Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-19
PEDRO ALVARa0O DEAD
i T.
Left Fortune Estimated at
Seventy Millions.
a 49,
STARTED LIFE AS PEON
FOUGHT FOR YEARS ~AaA1Nsr
MANY OBSTACLES.
One Of Greatest Romances Ever Con-
ceived Woven In History Of
His Operations.


raj confirm the report Of the sudden death
of Pedro Aivarado, the mining man who
was known throughout Mexico and the
United States.
He leaves a fortune amounting to about
10000. 600 according to reliable estimates
by those who have been handling the ore
from his mine during the past six years.
The value OF the Pamilla mine. which he
owned and which he discovered few years
ago when he was a peon working in mine
at 80 cents day, Is not known. as Alva-
RADIO persstently refused to admit mining
experts to it's workings. It Is. however one
of the richest silver properties in the world
OF the 10000, 900 worth of ore which AL
varado took out of the mine since its dis
covery it is said that there is more than
sec. 1000 600 worth in silver bars locked in
steel cage at the residence of its late owner.
This cage Is guarded day and night by q
strong force Of armed men.
AlvaradO recently acquired additional no.
toriety by offering to pay the public debt
of Mexico. He also offered to buy all OF
the mining properties and smelters Of the
American Smelling and Refining Company
in Mexico.
He gave many hundreds Of thousands of
dollars to the poor and erected costly Cath
Ole cathedrals at Parral and in this city.
He leaves widow, to whom his estate will
go.
Romance OF A1VACaQO.
II the history of mining operations in the
vicinity Of Parral were to be written there
could be woven one of the greatest ro-
mances ever conceived. for the truth lin
regard to some Of the bonanza mines and
bonanza kings of Parral is stranger than
any fiction that was ever the fruit Of an
Imaginative mind; and Of all these there is
none more impressive than the story of
Senior Pedro Alvarado. the modern Croesus
or Mexicos Monte Cristo, as he was fire.
quently called. owner of the fabulously
rich and Justly famous La Palmilla mine,"
located on La Palmilla Hill, about four
miles slightly north of west Of Parral and
Immediately adjoining the property. OF
La Palmilla Hill Mining Company. whose
properties are co-extensive with and upon
the same mineral zone as La Palmilla mine
itself. each containing about four perten-
ances'' or claims, making ten acres for
each property. . %
The very early and subsequent mining
operations in the Parral district were con-
fined to the immediate vicinity. OF the town.
val of SIX miles mining operations were
conducted with great success In the now
famous camp OF Minas NuevaS, six miles
north of west of Parral
The intermediate territory attracted no
attention of consequence until within the
last half OF the nineteenth century. This
was particularly the case with La Palmilla
Hill, where the father of Senior PEDRO Al
yarado began prospecting ION what is now
the most famous bonanza ground In Mex
leo.
To obtain sufficient cash with which to
live and pay the annual government tax OF
$40 per claim on four claims was as much
as this old Indian prospector. could man
age, and it is therefore easily understood
why he did not take up ana hoid more
ground than he did.
Encountered Many Difficulties.
Mining in those days. before any rail-
roads were built in Mexico, or at least with
In many hundreds Of miles Of his mine, was
a very difficult proposition. except where 1t
was possible to mine in the most primitive
way ore that carried large quantities OF
gold or silver which could be extracted
cheaply by the simple methods In vogue
and carried in the compact form of dust
or bullion to the City Of Mexico. or to the
United States, over difficult roads and tire
some journeys. only to be exchanged at the
point of destination for provisions and
other supplies with which to carry on oper-
atoms until another shipment could be got
ten together, when the process would be
repeated. Naturally, the profits Of such
operations were reduced to minimum.
The ambitious old Indian never lost faith
in the ultimate outcome OF his NINE but
hung tenaciously to 1t through all sorts OF
difficulties and Universities. Working along
as a boy and then as a young man, with
his father in the nine, and enduring the
hardships and privations Of long. tiresome
trips with pack trains of burros carrying
only couple Of hundred pounds each OF
ORE to be traded to the merchants or
buyers at the railroad station sixty miles
away for provisions and supplies at ruin
ously exorbitant prices, young Pedro AL
varado partook Of his fathers energy and
perseverance and unfaltering faith in a
possible grand bonanza from their inter-
mittent prospect.
Made Slow Progress.
Patiently and faithfully the old pros
pector and his boy, and occasionally the
few other Indian laborers or poems they
were enabled from time to time to hire,
dug away at the mine, making slow prog
ress with their primitive methods in sink
ing to where they believed the great wealth
awaited them.
AS they sunk deeper and deeper the diff
Guilty of mining and removing the ore be-
came greater and greater, as everything
had to be carried on the backs Of men,
who climbed several hundred feet upon
notched poles. or Chicken ladders" as
they are termed.
Conditions and embarrassments which
would have baffied and completely halted
almost any other person than this perse-
vering old "peon" were bravely met and
conquered. But, alas for life's limitation,
the old man never lived to see his dream
of wealth realized.
He. however, left in his son Pedro a
worthy successor to take up the battle
ringing in his ears Of his fathers dying
admonition to finish his incomplete task,
young Alvarado worked withg even more
vigor than had his father, whose worthy
son he showed himself to be.
Confronted Troubles.
Troubles, however, within which the old
prospector was never besetu confronted the
young man. There were ether heirs than
! himself who inherited interests In this fam
| lily burden, and they and stheir husbands
| or wives, soon firing of the dpudgery and
ever increasing load. refused tor bear their
| part and insisted with spersuasion and
threats of coercion to COMPEL sale Of the
property If that could be effected, or even
an abandonment of 1t. we
When all chance of SUCCESS, and all hope
| of realization of his fathers and his own
| life dream seemed lost, Pedro A1varado had
| his hopes frightened by thee sight Of
small quantity of ore OF, ,exceeding rich
| ness.
| Elated with what he believed meant
| early success he besought his. relatives to
continue with him in his work They,
| however, persistently refused, saying they
! had seen those evidences and conditions
| before, only to find that they were short
| lived.
IIpdauntad padro c1,coaada5 IN oftro ot;,,,v