8 CHARLES KIRCHOFF 



justifiable. In a new country, without adequate transporta- 

 tion facilities, high labor, and difficult surroundings, it is 

 possible only to select the best and the richest, but unfortu- 

 nately in mining that process of selection in most cases prac- 

 tically renders unavailable for the future that which has been 

 rejected. Much of it is forever lost to the world, and what 

 can be saved at a later date can be recovered only at a greatly 

 increased cost. In the early days of our mining we have been 

 unskillful, and even to-day we are robbing nature's store- 

 houses of treasure, often destroying more than we utilize. At 

 one time, not so many years since, barely one third of the 

 anthracite coal in our beds finally reached the consumer. 

 The other two thirds were lost in mining and in preparation 

 for market. 



It is characteristic of a great many of the mineral depos- 

 its that the mass of the ore, particularly with growing depth, 

 is low in grade, the useful mineral being disseminated in rela- 

 tively large quantities of barren rock. Very often the rich 

 ore occurs only in streaks and pockets which constitute a 

 minor percentage in the total amount of valuable material. 

 In hunting for them the poorer material is rejected, although 

 it may be close to the border line of profitable extraction. 

 With improved economic conditions there is greater oppor- 

 tunity, and with greater skill and a broader comprehension 

 there is a growing tendency among managers to rely more and 

 more upon a moderate return of the large bodies of poor ore, 

 accepting the occasional bonanza as a welcome addition to 

 revenue. The reckless hunt for rich streaks is giving way to 

 systematic utilization of a maximum of the deposits. It may 

 not be as merry and exciting a life, but it is certainly a longer 

 and happier one. There has been a great improvement in 

 this direction in this country. It should be stated, however, 

 that we can never hope to utilize the entire contents of a. 

 deposit. Still there can be no doubt that we have paid dearly 

 in wasted resources for the achievements of opening them up 

 so rapidly. 



We have no particular grounds for mere pride of posses- 

 sion in our magnificent resources. Our glors^ from a national 

 point of view, should be completeness of utilization, and that 



