The Portland daily press., 1895-10-26

enternrise did not prove profitable to the
government. The other road was from
Mollenda to Arequipa, in the central
mart of Peru, beyond the coast range.
This road passes over an altitude of $4,000
feet.
"Meigs made millions in Peru. At
one time he had contracts with the gov
eminent in his own name amounting to
$50 ooo 600 He told me at that time
that his pay roll was $1,000 a week.
And yet Meigs was not a railroad engi-
neer Tn fact he was no engineer at all.
Rpt he had in his seyrice the best
American engineers, to whom he paid
large salaries and on the successful COM
pletion of road large bonus in addi-
tion AS. for instance, the engineer who
completed the road to Arequipa, in addi-
tion to n salary of $4,000 a year, re-
ceiyed a gift of 500, 600. Upon the COM
pletjon of the Arequipa road he char
tered two large ocean going steamers of
the Pacific Steam Navigation line, fitted
them with wines and provisions, and
invited the entire Congress of Peru, all
the national officers and prominent men,
to be h is guests at the celebration of the
oneninp of the road To amuse the lei
sure hours of this distinguished company
he took along an excellent Italian circus
company. All the notaples of Peru lived
for fortnight as the guests of Mr..
Meigs. Champagne flowed as freely as
water. He had beautiful medals OF gold,
silver and bronze struck i'll commemora-
tion of the event. TIL ese medals he dis
tributed by thousands. The cost to Meigs
of this splendid entertainment was not
less than $50, O000
cat this time Meigs was the most in
fluen tial man in Peru. In that country
they follow the old Spanish provsrb: He
who paws commands. The Peruvian
Minister of Finance was his paid lawyer,
and large number of the members of
Congress were in his pay and subject tc
his orders The Supreme Court Jus
tices, there is reason to believe, were PEN
sioners, more or less, upon Meigs. While
continuing to keep up his quinta in San
tiago, he lived in one Of the finest palaces
of Lima, and kept open house like a
prince Any man with a decent coat on
his back, whether known or unknown.
could sit at his table and be served and
no question asked. His table was usually
laid with thirty to forty covers 1 have
been his guest. but seldom in great
He liked me and frequently
invited me, but disliked to seem to be
a hanger on upon his bounty. Men
sought MIN out to use him-something
I could not do. His sister, Mrs Woods,
told me that many times she had said to
Meigs: who is that gentleman at the table
there?' / don't know; have never seen
him before, ne would reply. No better
wines were in France than were Oil
Meigs' table. His cigars were made es-
pecialIy for him in Cuba. Meigs told me
personally that they cost him 30 cents
apiece. After dinner on one occasion
we retired to the roof, which in those
countries is used by the better class to
take the evening air. On this roof he
had the best billiard table to be obtained
for money. Here he served his guests
with cigars wrapped in gold foil, exactly
as the Emperor Napoleon had his made
Meigs~said they were his special brand.
When a daughter Of the President of
Peru was married Meigs' present was
circlet of diamonds that cost $125, 600.
GAS I have said, Meigs was not an
engineer. In what did his great ability
consist? In my opinion, in his marvel
Gus ability as financier. He was paid,
of course, in national bonds, and he per
sonally placed those bonds in England
and France on far better terms than any
Peruvian had ever been able to do He
extended his enterprises and built rail
road all over Bolivia, a country that, as
an English financier said, never promises
to pay and never pays. And yet Meigs
succeeded in placing Bolivian bonds at
SO much better terms than the Govern
ment financiers thought possible that
they begged of him that ..he would re-
turn to the Government lot Of unplaced
bonds that it might claim the benefit Of
the premium. They made satisfactory
drrduR6ulGIlu Wlui uliA ASpaAAOo
the bonds. 1t is needless to say that
they were utterly unable to dispose of
them. Although wasteful in the ex-
penditure of money, be was personally a
man of simple habits and tastes. He was
plain in manner and never extravagant
in dress. His conversation was filled
with admiral practical sense. He had
no education, but he knew great deal
about mon. An organizer and con-
tractor of grand works he was never
equalled in South America and rarely
surpassed anywhere.
s'He was liberal patron of writer's
and artists, who never went-rto him for
aid in vain. I remember when he gave
$50, 900 to Hector Varcia, distinguished
writer of the Argentine Rpepublic, to
enable him to start Spanish journal
in Paris. Meigs, no doubt, expected to
gain a little notoriety in Europe by
means Of the enterprise. OF course it was
a failure
1t was Meigs' custom to educate young
girls, claiming their favors in early
womanhood, afterward giving a rich