Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-08-02
YANKEE SILVER KING
North American Who Has Vast
Wealth in Chill.
F~riepdship Of n span,sh Priest Bsisss
Him Knowledge Of an Ola silver
Nine witch Yields an Ina
meme Fortune. D.

The most successful North American
In Chilli, and probably the w%ealthiest OF
all the Yankees who have sought for
tune in the southern continent Is
George II. Chace. known in the mineral
markets of the world as Chili's silver
king, writes Douglas White, in Aims
lees.
But Mr.. Chace was not always a Croe-
sus. Thirty-fiye years ago he left Cal
ifornia after n long and futile search
for a paying prospect. In 1855 he land
ed at lquique, Peru. From there he
went to Tarapaca. Chii. where he got
work in the nitrate beds. lie made
friends with old Padre Miguel. who
read mass In the little church at Pozo
A,moute. a little town in the interior,
surrounded 10y the great nitrate de-
posits. The priest taught Chace the
Spanish language aud helped him to ac-
quire an acquaintance with the geog-
raphy Of the locality. As soon as Chace
had aid aside sufficient from his earn
ings he would start on a prospecting
tour. For nine years he searched and
tOiled in vain. Chace was beginning to
lose heart. One day when he was talk
ing TO Padre Miguel about his luck.
the old priest told him Of a wonderful
silver mine in the nsighborhood that
had been worked by the Spaniards a
hundred years before. "Wbere was
this wonderful mine2" was Chace's
first query. And the old priest told of
its location somewhere in the north
west OF Pozo A.mente. exactly where
Miguel could not say. but 10 memory
served him rightly, there was among
the archives of the little church q map
OF the mines location. The Spanish dis
coverersin their gratitude had given to
the church an interest In their FORUM
ate find, and with much devotion chris
tened 1t "El Minas de San Pedro y San
Pablo" (the Mine OF st. Peter and ST.
PauD.
ME following day from the old
church's archives was brought an old
sheet Of parchment, yellow with age.
traced With the rough outline OF a min
ing location. Down In the corner were
the anne Of the original owners. the
da.e Of discovery, and the dedication OF
a portion OF the mines production to
the church. One line and only one,
gave anything ike IA distinct clew 10y
which the mine might be traced, and
that was a struggling mark stated to
be the road to Huantajaya.
Chace presented Il request for n trac-
Ing of the map. the padre accommodate
.N him aud N.tth sI. ma. .I...Ha sL.
prospector was away OF his search.
The antique map makers had draft
ed better than first appearances in
dicated, and, further to aid the seeker
after wealth, there had been no
change in the trail leading from Huan.
tajaya past the mines location.
Fortune was at last with the Yankee
vas delving into the abandoned and
forgotten pile OF tailings. The mine
itself was uncovered from the midst
of n thick growth Of underbrush.
Delirious with his great find. Chace
made his way back to Poso Almonte
and thence to the coast.
An assay proved that the half
worked tailings of the San Pedro y
San Pablo were richer than many
original discoveries, aud II was not a
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
supply of money. Chace reopened the
mine itself. and with little trouble
.t.I.1 -. Al. l., -
the once abandoned property has paid
sums even more fabulous than in the
days when the Spaniards crushed
their ores under the pressure OF pa.
tient burros' hoofs and stamp mills
were unknown even to the inventive
American.
The relocation OF San Pedro y San
Pablo was but rhe beginning Of the
Chace millions. for in the past rs
years he has located several proper
ties which have riyaled the old Span
ish find, Among these may he men
toned the Discobradora and San Au-
gustin mines in the interior of the
province OF AntOfagasta, both OF
which have yielded millions. His lat
est enterprise is n 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 he the richest of the Chace prop
critics when their extent Is consid-
cred, as they number 90 claims in all.
With all this good fortune, Chili's
silver king has not been allowed to
accumulate his millions in peace
First came the change in govern
ment. when the province OF Tara
paca passed from the hands OF Peru
into those of Chill at the settlement
Of the devastating war between these
two republics, This meant an over
hauling Of titles aud consequent dis,
putes. One Of these centered on
Chace's properties, with the result
that he has during the last ~ years
spent more time in the courts Of
Chill than he has at mining, and aft.
er n long, tedious legal battle has AT
last wiped out any possible question
against his ownership, Meanwhile
his great properties have been pro-
ducing wealth, and in spite Of the
fact that n Chilian lawsuit Is even
more expensive than n struggle Of
the same kind In the United states,
he has placed "a his credit with Eng.
lish bankers a fortune estimated 10
exceed ciOO.C0O.
In his afluence he has not forgot
ten the source Of his wealth, and Is a
constant contributor to the funds OF
the church.
LIZ Tho acfInn al ynnr nnunla 10 NO