The Arizona copper camp., 1920-03-27

AAhO0 tAOoO ICDOIIS. 1u0Y
showed not cnly geological and min
ing knowledge, but a shrewd business
sense. The reporter seemed never to
lose the perspective of cost and or
ganization possibilities in relation to
the probable mineral richness of the
prospects. The reports said every
thing they had to say in very few and
very clear words.
Soon came chance which led to
much bigger things. 1t was the spring
of 1897, two years after Hoover's grad
uation, and the time of the great West
Australia mining boom. English com
panies were sending out many engi-
neers. Janin was asked by London
firm to recommend some one. He
talked it over with Hoover.
The young man was all for giving
hostages to fortune, and so the rec
ommendation, the offer and the ac-
ceptance flew by cable between San
Francisco and London.
However, Janin caused him some
uneasiness by saying: Il have cabled
London swearing to your full techni-
cal qualifications, and am not afraid
OF your letting me down on that. But
these conservative Londoners have
stipulated that you should be 35 years
old. l have wired that | was sorry
to have to tell them that you are not
quite 33. Don't forget that my repu-
tation depends on your looking 33 by
the time you get to London!" And
Hoover had not yet reached his 23d
birthday, and looked at least two
years younger. He began growing
beard on his way across the conti-
nent.
So Hoover appeared before the head
of the great London house-perhaps
the greatest mining firm in the world
at the time. The great man, after
staring hard at his new acquisition,
burst out with English directness:
How remarkable you Americans are!
You have not yet learned to grow
old, individually or as nation"
Into the Australian Desert
Then Hoover came to the Austria
liam mine field, in a desert where the
temperatures can keep above 100 day
and night for three weeks together.
This desert was being prospected
by thousands of men of a dozen ma
tionalities. The railroad had got in
only as far as Kalgoorlie, but the
prospectors were far beyond the rail
head They carried their water bags
with enough in them to keep them
selves and their horses alive between
water holes.
Forty thousand people we're sup
posed to tie living in this camp at
one time, buying water at two shil-
lings and sixpence the gallon, which
was cheap-they were paying seven
shillings in some other camps.
There was no water for washing
and little to drink And that little
was mostly drunk as terrible black
tea, like lye, heated and reheated,
with now little water added, now
another handful of leaves. 1 have a
we'll vouched for story of an Austria
liam girl who went into this gold para
disc with her husband She had to
take a cupful of water and carefully
wash the baby, and afterward the lit
tie girl, and then herself. After that,
it was saved for the husband to rinse
the worst off. But he could have an
additional half cup to finish with be-
cause he was so dirty. They tried
not to use soap, so that finally, after
letting it settle, it could be added to
the horses drinking water.
Into this cheerful hell came the
young Quaker engineer from the
heaven of California. 1t was a long
way to London and Hoover could get
but few instructions.
The ore occurred in a manner diff
ferent from any other known gold
field; finding it, and getting it out,
and getting the mineral out of the
strange new ore, required resource
original research" and cou-
structive Imagination. The technical
problems Of Discovering and nnanin1,
lation once solved, there were still