The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-09

Railway Company, and that at big
profit
In this way the Antofagasta and Bo-
iivia Railroad passed out of the con
troll OF the Americans ana into that OF
the t.nslish Tho Americans mag still
own some Of the stock, but the rail-
road belongs TO and is managed by Eng
liSh capitalists. II has been completed
To La Ia&, and is NOW advancing to-
ward Cochabamba, thriving town on
the eastern side OF the Andes. The
same company is building a line from
Cyuni to Tupiza, the total length Of
which VIII be about 100 miles y short
extension will connect that line with
the Argentine railways. and then ono
can travel across country from Bolivia
10 Argentina. understand that the
Bolivian government has already CON
rracted loan for the building OF the
break from Tupiza to the Argentine
frontier.
The Antofaeasta Road is one of the
most profitable roads of all South
America. 1t is the great down the
mountain chute FOR the tin and copper
ores of the Bolivian plateau. and. as it
has monop,oly it can charge all that
the traffic Will bear. The freight rates
are enormous, and that on coal from
Antofagasta 10 La Paz is something
Ike $50 or $50 ton. suppose YOU had
10 pay so for getting a ton Of coal
from Washington 10 Detroit Ven
turc You would object. even as the La
paG people do.
By the extension of the lines. the
freight OF the road Will he greatly in
creased. Cochabamba IL i'm a thriving
aE:icultural district, with no outlet for
Its products. PostoSi is on tho slope OF
= mountain, that MAS once a great mass
o: sllVc: ana is now being worked for
ITS tin. IL is expected that many low
grade tin ANA silver mines, which can
not ne operated because OF the high
cost o: trans portation, will be opened
up as soon rs the road is completed
AS To TupZa. III Southern bolivia
that town is OF no great Importance,
hut all along the road from UNuni there
are rich TIN mines, and many low grad"
propositions viii he opened up when the
railroad goes through. AS it is now.
the chief trouble OF this system is its
two different gauges. Some OF the
tracks arc OF a forty-inch gauge, while
others are Of only thirty inches Tie
latter is the case with the road from
Antofagasta to ovuro, hut arrange
mcnts are being made to alter il to
forty inches, thus standardizing The
system
/ y great deal of the Bolivian rolling
stock comes from the United States
/ ON the Antofagasta line the locomo-
tives are chiefly Baldwins great
many Rogers are used on The Peru
Wan roads, and OH the africa line the
engines are American. English and
German During the construction of
teat road there We're fifteen locomo-
, tiNes ana lao fiat cars in service Tie
heaviest engine weighed seventy tons.
! our civil engineers have had much
10 do in laying ont the roads Of 10
/ llNid. and Americans are now taking
contracts for the new construction
financed by tho English The rough
wogi, is largely done by Aynara In
dams. who receive from 50 cents to
II day This is very high for Boz
livia, where the average wages are
perhaps not more than % cents per
day.
notwithstanding this. there is great
trouble IN getting good men. The
Aymara usually works for a week or
less. ana then leaves Sometimes he
goes away without pay. talked with
one Of the contractors last night as to
. tn" labor situation. said he:
THE chief trouble is that all of the
Indians are heavy drinkers OF alcohol.
After pay day We find that we have
to lay of many Of them so that ,hey.
may sober UP They all chew coca
and We allow them a certain amount
/ Of coca with their wages They do
not like foreigners. but va have 10
use foreisners as foremcn. for the In
dams are SO low intellectually that
they csrno; boss or plan. They have to
lie driven, and their sullen looks show
that they arc disguised always with
/ their job and are ready to leave at the
/ hrst opportunity"
The most important part of Bolivia
! has no; yet been touched hy the rail
I roads. l refer to tho fertile eastern
i section, just over the Andes. This
/ consists Of enormous forests and high
! grassy plains, which Will feed millions
of cattle. The government has plan