The Kevin review., 1923-03-22

Nineteen years ago Prince Caetani
the present Italian ambassador to the
United States, worked on the 'swea
end" of muck stick in the mine.
of Butte and the Occur d'Alenes.
!. Today he holds forth at the Italian
embassy in Washington, the repre-
sentative of Europe's modern-das
version of ancient Romes govern
ment to the pioneer democratic coun-
try, the United States.
In the decade since the prince doff-
ed the rough garb of a miner to don
the habiliment of diplomat, he has
lost none of the democratic traits
which made him popular with the
men whose vocation he chose, as was
demonstrated at the annual banquet
of the American Institute of Mining
and Metallurgical Engineers, held in
New York recently. The prince was
! the guest of honor and was listed on
the program as one of the speakers
1t was when he arose to speak that
he demonstrated his democratic ten
dencies. Pointing to one after an
other of the engineers in the aud
ience he called them by name and re-
lated some incident that had occur
red when he was working under
them. Frederick Laist, general mana
ger of reduction works for the Ana
conda Copper Mining company, who,
during the dinner, was presented
with the Douglas medal in recogni-
tion of his metallurgical achieve
ments describes the prince as one of
the most democratic of men.
Like one of the fascinating Italian
romances penned by Monzoni reads
the rise of the prince from a common
laborer in the mines under an as
sumed name to his present post of
influence and responsibility.
Was Mining Expert
From the time he left an American
technical college to shovel ore in
Montana, until Italy cast her lot with
the allies in the world war, Prince
Caetani was successfully laborer,
researchist and mining expert
When he heard of his country's en-
trance into the war against Germany,
the prince sailed at his first oppor-
tunity for Europe and became a Sec
Ond lieutenant in the Italian army.
He served with distinction during the
conflict, and upon its conclusion he
returned to private life as mining
expert.
Named Ambassador
When control of the Italian gov
ernment was usurped by the Fascist, |
with Mussolini at the head, Prince |
Caetani was selected to fill the i'm
portant post of ambassador to the |
United States.
The prince completed a mining en-
course in an eastern school
in 1904 and Immediately went west.
There, under an assumed name, the
scion of Italian nobility earned his
upkeep by pushing a shovel in a mine |
at Butte, later going to Occur d'Alene
as mucker in the Bunker Hill and I
Sullivan mine.
In 1907 the betitled miner, of his
own volition, hiked to Alaska, where
be labored for two years at the Tread
well gold mine on Douglas island.
There, as in Montana, he put in every
spare moment in studying technical
books on ores.
Designed New Mill
Two years later, in 1909, the
prince was back in this country, and
worked in Idaho as mineral re-
searchist. Several years after that
he attracted attention by designing
4 mill which still is in operation at
Kellogg, Idaho.
Shortly after this Prince Caetani
was taken into firm of mining ex-
1erts in San Francisco, and it was
while completing mill for this con- ;
Germ that he learned Italy was to en-
.er the world conflict.
The prince Immediately wired for
passage and spent the last week at
he new mill testing samples. He
slept in the roar and tumult of the
stamps, leaving positive (
orders that he be awakened every {
hour to personally take samples of
he pulp. AS soon as the mill was
successfully he went to San {
francisco and departed for Europe {
1t was while serving in the Italian
lrmy that his mining experiences en- '
lbled the prince to complete one of
he greatest engineering feats of
modern times, the blowing off of the
op of Col di Lana, the 9,000-foot [
,eak in the Dolomite Alps, which was {
described as the Eye of the Aus t
TldHS. Inc ledC was accomplished s
n 1916, and the princes version of +
hat famous war exploit was given at s
he engineers banquet Prince Cae- /
ami said the blasting was the work a
# three ngineers-Bonfioli, Grimal- s
Il and himself.
"Grimaldi lost his life in the war, e
nd nobody remembers him. he said. 3
That's not fair" C
Prince Caetani expressed his debt
f gratitude for his engineering O
not only to Professor t
,obert Peele of Columbia university t.
nd Professor James F. Kemp, under c
HON he studied, but to other Ameri- Il
ans, including Christopher Corning h
nd F. w. Bradley, who placed him
/ his first job, that of pushing o
ag car at the Daly-West mine, Park L
ity, Utah. 8,
The prince explained that attempts Fl
, blind the Austrian eye had cost the II
yes of 10000 Italians. He said it
as only by chance that he had been a
mt to that section to replace a fall O.
n officer. He described the futile O.
forts to reach the top, then told ii
fIo I'll