Manuel Ossa Ruiz

On his return, his father asked him to dedicate himself to the family's agricultural activities, on his farm "El Porvenir" in Parral.

[2] In 1876 he returned north and after an exploration phase decided to invest in mineral extraction in Caracoles.

He went to Peru (1877), where he invested in the Taltal nitrate company and operated the silver mines in Caldera.

But without a doubt, one of his most important works was the construction of the Arica–La Paz railway, a public project commissioned by the government of Chile.

He contributed to the foundation of other railroads in the plains and to new towns in different parts of the national territory; in Valparaíso he also founded a night school for workers.