The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-08
CHILE'S SILVER king.
Richest Yankee in South America.
How George p. Chace Found a
Mine Through Friendship With a
Spanish Priest.
Douglas White, in Ainslee's.

Douglas White, in Ainsees.
The most successful North Ameri-
can in Chile, and probably the wealth.
lest of all the Yankees who have
sought fortune in the southern conti-
nent is George B. Chace. known in the
mineral markets of the world as
"Chile's Silver King
But Mr.. Chace was not always a
Croesus. Thirty-five years ago he left
California after a long and futile
search for a paying prospect. In 1865
he landed at Iquique, Peru. From
there he went to Tarapaca, Chile,
where he got work in the nitrate beds.
He made friends with old Padre Mig
uel, who read mass in the little church
at Pozo Almonte, a little town in the
interior. surrounded by the great nj
trate deposits. The priest taught
Chace the Spanish language and help
ed him to acquire an acquaintance
with the geography of the locality.
As soon as IChace had laid aside suf-
ficient from his earnings he would
start on prospecting tour. For nine
years he searched and toiled in vain.
Chace was beginning to lose heart.
One day when he was talking to Padre
Miguel about his luck, the old priast
told him of wonderful silver mine
in the neighborhood that had been
worked by the Spaniards hundred
years before. "Where was this won-
derful mine?" was Chace's first query.
And the old priest told of its location
somewhere in the northwest of Pozo
Almonte, exactly where Miguel could
not say, but if memory served him
rightly, there was among the archives
Of the little church map of the mines
location. The Spanish discoverers in
their gratitude had given to the
church an interest in their fortunate
find, and with much devotion christ
epned it Eel Minas de San Pedro~ y
San Pablo" (The Mine of st. Peter
and st. Paul.. So it happened that
the map was filed in the old church
at the corner of Pozo Almonte's plaza.
The old priest gladly promised to look
up this map on the morrow.
The following day from the church's
archives was brought an old sheet Of
parchment, yellow with age. traced
with the rough outline of mining To-
cation. Down in the corner We're the
names Of the original owners, the date
Of discovery, and the dedication Of a
portion of the mines production to
the church. One line, and one only.
gave anything like distinct clew by
which the mine might be traced, and
that was struggling mark stated to
be the road to Huantajaya.
Chace presented request for trac-
ing of the map, the padre accommo-
dated him, and with the next dawn
the prospector was away on his
search.
A STRIKE AT LAST.
The antique map-makers had draft
ed better than first appearances indi-
Gated, and further to aid the seeker
after wealth. there had been no
change In the trail leading from
Huantajaya past the mines location.
Fortune was at last with the Yankee
miner. Inside of three days his pick
was delving into the abandoned and
forgotten pile OF tailings. The mine
itself was uncovered from the midst
of a thick growth of underbrush. De-
Iirious with his great find, Chace made
his way back to Pozo Almonte and
thence to the coast.
An assay proved that the half work
ed tailings of the San Pedro San
Pablo We're richer than many original
discoveries. and 1t was not hard
matter to secure the required capital
for working the find. But the good
fortune did not end in the pile of
tailings. With his now plentiful sup.
ply Of money, Chace reopened the
mine itself. and with little trouble
picked up the lost lead. For years the
once abandoned property has paid
sums even more fabulous than in the
days when the Spaniards crushed their
ores under the pressure of patient
burros' hoofs and stamp mills were
unknown even to the inventive Amer
lean.
The relocation of San Pedro San
Pablo was but the beginning of the
Chace millions. for in the past twenty
five years he has located several prop
critics which have rivaled the old
Spanish find. Among these may be
mentioned the Discobradora and San
Augustin mines In the interior of the
province of Antofagasta. both of
which have yielded millions. His
latest enterprise is a bunch of claims
in what Is known as the Chuquicu-
mata. a wonderfully rich mineral dis
trict well back In the mountains of
Antofagasta. These claims promise to
be the richest Of the Chace properties
when their extent Is considered. as
they number twenty claims In all.
With all his good fortune. Chile's