New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-09-15
4 WEIIC1N CRGSTS.
WAS y PEON LESS THAN a YEAR AGO-HIs
INCOME NOW 100000 A MONTH
Correspondence of The Providence Journs


! Correspondence of The Providence Journal
! People in Western Mexico are talking about
PEDRO AlVarado Less than one year ago he was
! peon. He lived in PaTTal a mining town il
! the State of Chihuahua, in q da pidated shack,
ana there was nothing about him To distinguish
! him from hundreds of other Mexican laborers in
the mines He wore sandals Oh his feet, and
| ON ms mead the big, coneshaped SOmbrero which
| is the delight of the peon.
To-day he is living in luxury. He has
monthly income of more than S2UUGpp He is
| more talked about in his home city and in every
mining camp in that part of Mexico than sHy-
other man III that country, President DiaZ not
! excepted.
Alvarado got his quick rise to fortune through
| discovering Il mine of wonderful richness He is
another Strattnn. except that his wealth came
| probably more suddenly and in larger amounts
! than that of the Colorado millionaire. 1t is not
! his sudden rise to atiluence that is causing the
| comment about him much his remarkable
manner of spending his money.
lie seems To have no idea of it's value and
MS chief anxiety is to get rid OF his income as
! rapidly as possible. Thomas WEIGH, an Ameri-
can mining man who has just arrived from Par
! raj related a number of instances of AlVarados
| reckless expenditure to the correspondent. He
! said:
Il spent several weeks at Parr;,l and saw
| Alvarado almost daily. The interest of every
man, woman and child in that city to be
centred in the Since last November his
| net profits from his mine, which is named the
| Palmo. have aggregated Sl,JO0.WD, and prior
| To that time ne had probably taken ont about
/ S.Hb.oo OF ore. He will not put this money Ill
| bank. but keeps it at his home. where it is
constantly guarded by a large force of armed
men.
He has from s300ooo to 100000 on his
/ person whenever he goes out on the street or
! elsewhere and an armed guard of eight men
always accompanies nm. The members of TINS
/ guard are dressed in fantastic Mexican cos
tune and Alvarado is always attired in the
/ height OF fashion. He pays "A Mexican tailor L
I high salary to keep him clothed properly.
"Alvarado spends his money with lavish
hand. few days ago travelling jeWelry and
diamond pedler struck Parral with his wares.
! He was going along the street when he attract
| ed the attention of Alvarado who with his
/
| showed his goods t. Alvarado. ana the latter
| asked how much he would take for his whole
/ OUTFIT. The prdlcr replied that ne would sell
out for Sl303o Without any quibbng over
! the eXorhitant price asked. Alvarado drew cut
/ cheap watches. ornaments and fake diamonds.
! The man seemed as pleased as a boy with Il
new toy over the trade he had made.
"A short time before this Alvarado purchased
! three pianos of the most costly make. The in
! StrumentS WI go TO ornament the palace which
! he IS building for his permanent home TINS
| building will be the finest private residence in
/ Mexico. No expense is being spared in its con-
structIoh. II IS estimated That II VIII cost not
less than SJto,OO, and for that distant part of
Mexico, where adobe buildings the rule, it
Will he something WONDERFUL
"AIvarado is taking the deepest interest in the
/ progress of his palace. He says that NJ will
furnish it with tn. best things that money can
buy when il is completed. He has purchased
scores If useless articles. and simply buys them
for tn" pleasure that they give him for
! with all his reckless expenditure of his
wealth he is displaying n Phianthr"pic spirit
/
a short time ago he closely associated. He
has undertaken the construction of a large
charity hospital for the poor Of Parral This
hospital Viii be equipped with all noda'r az
plianceS for such institutions, and he proposes
to bear ali the expenses Of maintaining it. In
addition to this institution he is also construct
ing a large church, which he has named Qua
d;tlupe Cathedral. This church viii cost several
hundred thousand dollars.
There is prospect of the wealth of AlVa-
RADIO being soon exhausted. The Palmillo mine
is destined to become one Of the largest ore pro-
ducerS ever struck in Mexico. The output VIII
reach thousand tons daily. and the
monthly income of AlVarado viii he increased 10
| not less than Srt0Ghl He has been offered fab
uouS sums for tbs mine. but all offers are
promptly declinc.L His sole ambition is TO de
Vclop the mine and to spend his income as rap
! idly possible He has helped many of his
oldtime peOn friends in financial way. and the
lower class of Mexicans at Parral adore him