Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-06-30
PAID WHILE They LEARN
Returned Soldiers Are Instructed In
the Art and Practice Of Mining
Lead-Zlnc ore-Teaeher
10 Lieutenant.

feet underground In the Morning mine
at Mullan. Idaho. in which returned
soldiers are being taught the art and
practice Of mining lead-zinc ore, Is n
Of the latest educational Innovations
Of the University of Idaho. This work,
which has been inaugurated by the
school of mines Of the university, is,
so far as is known, the first attempt
to apply to ctual underground min
ing work the new system Of vocation
al education provided for by the
Smith Hughes act, and the experiment
Is being watched with interest by min.
ers and mine operators alike through
out the Western states.
The schoolroom Is far under ground
and II is devoid Of blackboards, books
and benches. Pupils and teacher alike
are dressed In overalls and mining
boots, and the school equipment con.
sists Of rock drills, driven by comr
pressed air, or machines" as they are
generally termed In mining p%arlance;
| steel or drill bits for these machines
| picks, shovels, timber, dynamite, caps
| fuses and all the other paraphernalia
Of those who go down to the mine In
skips.
Teacher 10 Lieutenant
The teacher is Leu. Frank ii.
Skeels of the United States arniy
engineers, recently released from
service for this work. Before gorng
I, into the army Lieutenant Skeeis had
| been a mine manager and mine super
| intendent. to which position he had
| risen after spending his life since boy
| hood in and about the mines of the
Occur d'Aiene district.
Admission to the school Is obtained
| by application to the federal employ
| ment agent at Wallace, and preference
| Ia given to returned soldiers who are
| young enough and bright enough to
be teachers.
The work In hand Is what Is known
as drifting-that is, driving a horizon
| tai gallery or working lengthwise OF
| the vein. The pupils operate the rock,
| drills in turn. studying the number OF
| holes necessary to break out the pre-
determined section Of rock, the angles
| OF which they must be driven to make
the greatest progress with the least
| amount Of drilling and the smallest
| possible supply Of dynamite. In add.
| tiop. the placement Of timber to sup
| port a weak wall and oil the various
| kinks OF the underground trade are
| taught by making the student do them
In actual, workmanlike fashion TO pass
| the scrutiny Of a domestic mine fore.
| man and a lynx-eyed safety engineer
Paid While Learning.
There Is the more prosaic work Of
smuckfng' or shoveling, and also OF
| Training the broken ore or waste to
| the shaft or dumping place. The young
/ fellows who attend the school receive
| fair compensation for their time. az
| the school In carrying on drift work
| by contract, and payment for explo'
| siyes and other supplies is divided pro
rata among the men. the salary Of the
instructor being paid Jointly by the
stnte Of Idaho and the federal govern
| ment.
While at the present time there Is
a school in one mine only, 1t IL expect
| ed that within the next month or two
| schools will be organized OF each OF the
| other four or FIVE big properties in the
| Occur d'Alenc district.
Like every other novel enterprise
| the school has had to overcome a good
| deal OF skeptIcism and passive opDosi'
| ton on the part Of some Of those who
| should be most concerned IN Its en-
| adjustment, but this is gradually fad
| ing out as the praeticabiiity OF the
scheme is being demonstrated" Dean
y, A. Thomson OF tho University
| School of Mines said.
Applications for enrolment far OK
coed the present capacity OF the
| school.