The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-11-15
GIVING AWAY
HIS MILLIONS
Pedro AIyarado Gives Ten
Millions To the Poor
HIS OFFER TO GOVERNMENT
Will Pay Mexico's Debt II lie Can
Obtain President dag Sanction =
Life Of Peon Mining King
Reads Like Romance.
HIS OFFER TO GOVERNMENT

received here from Parral, which Is ia
the state Of Chihuahua. Mexico, says
that Pedro Alyarado, known as NThe
\ Peon Mountain King and whose
wealth ii estimated at from S75,00o,O00
to $15ooOo,0o0, has announced his in
tention Of giving $l0,o00,0oo to the
Mexican poor.
4 Alyarado's life reads like rog
nance. IN eight years he has risen
from 4 peon earning only few cents
a day, to be the richest man in Mcxi.
co. His home Is palace which is said
TO rival any Of those in which the old
Aztecs used to hive. The income that
he derives daily from his Palmillo mine
Il estimated At $4,000.
\ Alvarado il general to fault. He
says that he expects to die poor, and
that he desires to share his riches with
the poor Of his native land. Already
| Alyarado has given away large sums.
| ON Christmas day three years ago he
had 100000 in silver loaded upon 4
great truck and distributed the money
4 among the poems of Parral.
i A little later he sprang into promi-
nence by offering 70 assume the burden
81 paying Mexieo's national debt. Pies
\ ident Diaz, Of whom AIyarado Is a pro.
found admirer, refused to accept the
proposition, believing that behind the
offer was a scheme to enbarrass the
government
| Alvaraio, however, says he intends Ia
renew his offer. He expects 10 visit
Mexico City in person, and assures Pres
| ident Diaz that 1t is purely from mo
4 tiyes Of patriotism that he desires to
make himself responsible for his GOV.
1 crnment's obligations.
The Mexican millionaire's latest bene-
faction Of $io,000,0O0 il to be expended
III purchasing homes for the poor poems
Of the province in which he lives, in
providing them with farms Of their own
TO till and in educating their children.
Alyarado is somewhere between 20
and 80 years old. He Ia described as
man about feet inches IN height,
with black eyes that look out III a
face which, for that Of a Mexican, il
OF an unusually light complexion. His
beard and mustache are JET black and
are kept carefully trimmed. The top
of bis head is slightly bald He weighs
in the neighborhood OF $50 pounds, and
he is sinewy and active In his manner
be Is quiet and unassuming, and he Il
said 70 possess an air Of gentle dignity
which is very winning
When he first made his Strike AL
varado. accustomed all his life 20 the
bitterest poverty, became recklessIy ex-
traragant He bought every luxury he
could think Of, Diamonds and iewelry.
horses, carriages, the most expensive
clothing all such things he acquired IN
profusion. But he soon tired Of squan.
deing his money in this fashion and
decided to make his wealth a blessing
to bis down-trodden neighbors,
The palace. however. that Alyarado
built when the fascination Of the power
10 spend had full possession Of him, il
one Of the show places Of Mexico Every
room in il Is furnished with the ut
most layishness The poems call IL the
House Of Song Each room has its
own piano, and 10000 canary birds,
whose cages are strung along the corri-
doris. and around the pillared gallery
Of the palaces patio, FIJI the place with
music
The palace was designed by a famous
European architect. and, though il fol
lows the Spanish style Of architecture
ia its general construction. Il is far
more deliberately decorated than are most
Spanish buildings. The house Is built
in the form Of square around biz
court Surrounding this interior court
is a two-storied arcade which is sup
ported by Ionic columns
Throughout the entire house The wood
/, work is Of mahogany, hand carved. The
palace contains twenty-five large rooms
including a highly ornate chapel. The
! tiled floors are strewn with Oriental
/. rugs Of the costliest weave and texture
or the walls hang paintings executed
by artists Of distinction.
AIvarado Is deeply religious. Far
!, down in the heart Of his Ia PaImilla
! be has erected a shrine 10 the Virgin
I before which the candles are never al.
lowed to 20 ont.
/, No one knows just how rich La Pal,
: mila mine is, for no one but the owner
and bis employees are permitted to en-
! ter.
I Some time ago a representative Of the
American Smelling & Refining company
visited Alvnrado and asked for permits.
sion to inspect the mine, with a view
to making Alyarado an offer for it.
. "The mine is not for sale was @Ths
! Pcon Mining Kings" reply, "but If you'll
fix fair price on all the American
Smelling and Refining coinponys mines
III Mexico. IN be glad 70 buy them
: The smeltcr trusts agent left hur
riedly
= The property on which La palmils
mine Is situated was bought by Al
. varado's father. but he had not th,
! means to acquire the necessary machin
ery to extract the ore that he felt con
! ident Il contained He died before III
4 Palmillas untold wealth was proved
\ but he impaired the faith that he has
: in the mine 70 bis SON
\ II was not until after the Mexican
l railroad reached Parral that the silvcr
|. blood thst ran in La Palmilla's vein,
was finally tapped,
I II was lessee 70 whom Alyarado hay
!. rented small portion Of IA Palmill.
domain that was the first 70 blast ava,
!. the face Of the rock and discover th,
}. rich channels Of ORE chat lay beneath
It was evident at once that la Pal