Mr. Rickard on Mining Engineering

In the sixth and last of the Union series of lectures on the professions, Mr. T. A. Rickard, editor of the Engineering and Mining Journal, delivered last night an unusually interesting address on "The Life and Opportunities of a Mining Engineer."

From the point of view of a man who comes of a family of engineers, and whose own experience has covered six continents, Mr. Rickard discussed the value of a life of engineering.

You Americans, he said, have two distinct and natural advantages; the mental qualities developed by your ancestors' contest with man and taming of nature, as well as the social equality which, in this country, requires the professional man to "kow-two" to no one. You lack neither stimulus nor opportunity; you are radiant with the success of modern materialism. The world is the mining engineer's oyster, to be opened with the weapon of skilled intelligence.

But before the fullest attainment of his profession there lie ahead of the mining engineer many preliminary stages in which faithfulness must be shown. He must be greedy of experience rather than of salary or promotion; above all, he must make up his mind to forego fame, which, in this profession, is often a mere flux of phenomena. He must learn to know himself and his own capacities; and, whatever beside, he must show loyalty in his constant willingness to perform duties for which others will be credited. Let him remember that team-work is necessary for the achievement of success.

Another important quality of the mining engineer is that of being able to utilize the experience of older men. He must, furthermore, be his own doctor, and have, as every man of education should have, the quality of philosophy, which will enable him to possess some high purpose in life other than the mere attainment of fame or money.