NEW BUREAU CHIEF 



595 



cost as high as $i per thousand feet, log 

 run, of timber cut. This high cost was 

 largely due to lack of knowledge of 

 methods and to the inexperience of la- 

 bor. With better organization and with 

 trained workmen the cost of piling brush 

 in coniferous forests has been reduced 



to from 10 to 50 cents per thousand. 

 There is no reason why the piling alone 

 in coniferous forests should cost more 

 than 25 cents per thousand, except 

 where the tops are unusually large and 

 the physical difficulties unusual. 



(To be continued) 



JOSEPH AUSTIN HOLMES 



Chief of the New United States Bureau of Mines 



THE appointment of Professor 

 Holmes to be chief of the new 

 Bureau of Alines has come after 

 a contest in which somewhat unusual 

 methods were used to secure the ap- 

 pointment of another candidate. But 

 Professor Holmes had the general sup- 

 port of the mining interests of the 

 country, and his work for the past few 

 years, which resulted in the formation 

 of the bureau, clearly indicated him as 

 the man for the place. His appoint- 

 ment by the President after long delib- 

 eration has given general satisfaction. 



Professor Holmes was born in Lau- 

 rens, S. C, November 23, 1859. He 

 took the degree of Bachelor of Science 

 at Cornell University in 1881, and has 

 since received the degrees of Doctor of 

 Science from the University of Pitts- 

 burg and Doctor of Laws from the Uni- 

 vrsity of North Carolina. In college 

 and in his later studies he has devoted 

 special attention to chemistry, geology, 

 electricity, general physics, surveying, 

 mining, and metallurgy. He has made 

 close studies of mines and their plants 

 both in the United States and in Eu- 

 rope. He has made a special study of 

 mining with reference to lessening the 

 loss of life and the waste of resources. 



He was professor of geology in the 

 University of North Carolina from 1881 



to 1891, and has since then been a lec- 

 turer on geology in the same institution. 

 He was state geologist of North Caro- 

 lina from 1891 to 1904. He organized 

 and had charge of the Department of 

 Mines and Metallurgy at the World's 

 Fair in St. Louis, and in 1904 he was 

 a member of the committee having in 

 charge the government fuel investiga- 

 tions. Early in the following year he 

 was appointed by the Director of the 

 Geological Survey to take individual 

 charge of the fuel investigation and of 

 the investigation of mine explosions. 

 These investigations, developed for the 

 last five years, have been transferred to 

 the new Bureau of Mines and at pres- 

 ent constitute its main work. As chief 

 for the last few years of the technologic 

 branch of the Geological Survey. Pro- 

 fessor Holmes has won the confidence 

 and cooperation of miners and mine 

 owners throughout the country. 



Mr. Holmes is a strong supporter 

 of the forestry movement and has taken 

 an active and efficient part in the advo- 

 cacy of national forests in the Southern 

 Appalachian and White Mountains. He 

 is an admirable type of public official, 

 a man of integrity, broad sympathy, 

 high scientific attainment, and capacity 

 for much and efficient work. 



