Year 1887 - Popper, Selknam Indian Hunter

The discovery of gold in the Strait in 1884 attracted a large number of immigrants to Magellan, who dedicated themselves to washing the sands of Cabo Vírgenes, Zanja a Pique and Río de las Minas. Gold circulated in Punta Arenas as currency, because both in the stores and in the entertainment houses, the miners paid with large nuggets. The gold fever drove people crazy, aroused passions and was the origin of great fortunes.

Attracted by this wealth, the Romanian engineer Julio Popper arrived in Punta Arenas and settled near Cabo Vírgenes, where hundreds of people worked, the vast majority of them Yugoslavians. He stayed there for a short time and, authorized by the Argentine government, he went to the eastern edge of Tierra del Fuego, settling in San Sebastián. The Romanian brought armed and uniformed people to become his personal guard, fighting the Indians of the large island and the men who came to search for gold with him.

He did well from the start. He extracted metal in large quantities. He built a town, installed large machinery, minted coins and printed his own stamps. In his delusions of grandeur, he wanted to found an empire.

He later extended his activities to the Beagle Channel area, pursuing all the miners searching for gold in the vicinity.

In his battles with the Indians, he took hundreds of horses, on which he rode uniformed dolls, to give the impression that he had a large number of troops.

INFORMATION: The Julius Popper story here: https://youtu.be/jTyFQmjImFg

Popper's reign was short-lived, as during one of his temporary absences, the people who worked with him set fire to the facilities, stole the gold and fled in a cutter to Punta Arenas. Popper pursued them to this port, but had to take refuge because the miners, enemies of the Romanian, held a public election, asking the authorities to throw him out of town.

Enraged, they tried to set fire to the hotel where he was staying. Popper fled, boarding a schooner, which transferred him to a steamer and headed for Buenos Aires, where he died a short time later, the victim of an attack.