St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-10-19
Henry Meiggs.

THE STORY OF HIS WONDERFUL CAREER.
AS succession of romantic incidents
and dramatic contrasts, of splendid tri-
umphs won by pure energy over for
midable obstacles, the career of Henry
Meiggs, the South American railway
king, who died at Lima, Peru, Sept. %,
modern times. Going to South Ameri-
ca an unknown adventurer in 1854, he
conceived and executed engineering
feats unparalleled in any country.
opening up boundless sources of wealth
to Chill and Peru, and winning for him
self colossal fortunes and political and
social power felt over the entire conti
nent. He was born at Catskill, N. Y,
in 1911, and made his first business ven
lures in the lumber trade in Boston and
New York, making and losing several
large fortunes. The outbreak of the
California gold excitement in 1848 at
tracted his restless ambition, to larger
fields, and he set out for the Ell Dorado
with a cargo of lumber, which he sold
at so times it's cost; and in few years
became the foremost land and lumber
merchant on the western coast. His
operations were immense, but when the
financial pressure of 1854 seized Califor-
mia, he resorted to swindling to sustain
his credit, and one day San Francisco
banking circles were struck dumb at
the discovery that "honest Harry
Meiggs" had fed by sea, with his fam
lily and household effects, leaving forged
paper to the amount of 100000.
His first landing place was Chill,
where he became superintendent OF
bridges on the new Valparaiso and San
tiagO line, and finally took charge OF
the entire road, finishing it in two years
at cost of $I2,00O,000, of which he
took 81, 100000 as his own share. This
performance gave him the control OF
the magnificent enterprises which Peru
was planning to develop her mountain
resources, and in 1867 he was fairly
launched on that career which will al
ways hold prominent place in the in
dustrial history of Peru. The first rail
road finished was that between the
mountain city of Arequipa and the port
of MollendO, and he celebrated the con-
summation of the work by banquet
which, with his personal gifts to his
guests, is said to have cost $3.50, ,000-
which can hardly be called extravagant
however, in view of the fact that ht
cleared S11 ,250,000 by the contract
At this time he paid paIt of his Cali
fornia debts, and the Legislature passed
an act of immunity and invited him tt
return. But he had already signed con.
tracts with the Peruvian government
for six other roads at cost of $I15,.
900, 1000, which were to be only part O
subsequent gigantic system to cos
some $210,000,000. In two years the
Ilo and Moquegua road, 63 miles, was
finished in 1873 the Pacasmayo, Qua
daloupe and Magdalena, 83 miles, anG
the great Arequipa and Puno, crossing
the Andes at hight of $4,000 feet anG
reaching Lake Titicaco by line 22(
miles long. These engineering opera
tions were on the most stupendous scale
especially on the Callao and Oroya line
now nearly finished. This road extends
across the Andes to the head of naviga
ton on the Amazon, piercing peaks by
63 tunnels, traversing huge gorges an(
crossing torrents by bridges which seen
to hang in mid-air. One of these bridg
es over chasm 1000 feet deep connects
tunnels at either end, and in working
here the laborers had to be lowered by
ropes from the top of the cliffs unit
they could cut themselves standing
room in the rocks. One of the objectiv,
points of this road is the famous silve
mine of Cerro de Pasco, which is sup
posed to contain 5000, 100000 worth o
ore. These enormous operations o
course taxes heavily the financial re
sources of the republic, and Meiggs re
sorted to all kinds of chicanery ant
bribery to maintain his control over tn,
governments purse and policy but b,
had mounted too high, and in 1874 th'
nations credit began to wane. Well
founded doubts arose as to the ultimat'
prOfitableness of these railroads. Brit
ish capitalists who had lent money t.
Peru began to be anxious over the fat,
of their investments, and in 1876 Peru
Wan bonds in London fell to 13 ant
work on the roads was actually, though
not nominally, suspended. The break
ing down of Meiggs's schemes shattered
his health, and the last of three shock
of paralysis struck to his vitals.
Henry Meiggs was man of most i'm
posing appearance; of medium hight
but of massive frame, and with an ex
preston of singular determination upol
his face. He was of refined and kindl,
manners, and his generosity alway
keptpace with his fortunes, dispensing
hospitality on princely scale, and Law
ishing his resources upon the unfortu
nate in such way as to often crippl,
himself He was noted for his liberia
tastes, and the arts, especially music
always found in him an enthusiastic
patron. While his name is revered b,
the Peruvians as their greatest benefac
tor, yet his career can be considered
but as calamity to the nation, from
the recklessness of expenditure int
which he led the government, and th'
extravaganza of living which his exam
pie inspired. The amount of his per
sonal wealth was never known, bu
some of his largest investments hav,
turned out disastrously, and it is proba
BILE that he has left little to his wifi,
and two children besides the mingled
glory and disgrace of his great name.
How Not to Advertise.