The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-02-21
Chase S. Osborn Has Had Some
Trials in That Country.
How Mr.Frick and Others Fared
With Big Plant in Peru.
Had Trouble in Carload Lots !;
Book Yarns Are Off.

| Chicago, feD. 19.-lnterest III the
west coast of South America, stimu-
lated by the journey of the Anneri-
can battle ship fleet, which passed
Valparaiso, Chile, Friday, makes par
ticularly timely observations on that
section by Chase S. Osborn of Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich.
Mr. Osborn said today that much of
the information on South America
and particularly regarding the west
coast -which is available through the
libraries and bagazines, is several years
old and that many recent and most
interesting developments are entirely
unknown OH the northern half of the
western hemisphere.
Chances for Profits Fewer.
"For one thing, American investors
who went to South America several
years ago to develop mineral resources
have discovered that there is one
chance for profit where there are a
hundred in the United States, Canada
and Mexico" he said. For instance,
the Frick Haggin and other large in
terests spent $2O,OOO,OOO putting in
great copper plants at Cerro de Pasco,
Peru. and now are reaping harvest
of trouble, and have hardly taken out
a cent of ore.
'The mines are old and were worked
800 years ago by the Spaniards. There
were mountain railroads to be built
and great mountain smelters to be
installed Now that the smelters have
been completed it has been found that
they will not work in the rarified at
mosphere which is found at the alti-
tude of $4,000 feet above sea level.
Arizona plants which cost onefourth
as much practically have paid for
themselves in the same period of time,
and made profits equal to all the invest
ment.
Will Investigate Another Time.
"The Americans in that section will
not invest money again without know
ing the exact conditions of climate and
labor and transportation In this coun-
try we do not have to 60 above the
clouds or down in malarial swamps
to find a place to invest our money.
"The passage of fleet through the
Straits of Magellan is not now re-
garded as particularly dangerous. The
approach is guarded by the Evangelistas,
three of the most freaky rocks known
to biologists. They look like huge
obelisks plants in the sea by some
Titanic force. They are several hun
bred feet high and the sea, which
is always rough, breaks against them
in fearfully impressive manner.
"Punta Arenas is the Spanish for
Sandy Point 1t is the old Botany
Bay of Chile. Finally SO many cri-
minals were dumped down in the com
munity that they killed their guards
and terrorized the inhabitants.
ut was so far away from the rest
of Chile, however, that all the nation
did was to discontinue sending more
convicts, leaving the survivors at Pun
la Arenas to fight thmselves tired.
Later it was made the coaling port
for the straits, and now Americans
have discovered rich placer beds there.
Wind Blows at High Rate.
'sThe wind blows at fearful rate
most of the time. and the only roofs
which stay on the houses for any
time are of the American or German
corrugated iron variety. Each strip
of iron is stamped with the name of
the owner, so that after particularly
hard blow the residents 90 out into
the streets and fields and round up
their roofs.
81 have seen the air full of these
flying strips of metal, and people have
been killed in the streets by them.
"A misconception exists here as to
Cape Horn. 1t is not the end of the
South American mainland, but is on
an island, and doesn't look at all like
horn. In fact, it should be called
Cape Hoorn for it was named after its
discoverer, Admiral Hoorn of the Dutch
navy.
Aim Is Toward Manufacturing.
"Valdivia, Chile, up the coast from
Puntas Arenas. is in the timber belt
and hopes to become the manufacture
ing metropolis of the country. Talca-
hauhno, is the seaport for Conception,
the latter eight miles inland. Con-
Iception is the big town of argricul-
tural Chile. Between the two towns
Americans are building the first north
ern electric line in Chile.
Americans also are the fiscal agents
in the greatest railroad undertaking
of the present time-the building at
Cumbre of thirty mile tunnel OH the
Itranscontinental road which is to cross
the Andes. This tunnel will be ten
miles longer than the Simplon tunnel
jim Europe. Nine air shafts are being