The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-10-31
KING OF RAILROAD BUILDERS,

The Wonderful Career OF Henry Meirr,
Becoming Chief Among California Ma
mates - His Financial FaIl-FIeeinx
South America and CONTRACTING Raj
roads on a Scale OF Unprecedented Ma,
nitude.
Henry Meiggs, who died recently .
Lima, Peru, was born in Catskill, n Y
in 1911. He began business in Bosto
as contractor, but soon removed t
Brooklyn, where: at the age of twenty
five, he had madea fortune in the lumbe
traffic, which he lost in the crash c
1887. Being naturally an adventure,
hewas one OF thefirst to try his fortune
in California on tie breaking out of th
gold excitement in 1849, taking will
him, on the schooner Mantle, arount
the Horn, load of lumber, which h,
sold on his arrivakhere at clear prof
OF $50,C0O. VIII this he employed
500 men in bringing out the choices
trees of the forests of that region, haul
ing the logs to Sa1 Francisco Bay, float.
ing them to what he had constructed
in the young city, converting them into
lumber, for which he found ready
market. In his venture he made the
handsome sumof $500, 900 in gold. he
then became ole Of the most prominent
residents of th growing town, engaged
actively in local affairs, and
soon made hnself a power in the
land. But inl854, in the financial re-
vulsion which sept over the country.
his business wa prostrated, and, in the
frenzy of despeation brought upon him
by his reverseshe forged commercial
paper to the aount of 5000, 900. So
we'll did he manye his affairs, however,
that the people San Francisco had no
suspicion anything was wrong until one
night, after a and entertainment on
his own schoor, he quietly sailed
away, carrying *h him all his stores
and household pods, even to the pic.
lures on the wall and the rugs on the
floor. The ne1theard of him he was
superintendent bridges on the Val
paraiso and Santgo railroad in Chill.
The road had bn partially completed
for years, and ID ruined every con-
contractor who ht touched it. Meiggs
soon made hlmse famous by the mas.
terly engineerineskill he displayed in
the construction his bridges; and all |
the while he was;udying the situation
with view to obtling a contract for |
the completion of le road. For thirty
three miles the gineering difficulties
seemed almost inemouutable. There
Was rise of 4,S0;eet; huge masses of
rock that seemed reach to the clouds
were in the way,nd a wide and deep
abyss ya~ned heath. He made a
careful estimate, ID offered to build
this portion-fromiailai to Santiago-
for $12, ,0O0, 900 ar have it. finished in
fouryears. Tocarnehe ChiIian secretary
OF State and one oshe wealthiest mea
Of Chill, came to Is aid, secured the
contract for him, bsme his bondsman,
md got for him advance from the
government of $1,000. Il
Meiggs had studi the Chilians and ,
Won their confdencand was now able
% secure their serv,s at an average of /;
thirteen cents per G. and he at once :
et them to work upr American over =
eers: His way of orcoming difficulties :
Ind the speed with lich he progressed /
stonished everybod He tunneled the I I
fountains, sending asses of rock rum
ling into the ravis below, and with 9
ne explosion of fu. and the falling of =
tones kept the air a continual roar. I
8 ne approached Stiago the terrific a
xploslons fairly sl,k the town, and 9
eople came pourin out from the city u
witness his operatns. The enthusi- "
'm knew no bount and he was re- Z! q
arded as a sort demi-god. He Il Il
nished the road in 70 years instead of u
ur. and realized a nft on the venture u u
III ,32O, 900. Whethe first train ran ?
'er the road from Vearaiso to Santiago II IL
9 president of Chi his cabinet, the C
chblshop and otht eminent citizens. W
1od on the locomive with Meiggs .
! received the ovatns of the people n
ng the route. Thw whole country re- ., .,
;ed. 80 enthusiast, we're the citizens, u u
? offered Meiggs ay position in the az
Inblic he might clse, except that of " "
hident (Which nj foreigner could m m
y, if he would becme a naturalized "a
can of Chill, bu. he repelled all 70 70
1e'atlons to surreaer his American IL
caaship, though i never expected IN y;
W, his native Ian again. He took ~ ~
up residence at Sntiago, where he So
.:y,n scale of prile bly, splendor un- WI WI
'Ia1, Va when he acceie ed contract to St ,5,,
aeS lev railroad sys}n in Peru. His an an
nMIssSeement was to uild a road from OF OF
Molo, on the colt, to Arequipa, oi G
for aenlles ana 3, inland i the mountains, on ol.
ior s00.O00. Co
=, asl it became Known in Chill WI
= snaS asso tgs had begun! road in Peru,
al! g!13essitment aros among his old
Cniiiaboers, and hndreds of them
Nv M,:1 CEo'rta to join hn. Finally the COZ
Cui1i;iSa.yehment isspd decree in grt
1 u11Ia.lhlsmmigrat,n, which threat be.
ened toau to snch nronort;ons 90 off
Toulu Ss susl embarrs;s the labor and to
aetense % leountry. He was allowed COZ
w ,As SaAe 1oer of ii, most skillful lns
t,goIAuH adlese, acting as chiefs of the
seotaopusrlted the Peruvian peas.s Is
as .,FsiHss If the pck, shovel and gsd
CROW antpther m Jsteries of rail fas '
roadk1ng |he Areeuipa road wass nes
comfd eaYp 1871. 70 commem one
orat even 10 had base, 600 worth. ne. ~ J
l OF 9edalHd $780, worth Of per
sliTdals stck of, which hs> dis u
! Sr1t among liz friends. he also =
SSa,nagnifent 'ptertaiDYtens at V VI
IN MV Of apd th a sand jof areqas Are 1osg no R
He'd 900 cleat@ from Lima, the the
ca Peru, ips1ding the President, abr
: GBalta, arf tie elite of Peruvian blll
: &C To bug tae 600 guests from tina
i. Che seaport of Lima, Meiggs. ten
y cl the Panama, one of the Britisfi; ORIG
Scific Mail Steamship Company'sY OF {
st President Bslta was accom- the
pi regiment # regular troops. Chi
: t'Sng. It took three Peruvian was
Waers to carry tne government picl
pai President and Cabinet going The
~ ~ I the soldiers il the other two. man
ado, the Archbishop of Arc in
1micly blessed tn, twelve loco. proc
mo ich were to draw the excur- rece
slot St miles up an in,ine of 5000 New
lee' tete at Arequipa was mag worl
nln'ond description. Everybody one
WA ,wTaIsith delight and qualification, is &c
| L n ,-ko