PROBLEMS IN TRAINING MINING ENGINEERS 645 



pays to work over a mine that has been "robbed," either through 

 ignorance or lack of skill; and a worked-out mine is utterly worth- 

 less. 



These differences between the two kinds of natural wealth have 

 been long recognized, and have led in the Old World to a very con- 

 servative policy in the utilization of mineral wealth. 



Though the fragmentary history of primitive mining-law is full 

 of contradictions, it would seem that the development of the 

 mineral wealth of the world was at first everywhere due to the 

 free initiative of the miner, whose exertions were stimulated by the 

 right to possess what his energies discovered. But everywhere in 

 the Old World the mailed hand of the sovereign soon seized this 

 important source of wealth and power. It was used at first exclu- 

 sively for his own benefit, but as more enlightened views of the 

 duty of the sovereign to his people spread through Europe at 

 the end of the Middle Ages, these special rights and privileges have 

 been used more and more for the benefit of the whole people. At 

 the present time in some of the Continental countries individual 

 initiative and ownership has asserted itself once more; still, it is 

 generally true that in most of the countries of Continental Europe 

 the mines are either owned or are worked under the direction of 

 the Government. In these matters the policy of Great Britain and 

 her colonies has been, in general, intermediate between that of the 

 United States and of Continental Europe. Hence, in what follows 

 I shall dwell chiefly on the differences between Continental and 

 American customs. 



Continental and American Mining-Schools 



When European mining-schools were first organized they also 

 came naturally under Government control, and there consequently 

 resulted a close union between the mines and the mining-schools. 

 This in turn led to many other important consequences. A regular 

 career was opened for the graduates of the mining-schools either 

 by their direct employment in mines operated by the Government 

 or in the inspection and direction of the working of mines under 

 Government control. As a consequence of this policy, well-trained 

 men have always had the management of the mines under a sort 

 of civil service system. And also a wise conservation of the mineral 

 wealth of these countries has resulted; the mines are worked system- 

 atically and have often kept producing a steady output for several 

 hundred years, while in our country they would have been worked- 

 out and abandoned in one or two decades. While, according to our 

 ideas, there are drawbacks to the Continental policy, it certainly 

 lends a restraining influence to the natural uncertainties of mining 



