Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-22

Among the members of the syndicate are
such men as J. 3. Haggin, Henry c.
F'rick, the Eanderbilts the Hearst estate
and others. These men have already
spent tens OF millions of dollars in de-
veloping the property and they have
mines here that are worth, l am told,
at least fifty millions of dollars. The
business is not stock proposition The
shares are not quoted on the exchange
and So far as l know no stock has ever
been offered for sale. The operation of
the mines is on Il plain business basis.
No expense is spared TO produce economic
results and for some years the COMPANY
sank millions without being absolutely
sure of return. Today their mines are
worked at Il profit. and this has been
the case for several years back. In
1907 they shipped over 2o.oeD.0O0 pounds
of copper and the srnelter near here is
now turning out 4.oO0.oOD pounds of cop
per matte every month This matte, goes
to New York, where, as ] have said. the
gold and silver in it a5ont pays the eN-
penses of mining and reduction, leaving
the copper as almost clear gain.
The extent of the operations of this
American syndicate is almost inconceiv-
able They have come here to the tops
of the Andes. at an altitude of almost
three miles above the sea, and have de-
yeloped an industry which would be enor-
nous in any part of the world. They
have built q. s!nelter about six miles from
here which surpasses anything on the
South American continent and which in
many respects is like nothing else ever
known. They have built up a town there
and they practically support this city of
Cerro de Pasco. They have thousands of
men in their employ. and there are per
haps six or eight thousand Indians or
native PeruyiaI.S working in the mines
and the smelter. They have within about
twenty-five miles from Cerro de Pasco
great mines of bituninous coal, which
they have connected by railroad with this
town and the smelter. and they make
their own coke and furnish their own
fuel. They have built standard-gauge
railroad. which is by far the best in Peru
from Cerro de Pasco to Oroyo, and they
have more than hundred miles of track,
over which cars go smoothly as any
in the states, and that notwithstanding
the altitude OF the road ranges from
I2.OGo TO l4.O00 above the sea. 1t is this
road that connects them with the Central
railway of Peru, by which their ore is
taken down to the coast.
4
In its purchase of the mines the com
pany included a great deal of land. 1t
has here hacienda which covers about
100000 acres. II would take a day and
q. half TO ride all around it This ha-
cienda is highly mineraiized, but the title
TO such lands in Peru gives only surface
rights. apd any one can prospect and
claim any mine he discovers. In addition
TO the mines the syndicate owns
through one of its branch companies. a
great copper property at Morocochs.
where. ! am told. the ore is even
richer than that at Cerro de Pasco. The
mines there are almost three miles above
the sea level and they are now being
worked They are not far from the Cen
trail railway and they will have a down
grade all the way to the oast al Cal
lao, starting within few miles of the
mines.
Indeed, it is hard to realize the values