60 61 cerro de pasco The greatest investment of the XXth century The U.S. syndicate did not take long to adapt to the conditions of Cerro de Pasco and consolidate its operations and its relations with the community. Something similar happened with the community, which after a while was no longer surprised by the display of logistics, as well as the transport of minerals and inputs, or the presence of English speakers in the narrow, shiny streets of the city. In order to shorten a phrase, the inhabitants had got used to referring to the company as “the Cerro” and they could recognise the employees by their blue denim trousers that wrinkled over their leather work boots, held together by a tangle of laces and suspended over the rubber soles. Underneath a heavy woolen coat they wore a thick wool sweater to keep warm. It was a common occurrence to see them huddled in their green Chevrolet lorries with the company logo that would drive by in convoys. Although the dawns in Cerro de Pasco still filled the sky with bluishpink hues, the fluorescent colours reflected on the snow, bore witness that the cityscape had changed forever. During the second decade of the 20th century, Cerro must have been, after Lima, the city with the largest number of foreign inhabitants. Young people would walk along the streets with their breath producing small clouds of condensation through the scarves that covered their noses while they would sip glasses of mint and barley tea to keep warm. Lining the streets were houses with two or three curved wrought iron balconies, small windows and tall gates that normally allowed passersby to see the hallways. As was traditional, the social areas were grouped around a courtyard, with the service areas behind, while above a balcony surrounded the entire perimeter with the bedrooms behind. Along the winding Marques Street one would arrive at Chaupimarca Square, the commercial hub of the city. Along Lima Street one could get to the Las Culebras store of Sibile Co. across from the monument to the Unknown Soldier, erected in honour of the Pasco Column, a contingent of local youths that fought the Chileans during the War of the Pacific. On that same street one could locate Dieguez Co., where the new employees of Cerro and students arriving at the city for the first time to do their internships would find accommodation. Right across from the Europa Hotel, they were all recommended not to move about very much, remain at home on the first day, and have on hand their altitude sickness pills to chew on. If the symptoms persisted, they were to go to the La Esperanza Hospital that was supported by the mining company itself. Behind the houses of the foreign management, there was the Commissary, the only place where the distinguished wives of the engineers would deign to do their shopping. Behind this retail store, there was a bare football pitch that was very popular on weekends among the locals. Once in a while, on some weekends, the Spanish Beneficent Society organised bullfights along with all the traditions associated with this activity. These were very popular among the Peruvians but shunned by the foreigners, who considered them a blood sport. They preferred to spend their weekends at the golf club. TO GROW The first years of the corporation were marked not only by frenetic activity, but also by the company’s ambitious purpose to deploy a mining corridor from its headquarters to Callao. They achieved their purpose in a few years. A TIME
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