, 1872-12-06
HENRY MElGGs In PERU.
Prado AevoEinE Ru1ta7s Great Huu-
road Coatructs-A Birthday Present


road Coatructs-A Birthday Present
offs s15o,000 to President Baltz7s Wife.
lima {Oct ~ Correspondence Of ths Aclo York sun
The terrible revolution which recently ended
In scene OF horror and frenzled @ cannloalism r
hns had quite serious effect on the fortunes
OF the great South American dnancler, henry
Meigge. Not that there is any, danger OF hlr;
Meiggs growing poorer; he will continue, IN al
proba6iity, to grow richer; but the gToTsh .t OF
late President, Balta, Mr: Meiggs was yir-
t1ally "King :of Peru" and BY that
sobriquet ho vas known among foreign
ers and natives. President Dalta was much
given to loans and contracts and Mr. Meiggs was
always willing to engineer the contracts and ac-
cept the loans. It was generally believed that
President Balta shared tho profits with Mr.
Meiggs, and that the late President had large
banks Of Europe. OF course, this was al legit~
innate on the part of A1r. Meggs. and according
to Peruvian practice, equally proper On the part
Of the President Now, can Mr.. Meiggs be
blamed if he WAS 10th to see his royal prospects
dwindling away with the probability Of prado'g
election3 That Mr. Meggs was strong friend
and supporter Of Balta is admitted By all. and it
Is besides asserted that he had very much to do
with the late Presidents attempts to continue
Mr. MeigEs vas also friendly with Gutierrez,
the late Dictator. and the other members of
Ba1tas Cabinet. a short time before the revo-
the occasion Of Ter birthday, with $3.50, 600, and
courted the favor Of Belta's daughter on her
birthday, with bank-check for e50, ,000- hr.
Meigss could afford to make these prlncely pres
ents to the family Of an omcisl through whose
influence he obtained contracts involvln5 many
mi lions Of dollars.
But q chnnee has come DER the spirit Of the
dream Gutierrez, the ha1f-Indian Secretary OF
Var, 1eyolted, and with the general clrcum-
acquainted. But you may not be aware that 1t
Is the almost universal belief in Peru that the
revolt Was the result Of = common design On the
part OF Ba1ta aud Gutierrez to continue the
feins Of Government in the hands of the Balta
faction. Gutierrez Tas a suspicious blood
thirsty man, and after the killing Of his own
brother at Callao he rushed to the conclusion
that Balta trsacherous, and issued nan
date for the murder Of the President. This
: mandate was carried out in the most reSoltlng
way. Bat there is another scene in thss bloody
revolution that has heretofore been Kept Tor
very shame from the knowledge Of Americans. m
After Gutierrez had been hanged and burnt, the
miserable, half-human negroes who 1nfest Lima
md take 3 prominent part u al pohtaca1
troubles, actually ate the roasted flesh OF the e1-
3he Nays1 1tI has A1nu such Horrible
creme been witnessed ip the streets OF Lima or,
perhaps, any other city.
The revolution has resulted in the overthrow
of the Balta faction, aud Prado, the t5rst civilian
President Of Peru, has inaugurated new
policy 4 par Of that policy is not to burden
The nation w7th the expense Of any more great
railroad co7tracts, and here is where Mr. Melggs
comes in President Prado ct first revoked A1r.
E5eicge' contract for the railway from Arequipa
to Piano, involving S35, COG, 900, He afterwards
Igcided that the building Of the railroad might
be completed; but it is not probable that under
lis administration the road will be completed
further than Puno. LII, Eeiggs Will have no
further contTacis while Prada's policy prevails:
Bat Mr Megg's wealth is firmly established.
It would be difficult to estimate his millions;
and he has emart brotha, John Meiggs, Who
helps him to take care Of hls money. On the
Last trip of the Vile de Brest to Panama Cali
fornian was passenger, Who had formerly
worked in o saw1nin for Hr. Meiggs in Cahfor-
Nfeigrs not only paid him tile full amount, with
interest, but also his travelling expenses from
California and return
We are in dread OF another revolution Prado
wants to mike the people earn their Own living;
whereas two-tl,irds Of the PeruTians have always
been supported by the Government. The Gus
tom-House and guano receipts far more than
nav expenses, and were it not for many foreign
loans the country would be IN prosperous
financial condition. But PreHident Prado mas
resolved to impose taxes and taxes the people
canaot stand. Prado mignthave been Dictator
vet il he had not imposed taxes.
There are about 1000 Amerlcans IN Peru.
The country is much safer than the city. The
indians OF the county are honest as . rule,
while the negroes Of the city are very danger
Gas claag Il foreignera mind their own bus1-
ness they get along very well. II they go into
politics they must chance it with the rest.
Emigrsnts are needed to people and cultivate
the wilds ot tho Amazon, where the soil Is very
fertile and the Indians still unci7iGzed.