During the War for Independence, his family lost their wealth, and Matías was forced to work at an early age.

He quit his work at the post office to begin exporting animals to Argentina, and the success of this business led him to search for new ventures, one being the new silver mines in Copiapó.

He continued ascending in position until his marriage in 1841, widow of Ignacio de Goyenechea,[clarification needed] allowed him to combine the two fortunes.

His fortune continued to grow when in 1844, along with Rafael Torreblanca, he invented a new machine to extract metals.

He obtained an exclusive permit for its use from Manuel Bulnes' government for ten years.