GENERAL PAPERS 37 
No attempt is made, however, to assume that he can be 
made an expert assayer in the short time allotted to the course. 
That is manifestly impossible, and is not desirable for students 
of this class since very few of them expect to do any assaying 
after graduation. 
The conditions of the "efficiency run," as the test was desig- 
nated, were posted several days in advance. 
Each student of a squad of five was to be given four finely- 
ground samples of ores, offering no exceptional difficulty of 
treatment, one day before the time of the run. He was to 
examine each sample carefully; make any blowpipe, vanning, 
or other tests which are needed to identify the minerals, and 
prepare a statement of the nature of the ore, its gangue and the 
charge which he intended to use upon it. He was allowed to 
stock up on materials and to put apparatus into condition, but 
was not permitted to make any weighing or to mix any 
charges. 
At the time appointed for the test each contestant was given 
a furnace, ready heated to a proper working temperature, and 
the run was started. The control of the furnace thereafter was 
entirely in his hands. 
The time of beginning and of the finishing of each stage 
of the assays was recorded by the instructor and records 
made of neatness, judgment of temperatures, (checked by the 
instructor's pyrometer), ability to keep up fires in the furnace, 
smoothness of operation, exhibition of patience or impatience, 
evidences of miscalculation or bone-headedness, etc. 
Grading was made on the following scale : Accuracy, 35 
per cent; neatness, 22.5 per cent; speed, 22.5 per cent; judg- 
ment of composition and treatment of ores, 10 per cent; judg- 
ment and control of temperatures, 10 per cent. 
Reports were required to be neatly written upon blanks fur- 
nished for the purpose and the complete report had to be 
handed in before the run was considered finished. 
Accuracy was estimated on the basis of average results ob- 
tained by the men of the same class under the more leisurely 
conditions of their previous work. 
