The Portland daily press., 1895-10-26
MEIGS AS MONTE CRISTO.
The MeteOrfc Career of a Fugitive in
South America.

was Said to be the Richest Man South
of the Isthmus-Lavish Entertain
ment.
(From the Chicago Record
Gen. John G. Caldwell of Topeka,
member of the State Board OF Pardons,
probably knows more of South American
history and of the generation of men Of
that continent now passing off the stage,
than any other citizen of the United
States The purpose of this letter is to
tell the story, as Gen. Caldwell knows
it, of fugitive from California Justice
of a man who dealt in millions and
who, in his daily life, gave away for
tunes as common men give penny at
street crossings-of Harry Meigs, who in
the sixties fled FROM San Francisco
debtor TO the public treasury and hunted
by the sheriff.
"You have heard of Henry Meigs, of
COURSE said Gen. Caldwell, fbut have
you heard his storyf 1t is the story OF
Monte Cristo in flesh and blood. If the
incidents of Harry Meigs's life could be
WTlUtcu uG WOul1 Idlln Ill AoiiAesAOS NSAoA,o
with Dumas's creation.
81 first knew Henry Meigs in 1859,
when 1 went to Chilli as Consul at San
tiago. He had been there several years.
He began life at Albany, N. Y, where
he kept a small lumber yard. But that
was not business for man OF his
financial genius, and when the booming
period was on in California he went
there and began ITO operate. He was
popular, and he soon won the friends MP
and confidence of the people He was
made Treasurer of the city and county of
San Francisco. He was the custodian of
many thousands of dollars, in addition to
the fortunes left by deceased persons
pending the administration of their es-
tates. There was so much money In the
vaults and he had such a firm hold on
public confidence that he began to believe
that he had some sort of an equity in the
gold that daily poured into him. Friends
who had helped him into office appealed
to him for temporary loans, and he
Welded rather than offend them. Then
possibly the spirit of speculation sci zed
him and he may have taken for himself.
But no matter what became of the
money, it was the same old story. He
looted the Treasury, his friends failed to
restore what they had borrowed, and
there was nothing left for him but flight.
81 do not think Meigs took much
money with him to Santiago People
say that he was looked upon as an ad-
yenturer even before his story was known,
but his genius soon found the opportu
nifty. He was soon on his feet in Chill.
Having no experience in railroad con-
structlon-not even the knowledge OF a
common country surveyor-he neverthe-
less turned his attention to that kind of
work. He began by completing 10S
mile of railroad from Valparaiso to San
tiago. A mountain range lies between
the two cities and an English company
had built the road to Llaiai, town situr
ated at the foot of the mountains. This
is half way, and it was the easiest part
to construct The rough mountains that
must be overcome discouraged the Eng
lish, and they abandoned the enterprise.
"But the Chilians wanted it COM
pleted to their capital, and Meigs, grasp
ing the opportunity, undertook 1T. 1t
was great feat of engineering; the like
had never before been attempted in South
America. An important part OF the con-
tract was the question of time. Meigs
was required to perform the work within
given time, with the understanding that
if he made shorter work of it he was to
receive an enormous bonus for every day
saved. There was small fortune in
every day, but it seemed to the Chilians
to be an impossible undertaking, and
the government unhesitatingly accepted
Meigs's terms.
'sThis road was completed and the cars
running to Santiago many days before
the time fixed in the contract, and Meigs
made 81, 0O0, 900 or more out of it. His
principal gain was on the time saved.
He taught those people the science Of
railroad construction. The route lay over
high divides, through tortuous canons,
and across mountain torrents, but Meigs
found engineers equal to the task. He
filed the mountains with men, and
while the Chilians were still doubling
the mans ability to perform he had
bored tunnels through the solid rock,
shelved the road along the sides Of
canons, or thrown bridges across streams,
and was knocking at the gates of San
tiago.
"Then began career of social splen-
dor. His wife had died soon after his
arrival in Chill, and he placed his wild
owed sister at the head of his household
After his first railroad SUCCESS there was
no trouble to make money, and he built
magnificent quint, or suburban home,
at Santiago. 1t was a structure of great
beauty and fabulous cost. A wooden
staircase cost $40, 600, and the entire cost
of the house probably reached 81. 900, 600.
Having completed this place Meigs rested
while from actives life, contenting him
self with social successes.
"Then Meigs began to fall short of
funds, and to retrieve his fallen fortunes
he put up his quinta at rattle, enlist