The Sunday globe., 1901-05-12
A CHICAGO ENGINEER
Who Erected the First Steel Build
ing in South America.
PUT IN AMERICAN MACHINERY
James H. Martin, Returned from a Sojoum In
the Mines OF Peru and BolVla-Inter'
estng and Graphic DeSOrlp-
lions OF His Travels
and Expert
enceS.

Mr. D. ii. Martin, mining ana mechanl'
cal engineer Of Chicago, is at the Arling-
ton. lie has recently returned from
Africa, Chilli, South America, where for
two years he was employed in the cree
tion Of a silver ore reduction plant for
the 'De Sociedad Mineral Compania
He has had most interesting experiences,
which a well kept diary enables him to
graphically describe.
In the latter part of 1899 Mr.. Martin
was employed by the Z, p. Allis Com.
pany, OF Milwaukee, to proceed to the
Choquclinpie mines, located seven hun
dred miles in the interior from Lima, and
superintend the erection of the plant,
which consisted of the northumberland.
fifty.ton silver cOncentTatOr, COrli,s en-
gines and boilers Mr., Martin had the
distinction of seeing erected the first
modern steel building in South America,
under his superintendent at mines
named. Taking the usual route via the
Isthmus OF Panama, on his arrival at
Lima with the agent of the company,
Senor Jorge Basacre, Mr.. Martin secured
the services Of Indian guides, and,
mounted on the hardy mules Of the cOun
try, the party set out to ascend the Andes
to an altitude of IS, 600 feet, where the
mines were located. The rise commenced
about twenty miles from the seacoast
and the route led over barren, rocky
country, devoid of vegetation and, Of
course, minus road say or trail. But the
Indian guides unerringly ploted the party
where compasses would be useless, owing
10 their arrangement, caused by the
minerals of the mountains. The foot
hills. as stated, Of the lofty and majestic
Andes were reacht d some twenty miles
from Lima, and the party began the as.
cent No living thing was encountered
in this dreary journey except few con.
dOrs and occasionally an ostrich. Mid
way to their destination q halt was made
to feed the pack and saddle mules, these
animals having eaten nothing since leay-
ing Lima, IL seems almost incredible
that these animals could travel for seven
days without food and almost half as
many without water, but such is the well
authenticated fact. The mules are fed
when travelling but once a week on alfalfa,
a species Of coarse clover; the mountains
being entirely devoid of vegetation Of any
kind, the animals are thus compelled to
fast until reaching a station, In the
higher attitudes the party saw the yicunia,
a fur-bearing animal. The Dunlap and
StetsOn hats are made from the skins OF
these animals, small droves OF which find
a subsistence somehow on the higher
Andes, Mr.. Martin, however, venturng
the opinion that the animals descend TO
the valleys at stated intervals to feed for
a day or two. Arriving at the miUes, the
America engineer found a cluster OF
Bolivian Indian huts, and was informed
that on those semi rude and indiiferenty
lazy workmen he would have 10 depend
TO erect the building and machinery. II
should be stated that the Choquclinpie
mines are located in Bolivia, but that
country having no seacoast or port Of It's
own, the Gillian one Of AFRICA ID used for
commercial purposes.
! Having surveyed the ground for the
building and plant, Mr.. Martin put his
blanket robed Bolivilns to work on the
excavation In the course Of about one
year the Indians succeeded in making
the excavation and setting in the founda-
tion. The work was frequently inter
rupted by holidays and celebrations, in
which every Indian got drunk on alcohol,
The rate Of wages paid was twenty.
eight cents per day, Bolivian money,
equal to about eleven cents American
money. There was neither priest or
doctor at the mines, the physician EN-