668 MINING ENGINEERING 



associates with the profession of the engineer. If this standard could 

 be maintained, the degree of Mining Engineer from an American 

 mining school, in spite of its disconnection with Government service, 

 would soon stand higher than that of any other country in the world. 



It must be evident that it is not possible to crowd a complete 

 technical education into a four years' course, without neglecting the 

 broad basal training that is necessary for advanced work. But if 

 some such plan as I have outlined were adopted by the leading 

 American mining schools, a great advance would be made. 



A large number of men could then take advantage of the under- 

 graduate course which would then, in a new sense, and in a much 

 higher form, take the place of the Bergschule. In this school all 

 would receive the fundamental training necessary for the mining 

 engineer, together with some knowledge of the various technical 

 branches. After finishing this course of four years, and receiving the 

 bachelor's degree, the best thing for all to do would be, as a rule, to 

 plunge directly into the realities of the mining life. All could then 

 step at once into the lower ranks of the profession. Most would 

 undoubtedly be contented to remain there, filling a useful place in the 

 general scheme, now occupied by men without either scientific or 

 technical training; thus raising the standard of the entire industry. 

 But the chosen few who possess the creative faculty of the engineer 

 should be encouraged to find their special bent and field as soon as 

 possible, and then to throw their whole strength into a real mastery 

 of the chosen specialty. A man is then in a position to specialize as 

 much as may be necessary without becoming narrow. Three years of 

 mature work along these special lines, in graduate work, either in 

 college, or, under proper conditions, outside of it, should lead to the 

 production of a piece of original work which would justly entitle him 

 to the degree of Mining Engineer. 



Such a policy would parallel, without imitating, the methods that 

 have been so successful in encouraging advanced and independent 

 workers in our universities. It would create an American Berg- 

 akademie that would be superior to anything of the kind in Europe. 

 And it would secure for America, by a process of natural selection, 

 a body of mining engineers worthy of their natural heritage. 



SHORT PAPER 



PROFESSOR JAMES D. HAGUE, of New York City, presented a paper to this 

 Section on "Mining Engineering and Mining Law." 



