Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-11-14
CLERK WHO REFUSED CROWN
American Lad Becomes a Demigod in
Eyes of Half Dozen
r. Renublica

NepuDuCo.
One American could have crown
for the asking. He is the uncrowned
king Of the tropics, the Cecil Rhodes
Of Central America, demigod in the
eyes of half dozen republics.
There sits daily in an unpretentious
office at Battery place, New York, a
silent Hercules who is transforming
the American tropics from jungle to
fruit garden, who is creating pros
perity, health and peace where only
poverty, disease and revolutions for
merly luxuriated, who is busily steel
rail linking Central American repub-
lies to one another as a necessary
preliminary to their union into one
powerful commonwealth and who,
also, is Flooding to make it possible
to travel from New York, Chicago
or San Francisco all the way by rail
to Panama or even to Rio Janeiro.
Minor 6. Keith was Brooklyn lad
who, at l6, started in mems fur
nishing store on Broadway, New
York, at s. a week, didn't care for
selling collars, socks and neckties
and quit in six months to become a
lumber surveyor. He made $1,000 in
the first year and then went into the
lumber business on his own account,
his father having followed that in
dustry.
Before old enough to vote he was
raising cattle and hogs on a bleak,
uninhabited island called Padre ISL
and Gas long as Long Island), near
the mouth Of the Rio Grande. He had
looked over the country after the
civil war and decided to settle on this
forsaken territory. Only one other
family lived on the island.
Here young Keith trained for the
battle Of life, under rough, nerve
trying circumstances, with two revol.
vers never ,unhitched from his belt
and with cattle thieves and other
care-free gentlemen all about him
when he crossed to Texas and the
Mexican border to buy cattle. He
rose at 4 every morning, roughed it
for sixteen hours daily, often slept
outside-and prospered.
He reared and bought cattle all
over the surrounding territory to kill
for their hide and tallow. The beef,
not worth anything in Texas in those
days, was fed to swivel He amassed
herd of 1000 stock cattle and 1000
pigs. Stock cattle were then worth
$3.50 to S. and steers brought 81 for
each year Of their age. To-day, alas
we city folk pay IS cents a pound for
the choicest parts OF such steersD
Then something happened to
change the course of Keith's career.
His uncle, Henry Meiggs, was the
famous builder of the first railway
over the Andes and of other epochal
South American lines. Minors cid
est brother, Henry Meiggs Keith,
had joined his uncle in Peru and had
taken over contract from his uncle
to build railroad in Costa Rica for
the government. One day, in 1871,
Minor received letter from his
brother asking him to come to Costa
RIGA
Minors Job was to run the com
missariat Of the railway. His brother
subsequently died and the construc-
ton of the railway was suspended
through the government. Also, to
make possible the money. In order
to carry out his brothers. undertake
ing he recontracted the coast line
Of the railway with the government.
Also, to make possible the building
of the mountain section for which the
government had not the needed So
100000, he made a contract with the
Costa Rica government to settle their
external debt which had been de-
faulted for thirteen years. He pro-
ceeded to London and after many diff
hculties arranged a settlement of the
debt and all arrears of interest, and
obtained 100000 for the construc-
ton of the railway.
The international Railways OF
South America-"The Pan-American
Railways not mere paper rail-
road. Half OF 1t is already built. Con-
nection has been made on the Pacific
side with the National Railways Of
Mexico, at the Guatemala boundary.
The road runs down the Guatemala
coast and then cuts clear across the
continent to Puerto Barrios, on the
Atlantic side; this transcontinental
line is now in profitable operation,
the net earnings Tor prohts) in the
first four months OF this year having
been $667,s45. From midcontinent
the line is being built straight
through the little republic of Saliva
dor TO La Union. ON the Pacific. Next