THE present tendency in mining engineering being almost exclusively directed towards the perfection of the metallurgical processes, the successful progress made in that direction has had the effect of causing the improvement of the mechanical contrivances to be neglected. Mining men talk of, getting close on 100 per cent. of gold out of low grade ores and tailings by cyanide or chlorination processes, and of the great savings these methods have resulted in. When visiting a number of large mines, the author has almost everywhere seen badly designed or wrongly applied or wastefully used, driving power and antediluvian means of transportation. At small works and in treating rich ores, this does not make much difference, and in experimental stages it can not be avoided; but with the introduction of new processes for treating low grade ores .and tailings-which can only be carried out profitably on a large scale and with the greatest economy-the question of providing cheap driving power has become more important than ever.