Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-08-20
The Shah Of Persia.
REASONS FOR THE HoNoRs PAID HIM II
EUROPE.

EUROPE.
1t is understood, says Murray, that
the Shah Of Persia is merely q curios.
ity which is being exhibited by Baron
Reuter- to enable that shrewd person
to float certain railway and other
schemes, for the realization Of which
the Baron has received the most ex-
traordinary concession ever granted
TO financial speculator. 1t does not
really matter much, for the concession
can he and certainly will be cancelled
as easily as IL was given, and the silly
business has boon so much talked of
that IL is needless to insist upon it
again. II will probably suit tho turn
of Baron Reuter- and his friends then
by and by wo shall hear that there are
endless wrangles about it, till in due
time tho British shareholders and
workmen will be bundled neck and
crop out of tho country together
However, the Shah is promising sub
ject at present. He is unquestionobly
tho absolute ruler and master of his
country, and he has a legal right to
pledge and ALLEVIATE its rosurces, at
least during his lifetime. After that
Baron Reuters concession will bo 80
much waste paper. The Shah, how
ever, has certainly got hold of the
right end of the stick. He is very
parsimonious prince, and took excel.
lent care to have bis travelling expenses
paid by his Snowman before he set out
on his travels. He got, it is said, two
hundred thousand pounds for bis trip,
and il is not likely that Baron Reuter-
will lose by his bargain. Persia has
no national debt. The Shah is about
to create one.
Plenty of greedy people like to fan
cy they will get ten or twelve per cent.
for their money, and will lend it as
eagerly on these terms to the Persians
as they have done to the Spaniards
and Turks. Many persons will make
considerable fortunes out of the first
introduction of Persia 10 the Stock
Exchange, and then all at once there
will be talk of dividends in arrear
and reputation. 1t might be also as
well, too, if widows, halfpay officers
and trustees, who are generally vic
timized in those cases, would reflect,
before it is too late, that Persia is
very poor country. The little money
that there is in it is buried away for
fear of the government, and certainly
no Porsians will place the smallest
confidence in any security guaranteed
by their own government. The great
est part of Persia is parched and
uncultivated desert. IL has no CON-
merce worth mention, and the popu-
lation is scarcely numerous enough to
render railway romunerativc. The
cost Of making iron rails over almost
impossible mountains and stony plains
will bo immense, and everything re-
quired to make them, from the labor
ers TO the steam engines, must be
brought by land carriage, on the backs
of mules and pack horses from abroad.
Nor will managing men of tho right
stamp be very anxious to take places
in Persia. The climate is abominable
and 80 unfavorable to the health and
vigor of tho European and American
race that after short residence thcro
they are invariably attacked with
dyscntery, which commonly proves
fatal, and their hair falls of, their
teeth drop out or decay, and they arc
rackcd by fever and ague.
1t Is all very well TO say that bust
ness mon will DO anything for money.
So they will; but sensible man will
want good deal Of it to do Baron
Reutcr's work for him, and his share
holders can only expect the riffraff and
sweepings of the labor market upon
anything like tho usual terms. 1t Is
quito .ruo that living vas formerly
cheap in Persia, and perhaps il is eth!
so as compared with the prices OF New
York, Paris and London but it will
be cheap only 30 long as foreign con-
sumors are kept, as they have been
hitherto kept, out of tho country, BY
the difficulty of getting into it. To-
beran is moro than thousand miles
by land from Trobizond, tho nearest
seaport to Europe, apd The journey
must be performed on horseback,
through painless roads and over noun |
taius which cannot DO passed without
extreme danger and difficulty. Dur.
ing half the year they are covered
hx, anovv for fbrea monfha mora lhev