The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-14
PERUVIAN GOLD MINES.
Warning to People Who Might Go to
the Reported Fields.

To the Editor of the New York Times:
1 notice in your issue of today an item
from Denver. entitled. Miners Rush to
Peru. Reports of a Heavy Yield of Gold
Excite Colorado People" The article
contains several inaccuracies as to names
of places, but these do not prompt my
present communication. Such reports
sometimes lead inexperienced, half-in-
formed people into trouble, and the state
ment that party of miners has already
started for Peru from Colorado may in
duce others il-advisedly to join, or fol-
low them, especially as so many men are
just now out of work. have spent some
time professionally, as mining engineer.
in southern Peru and in Bolivia, and
while | am not prepared to deny that new
cold deposits may have been discovered,
still. 1 would caution any person intend
ing to make the journey to those remote
regions that the obstacles to be en-
countered are great, and disappcintments
extremely probable.
The exact location of the new gold fields
is not stated. and the DhraseoloSy of the
article leaves it in doubt. However, after
reaching Mollendo on the coast the jour
ney inland would begin with 325 miles of
railroad travel into the mountains, to
Puno on Lake Titicaca. The place desig-
La Paz. Bolivia. If such be the case. a
further trip of 90 miles would be made
from Puno. followed by about 40 miles
of staging to the town of La Paz. which
sea level. Here the climate is rather
hard for foreigners, and water for gold
washing scarce.
If, on the other hand. "Lapaza" should
prove to be in the Carabaya or Sandia
district of southern Peru, even greater
difficulties are to be encountered. From
Puno, on the lake. the railroad continues
some distance to the north. and then
would follow a long trip on mule-back,
through an elevated mountainous region,
and completely over the crest of the
Andes to the eastern slope. In these dis
tricts gold placer mining, is now being
prosecuted with varying degrees of sue
cess. at a number of points formerly
worked by the old Spar Adventures
with the aid of slaves, ca after the
CONQUEST of Peru, but TT. port. non of
conditions are adverse for tn )se VIII lack
caDital, because small-scale handwork
cannot there be carried on with the COM
paratiVe facility which has attended
similar operations in California Colorado,
and other parts of the United States. An
excellent description of the Carabaya and
Sandia regions. written by E. E Olcott,
mining engineer of New York. and pub
lished in the Engineering Magazine April,
1890, will serve to emphasize the features
l have pointed out
The statement made in the news item
from Denver that the fields are literally
covered with gold'' is of course, a poetic
exaggeration, but there always are peo-
pie ready to believe fabulous reports of
gold finds, and to undertake long Jour-
neys without careful preliminary investi-
cation. or the necessary funds to pay
their passage home.
In conclusion. l want to make it plain
that | have no desire to dissuade inter-
ested parties from seeking proper mining
investments in Peru or Bolivia, for there
are GOOD mining districts in both coun-
tries but the excessively enthusiastic
style of the article in question is calcu
cted to lead into difficulties some who
may be ill-preDared to cope with them.
To such | dedicate my advice TO ''go