in the state,
which remain undeveloped because
they are too low grade or complex to
be profitable under present treatment
methods.
An important part of the work of a
state mining experiment station
should be to make free determinations
of ores for prospectors and, when call
ed upon, to give information to pros
pectors regarding the nature and value
!, of their ores and to advise them con-
, corning development problems.
State GeoIonicaI Survevs