I’ve left out some extraneous remarks, such as one speaker praising the person who spoke before him – and the resulting speech given by the first speaker, praising the second. Almost all of the sentences included in brackets are directly quoted from the newspaper, so the main points are expressed as intended. . I thought the discussion of educating women, especially in the domestic arena, was interesting. Mr. Pearce was quite clear in his goal; reduce the number of women engaged in mining! I added the article re India so you'd see the various sources of information people were absorbing; Sir J. Trelawney reported (in a speech in Devon) to his constituancy regarding India, and squarely blamed the East India Company, as well as the inept bureaus who appointed the wrong general, and who refused to admit they'd made a mistake. Please, enjoy! Julia . .................................................................................................... 9 OCTOBER 1857 . ROYAL CORNWALL POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY and One Bit of News . WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 . At the meeting in the Committee-room in the afternoon, after the description of JOHN IVIE'S improved crushing-machine, MR. RICHARD PEARCE, the chairman of the meeting, remarked that if this machine should be found to answer to its purpose, scarcely any reward to the inventor would be too great - such would be its importance to the mining interest. . Mr. CHAS. FOX remarked on the beneficial effect which had resulted from the introduction of the original crushing machine, in lessening the amount of labour performed on mines by women and children. . Mr. R. FOX said that there had just been suggested to him as a subject worthy of future consideration, the propriety of taking means to impart to young females in our mining districts a more domestic education than they at present received. He urged that, by enabling women to make their homes more comfortable, miners might be induced to avoid habits of drinking and idleness at public-houses. In consequence of the early employment of females on mines, their means of usefulness in domestic life were much lessened. . Mr. Pearce said he should be glad if means could be adopted to lessen the amount of female labour in mines, because to a great extent, it tended to unfit females for duties of domestic life. When very young they were employed at the tin-stamps or in bucking copper ore, and as they grew older, they become more and more valuable to their employers. It could hardly be expected, when they returned to their homes, after the fatigue and exposure to cold during their day's work, especially at tin-stamps, that they would give much attention to domestic duties. The only thing they seemed to take pride in was keeping their Frames clean; and it would interest any lady or gentleman visiting tin-stamps to see how clean the girls kept their frames, in comparison with those which were kept by boys. . With regard to the employment of girls on mines, it must be borne in mind that they were thus enabled, to some extent, to maintain themselves. He thought, however, it would be well they should receive at least some rudiments of education before they were so employed. At present, they were frequently sent to work on the mines before they could be expected to be able to read words of two syllables. . INFORMATION FOR WORKING MINERS . [A separate committee then discussed how best to impart information to working miners, and possibly obtain information from them to advance science; the suggestion had been made that rather than have courses, or lectures, to offer individual class-meetings to offer information and experiments. The problem lay in finding the right man and the right means to carry it out. Scientific men who took part in the Museum of Practical Science in Jermyn-street, London favoured this concept.] . [Mr. RICKARD, of the Mining School, was called on by the chairman to make remarks; he thought it questionable whether a series of detached lectures would be of value to miners. But if a course or courses of lectures on suitable subjects could be given, he had no doubt it would benefit a great many of the miners.] He believed there was a spirit of inquiry among miners; but what was wanted was to give it proper direction. He thought, too, there was great room for improvement as to the subjects taught in the different mining districts; he thought the schoolmasters had not introduced such subjects as would be most valuable and important to pupils intended for mining pursuits. . MR. SYDNEY HODGES considered that Mr. Fox's object was not so much to give lectures to miners, as to raise a subscription to provide a person who shall move about and visit the miners and interchange information with them. . Mr. Fox thought by such means, miners would be induced to make their observations more valuable to the public. Miners were a remarkably observing class of men; but their observations were not made known and the public derived but little benefit from them. . Mr. TILLY believed that every facility would be afforded by the agents and managers of mines; but he thought there would be a difficulty in having these lectures or meetings at mines, because of miners working at different hours. Unless the teacher were to pass a considerable time in a neighbourhood, there would not be much opportunity for his getting interviews with the miners, at the mines; it must be done in districts immediately adjoining the mines; they came to their mine for the purpose of going to work immediately, and when their work was completed, they went home at once, to change and make themselves comfortable; and on pay-days they were not exactly in a state for the study of science. (Laughter) . Mr. Rickard noted he had visited the Allan Head lead mine, and saw there a well-furnished library, where several newspapers were taken in; it occurred to him that such libraries might be placed at all the larger mines in Cornwall, and he believed the miners themselves would gladly contribute to their support, if the adventurers would fund their establishment. He knew it had been said that there were similar institutions of the kind already existing in Cornwall; but the Cornish miner was a very independent kind of person and likes to be among his own friends; he would not like to be mixed up with persons of another class, but if he could go to the account-house and say "Captain Dick or Captain Will, I want such and such a book," he would willingly do so. . Mr. Rickard said he would not advocate having reading-rooms, because the mining population was so scattered; but libraries from which miners might take books to their own houses. . Mr. E. A. CROUCH, of Liskeard, said a reading room for mines had been tried in the eastern part of the county, with subscriptions of a penny a week; there were some newspapers and scientific periodicals; but though there were a few who appreciated it, it was not valued to the extent necessary for its continuance. . He thought if a person was employed to give lectures on the simple elements of chemistry, and also by experiments to show how ores might be analyzed, the mines would subscribe; and on the part of West Caradon, he was prepared to put down his names for two guineas, if lectures were given in Liskeard. If the lectures were given at the mine, there would be none but West Caradon miners to hear them. . Mr. R. W. Fox did not know what was the feeling of the Polytechnic Committee on the subject; but he thought the best way would be for the Polytechnic Society to commence a subscription; and he should be inclined to propose that it grant a sum - say GBP 10 - for that purpose. With other subscriptions the experiment could be tried for a few months; and, if it were not then approved, at all events the efforts of the projectors would not have been thrown away. . Mr. W. CARNE said he should be very glad, as an individual and as manager of Wheal Lovell mine, to give a subscription of two guineas. . Mr. Tilly said it would be essential to have the co-operation of the agents of mines. He further remarked it would not do to have a lecture-room where the gentry of the place should go and occupy the best seats, leaving the working miners in the back ground. To avoid this, he would suggest that the agents of mines should furnish their own miners with tickets, so that the lectures should be confined to the class whom they were intended to benefit. (Hear.) . [Mr. Fox and Mr. Tilly then discussed who should be included, agreeing that adventurers should attend for the purpose of rendering assistance, and they [as well as the miners] should apply to the agents for tickets.] . Mr. Fox said it had occurred to him that it would be very desirable, if they could persuade Robert HUNT to come down for a month to set the thing going. Professor Hunt had not the slightest idea of the proposal; and he (Mr. Fox) was perfectly ignorant whether he would listen to it, but he knew his wish to do all he could for the benefit of working men, and he had a very pleasant way of communicating information. . Mr. Tilly and Mr. Charles Fox also spoke of Mr. Hunt as being well-known to, and appreciated by, working men. . It was then resolved unanimously, on the motion of Mr. R. W. Fox, seconded by Mr. Tilly, that this meeting recommend the committee of the Polytechnic Society to grant GBP 10 from the funds of that society, by way of commencing a subscription for carrying out the proposed experiment. . The Chairman expressed his gratification that this resolution had been passed; and said he should be happy to subscribe on behalf of mines with which he was connected; he urged that, not only persons directly interested in mines but all who feel an interest in the welfare of the Cornish miner, ought to lend a helping hand to this good work. . JOINTS AND CLEAVAGE OF ROCKS . [Mr. ENYS sent Mr. R.Wade FOX a note, together with a lithographed drawing of the Cliff at Beechy Head. Mr. Enys stated in his note his belief that the rocks bounded by joints, of all formations, have more or less tendency to assume forms of the same characters as their minor divisions.] . On the general subject of cleavage of rock, Mr. R. W. Fox stated that he was present at the recent meeting of the British Association, when in the geological section, the subject of the jointed structure and slaty cleavage of rocks was much enlarged on by various persons. . [In most cases, the slaty cleavage of rocks was produced by deposition, and agreed with the stratification But in many instances, cleavage does not conform to the bed of the rocks. There were most able advocates in favour of the theory of mechanical pressure [especially when viewed as a product of lamination.] [He then delved into the question of the quartz of cross-courses, and the quartz of east and west lodes, which display different features, including striation.] He concluded the deposition of ores did not seem to depend of the chemical character of rocks, but on some higher and more general causes. . [He would be interested in knowing if various mines in Cornwall displayed effects such as those he had mentioned.] He should also like to know, in cases where the walls of mines were polished, whether the surfaces so polished were plain or irregular. They were often found to be striated or scratched; and he had observed in Wales, instances where a high polish had been produced on the sides of a fault, and yet those sides were not flat. It would be very interesting to receive from miners any facts connected with the polished rock of mines. . Mr. PEARCE thought it would be a useful plan if the Polytechnic Society, at its meeting for business, were to draw up a set of queries for the managers of our different mines to direct attention to; taking care not to publish too many at one time. . Mr. Sydney HODGES suggested that information of the kind which had been referred to by Mr. Fox, might be obtained during the proposed observations on the temperatures of mines. . TEMPERATURES OF MINES - Mr. R. W. FOX, waiting the appointed time for the meeting on the subject of imparting information to working miners, made some observations of the Temperature of Mines. He said, at the meeting of the British Association at Cheltenham, he was requested to conduct some experiments and to obtain some results from our mines relative to temperature at great depths. He was very much indebted to some of our mine agents for having assisted him in obtaining such information, and also to his friend William HUSTLER and other friends. [He then read a summary of his findings, as shown below.] . If we arrange the mines referred to in the papers in the order of their respective depths, including those only in which experiments were made in the rocks or lodes at their deepest levels, the following will be the ratios, in feet, in descending from the surface, in which the temperature was augmented one degree Fahrenheit, from fifty degrees, the mean temperature of the climate. . MINES....................DEPTHS IN FEET........INCREASE OF ONE DEGREE Par Consols (Tin Parts).........768.........32 feet....Killas Botallack (copper and tin)...1128.........39 feet..... ditto Par Consols (copper part)....1248.........36.7......... ditto Dolcoath (copper and tin)....1380.........53..........Granite Levant (copper and tin)........1530.........63.7..........ditto Levant (ditto).......................1530.........41.3........Killas Levant (ditto).......................1530.........43.7...........ditto Tresavean (copper)...............1572.........48.4.......Granite Dolcoath (copper and tin).....1632........71..............ditto Dolcoath (another lode)........1632........55.3...........ditto Tresavean (copper)................2112........52.2..........ditto . The temperatures from which the above ratios were obtained were all taken in the rock; the thermometers being buried in the rock, and covered up and left there for a considerable time. The results showed the difference existing in different mines. In comparing the results obtained in Dolcoath, in 1822 and 1827, it appeared that the temperature was increased only 3 deg. 5 min. in one level, with an increased depth of 252 feet - giving a ratio between the stations of 1 deg. increase in 72 feet; and in another parallel level the temperature was actually 2 deg. less than in 1822, although 252 feet deeper than the mine was then. . ...probably the circulation of water might account [for the?] results of subterranean experiments not consisting [consistent?] with his mathematical theory, and many persons were of that opinion. If the Polytechnic Society could aid the inquiry by instituting experiments in different mines as free as possible from obstacles arising from the circulation of water, or any other interference with the temperature on the conductive powers of rocks, it would be doing a great service to science. . [The following article was inadvertently omitted from the "Local News" for 9 Oct.] . PENRYN MECHANICS’ INSTITUTION - The opening lecture of the session was delivered on Monday last, by Mr. BOND, of Truro, on "India." The lecturer traced an interesting sketch of the early history of India, and contrasted the condition of the people under the ferocious tyranny of their native kings with their gradual progress in civilisation under English rule; he admitted we have not done all we might and ought to have done for developing the immense resources of India, and for improving the condition of the population; and attributed much of our failure to the errors resulting from a divided authority, and the want of prudence and foresight in the administration of the East India Company. The lecturer expressed in appropriate terms his abhorrence of the atrocities committed by the mutineers in the late outbreak; and concluded with the hope, that when this rebellion had been crushed, we shall govern India on principles more in accordance with our national character. The lecture was listened to with deep attention by a numerous and respectable audience, and at the close an unanimous vote of thanks was passed to the lecturer. ............................................................................................. Julia M. West Briton Transcriptions, 1836-1856 at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wbritonad St. Austell Area History and Genealogy at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~staustell