Domingo Eyzaguirre
Encyclopedia
Domingo de Eyzaguirre y Arechavala (July 17, 1775 – April 22, 1854) was a Chile
an politician and philanthropist
.
He was born in Santiago, Chile, the son of the Basque
Domingo Eyzaguirre Escutasolo and of María Rosa de Aretxabala y Alday. He studied in the seminary of his native City, and showed remarkable aptitude for mathematics and chemistry. When scarcely nineteen years old he was appointed as assayer
of the royal mint of Santiago, but resigned the next year, and devoted himself entirely to the cultivation of a farm near Santiago, inherited from his father.
There his labors tended more to the improvement of the condition of the laboring classes than to his own pecuniary interest. He improved the yield of some of the poorest lands by his knowledge of chemistry, introduced modern agricultural implements, and, by giving his laborers better than the accustomed wages and caring for their moral and material welfare, soon assembled a colony of well to do and contented people. He also introduced looms, which, although imperfect, served to weave from native wool the coarse cloth worn by the peasantry.
From the first years of his country life he agitated the project of a canal to water the barren plain surrounding Santiago, which had been begun some time before, but was abandoned. The Spanish government approved the plan, and in 1802 made Eyzaguirre director. He pushed the work with energy until it was interrupted by the revolution of 1810, and notwithstanding he sympathized with the patriotic cause, he abstained from any participation.
His prestige as an honorable and impartial man was so great that, even when his brothers were exiled, he suffered no persecution from the Spanish authorities, and was enabled to alleviate the sufferings of his compatriots. When the independence of Chile was finally established in 1817, he resumed his favorite work, and in 1820, amid great festivities, the canal of Maipo was opened. This, with many smaller lateral canals, soon converted the arid plain into a fertile garden. It was placed by the government under the administration of a board, of which Eyzaguirre was appointed president.
In 1823 he was commissioned to reorganize the charitable institutions, and undertook the task of building a home for wayfarers and needy persons. Within a few years he had collected the necessary means, and a new and commodious building was erected.
In 1835 he was appointed first governor of the department of Victoria
, the capital of which he had founded and spent a good part of his fortune in improving. He established the agricultural society in 1838, and was elected its president. He was several times deputy to the National congress, where he soon became noted for his honesty.
In 1845 he attempted to establish a socialistic colony in the country, where all should share the labor and produce, but soon dissensions broke out, and the project failed. A few years later he undertook to establish a large cloth factory, with the object of improving the condition of the poor and giving occupation to women and children. In this enterprise he invested the greater part of his fortune, but before the factory was finished he died. The Maipo canal board erected a statue to his memory.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an politician and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
He was born in Santiago, Chile, the son of the Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
Domingo Eyzaguirre Escutasolo and of María Rosa de Aretxabala y Alday. He studied in the seminary of his native City, and showed remarkable aptitude for mathematics and chemistry. When scarcely nineteen years old he was appointed as assayer
Assayer
An assayer is a person who tests ores and minerals and analyzes them to determine their composition and value. They may use spectrographic analysis, chemical solutions, and chemical or laboratory equipment, such as furnaces, beakers, graduates, pipettes, and crucibles.An assayer separates metals...
of the royal mint of Santiago, but resigned the next year, and devoted himself entirely to the cultivation of a farm near Santiago, inherited from his father.
There his labors tended more to the improvement of the condition of the laboring classes than to his own pecuniary interest. He improved the yield of some of the poorest lands by his knowledge of chemistry, introduced modern agricultural implements, and, by giving his laborers better than the accustomed wages and caring for their moral and material welfare, soon assembled a colony of well to do and contented people. He also introduced looms, which, although imperfect, served to weave from native wool the coarse cloth worn by the peasantry.
From the first years of his country life he agitated the project of a canal to water the barren plain surrounding Santiago, which had been begun some time before, but was abandoned. The Spanish government approved the plan, and in 1802 made Eyzaguirre director. He pushed the work with energy until it was interrupted by the revolution of 1810, and notwithstanding he sympathized with the patriotic cause, he abstained from any participation.
His prestige as an honorable and impartial man was so great that, even when his brothers were exiled, he suffered no persecution from the Spanish authorities, and was enabled to alleviate the sufferings of his compatriots. When the independence of Chile was finally established in 1817, he resumed his favorite work, and in 1820, amid great festivities, the canal of Maipo was opened. This, with many smaller lateral canals, soon converted the arid plain into a fertile garden. It was placed by the government under the administration of a board, of which Eyzaguirre was appointed president.
In 1823 he was commissioned to reorganize the charitable institutions, and undertook the task of building a home for wayfarers and needy persons. Within a few years he had collected the necessary means, and a new and commodious building was erected.
In 1835 he was appointed first governor of the department of Victoria
Victoria, Chile
Victoria is a city and commune in Malleco Province of Araucanía Region, Chile. It is the second most populous city in the province of Malleco, and is the gateway to the area known as Araucanía Andina, with attractions such as the Tolhuaca National Park , the Baths of Tolhuaca Malalcahuello National...
, the capital of which he had founded and spent a good part of his fortune in improving. He established the agricultural society in 1838, and was elected its president. He was several times deputy to the National congress, where he soon became noted for his honesty.
In 1845 he attempted to establish a socialistic colony in the country, where all should share the labor and produce, but soon dissensions broke out, and the project failed. A few years later he undertook to establish a large cloth factory, with the object of improving the condition of the poor and giving occupation to women and children. In this enterprise he invested the greater part of his fortune, but before the factory was finished he died. The Maipo canal board erected a statue to his memory.