The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-04-11
HERBERT HOOVER

Things that are superficial. And he
learned something of his own capacit-
les, and to have confidence in them.
one Of his present outstanding char
acteristics is confidence, although a
confidence never weakened by conceit.
His major work in the university
was in the department of geology and
mining, under the supervision of a
sturdy, direct, natural teacher and in
vestigator, John Casper Branner a
scholar of practical mind, intent on
truth and essentials. This association
was good environment for the RAPIDLY
developing young man, already in
clined by native instinct and BOYS ex-
things.
DR.. Branner's advice to the students
graduating from his department-to
be miners for a while before being
mining engineers'-was followed
quite literally by Hoover, who went
into a Sierran mining camp and was
there miner and shift boss, and per-
haps other things, before he turned
again to mining engineering as helper
in the office. in San Francisco, of
Louis Janin, the best known mining
engineer in the west
He was soon out Of the Office, how
ever, and again in the mines of Cali.
fornia, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and
Arizona, where he stayed until he re-
ceived an offer from an engineering
firm to go to western Australia. Here,
in 1897, after only two years of min
ing engineering apprenticeship since
graduation, he was an arrived and
successful mining engineer in the po-
sition of manager of one of the most
famous of Australian mines. There
can be no doubt that native capacity
was as largely responsible for this
swift achievement as good training
and other environment.
In another year, 1898, he was man
ager of two other great Australian
mines, and in one year more he was
director of mines for the Chinese en-
pire. This gave him a chance to go
through some highly spiced adven-
lures in Tientsin during the boxer re-
bellion of 1900.
Crossing with him from Thames
mouth to Flushing in the summer of
1915, on one of the small Dutch boats
w oil
allies to maintain a precarious cross
channel connection between the con-
tinent and England, l heard from him
as we walked the narrow decks, with
a constant eye out for casual floating
mines or careless submarines, many
stories Of his experiences in Australia
and China. l do not remember many
Of the incidents. but / remember clear
ly the general impression made on me
by all Of them together. 1t was, that
the ciehf actor in them was a man of
level head, clear vision, entire fcar-
lessness and great resourcefulness and
directness of action.
Since then l have had the oppor-
tunity, given by close association, to
see him think and act under circum-
stances Of continuous serious import
ance. I would use the same words
now to express my present actual
knowledge of his qualities which
have just used to express my impress
sion of them gained on the uneasy
little Dutch boat
After the Chinese experience he be-
came a junior partner in London
mining firm, at that time (1902) per-
haps the greatest in the world. Dur
| ing this partnership, which lasted I'M
/ ii, 1908 Hoover had the experience of
meeting the task, largely because of
his own attitude in the matter and
| through his own exertions, Of making
good to the firms clients the defalca-
ton by the firms financial member of
about a million dollars. In 1908 he
had restored the sum, sold his interest
In the firm, and was a man free and
wholly competent TO go it alone sue
cessfully in the worlds arena of min
ing business. And ever. since then he
has gone it alone, and successfully
1t is beyond the province Of this
sketch to recite any of the details OF
his impressively successful handling OF
large mining affairs in Russia, Burma
Central America. Mexico and else
where. He has been successful in
making money for his associates and
for himself out Of many undertakings