Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-20
AS A MONTE CRISTO.
MErEORIC CAREER OF A FUGITIVE
IN SOUTH AMERICA.
He Reckoned His Fronts In MILL
Hons, and Was Said to He the
p,.nc.t Man south Of the Isthmus-
Lavish Entertainment.
Chicago Record)

the United states. Inc P"iP"S "
letter is to tell the story. as Generai
Caldwell knows 1t, of fugitive from
California justice--of man who deaI' !"
millions. and who, in his daily me- saN'
owav fortunes as common men give d
nennv Mt street-crossings-of Harry
Meigs. who in the cos fled from "'''
Francisco. a debtor to the public lrc"-
sury. and hunted by the Sheriff
"you have heard OF Harry Mei9''
~ course" said General Caldwell p"'
have YOU heard his story?
storv of a Monte Cristo in flesh ana pioor'
7, tho Incidents Of Harry Meigs NJ
could he written he would RANK Al
nance along with Dumas cre"'i q, 1860
81 nrst knew Harry Meiss III CO. ,o
,,,,or vent TO Chile as Consui AZ 9a
,iogo. lie had been there sew" .,hore
lie began life at Albany, ~ j., tnat
he kent n small lumbef-yaru' ~ onan.
,.os not n business for a man o. Ms ,ln,,-
cial genius. and wneI c,,tror,ia he
ING perjod was on III Nai'Io' . nc ITa
-, there and began TO opera'.: "a
w. o,,,lor and he soon won the Iii'"
III, and confidence OF the pl,d
lie ,rae made Treasurer OF the GU! no
~ - san Francisco. He was t'e
custo6,an of many thousands Oh
"a addition to the fortunes ielt py
ceased pereons pending the au'iiI,,' 60
zion Of their estates. 4he'c "a
much money in the vaults, " aGSence
a,ci, firm hold on public coi,ilU' ~
80 20 hogan 10 believe that ne hj1
80 eort Of an equity IN the sTia
,hnt daily poured into him. frlel'uS W.
hod beIned him into Office appeaieu " ~
hnu n ,al,rorary loans. and he yielded
- ,ban offend them. Then, possIoI!,
tha shirt Of speculation selzeu h'ii' o.,
he NAV have taken for hlflseh' 4,
no matter what became or the NO" 80
was the same Old story r.;to5 ~
~ Treasury. and his friends ia,leu ~
ill.,. VIZ what they had borrowed, anu
,bore was nothing left for him but Hisir
.t do no, think Mcigs took much mon,
...,,h rim IN Santiago. People say '''a '
he was looked upon as an auF ',t ne
go, before his story was hho"H' w" -
ganius soon found the opportu'' -
us soon on his feet N Chile. lawns -,
exnerience In railroad conS'iuO'i
oven the knowledge Of common
s,,rz,evor-he nevertheless turned ms a."
sur. SUR - nat kind of work. He began
hv completing Jos miles Of raiIroau l'oi'
VALPARAISO to Santiago y moui'"In
,anre lies between the two Clues am
81 E,glish company had built the rodu
al rt
60 TIaiaI n town situated at the 1901 ot
The mountains. This Is nan way ~, 80
a. was the easiest part TO cOhstruC.' ~
rough mountains that must De oVei
discouraged the English, and they aD@"-
doned the enterprise
A GREAT FEAT.
"pu, the Chlleans wanted 1t completed
IN their capital, and MeiGs, graspihS the
onportunity, undertook II. Ii was sie"'
feat of engineering; the Ike had never
before been attempted In South America erica
An important part Of the cohuact We"
tho question of time. Meigs was Ie-
onired 10 perform the work within
given time, with the understanding that
~ he made shorter work of 1t he was 10
,eceive an enormous bonus for every ia!
saved. There was small fortune ia
every day. but it seemed to the Chlleahs
20 be an impossible undertaking, ana the
government unhesitatingly accepttu
Megss terms.
This road was completed and the cars
running TO Santiago many days before tHe
time fixed in the contract, ana Mtlss
made 81 100000 or more out or II. his
principal gain was on the time saved.
He taught those people the science or
railroad construction. The route lay over
high divides, through tortuous cahohs'
ana across mountain torrents, but Meles
found engineers equal TO the task. lie
filled the mountains with men, and Whie
the Chileans were still doubling the man
ability to perform he had bored tunnels
through the solid rock, shelved the ROAD
along the sides of caDpns. or thrown
bridges across streams. and was KNOCKING
at the gates of Santiago.
''Then began a career Of social splen-
dor His wife had died soon after his
arrival In Chile, 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
a magnificent quinta, or suburban nome
at Santiago. 1t was structure OF great
beauty and fabulous cost. y wooden
staircase cost $4,000. and the entire cost
of the house probably reached 100000.
Having completed this palace Meigs rest
cd while from active life. contenting
himself with social successes.
"Then Meigs began TO fall short Of
funds. and to retrieve his fallen for
tunes he put up his quinta at a rattle.
enlisting the aid of a French adventurer.
Many Chileans. anxious to help Meigs,
took chances. and when the lucky num-
her came out of the wheel il CHANGED
20 be held by the Frenchman. This
transaction was crooked. but the Chileans
were unwilling TO believe 1t until the
ounta reverted to Meigs. After that
Meigss luck seemed to turn In Chill.
He continued to own the quinta, but
aside from that he had little.
HE next looked TO Peru as a field
OF operations. but / was told that he was
compelled to borrow s., 900 TO defray the
expenses of a journey there. His repu-
tation had preceded him. and the Peruvi-
ans gave him valuable railroad contracts.
The most notable were the Oroya and
the Arequipa roads. The former is from
Lima TO the crest Of the Andes noun
tains. the design being 10 connect with
Amazon navigation. and so TO the At
lantic He accomplished the work, the
difficult feats OF engineering attracting
the admiration Of the world. But the
enterprise did not prove profitable 10
the government. The other road was
from Mollenda to ArequIpa. In the cen.
trail part OF Peru, beyond the coast
range. This road passes over an altitude
OF 1900 feet.
MADE MILLIONS.
"Megs made millions in Peru. Al one
time he had contracts with the govern
ment In his own name amounting 10 $50 .
10000. He told me at that time that his
payroll was $l,00o.000 a week And We,
Melgs was not railroad engineer. In
fact, he was no engineer at all. But he
had In his service the best American en-.
g'neers. 10 whom he paid large salaries
and on the successful completion OF q
road large bonus In addition. As. fol
instance. the engineer who completed the
road TO AreQuipa, in addition TO a salary
OF 10000 a year. received a gift Of 100000
Upon the completion Of the ArequIpa road
nc chartered two large ocean-goinG
steamers OF the Pacific Steam Navigation
Line. lifted them with wines and provis.
Ions. and invited the entire Congress Of
Peru. all the national officers, and promi
nent men 10 be his guests at the ceiebra.
ton OF the opening OF the road. To amuss
the leisure hours Of this distinguished