Early on, when the Chilex was first built, there were wonderful oriental-type rugs in the great room with real leather sofas. In my time - when I was of an age to frequent the Chilex and hang out, the carpets had become threadbare and eventually were removed. Even those wonderful sofas were beginning to show the years of wear and tear. And, as kids we were not easy on them.

In the summer we spent, literally, all day at the pool. We'd go there as soon as it opened and swim and play hard until about 1 P.M.. One summer someone put in the inner tube of one of the huge mine trucks. That tire took up almost the entire width of the pool! It was huge and we had more fun jumping on the edges and slipping or bounding off the thing into the water. I'm amazed no one ever hurt themselves on the edges of the pool when falling. But what a blast it was! After being in the pool for about three hours we'd be water logged and teeth-chattering cold as the pool was not heated. We'd go into the shower rooms and stand under the hot showers forever. We did this every day until finally management had to put a stop and sent letters to our parents.

Usually after the pool we'd end up in the bowling alley and bowl or just hang around. I enjoyed bowling immensely. We had teams and then we bowled just for fun. We'd order something to eat - I remember the "Chacarreros" - these great steak sandwiches w/onions and green beans (!!) Don't ask me about the green beans but, I became addicted to those sandwiches. I've tried replicating them but for some reason they have never tasted as good as they did there and then.

During the school year we didn't hang around there as much. We did hold the various school pageants and plays like the Christmas pageant and, of course, the graduation ceremonies. Summer months were our times there unless some of the kids who had gone to school in Santiago came up to spend vacation in Chuqui. This meant also that the kids who had gone to boarding school in the States came down for their holidays for a month or so. We'd be so excited when that time rolled around. It was wonderful to see what fashions they brought from the States or Santiago and invariably they were growing up and we'd get mad crushes on the guys and envy the girls who looked so sophisticated and cool.

I invite you to once again take a trip back in time and let's walk down the hallways of our memories by reading Carlos Juan Olsen's incredibly vivid visit to the Chilex Club. When I first read it I was literally transported to that place. You can read his description in The Horizon Foundation Mission Statement proposed by Carlos Juan Olsen and Barbara Moore. You can access this statement by clicking on Latest Update About the Work Being Done to Help the Children in the Surroundings of Chuquicamata found immediately under our Banner Head. Saludos! Graciela

Foley Bros were the contractors for the new Chuqui smelter and concentrator--all of their enployees were hired in the States and answered to the Anaconda Engineering Dept in New York. Many of the guys were a roudy bunch. Some stayed in Chuqui only a short time, others stayed to construction completion. Many fished the Loa and bragged about their catches--no fly fishermen in that bunch!!

The Club was having a Saturday night dinner and dance and during one intermission a very drunk and bedraggled Foley guy came into the dance hall dragging a huge trout on a line across the floor.

As he wobbled he kept bellowing, "This hyer is the damndest biggest trout anyone ever cought 'round here and I want lo show it to youse guys".

I do think the fish weighed a least 12 pounds or so and as far as I knew it was the largest caught to that time. I envied the guy (my biggest fish was > about five pounds.

After the guy wobbled away we had to mop the floor because sand and water formed a trail where he had staggered! Much levity!!~

Glenn Waterman