The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-29
THE TIMES DISPATCH RICHMOND VA SUNDAY MARCH 80 1914

-hSA OIIuIOA> ny - ~ A>1/IA
l In addition. tho company is building
homes for Its rativc employees. It has
two classes of houses. ono Of adobe and
another or brick. Tho rent is q noui-
inai one OF 80 cents per month. This
is charged in order TO keep hold OF
the property, for il il were furnished
rent free the native would thinlS he
owned il. and would snc the company
ON tho slightest prctcxt.
The foreign colony here is quite as
interesting as that of the native. Here
at a distance of more than 5000 miles !
south OF the United states, AMIDST
three miles above the sea. is an Amer
ican industrial centre. | call it Amer
lean. for it is run by American money;
but. in fact. the foreign employees come
from all over tho world We have
Austrians. Irish and Danes. We have
graduates Of the Boston Tech. OF Nc
iGill College in Canada and OF tho lead
ling universities Of Germany. and. in
short. THO experts OF Il half dozen diff
fcrcnt nations. The manager of the
mines and two OF the doctors are Cana
dams The head Of the company hotel
at Ccrro de pasco is Mr. Tocci. an ital-
ian. and the IuanaEcr Of tho hotel at
the smcltcr. several miles OFF. is - Nor
mon. Mr.. salisbury, whose native home
! is salt Lake City Mr.. FillsburN is ~
/ 81 ~ pciIS DIpHuS. with nllT or bilEl'
red. The natives find his name hard 10
pronounce. and so they cali him "ICl
Grineo Rubio." which means the Rod
lGrinao. The manager Of the mines is
Mr. w J. Hamilton, who mado rcpu-
Itation in the Far West, ana who il
said to receive here salary two
thirds as large that Of President
! Wilson. MI of these men arc we'll
paid. They ;."c employed OF contracts
! az two years. ana ii costs 5000 or moro
IA hon t,.,..
The United states 10 tn. niirS
Many Of these foreign employees have
! their wives and families with them
: and SO Tar have not met ono man or
woman who is not pleased with his or
iher lot. The com panN does everything
! it car ." make life agreeable, ard tho
people live almost as we'll as at homo.
! In tho first place. both the sr,elter
and the mines have hotels built OF
stone, with bathrooms ard all modern
ccnNetcnces. put UP fCr the employees
/ no arc bachelors. They get room and
board for 800 per month. The nrarria cd
employees have comfortable Stone cot
iaScs. and they can buy their foraiS
supplies ut tho company store At
Fboth Ia Fundicion and Cerro dc rasco
, there arc clubhouscs. with libraries and
reading rooms. supplied with tho lat
4 est magazines and papers and also
I bowling alleys, billiard halls and rooms
I 'pT entertainments ana dances. IheE
| lave tennis courts where they play
matches and baseball grounds. where
the smelter employees sometimes con
test with those OF the mines on the
diamond. In addition to this there arc
pony riding into the country ana cx-
cursions to the tropical valleys. Tho
foreign settlement has a crcditahlc
monthly magazine. the Inca Chronicle.
leditcd by y. j. Swanson. which has tho
idistinction OF being published nearer
,hcaven than any other periodical on
earth. 1t has also a hospital with OK
pert physicians and trained nurses.
and when tho men arc sick they are
we'll cared for or are sent down tho
hill" The words down the hill' aud
I''up the hill" mean to and from the
sea coast The distance is about 200
miles by railway. ard tho hill from
which they drop or ascend is above
tho top Of Pixies Peak
/ Most OF the Americans and other
/ foreigners who live hero in tho Andes
tell nc they are healthy. and that this
1 Is so OF men. women and children.
There arc. however, some who come
who cannot stand tho rarity Of the afr.
and many are afflicted with pncumo-
mia and have TO be sent hack post haste
on special trains. I know OF employees
! who have come up three or four diff
fcrcnt tlmes, and. going down sick
have at last had to give up in despair.
| AS to soroche. or the mountain sick
! nSSS. tnat seems TO attack every one
when he first reaches an altitude OF
two miles more above tho sea.
Every foreigner I have met has been
more or less afflicted with it. 1t usual
Ily comes the first day after the ar
/ rival and may last two three days
[ or two weeks Those who have weak
hearts arc likely to drop insensible.
and il sometimes causes death. AS n
rule. most people get over it. although
lit viii return at any overeNertion
/ or imprudence, and that after months
! OF freedom and health.
! The first symptoms OF this illness
arc pains IN the head and nausea.
/ Then comes vertigo. \dimncss % sight
! and hearing. Painting fits may fol-
low. and the blood may flow from your
/ eyes, nose and lips. Those who have
weak lungs arc liable TO hemorrhaGes,
and many tell me they have q pain =
,hc heart l had my first attack M
teen years ago, when ] stayed over
night at the Casapalca smelter. which
is less than 1900 feet above the sea.
thought was safe at Cerro dc E'asco,
although il is 200 feet higher, but the
morning after my arrival, after
/ slccpless night. ! felt as though the
| ton of my head was being pried or
/ with a crowbar. while a steam engine
! was running aEay inside my brain
| When I tried TO get up | almost
tainted, but l persevered, and that
afternoon l was able 10 so abon; by
, resting every few steps. rs II is NOW,
my boots are heavy and my i've
/ pound camera weighs a ton. In rid
| ing my mule over the mountains this
/ afternoon ! made him go On the walk,
! and when he once started TO S2liop,
! my heart seemed TO be hitting the
/ crown Of my head
The soroche attacks different per
sons in different ways. My stenog
rapher had a slight attack when we
reached the smelter, but this soon
passed off, and he thought I've WAS
proof against further trouble lie
! walked six miles that day, and then
! spent an hour in the club bowling
alleys. At the same time ne ate like
y Virginia razor-back hog, and the
result is that he has now II beautiful