El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-03-28
By
Frank G. Carpenter
Copyright, 1914, by Frank
G. Carpenter.)

, backs. After that they trotted on up the
/ Cerro de Pasco has plaza. about which
the-chief buildings face. There is q church
( at one side, and as 7 went through I saw
and resting. Each beast had package Of
! ore strapped to his back; they had probably
come IN from the mines and were on their
way TO the 'smelter. They will carry mer-
chandise to the homes of their owners. As
/ looked, some of the Ilamas got up. They
rest very much like camels putting their
knees under them and sitting flat their
bellies. Tie animals look somewhat like
an ostrich. They are as observing as a fox
terrier and turn their heads this way and
that Tor every new thing in sight Their
wool looks like that Of the AnOgara goat,
but it is coarser. 1t is used chiefly by the
natives and is not exported.
Depends Upon American Capital.
Today the prosperity Of CerrO de Pasco.
and, indeed, Of this whole mining region,
The Americans have already paid out
millions. and they are now spend
ing thousands of dollars month for wages
and native supplies. They are employing
5000 or 10000 people; and the money they
spend goes from here out to the villages
Of the high Andes and down into the
Chaucho Mavo valley, as wen as to Orova
which is situated IS miles from here at the
other END Of the CeFro de PascO road.
The freight supplied by these mines is the
chief support of the Central railway which
comes over the mountains to OroyO; and
in fact the mines have added largely to the
prosperity OF all Peru Much Of the millions
of the original purchase went to Lima and
the present outlay affects many people.
The American company pays higher wages
than any other institution in the republic
and 1t works its men on shorter time. At
present the working day is eight hours: and
the ordinary wage for natives is about IS
cents per day. It ranges from that up to
$500 per month, which is the amount paid
to some Of the Peruvian foremen
Builds Homes for Natives.
In addition the company is building homes
for its native employees 1t has two classes
of houses one OF adobe and another of brick
The rent is a nominal one Of so cents DER
month This is charged in order to keen
hold Of the property, for If it were furnished
rent free the native would think he owned
it and would sue the company on the
slightest pretext.
Here at a distance Of more than 5000 miles
south Of the United States. almost three
miles above the sea, is an American indus
trial center. 1 call it American. for 1t is
run by american money; but in fact the for
elgn employees come from all over the world
We have Australians, Germans Austrians
Irish and Danes. We have graduates of the /
Boston Tech Of McGiu college in Canada /
and OF the leading universities Of Germany,
ana, IN short, the experts OF half dozen ma /
tons The manager of the mines and two I
Of the doctors are Canadians.
The head Of the company hotel at Cerro I
le Fasco IS Mr.. Tocci, an Italian. and the /
manager of the hotel at the smelter seven /
miles OF, is a Mormon. Mr. Spillsbury /
whose native home is Salt Lake CITY Mr.
is a straw berry blonde with hair
p bright red. The natives find his name ]
lard to pronounce and so they call him eel
jrlngo Rubio, which means the Red !
iringo.
Westerner Is Manager.
me manager Of the mines is ". J. Ham !