Percy Arthur Robbins died on April 24th, 1938, after an illness of several months.
From 1888-91 he went to the Chicago Manual Training School and then he spent three years at Cornell University, graduating in 1894. He specialized in mechanical and electrical engineering after leaving his university, joining the staff of a machinery and equipment company.
He was sent to South Africa to represent his firm at the time when the gold mining industry was first developing. In 1896 he spent a few months with S. Neumann & Co. of Johannesburg, and during the following year was employed at several of the Band mines, before being appointed to an electrical engineering post on the Sheba mine.
He then became associated with the South African General Electric Co., and from 1899 to 1905 he was consulting engineer (and at times acting general manager) to De Beers. He became a partner in T.B. Bryson & Co. and W.H. Coverdale & CO. and in-1907 was appointed general manager of the McKinley-Darragh-Savage mines of Cobalt, Ontario. In 1911 Mr. Robbins became manager of the Canadian Mining & Finance Co. and of Hollinger Gold Mines, Ltd., in 1912. In 1918 he left Hollinger for San Francisco, and later was engaged in bringing to production a large dredging property in North Alaska.
Mr. Robbins was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1905 and was transferred to Membership in 1914.
Vol. 48, Trans I.M.M., 1938-39, p.841
