The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-16

= In Don Pedro Alvarado, Mexicans say
they have a Carnegie of their own. Don
PEDRO has vowed that, in spite of own
ing mine which can produce net pro
fits of s12,O00,0 900 a year. he is going to
Ole poor. In order to attain his purpose
ne oHered not long ago to paw off the
national debt of Mexico. But in this
attempt to empty his treasury he was
thwarted- The Mexican government
was so proud that 1t declined the ia
For. Don Pedro, however, is not a man
10 De easily discouraged. He is going
10 give his money away, in spite of OBJ
stacles. And so, after long delibera-
uon, he announced last week that he
would give $4,000 900 to the poor of
Mexico, the money to be distributed
by the government. Little. if any. is to
De given outright to any applicant, but
each or those who are found worthy in
'he eyes of the government will re-
celNe small farm, be provided with q
nome or be helped to establish himself
IN business. Provision has been made
10 found free schools with the fund
and small amount will be given to
struggling churches. 1t is estimated
that as many as 10000 persons will be
benefited by Don PedrOs generosity
To the American mind Don Pedro is
an enigma. It is not his philanthropy
that causes the Yankee to wonder for
the Yankee can be one of the most gen.
erous giveTs when so inclined, but it is
his Indifference to the making of money.
Although his mine. 1t is said could be
worked by an American company to
produce $1,000 900 a month. Don Pedro
contents himself with much less than
that amount.
lie has been reported as only working
the mine now and then when he needed
the cash, but his he denies. Il operate
my mining plant" he says, the same
as you gentlemen from the United
states would. if you had IL, but with
this difference: ] don't try to dig out
all the silver in Il at once. If I did I
might spend it all and be a poor man
again. Al the rate my 500 miners are
working I'll get 100000 a month as
long as l live"
Loves Poor Relations.
Another strange thing about Don
Pedro is that he loves his poor rela-
tives. He keeps his house at Parral
hlled with them. Anybody who can
trace the slightest connection with the
wealthy mine owner, either by birth or
marriage, is welcome within his gates |
And when he cannot spend his income
on his people fast enough at home. he
charters special train, packs them all
aboard and starts off on journey, just
where he never knows in advance. Ac-
cordingly, he always makes an ar
rangement with the railroad company
TO stop his special train wherever he !
takes the notion. He made a trip to
Mexico City not long ago. a distance
by rail from his home as far as Chi
cage is from New YOrk-and it took
him seven days. Three times each day
the train was halted that Don Pedro
and his guests might pour out on the
plain and have a picnic
When poor American gets rich he
is almost sure tC move TO the most
fashionable part of his city Not so
with Don Pedro AlvaradO. When the !
mine which he had inherited from his !
fCTefathers sud 1enly opened up an enor-
mously rich vein. about twelve years
ago, and he soon found himself rich /
enough to build what the MeXicans call |
a palace" ne erected a new home at !