Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-09
Reuters Uargaln.


ssvsnsy Years. y.
The latcst European snevspsnc,s
contain the details Of the .extrs5rdt.
nary agreement made between fhe
shah Of Persia and Baron JuIien
Renter. "
Persia has been handed yer for scx.
enty yehrs to the absolute confrof.cS
Baron Reuter-. The Baron IL hi chs.-
acteristic q product Of Westefn civ;.
lizatiOn as the Shah aud his counsrv
are OF what IL called progress I'm The
East. Born In o petty German prin.
cipality, hc began life - q bank cicrk
In GOettiDgen, and first became
known In 1S49, to o very limited pmh.
lie, as the publisher Of lithoRraphin
newspaper correspondence in Phi,
He was an obscure adventurer when
no transferred his business 70 london
In 1851, yet in less than seven YEAR
he had the Geographic news service
Of the metropolitan press under his
u~ndisputed control, and could com.
pei the Oldest and most exclusive NJ
English dailics to accedo 10 whatever
terms he chose to dictate. Reuter- had
foresight enough to anticipate the
unlimited expansion Of the telegraph
system, and prOmptness enough to
secur exclusive privileges from every
new line that was opened in Eurone.
He supplemented the earlier blanks
In the magnetic w~ire-circle by COW.
riers or carrier-pigeons, and still later
by steam packet service. At this
moment there is not Q CITY In tho
world which does not contain Rem.
ter's news agent, doing his work
with various. degrees Of badness. but
still forming part Of . great system,
which IL one of the most SECURELY
founded of commercial monopoIics.
The man whose liame the London
Times was first compelled to mt nt
the head OF its kilograms In 1889.
occupies nov one Of the hnest houses
in London, aud gives dinners whose
gorgeous accompaniment. at least.
the richest OF English dukes could
not surpass.
10 this magnate the Shah Of Persia
has handed over the exclusive right
to construct railroads, to make canals
to work mines, and to establish other
enterprises within his
He can take government
lands free of expense, can use ALI
found in government
gravel pits, &C., without pay
ment. Neither the men nor the
materials that this great contractor
may employ are to be subject to tax
alton. ANY mineral deposit not Of
gold, silver, or precious stones, which
Baron Reuters agents may lind on
Inc royal lands Of Persia can be taken
aud worked by them without charge.
private property in lands ami
Us lie may require, must DO
transferred to him at the ordinary
prices OF the country. His frsttask
IS to constructa railway from Resent,
ON the sonth shore of the Caspian. to
lspahan, the old capital Of Persia,
II length of Ia road will be about
our hundred miles, and after it has
Dech completed the Persian govern-
heht VIII 1 Its sovereign guarantee
20 pay per cent? per cent for in
crest n q per cent for sinking fund
o loan of $4,000 900, which
oafon Reuter- is authorized to obtain
anybody who will lend it to-
The proceeds of. the Persian,
custom houses have hitherto 1verage,t.
! little over 81, OOO,OOO q wear. Baron;
is to purchase the entire con
Ior twenty-five years, of tho
90 "a cisih, Dy paying
now makes out of them Cor
idering the %thieving instincts Of
tax collectors, the baron will,
probably find that a few honest En-.
'opean officials can make a very.
handsome profit for him out of tho
The baron and his successors arc
o remain for seventy wears absolmto
commercial dictators ofPcrsia. They.
re to pay the government. maan.
ME, niteen to twenty per cent of
AcIr net earnings in return for the
magnificent concessions accorded In
hem, and when their lease has tor
llnated, it may b. renewed ON sncb
as both contracting parties cam
gree on. If the government assumes
ontrol, at tho end of that time. NJ
nc works of the Reuter- companv IL
lust pay at a liberal valuation far
he buildins, machinery, &c., which
lay then have been erected nv th..
'mpany. Who is to enforce tI,,s
of the contract does not
9pear, but as Baron Reuter- ia n
aturalized British subject, there
ems to DO an opening here for n
petition of the history of the East
dia company. The Shah has bec,.
ling the people of England that, i'm
'inihg among them, he feels that no.
coming among friends. Some OF
e Shah's successors may not unlike
become jealous of the rich fruits Of
G Heuter concessions, and then il .
ny DC assumed that the country
lllch wrenched Herat from tie
'ids OF the soldiers of the Shah.
ould once more have to show itself
G reverse OF friendly.