El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-03-21


y ERRO DE PAsCO, Peru. March
Eli have come to the top of
- the Andes to tell you about the
greatest copper mines of this CONT
nent They lie here on the roof Of the
world. They are more than 1000
miles south OF the Panama canal and
s0mething like 5000 miles from the
Straight of Magellan. They are about
200 miles east of the Pacific ocean
and 3,000-odd miles from the Atlantic.
Their actual altitude is over 1900
feet, and one has to go over a pass
which is 1865 feet above sea level to
reach them.
Highest Mining Town on Earth.
CerrO de PaScO is the highest min
ing town of the world. 1t is three or
four thousand feet above Leadville,
and almost twice as high as Mexico
City. There are peaks near it which
are 10000 feet high, and its surround
lugs are some of the grandest on
earth. The town is right over treas
ures Of silver and copper Of incalcula-
blet value. They have been mining sill
ver1 here for 400 years, and that metal
is almost played out.
The outlook is that they will be
mining copper for 100 years more, and
the copper mines are really just at
their beginning Today the town is
like great cOlander, the holes Of
which are the openings of mines. The
Spaniards and indians have been min
ing here for eight generations and
now the Americans have bought the
most valuable deposits and the outlook
Is that they viii be mining for many
generations to some.
Dates Back to 1890
The story of CeErO 1e EaScO. dates
who was watching his uamas and
sheep, had to stay here over night. He
quilt fire on the stones to keep
warm and when he aWoke in the
a rHrr Hrr -n=r.r
with globules Of silver which the fire
had boiled out. This story went forth
and as result something like 50O,-
VUg'OOO ounces Of silver have been
taken out of these mines. They are
mining some silver here now and as
rode on mule back about through
the town I could see great pits large
enough to swallow the Vatican at
Rome or our National capitol at
w ashington from which that ore had
been taken. The silver ore comes
from yellowish rock which lies near
the surface. Tt disintegrates easily,
and much of if is taken out in the
form of a powder
The first working was done by the
Spaniards, who used indian slaves and
logged them TO keep them at labor.
Later on the mines fell into the
hands of indian chOlOs, and when sill
yer was high they were owned by
capitalists who paid the miners some
thing like 40 cents a day for twelve
hours work, with an ounce of coca
leaves to keep them hard on the Job
Today the silver ore and many Of the
petty copper propositions are worked
by indians Outside the American
holdings there are many small mines;
and the town of 10000 is so peppered /
with holes that one would hardly
dare to go about alone after dark.
The native miners do their work in
the Old-fashiOned way They dig out
the best ore with picks and carry It /
up ladders IN rawhide sacks on their
backs
The ore taken out by the indians Is now
largely copper, although most Of it carries I
more or less silver. The real value Of the /
ana more copper as the mining goes down
me silver which near the surface often as
saved 100 ounces 20 the ton, has gradually ]
fallen in quality until it is now less than 10. |
gold and silver in il and the American COM
pany finds that the costs Of the mining are /
paid By the precious metals, the copper be- !
lag almost pure profit The copper is far !
richer than that in the mines Of the United /
States from which our great supplies come
Americans Heavily Interested
It was the great copper value that at
tracted the attention Of American capital
lists to CerrO de Pasco. ard today syndf-
cate composed OF some Of our richest men
nave bought the mines here and they are
where else on this continent Among the
members or the syndicate are such. men as J. !
= Haggin. Henry G. Frick, the Nanderbilts.
the HearsI estate and others These men /
have already spent tens Of millions Of dol /
lars The business is not a. stock proposition I
me shares are not quoted on the exchange
offered for sale The operation Of the mines
Is on plain business basis
NO expense IS spared to produce economic
-esults ana Tor some years the company sank
nllllons without being absolutely sure Of re-
turn Today their mines are worked eff a
pfoLll' ana TINS has been the case for several 4