Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-07

right to take up twenty claims. each
about thrce-eighths of n mile long by
1,SO0 feet wide. After this n yearly tax
OF 81 in gold on each claim would have
to be paid. If the territory should pro-
duce largely the properties would be
very valuable, on account of the oil
lying near the surface and right on the
edge OF the sea, where II could be al
most piped into the steamers.
The oil fields OF Peru have been
known to exist for the past thirty years,
but 1t Is only recently that much de-
velopment has been attempted. The oil
is found at distances varying from $50
to 900 feet below the surface, and both
flowing and pumping wells have been
exploited. The oil found at Zoaritos.
north of Paita, yields about thirty per
cent of kerosene, and IL said to be good
for both lighting and lubrcating pur-
poses. 1t does not furnish as good n
light as our American oil. and brings
about half as much In the markets
here. l am told that large number
OF the companies who have tried the
Peruvian wells have lost money, and
the English consul Mt Lima estimates
thet about 5000 Don has been spent
without return. stu. thcre are English
and Italian companies which claim they
are working at profit, and one Italian
named DR.. Piagglo. Is now producing
about 5000 barrels a month, while the
london and Pacific company has tank
steamers and operates the largest refln-
cry on the coast. At present almost all
OF the oil used In South America is sup
piled by the Standard oil company.
PERUVIAN FARMING.
The country scenes here are unlike
those OF any part of the world. ] can
show you some OF them in giving you a
ride with me through this winding val
ley to the foothills of the Andes. We
go on a railroad built by an American
couple OF decades or more ago, but
now owned by the English syndicate
known as the Peruvian Corporation.
The cars came from the United States,
and the ties are from Oregon. The
telegraph poles are discarded rails, to
which supports have been bolted to up
hold the wires. These iron poles are
used on account of the little ants
which here eat anything wooden, but
do not seem to bother the ties The
conductor of the train Is little Peru
Wan, in a linen suit, and on board with
us we have a travelling postmaster.
who sells stamps, takes UP the letters
from the various small villages and es-
tates as we stop. and hands out mail
to the people who come to the train.
Notice the little farms which we are
passing. The fields are fenced in with
thick walls of mud as high as your
waist, and irrlgating bitches carry
sparkling water here and there through
them. The water comes from the
river, but the irrigation is carelessly
done, and a great part OF 1t goes to
waste. There is a rice field. This is
one of the best paying crops of this
part of Peru, and there are large mills
at Pacasmayo, where the rice is hulled,
polished and prepared for shipment
BIG SUGAR ESTATES
We go through large estates devoted
to the raising of sugar. This is Peru $
greatest crop. The most of the estates
are owned by foreigners, and some in
the past have paid very well. The
whole of the coast valleys are adapted
to sugar iaising and the cane grows
much more easily here than in our
states about the Gulf of Mexico. Wis
tied the Lura Fico estate the other
day. This was managed and built up
by Mr.. b. II. Kaufman. 1t paid large
dividends until the fall In prices OF