The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-27

4ApAkN NAV AAeA WAAA ANhAbW NhAN NNAANi
OF the Magdalena river as nearly a
possible, for more than 800 miles, TO ii
sources; thence across the mountains
aud down into the beautiful and lerLilt
Pampa del Sacramento, through whict
1t continues 10 its destination, perhapl
the richest agricultural region on tht
globe, skirtlng the largest Vold and sil
yer mines that have ever been discoY
cred and penetrating forests OF untold
value. In this latter portion the only
difficulties encountered will be the
enormous rainfall, on an average seventy
inches per year, and the consequent
kuddeA hOous. This rainfall, will, how
ever, be considerable aid to construction
IL one way, for In the wet season there
will scarcely be q mile Oi the line to
which supplies can not be furnished by
means OF bOats, while there Ia already q
steamer service on the MagdalenR river,
SOUTHERN CONNECTIONS.
At CuzcO aud Cerro PasCO functions
will be effected with the two Peruvian
lines from the se1pOrts NJ MalendO and
CallaO, on lhe Pacific, and W the l0rmer
point will BIZ met the railroad from Buzz
NOS Ayres, on the Atlantic, which road
IL already In operation for 400 miles TO
Salta, on the headwaters OF the La
Plata river, Thus are these different
outlets to the ocean secured Tor products
at present inaccessible To any or all OF
them.
At Ouzco and CAIRO Passo the heart OF
the mineral region Ia reached. CuZcO
was the ancient capital OF ,he lucas, Here
was their temple TO the sun, lined with
plates OF beaten gold studded with gems,
and filled with blocks and pots Of gold,
votire offerings to their deity. Around
this region cluster tue multitude Of
traditions, dating from time even pre-
vious to the lucas, telling OF fabulous
wealth extracted in the long gone ages |;
related by Prescott In hiJ histories
Here, II IL clained by some Of the old
monks who wrote Oi 1t, was the Ophir ot
Solomon,
UNTOLD WEALTH.
Cerro Pasco, Ia the centre Of the silver
miues. 1t ia said that at this time there
lie uncovered there ridges Of silver ore
which will produce 1900 tons OF pure
silver, for which no means Of trauspOrIa.
ton to smelling works eau now be had.
Tho possibilities Of Peru, which has
within itself such store.housts Of miner.
al wealth, not 10 speak Of itsagricultural
aud climatic advantages, arc not to be
estimated. Its development has been in
the past exceedingly slow and at a won.
deriul cost. It's thirteen hundred miles
OF railroad, built and projected, have
cost the State about $4,000 per mile,
the most costly lu the world. NOtwith-
standing this, the constructed portions
OF these lines have already largely been
paid for by the royalty on the guauO
beds. What would he the result of Il
rapid and complete development Of such
resources can better be iLlagined than
described. Almost as much may bG
said for every ono Of tho States through
which tue proposed route passes. The
United States Of Colombia Is founding
an empire which, froui all information,
promises to. be more prosperous than the
Argentine Republic. All these States
have labored In the past under the same
disad adVantage-laCk Of an outlet for their
riches.
1t Is not yet fully proven, Of course,
that it will be practicable TO build this
route as proposed. In conversation with
your correspondent, Captain Parsons
has dwelt at length upon the element Of
uncertainty which must enter iHto this
problem OF railroad possibilities, on ac'
count OF the unknown quantity repre-
sented III tue crossing Of tile Cordilleras
The fact that this particular piece OF ter.
ritory, through which a pass must be
found, Of all tho South American con-
tinent, III spite Of the efforts Of Jesuit
priests, Spanish conquerors, gold seekers
or hardy adventures, remain still unex-
plored and unseen, Is not by any means
10 be lost sight Of. The highest peak III
the Andes system looks down upon the
coveted way, rising nearly 2l,000 feet
above the sea level; untold forces and
powers will oppose the entrance.
WHAT CAN MAN DoH
Whether man can do what man has
never yet done is the question which
the COlnpahy's engineers will have tC
solve In the near future. Notwithstand
ing, II eau not but be clear to even tue
casual student OF the matters involved
that this or some similar one is the only
practicable channel by which our wareI
can be carried In competition with thost
Of Europe to the heart Of South America
II offers the only possible means Of com
peting In Line with transatlantic
steamers and tue La Plata system. b!
this means u traveller will be able 4
make tue distance from Lima, the Capi
tai Of Peru, to New York in nine days
At Lima he will be but thirty hours by
steamer from Valaparaisoi NJ New YOrl
he Is but seven days from Liverpool
From Chill To England In seventeen
days.
lit be srue that tue United States
with is Pan.Americau Congress ant
reciprocity treaties, 10 seeking lis chic
market In South America, II would ap
pear that she eau best Aad II, not at Ri
Janeiro; not AZ Buenos Ayrta; not upol
the coast fronting England, nor npot
the narrow arid plains OF the uppe
Pacific Ooasti but by piercing 70 th,
center OF tho nut at once, extracting tn
kernel while foreign nations are loOkiuI
for All opening OH the outside. ROC.
$ |..