He was one of the most influential foreign entrepreneurs in the history of XIX century Chile, for he owned the most powerful saltpeter works of the north of the country.
He was born in the town of Holbeck (England). He studied at a school in Leeds. He began to work at the age of 15 as a mechanical engineer apprentice for the Shaw, North and Watson firm, in Hunslet.
After eight years, he switched companies to Steam Plough Works, in Leeds. In 1869, this company sent him to Chile to supervise the construction of locomotives at the building yard of Carrizal and at the port of Caldera.
In our country, he decided to make a living by his own means and he went to live in Iquique, where he worked as an employee at a saltpeter office owned by Peruvian Gonzalez Veliz.
At the same time, he began his first businesses in a partnership with Maurice Sewell, importing tools and merchandise from Europe for the saltpeter works. After gathering a good sized capital, he bought his first saltpeter works, and in 1878 he rented out the administration of the Compañia de Aguas de Tarapaca (Tarapaca Water Company) for two years.
However, the following year, due to the outbreak of the Pacific war, the English owners of this potable water company left Chile, so Chilean authorities acknowledged North as its rightful owner.
After the conflict was over, the Tarapaca saltpeter territory fell into the hands of our country, and then it was decided to return them to their owners. In 1882, North became the owner of the best saltpeter works and controlled the exploitation of saltpeter in this province. From that moment on, he was known as the «saltpeter king».
During the government of Balmaceda, North – who was in London at the time – was accused of being one of the promoters of the conflict between the president and Congress. The origin of this confrontation lay in the position adopted by Balmaceda, who proposed greater national participation in the exploitation of saltpeter as one of the objectives of his economic policy.
North returned to Chile in early 1889, and during his stay he hired a group of lawyers to look after his interests. However, years later an investigation revealed that these professionals had been the ones to speak out against Balmaceda in the Congress and to the press after receiving a great amount of money. North decided to sell his saltpeter works.
He passed away in London on May 8th, 1896.
