Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12
AMERICAN ..PERUY|ANS
Energy Of Our People Down
in South America
MANY COPPER MINES
DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS IN
DUsTRIEs OF TILE COUNTRY.
Land Of the Incas Seems to be Taking
on a New Lease Of Life and
Business Is Prospering.
MANY COPPER MINES
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
LIMA, Peru, November 20, 1908.
Peru is getting to be the country for
North Americans. / have been over a
fraction of it and find their tracks every
where. They are on the edge of the rubber
country. developing the mines, building
railways, prospecting for oil in the desert,
studying the cotton-growing possibilities,
exploiting electricity and hunting contracts
for public works. The number of individuals
is not large as yet, but the United States
colony spreads over large territory and
it's aggressiveness and enterprise are felt.
My own impressions have been drawn
from individuals identified with different
projects, but who in their methods typify
the national spirit on the rare occasions
when 1t does go abroad to seek investments.
There is enough that Is big in conception
and execution to appeal to them, and the
results in prospect are large enough to JUS
tffy the undertakings. The government is
more than friendly to legitimate enter
price backed by genuine capital. To the
promoter who represents neither 1t is
chilly.
Business Men Rule.
An absence Of six months gave me a
good chance to make comparisons. In May
a one-sided presidential election was going
on. The question was whether the opposi-
ton group would try to upset the election
in the congress. Though they would not
have succeeded the turmoil and uncer-
tainty would have damaged Peru. After
ward l read in the newspapers in other
parts OF South America of the political
crisis In Peru and the manner in which the
differences had been harmonized and COM
promised. Whether the crisis was really
serious does not matter. Mr.. Candamo,
the civilian, succeeded President Romano
whose policy had been civilian, and the
business mems administration is in full
sway.
Doubts on the continuance of the civilian
policy which was naugurated by Presi-
dent Pierola and followed by President
Romano might rise If the promise was
merely that which is given at the capital
The real assurance must come from the
attitude of the mass of people. / have seen
something of them both in the seacoast
settlements and in the mountains of the
interior on the puno, as the tablelands are
called.
The Peruvian Indian, whether the Cholo
half-breed or the unmiXed blood, is getting
a, little more out of life than formerly.
This is what the foreigners, Europeans and
Americans who employ them have told
me. There Is actually a scarcity of labor,
due to the reopening Of mines and the de-
velopment of various industries, as well as
to better agricultural conditions No basis
Of discomfort exists, and no ambitious poll
ticlan could get handful of followers to
go with him in revolutionary movement.
AS it was explained to me by European
mining engineer the seeds of revolution
have run out. President Candamo's ad-
ministration can pursue freely the civilian
policies on which the future of the country
If anything. 4 sheeiid say there is too
much unanimity. Personalities exist as
always, but politics In the ordinary sense
Is lacking. The congress is almost too
eager to sustain the national administra-
ton. However, this Is based on recogni-
ton Of the necessity of cementing and
strengthening the general plans Of internal
development on which all have agreed.
After time differences will arise and the
party lines again become distinct but it
will not be until the essentials Of a ma
tonal policy have been SO thoroughly es-
tablished that minor party and personal
differences cannot affect them.
Constructive Americans.
The constructive American spirit is the
one which has met with the greatest sue
cess in Peru. There were chances to go
ahead, and some people from the north
went ahead. There are two concerns which
1t is agreed have made a winning" One
Is the Pennsylvania corporation that con-
trolls the Santo Domingo gold mines near
the Bolivian border, in the Lake Titicaca
region. The company spent fair sum OF
money in building trails and cart roads and
stretching cable bridges across the gorges.
l did not visit the mines, which are five
days from the nearest railway point, but
was quite willing to accept the statements
made to me- because they gave the set
backs encountered and the difficulties yet
to be overcome well as the returns from
the investment This company has now
expanded and gone into the rubber coun-
try. opening trails and building wagon
roads under an arrangement with the gov
eminent by which 1t receives fixed num-
Der of acres of land for every mile of trail
opened and of road built. The arrange
10 IN tha tjcfa ati n
both parties to Ii.
Some of the capitalists identified with the
Inca company, which Is the name Of the
Pennsylvania corporation, were ready to
make further ventures by developing the
petroleum fields in the Puno district near
Lake Titicaca, but their inability to get
railway rates cheap enough to insure the
profitable working of these fields has halted
this project. The headquarters of these
and similar enterprises are at Arequipo, in
southern Peru. Arequipa used to be known
because the Harvard astronomical observa-
tory is located there, but now 1t has fur
Their an American colony engaged In bust
ness of various sorts. Not all of this is
mining enterprise, for the city Is the center
of the alpaca wool and the hide trade. 1t
lays CLAIM to being the Boston Of Peru in
this respect, as well as from its reputation
as an intellectual center.
Big Copper Syndicate.
The Montana or Haggin syndicate came
after the Pennsylvanians. They went into
the Cerro de Pasco district and acquired
the copper mines. Before doing much to-
ward working these properties they began
building railroad to transport the ores in
stead of relying on the llamas and burros
which have been the freighters for three
centuries. The line is eighty-three miles
long and runs from Cerro de Pasco to
Oroya, where it connects with the famous
mountain railway built by Henry Meggs
to the seaboard -at~Callao. When l was
over it few days ago the track was laid
to within twenty miles of Cerro de Pasco
The road will be opened for traffic in jan
uary. Later there will be more railway
building with special regard to the coal
mines, toward the development of which
little has been done up to this time.
Both these American corporations have
had liberal concessions from the Peruvian
government, but both of them had some
thing to offer in return. In the one case 1t
was the actual expenditure of some hun
dred thousand dollars; in the other the in
vestment of millions. I have heard no
complaints on either side. Whatever uues-
lions have arisen have been adjusted
An outcome of the American enterprises
has been the encouragement of the En-
glish investors. The Americans have made
business for the Peruvian railways which
are controlled in London. The company
known as the Peruvian Corporations, which
some years ago took over the state rail-