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Show OPENING SIP TIE ANCIENT NINES A. I. M'Cnae in Perns' Wealth of Copper Properties Which Have Been Worked Two Hundred and' Seventy Four Years. With a Big American Syndicate Ho Is to Operato tho Rich Mines. "South America is enthusiastic over tlie success of the Panama canal emcr-prlee," emcr-prlee," said A. W. .McCune last night, who has Just arrived home. "That canal will assist In the development of the great resources of the South American Ameri-can republics as no other business enterprise en-terprise possibly could. When It was known the canal would be completed by the United States there was great rejoicing." re-joicing." Mr. McCune has Justeturned from -an extensive trip to Peru, where he has extensive mining interests. He Is elated over the progress being made In tho development of his properties and will return as soon as he can pay his family a visit and attend to some important business matters here. "The mines we are developing at vmiu uu i uaiu, x -i it, iiiiiu -ui , iiiv.- Cune, "were first discovered in 1530. They were operated for more than 270 years in the crudest possible way. Our company has already expended more than ?S,000,000 In the construction of railways, the building of shafts and In equipping the mines with the most Improved Im-proved machinery. "We shall spend fully $10,000,000 by the time the plans agreed on are curried out. By the end of the year a mammoth smelter will have been constructed and tho whole of our railway system will be complete. We have built a road from Oo'a to Cerro do Pasco, a distance of S5 miles. There will be 115 miles of railway rail-way as a part of our property. We are employing at this time an average of 3000 men. Five hundred work In the mines and about that number In the smelter. "The mining enterprise at Cerro de Pasco Is one of tho greatest ever attempted. at-tempted. In the world. Of course, we do not know for certain how It will develop but the prospects are certainly all we could desire. We are now opening open-ing five thoroughly equipped shafts and I am glad to say they are all paid for." Mr. McCune has been Interested In these ancient Peruvian copper mines for about three years. He Is one of the most practical mining men In the country coun-try and he Is giving his personal attention at-tention to the enterprise, bringing to bear on the properties his long experience exper-ience In the United States. Ho says the climate is fine, that his health has been good and that the- Peruvians have a good system of government. |