Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-02
PERUVIAN RAILROAD SCHEME
American Company with Capital of
S2o,O0Oo00 Opens Great Coal Region,
MILLIONS OF TONS REPORTED IN SIGHT
Rough WcRion OF Fabulous Mineral
wealth nnd Unparalleled Fertility
Gold, silver and Petroleum
without Limit.

The news from New York that the Pacific
company had organized, with a capital OF
500 900 900, to build a railroad in the north
ern part of Peru and develop some rich an
thracite coal mines, says the San Francisco
Chronicle has aroused great interest among
people in this city who are familiar with
Peruvian matters.
They claim that the project is OF the ut
most Importance to San Francisco mcr-
chants and manufacturers, as Peru is will
ing and anxious to buy our products. Eng
land now controls most OF the trade, but
the Peruvians are In favor of patronizing
Americans.
Local men who are posted on the mineral
region of Peru say that while they know
nothing about the big company that has de-
clared its intention of building a railroad to
the coal beds, they know the project is prac-
tcable and would bring great wealth to
the promoters.
One of the best versed men in town on Pc
chanical engineer. who has spent altogether
eleven years in Peru and returned from
there only a few weeks ago. MIR. Booth
said: II can believe the story of the forma
tion of the $40 900 900 company to mine for
anthracite coal in Peru. II the men intend
TO Dullu q railroad III Will be because tney
have secured grants and privileges from the
Peruvian government, as the government
owns all the railroads in that country The
statement about the neXhaustible supply OF
anthracite coal where they say there are
250. 900 600 tons of coal in sight is probably
true.
INEXHAUsTIBLE COAL SUPPLY.
"The great anthracite coal beds, as yet
undeveloped, are in a long, narrow valley in
the northern part of Peru. in which the city
of Huaraz is situated. The coal is OF the
best quality and the beds are north of
Huaraz, on the eastern side of the val
ley, where there are very rough mountains.
In these mountains are also the richest de-
posits of gold in Peru waiting for some one
to work them out. They may prove to be
the richest mines in the world, but the
country is so very rough 1t is hard to work
abound.
"As these coal beds are the only ones OF
good anthracite in Northern Peru every man
in the enterprise should make big fortune,
for besides the mines the railroad will have
to pass through some new fertile agricul-
tura land. Every tropical or semi-tTopical
fruit can be grown there
'The port the company will have to start
from is either Chimbote or Samanco. II
was from Chimbote that Mciggs OF Meiggs'
wharf fame started his road 10 Huaraz in
1870. He built the road from Chimbote
dlOuB lHG santa TlNeT 10 ltS Junction WIN
the Negro river. and then turned south
along the west line of this river to
Huaraz. The new company, If II decides to
follow the same route, will have to build
down the eastern side of the river to reach
the coal fields.
Peru is a much richer country than most
people imagine. Silver is the most abund-
ant mineral, but there is plenty of gold
there. Copper is plentiful, but one hears
little of iron or other minerals. There is
practically an ineXhaustible supply of coal
in Peru, but 1t has not been developed
much, as petroleum is generally used for
fuel. Now that the most extensive petro-
leum wells are shut down through liti6a-
ton, good coal is greatly needed. If this
new company taps the great beds they
speak Of a great many more smelters will
be erected and the ore will not have to be
shipped out Of the country as it is now.
The smelling works now running have
enough ore stored about them for some
years work. If the present conditions con-
tinue to exist