The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-12-24
MINES IN PERU ARE
RICHER THAN GOLD
DIFFERENCES WITH CHILE ARE
CAUSED BY VAST WEALTH
OF THE COUNTRY.

WASHINGTON.-The cause of the
present serious differences between
Chile and Peru, which threatens to
lead to open hostilities, in which
event Bolivia undoubtedly would be-
come actively involved, is to be found
in the long-standing dispute over pos
session of the invaluable guano beds,
over which the three nations engaged
in bloody warfare some years ago.
Guano Beds of Bolivia.
1t is said that Humboldt added the
greatest wealth to the reports of his
discoveries when he called attention
of Europe to the guano beds of Bo
llvla and Peru. Near midway of the
equator and the Tropic of Capricorn
are large tracts of desert that the
rain never falls upon. The same is
true of the Chincha or Guano islands,
which stretch along the Peruvian
coast. In these deserts and on these
islands are guano deposits which have
been worth more in money than the
copper, gold and silver of the worlds
best mines. For their fertilizer, the
greatest of land reviewers, the world
has been paying a high price for
many years. An expert has reckoned
that to transport the weight of gold
that this product has been worth 49,
GOO pack mules or train of thirty
miles in length would be required.
The Peruvian government had receiv-
ed upward of one billion dollars for
its product up to the time that it pro-
hlblted its further export.
Deposits Vary in Thickness.
These deposits of guano, which
vary in thickness, being from twenty
to one hundred feet deep, were form
ed by the countless millions of pen
gums and other seabirds having fire.
quented these islands for ages, laying
their eggs and bringing forth their
young there. These deserts and is
lands must also have been selected by
the birds as their place of sepulture,
as much of the deposits is derived
from the bodies of the defunct sea
birds in all stages of decomposition
Nowhere else in the world are ma
rine birds found in so great Quanti-
ties as along this coast. Their pres
ence in such immense numbers is due
to the quantities of fish found there, !
upon which the birds feed. Cormo-
rants, pelicans, penguins, seagulls |
and marine crows, in clouds number
ing hundreds of thousands, may be
seen flying low to and from the is |
lands. But the birds alone could not |
have produced the Peruvian guano. |
It was necessary to have the rainless
climate Of this locality in order to
accomplish the result.
Nitrates and Prosphates.
Three constituents needed for
plant life, nitrates, phosphates and
potash. These constituents are
found in a natural state on all good |
soils, although not generally we'll bal |
anced, nor are the two latter found |
always in an available form. The |
constituent most often wanting is the
heterogeneous, and this is one Of the
most easily lost and most costly to
supply in any artificial form.
When left exposed to a humid at
mosphere for any length of time and
rain is allowed to fall on it the fixed
nitrogen is rapidly leached out 1t is
on this account that Peruvian guano
in its natural state, never having
been exposed to rain or dampness, has
retained it's nitrogen and is of such
great value. Some guano contains all
three elements OF plant life and all
Of it contains two elements-phos-
pilates and fixed nitrogen. 1t has
sold as high as $50 a ton.
Islands Were Guarded.
Under the old inca civilization of
Peru the islands were carefully
guarded and the product fairly di-
vided. Closed seasons were enforced
and care exercised that the birds
were not unduly disturbed. In later
years it became the policy of the Pc
ruviaa government to relieve the old
Irca regulations enforcing closed sea-
sons and rotation in digging.