january english investor businessman north born leeds yorkshire son coal merchant age engineers working years mechanic moved chile occupation boiler later moved town worked operator ship owner war pacific provided north opportunity purchase large numbers bonds industry chile annexed surrounding province chilean government transferred ownership fields north able monopoly share lucrative chilean industry small initial investment known king north built business expanding freight railways owned iron coal fields north maintained employing lawyers block competing court allowed chilean president successor concerned starting resemble state state resolved break north monopoly force competition reforms opposition congress series disputes eventually chilean civil war president congress north investments operated concession company involved extraction export rubber state highly profitable business later involved abuses human rights power north finances eventually depleted died business empire collapsed early life north born leeds yorkshire january son coal merchant age engineers working years mechanic moved chile south_america age occupation boiler moved province peru north established later large business empire working operator ship owner war pacific territorial disputes chile peru triggered war pacific chile invading occupying land course war north suffered damage ships sunk befriended chilean admiral later supported business ventures war north assisted british men worked government industry banker north able use harvey knowledge business credit provided purchase bond certificates low prices investors panicked peru poor military performance war war chilean government annexed allowed bond holders possession title deeds fields influenced appeals north friends north managed secure large share chilean industry small initial investment worthless bonds reason chilean government allowed cost million buy bonds mainly british allowing start mining chilean government share profits export duties having provide initial capital costs begin production north left chile returned united_kingdom order raise credit provide machinery transport employment costs february months peru officially ceded fields chile established north dispatched robert harvey chile equipment engineers begin construction mines whilst north remained britain manage financial enterprise mines operation producing short tons month company turned large profits able pay excess year north partners order found companies result fantastic profits north known king known public figure england important source income chilean government increase export duty ton resulted revenue increasing million allowed government cuts income land tax reliance chile income caused conflict government production wanted price cutting production whilst government wanted duty income exports nature trade meant chilean economy totally dependent imports exports britain periodic revenue caused cutting production eventually forced chilean government print money causing inflation increase north meantime north continued invest chile founded held monopoly rail transport held monopoly water supply owned coal iron fields britain set north navigation south wales venture turned successful welsh company employed miners produced million tons coal year development north largely responsible rapid growth years addition business primary cause development towns maintain north employed lawyers block competing court president north went successor initially allowed situation continue concerned situation starting resemble state state decided break north monopoly congress supportive force reforms restore competition province increasing disputes congress resulted outbreak civil war meantime north enjoyed status famous high society gentleman britain worth million friend later described new_york_times lion london social season owner acre km2 estate extensive stables mansion near kent north owned racing horses won british racing trophies north visited united_states july described member recent rise fame fortune known colonel north appointed honorary colonel volunteer engineers march regularly allowed regiment men camp gardens estate days time time hold festivals men local villagers events challenged lieutenant colonel won financial decline north approached king belgium horse racing event provide funds establish concession company extract rubber north agreed provided initial investment set antwerp august exclusive rights forest products basin years police powers limits concession enforce collection rubber tax company initially successful years north death heirs sold shares company company later infamous human rights abuses inhabitants concession fell financial troubles despite varied investments world north finances eventually decline accelerated time died business empire collapsed death occurred half hour eating shells sent analysis suspected heart problems cause death donated city leeds donations later
John Thomas North