Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-05-26
PERUVIAN RULE.
The New Seaport Town Of Iquiqus with
great future.
AMERICANS TO BECOME
WEALTHY.

Next to Callao the most important
Peruvian port is at present Iquique.
1t is near the front of Bolivia, but
only in name, Chile having gobbled
the whole territory, for the time at
least. This port has acquired its im-
portance through the large saliter de-
posits in its immediate vicinity.
Iquique is the capital of the province
of Tarapaca. Its importance may
be understood when it is known that
IT'S average monthly receipts at the
Custom house are over 100000.
There is railway leading to the
saliter field some sixty miles distant.
The road, until lately, was owned by
Montero, a Peruvian notable, who
turned it over to an English company,
but has lately been actually sold to
parties in England connected with
the Peruvian bonds. A year ago an
opposition road was started by this
company. Three leading firms,
uniting, built and equipped a wagon
road and now get their saliter by
carts. Still the railway is kept busy
all day. They do not run at night.
Iquique put me more in mind of a
California mining town than any
other place l have seen since leaving
that country. 1t has the most 60
ahead people on the coast. Burnt
down twice, shaken down by an
earthquake once, it is now rebuilt on
a more substantial basis than ever.
Most all nationalities are represent
ed here. This accounts for the COS
mopolitan character of the place /
was surprised to find so many Peru
Wan sympathizers among the busi-
ness men of Iquique and asked one
of them the reason of this. Quite
naturally he replied:
70 show how money has been
made in Iquique: Some years ago
John North, an English blacksmith,
came down from Callao. He return
ed year ago with a yearly income
of f35,000 sterling and went to Eng
land. He is a most remarkable man.
Many persons said, "What a lucky
felloww but it was not luck. Short
ly before he left bark loaded with
coal went ashore eight miles south of
Iquique. While persons were specu
lating and exchanging opinions about
the wreck he got on his horse, won't
to the spot. examined the stranded
vessel and the next day bid it in for
$780, Two days later he sold it for
$4,000. "This just helps to pay ex-
penses, you know, on the way home
he remarked He is quite an ordi-
nary-looking man. At any time OF
the day you could see him standing
on the sidewalk chatting, or else
playing a game of cards. He is the
last man one would suppose had
such an immense amount of business
to transact When saltpeter began
to be taken out on large scale he
slipped quietly up to Callao. bought
some old machinery at Pisagua and
set up the Tarapaca foundry, putting
in two men as partners to run the
business. After three years he sold
his interest for $50,000, besides hav-
ing drawn out some $4,000 as pro-
tits. He started the waterboat from
africa to furnish fresh water to
Iquique. This cleared him $4,000
month. Then he. started the gas
works, and when everything was in
full blast he turned it into a stock
company ard sold his stock. It is re-
ported that at the beginning of the
war he took contract from the Pc
ruvian Government to blow up the
two Chilean ironclads for 100000,
but backed out when he found there
was no cash on hand. This last
operation, however, is somewhat
hypocritical. Later on he purchased
from the Chilean authorities $4,000
tons of guano after the occupation Of
Tenarillos for 100000, and he is
said to have cleared half a million ON
the transaction, besides sharing with
Pat Lynch, the present commander
of the Chilean forces in Peru. At
present over forty vessels are con-
stantly loading nitrate in the port of
Iquique- Our Correspondence.