The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-03-22
Rise of J. c. lacking in Mining World
Started Life a Pennies Orphan

The life story of De c. lacking
whose career is perhaps the most re-
markable in the history of mining il
the west. is told by Walter Woehlke
in the current issue of the American
Magazine, who says:
In the second year of his life he was
orphaned At IS he was farm la
borer At 20 he was working his way
through college. At 80 he had risen
year.
At S5 he was vice president and
general manager of a struggling min
ing company, predestined, according
to expert opinion. to complete and
costly failure. The mine was opened
only IL years ago.
At 40 he was a millionaire. At As
he rounded the Horn in his own steam
yacht. He is AZ today and multi
millionaire He controls four mines,
all less than IL years old, which an
nually produce twice as much copper
as the mines of Michigan put togeth-
ed. He acquired an Improbable zine
property four years ago, lifted its out
put until it approached production of
all the mines in Missouri and made 1t
pay $15,O0O,O 900 in dividends in the last
two years.
Today he figures in gold mines In
largest fleet on the Pacific coast. He
largest fleet on the Pacific coast He
to haoN-iIy ipfaraeta1 in haet sugar
factories, rice mills, railroads, trust
companies. His career seems to have
just begun.
1t was in Salt Lake City, four or
five years ago, that | first heard Of
lacking. you don't want to leave
Utah without seeing Bingham" my
mining friend urged. THE trip over
the Garfield & Bingham railroad alone
is worth the time. It's the most ex-
pensive railroad in the world. Cost
100000 a mile and is all tunnels and
trestles. Jackling built it just to haul
his ore Bingham is a sight; it's six
miles long and so feet wide. Last
spring locomotive fell through the
roof of the bank. And don't miss the
Utah Copper. It's the biggest thing
this side of the Panama canal. They're
getting out 10000 tons a day, and the
stuff runs less than 2 per cent cop
pert Jackling's made the biggest
copper mine in the world out of
mountain of worthless porphyry. He
has added 50OOOO,OOO pounds of cheap
n
He gets a pound of copper from ore
So lean that the ribs stick out, for 2
whole cents less than it costs the fels
low with the high grade smelling ore
in Butte and Jerome
His Definition of Work.
How did he do it? l asked him.
His answer flashed back: Work
work, more work. For 10 years l av-
eraged Is hours day. I've worked
persistently since | was old enough to
know what work was.
ITO repeat mechanically the same
task is not work; that is labor. The
work l mean is continuous, purpose
full constructive effort followed by
the accomplishment. Effort alone
won't do. 1t must produce results.
Whenever found my best efforts
failed to produce expected results, |
chose another road
He had determined to become
civil engineer, to take a course at the
Missouri School of Mines. This was
in 1882 Jackling was 20. He burned
the midnight candle at both ends,
gained admission, and threw himself
into the work Of acquiring an engin-
eering education. He concentrated
upon metallurgy.
In 1883 he was driving a team Of
mules; toward the end of 1891 he was
appointed assistant professor of met
allurgy. The class room did not sat-
isfy his ambition. Professor Jackling
resigned and went to Kansas City and
asked a position in a lead smelter.
When he found only day laborer's
job open, he invested the remnants
of his funds in a ticket to Colorado.
Early in 1894 he walked the IS miles
: from Divide to Cripple Creek, with
SO his total capital.
At Cripple Creek lacking won his
spurs. In 1895 he was given a chance
to wrestle with the refractory gold
ore of the Mercur mine. Samples had
been sent to scores of experts in
America and Europe, but none of
their suggestions proved practical.
After a thorough analysis Jackling
announced his intention of roasting
this ore before putting it through the
cyanide tanks. Othodox metalurg-
lists emitted loud cackle of derision.
why not boil an egg to hatch it?
why not freeze ice cream with live
Goals? 1t can't be DONE"
lacking did it. In his laboratory
he demonstrated it could be done,
built big plant along the lines he
devised and extracted the gold at a
big profit When J. d. DeLamar,- the
copper refiner and owner of the Mer-
cur mine, was offered a quarter in
terest in a low grade copper property
al Bingham. Utah, in return for a spe-