The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-07
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md iHdHvli'ri firadofu Ths story NJ
peri NV fhr't c'nftfi Nv after w. disr1vrrv
Nv the stauiari4 presents Only . lrroFi
~ d~evelmpmsni 4iiGri Nv -"lnahness hwi ~
fraslufn aiiaosiui ~ q trrtnnictl ayf'Hm
~ cuinninl government
IN he sC1npresf ~ Porn" Nf Pfrscrit
stys fhtf 'thr origin ~ fbr Peruvian Fm.
tirr 10 Inst In Tho missa ~ fahls A. spme
unknown Tins. hing beforp tbs arrival ~
ths fnoaa. N wa tbs hofne ~ q mighty facH.
whora work fcmnins In the ruins N rifles
and forsrcss,s Witch IN tbs skill and Tho
ma gnit1de ~ their constitution rival tho
work ~ In Egyptians ~ tho time " Cbeops
and Rsneses Some have oreditsd Theses
triiv wonderful strncturs- to ths fncsa
but there IL much which supports tbs belief
~ others that thsy were ererfsd nv n peupl"
~ y much earlier timg and q higher oivili-
zauon Peru IL q rich but ~ yet lmper.
fsotly explored treasure bp,aH Tor students
Of antiquity. The hottsr now history ~
che Incas, who followed th@as ancient won-
dor workers. u full ~ interest and romance.
They were tho Children ~ tho sun 4
long SERVES ~ dynaatiea Developed q religion
and n social and industrial organization
which In many ways was most remarkable.
These wsre the people Of tho time Of tho
Spanish conquest. This story Of the oon-
quest and the three centuries Of Spanish
rule IL a tale Of oppression, bloodshed and
greed.
Peru was the last Of Spain's South Amer
ican possessions b raise the standard OF
revolt. A a matter OF fact. II can hardly
he said that she did revolt. She was In
volved In the general Independence move
ment OF the time and her liberation was
really Effected by the Argentine General,
San Martin, who crossed the Andes with
his army TO assist In the emancipation OF
Chile. Bolivar came In later. and the inde-
pendence Of Peru was finally achieved
in 1929, although 1t was declared five yeare
earlier. With the exception OF two or three
brief but notable periods the lei sixty
years were a time Of domestic strife and
foreign war. During the last ten years a
new order seems to have been established
and the prospect Is now bright for perma-
nent peace.
The country has a coast line OF about
100 miles in length. Bordering this Is a
coastal plain of varying width, though sell
dom exceeding fifty or sixty miles. Except
in the northern part, rain seldom falls Oh
this area. II is, however, Tor purposes OF
cultivation abundantly watered by the
streams which flow from the mountains.
Behind this coast strip are the foothills Of
the Andes, and behind them lie the majestic
Cordilleras OF the Andes, many of the sum-
mits perpetually snowclad, rising to 10000
feet, and even more, in altitude. Eastward
from the Andeau range the land drops away
irrau,, In rly and rAarhaS laval country In the
valley of the Amazon.
This physical conformation make pos
sible the cultivation of the products Of the
tropics, the sub-tropics and the temperate
zone. Sugar and cotton are now grown in
considerable quantity on the coastal plain
and the industries may be almost indeh-
nitely extended by irrigation systems, An
increasing attention lie paid to the cultiva-
ton OF cacao, Wheat, barley, horses and
cattle thrive in the foothill country, and
an important coffee industry is assured
when transportation facilities and a supply
OF labor make profitable cultivation a
possibility. The forests OF the eastern
slope yield rubber and gums, Peruvian bark,
dyewoods and valuable cabinet timber.
The output of all these 10 for the present
restricted by reason Of the difficulties and
lllt SbHl VI Nl"liol'l' w W ~ Va
shipment.
Peru, no viewer, like Mexico and Argentina.
la now fully alive to the Importance of
the transportation question, The military
hierarchy and political ~uphoavals having
come to an end, II is hoped forever, the
Peruvian Administration Is turning to rail-
way construction, both as a means Of ma
tional development and as a factor in pc.
ENt,nl - DAra, npNnR~Al tpnpn hAR
four years OF war with Chile Qs79-lssS)
with n devastated country, a decimated
population, an empty treasury and a for
eign indebtedness OF some $500, 0o0, 900.
She relieved herself Of this obligation by
transferring her State railways TO a bond
holders organization called the Peruvian
Corporation. These lines will revert to
the Government in 1853. Under this con-
tract the Government was to pay to the
corporation an annual subsidy Of $500 900,
and the corporation agreed to undertake
extensions of the system. The inability
of the Government to meet his annual pay
ment has resulted In dispute and confusion
and In a suspension OF the proposed extern
sion Of the lines. The systom controlled
by this company includes q dozen lines,
long and short, with a total Of a little more
than 500 miles Of track.
The line OF the greatest immediate i'm
portanoe to Peru is an American enter
prise. This onnects at oroya with the
Callho-0roya line md runs eighty-three
miles to the mines at Cerro de Pasoo. whore
the same American company owns and
operates one Of the largest copper mine
properties in the world, Coal for smelling
purposes ia obtained in the immediate
neighborhood and millions Of tons Of orc
carrying a very high percentage Of copper
are now opened to connection with the
market, The same region is also rich in
silver, and that metal has been mined for
centuries, Plans are being carried out for
a resumption Of silver mining with modern
methods and appliances and q large out
put is assured when the system Is in full
running order, Gold is known to exist in
Peru in considerable quantities, but there
has been as yet no systematic development.
Peru's enormous mineral wealth is a known
fact. the limit of it's vas,ness is the only
point upon which there is doubt. There
IL much which points to Peru as n of the
richest mineral countries in the world.
About two years ago Peru arranged for