The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-02-03
Some Problems Confronting the Metal
Mining Industries

tralian who had just spent months in
the newly opened gold fields of Cali
fornia that supplied the necessary
impetus to the country's development
to make this land of the south Paci-
fic one of the worlds great sources of
wealth. Next came the discovery of
diamonds in South Africa in 1867,
which turned the tide of miner ad-
iventurers toward the dark continent.
Not long afterward gold was discov-
cred in South Africa. and although
but a single generation has passed
since then. the South African mines
have increased their output until now
the gold production of the Transvaal
totals nearly one-half of the worlds
gold production each year. Never was
la nation better served by loyal son
than was England by Cecil Rhodes.
the young Oxford student who went
( to Africa as a miner and returned to
his native land the founder of the
richest colony now under the British
flag
The story of the development of
gold on the west coast of Africa is a
tale of adventure and hardship no less
romantic than the story of the open
ing of South Africa. NJ j. Bonnat.
first bootblack and afterward
cook in a Paris hotel went to Africa
as an ivory hunter. was captured by
a native chief who held the French
man a prisoner for three years While
a captive Bonnat saw the gold treas
ures of the chief of the tribe, and dis
covered the location of the diggings
from which precious metal had been
taken Later, when liberated he oh
tanned a concession from another ma
tive prince, and with a number of adj
venturous spirits started the develop
ment of certain rich diggings which
later furnished such wealth to the
subsequent owners that this portion
of the west coast of Africa is now
known as the gold coast
In similar fashion. it was the lure
of the yellow metal that started the
development of northwestern Canada
anu AiiG fNiet0Netil ttilti0AieA 4 ARAAA t'DAN
to pole and from east to west it has
always been the miner who has led
the way to the opening of new prov
inces. After him has come the rail-
way. the telegraph and the steam
ship. 1t has been the search for gold
that has led to the discovery of most
of the other great mineral deposits.
Fur traders and others travel in the
vanguard of the forces that extend
civilization; but it has been only the
miner who penetrated to the heart of
the lonely regions throughout the
earth
Close on the heels of the prOspector
came the mining engineer, who, being
more of an economist and something
of a manufacturer saw values that
the gold seekers overlooked and which
in the aggregate were greater sources
of wealth than the gold deposits
which had been the original lure Cop
per and iron sound less romantic and
are not so spectacular as gold, but
these two great basic metals have
furnished the foundation for the
building of industries that far sur
pass in magnitude the business of
producing the more precious metals. /
The control and exploitation of the
worlds minerals during the next so
years will provide the great political /
problem that cOnfronts the nations of /
the earth. Every American should /
seek to become informed of the divi- |
sion OF ownership of the worlds sup /
plies of petroleum. In the years that /
are close upon us we shall need a /
clear understanding of the Importance |
IF the international oil situation, so
that we may be prompt in taking the /
initiative when action is required. In
The matter of coal we are well sup
Piled. and the question will not be so
acute These subjects, however, like
md are only mentioned here because
If their relationship politically to the
metal mining industries.
In the past the United States has
paid small attention to the develop
nent of the metal resources of other
ldllOuS- Ill luluIt years We must HOt
only take careful stock of our own
supplies but we must closely follow
he exploitation of the mineral depos-
is Of all the other countries in the
world The United States is the last
IF all the leading nations to compre-
lend the vital political significance of
he commercial domination of the
sarth's mineral wealth. Already our
ilowness in grasping the importance
IF this matter has permitted other ma
ions to take action that is even now
affecting the international trade in ,
erests of the United States. With the
.apid increase in the worlds pOpula-
ion is coming an equally rapid deple
ion of the earths minerals, and the
.esult will be a keener competition in
he future for all the natural re-
sources that remain undeveloped
Vegetable materials duplicate them
selves successfully each year, but
hough there is a vague theory that