The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-11-03
Henry Meiggs.

IN striking contrast anu singular pct
uresQueness, few careers in an age can
equal that which has closed with the
death of Henry Meiggs, best known as
the great South American railway con-
tractor. His career is an epitome of |
modern enterprise in its triumph over |
natural obstacles, and it also dazzling
illustration of the possibility of over
coming the most adverse circumstances
by superior energy.
Henry Meiggs was born at Catskil, in
this State, July Z, 1911. Some OF his
biographers assert that he began bust
ness as a merchant in Boston. He came
to this city about the year 1885. When
| speculation was at its highest point,
prior to the crisis of 1887, Mr.. Meiggs
was swimming with the tide, being en-
| gagged in the lumber business, with which
he had become familiar in Catskill. With
| the crash of 1887 came his first disaster,
and he was bankrupt The extraordi-
nary energy of the man is shown in the
fact that, although the period succeed.
ing the panic was one OF depression in
business that had never been equaled in
this country, he recovered from the losses
of his bankruptcy, and was again pros
porous citizen, within two years from his
failure.
Mr.. Meiggs was among the earliest to
be attracted by the discoveries of gold in
California. a vast number of adventur-
ers had gone thither IN 1S4S-the year
when the first considerable shipments o..
gold were made-and there was great
scarcity among the new population on
the Pacific coast Of all the ordinary
means and comforts of civilization. Es-
pecialiy was there a want of the mate
rails for dwellings. Mr. Meiggs, on this
occasion, kept closely in the line of his
ordinary business; he shipped lumber,
with which he loaded vessel, and went
to the land of gold. He is said to have
sold his lumber on arrival for twenty
times its cost; and he soon became
prominent figure among the busting
business men of San Francisco. He was.
elected member of its municipal Coun-
Gil He owned saw-mills and numbering
establishments in the interior. He had
500 men employed in telling trees for
single sawmill on the Bay of San Fran
cisco. AS years rolled on he built fleet
of sloops and schooners, engaged in con-
veying lumber from different points on
the coast. In 1854 he had ordered a
propeller to be built in Philadelphia, to
be used for towing his vessels out to sea.
There was commercial crisis gathering
at San Francisco. The affairs of Mr..
Meiggs were widely expanded, and bank
ers began to refuse to him needed &C.
. commodations. His firm had provided
most of the lumber for municipal works,
including the planking of the streets.
With the approach of crisis in finances
there was great depreciation in all
kinds of property. Loans from bankers
among whom were Gen w. T. Sher-
man and his partners-were chiefly OBJ
tanned on the pledge of city warrants.
The pinch for money grew tighter. Mr..
, Meiggs represented that he had only one
more payment of $4,000 to make to Sc
cure the delivery of the propeller at
, Philadelphia. The condition of his af-
, fairs was stated to the representatives of
a Hamburg firm of bankers; they lent the
needed money, and also shouidered $780,
600 of Mr.. Meiggs' Indebtedness to SheI-
, this transaction Mr.. Meiggs was de.
, faulter and fugitive from justice.
, The details of Mr.. Meiggs' default and
flight have never been fully ascertained.
lie took successful pains at the time TO
conceal them wholly. Having a schooner
at command, he secretly loaded it with
everything which his mansion in San
Francisco had misunderstanding
even to the mantel ornaments of the
parlors. And one morning San Francisco
was astonished to learn that Mr. Meiggs,
with all his chattels and his family, was
missing. He had sailed for parts un-
known. The city grew wild with rumors.
The debts of the fugitive were found to
be nearly 100000 The street.im-
provement bonds, upon which his loans
were obtained, were discovered to be in
great part fraudulent ISSUE
When next heard from Mr.. Meiggs was
a. builder of bridges on the Valparaiso
and Santiago Road in Chill. He was
again on the upward road of fortune. By
1858 he had effected contract for rail
way building with the Gillian Govern
ment, by which he cleared a profit of
81, 100000. Thenceforth he was South
Americas great railway contractor, and
he transferred the scenes of his triumphs
to Peru. One of the many public works
| 'AiSA Nv SttOoh III budU CUuulIN was
the improvement of the environs of Lima.
The city was surrounded by rampant of
filth and rubbish, the accumulated refuse
of many generations. Mr. Meiggs re-
placed this by a park, elegantly orna-
mented, of more than seven miles in length;
and he took good care to provide for his
own fortune by securing and afterward
selling the adjoining property for build
ing lots. He contracted for the con-
struction of not less than six railways in
Peru. OF these three are finished, and
the rest approach completion. The most
remarkable is the Callao, Lima & Oroya
Railroad, work which must rank among
the most daring achievements of modern
engineering. 1t is successful attempt
to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
by railway across the Andes, from Cal
lao to the head of navigation on the
Amazon. The height assembled by this
railway is within 1876 feet of that of the
summit of Mont Blanc. The road bends
upon itself with sharp angles as it as
cends the mountain sides, like staircase
with many turns. 1t pierces the obstruct-
ing peaks with thirty-two tunnels, which