Principles of Mining: Valuation, Organization and Administration

Before he led a nation through the Great Depression, Herbert Hoover was one of the world's foremost mining engineers. This 1909 volume distills his practical wisdom from decades in the industry, offering a rigorous framework for valuing mineral properties when uncertainty is the only constant. Based on lectures delivered at Stanford and Columbia, the book tackles the formidable challenge of determining a mine's worth: how to sample ore bodies, calculate reserves, assess management, and separate geological reality from speculation. Hoover treats valuation as both science and art, acknowledging that numbers alone cannot capture a mine's potential. The text covers copper, gold, lead, silver, tin, and zinc operations, addressing sampling methods, administrative structures, and the peculiar economics of mineral enterprise. For readers curious about the man who would become president, this book reveals the technical foundation beneath the political figure: a methodical engineer who believed problems could be solved through systematic analysis.