The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-01-17
Once A COAL PASSER|
CARLOS ROMERO, MEXICAN NOW
WORTH MILLIONS.
Started With $500, Bought Abandoned
Mines and Made them Pay
Riches Have Not Turned
His Head.

Hostotipaquillo, State OF Jalisco,
Mex.--Thrcc years ago Carlos Romero,
of this place, was employed as helper
an a locomotive Of the Mexican Cen.
tral railroad, at $50 per month. Mex.
can money. which is equivalent to $40
United States money He Is worth
to-day more than sf,000,000, all made
in mining A few weeks ago he paid
100000 cash for a group Of mines In
this district lie owns q number OF
rich mines which are adding to his
fortune every year at the rate OF about
$l,5O0,000 every year The Cabrera
mine, one of his properties. was oper
ated by the Spaniards more than n
century ago, and II has q record OF
having produced more than 50,000,000
during its early history. Its rich ore
bodies were only touched on the sur
face and Mr.. Romero is taking out
great quantities of orc that runs high
in value.
Mr.. Romero was born Of peon par.
ents. lie worked at odd jobs at few
cents a day until ,hc obtained sltua
ton on the Mexican Central as coal
passer on one OF the big locomotives.
Romero saved from his wages,
small as they were. He could live
cheaply. and $40 per months was a big
sum to him. His run was through a
mining region, ana he came into con.
tact with miners at the various places
along the line of the road Year after
year passed and Romero's pile OF eartI.
ings increased until he had about $700
saved
lie then began to look around for
a safe investment for his little for.
tune. One day he learned that the
ancient Mololoa and TGmara gold
mines in this district could be bought
for q trihe. The ore In the mines waa
thought to be exhausted. Romero got
a lay-oif for Il few days and made q
personal examination of the mines.
He decided that they might stlll be
worked with some profit He bought
the mines, making the first payment
with his few hundred dollars. lie quit
his Job on the railroad and went To
work with his pick in the lower work
lngs Of the Tamara mine. He had
been at It only Jew days when he
uncovered bonanza Of ore. II was
the richest strike ever made in this
district
He got out enough TO make the first
shipment, which brought him a draft
Of more than $4,000 from the smelt.
or A large force OF men was en-.
ployed, and both mines were placed
In regular operation. A rich body OF
ore was also discovered in the Mo!oloa
mine Everything Romero touched
seemed to turn into money. The two
old mines Noted him more than 81 ,000,'
900 during the first year of their oper'
alton under his ownership. He bought
other mines and they produced rich
quantities of ore, which added TO his
fortune.
Mr.. Romero's head has not been
turned by his rapid rise to fortune,
He lives In the simple, plain way that
he did when he was earning $40 per
month. lie has developed remark,
able business ability, and no man in
the state oil Jalisco stands higher rs 4
shrewd, hard-headed man OF affairs
than he. He contemplates erecting
here a magnificent palace for II home.
II Is said that 1t will surpass in grand
eur the famous marble palace of Pc
iio Alyarado, the multi-millionaire
mining man of Parral, whose meteorlc
rise to fortune hes not been unlike
that of Mr.. Romero.