The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-08-07
Ths shah Of Persia.
Reasons for the Henors Paid Him I'm
Europe.


which Is being exhibited by Baron
Reuter- to enable that shrewd porson to
float certain railway and other schemes,
for the realization of which the Baron
has received the most extraordinary
concession ever granted to q financial
speculator. It does not really matter
much, for the concession can be and
certainly will be cancelled es easily as
it was given, and the silly business has
been 30 much talked about that it is
needless to insist upon it again. twill
probably suit the turn of Baron Reuter-
and his friends then by and by we
shall hear that there are endless wran-
giles about it, till in due time the British
shareholders and workmen will be bun
died neck and crop out of the country
together. However, the Shah is
promising subject at present. He is
unquestiohably the absolute, rdler and
master Of his country, and he has
legal right to pledge and ALLEVIATE it's
resources, at least, during his lifetime.
After that Baron Reuters concession
will be waste paper. The Shah, how
ever, has certainly got hold of the right
end of the stick. He is very parsi-
monious prince, and took excellent care
to have his travelling expenses paid by
his showmen before he set out on his
travels. He got. II ia said, about two
hundred thousand pounds for his trip,
and it 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 fancy
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 the
Turks. Many persons will make con-
siderable fortunes out of the first in
PRODUCTION of Persia to the Stock Ex-
change, and then all at once there will
be talk of dividends in arrear and re-
pudiation. 1t might be also as well,
too, if widows, half-pay officers and
trustees, who are generally victimized
in these cases, would reflect, before it
is too late, that Persia is a very poor
country. The little money that there
is in it is buried away for fear of the
government, and certainly no Persians
will place the smallest confidence in any
security guaranteed by their own gov
ernment. The greatest part of Persia
is a parched and uncultivated desert. 1t
has no commerce worth mention, and
the population is scarcely numerous
enough to render railway remunerative.
! The cost of making iron rails over al
most impossible mountains and stony
plains will be immense, and everything
required 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 the right
stamp be very anxious to take places in
Persia. The climate is abominable,
and so unfavorable to the health and
vigor of the European and American
race that after short residence there
they are invariably attacked with dys-
entery, which commonly proves fatal,
and their hair falls off, their teeth drop
out or decay, and they are racked by
fever and ague.
1t is all very we'll to say that business
men will do anything for money. Sc
they will but sensible man will want
a good deal of it to do Baron Reuters
work for him, aud his shareholders car
only expect the riffraff and sweepings
of the labor market upon anything like
the usual terms. 1t is quite true thai
living was formerly cheap in Persia
and perhaps it is still so as compared
with the prices of New York, Paris ant
London but it will be cheap only SC
long as foreign consumers are kent, al
they have been hitherto kept, out O
the country, by the difficulty of getting
into it. Teheran is more than thous
and miles by land from Trebizond, tn,
nearest seaport to Europe, and the
journey must be performed on horse
back, through pathless roads and owe,
mountains which cannot be passed
without extreme danger and difficulty
During half the year they are covered
by snow for three months more the,
are perilous from mud and slush. Ii
the hot season the sun and the eas
wind beat pitlessly on the traveller
There are no inns on the way, nothin.
but few empty and desolate barns an,
posting houses, which swarm with yer
min and afford nothing but dubiou
shelter. The wild tribes on the from
tier between Turkey and Persia are al
ways in movement, and wander abou
in armed bands thousands strong
They are ferocious and filthy robbers
Woe to the snug railway clerk or wei
fed engineer of plump and rosy aspec
who falls into their hands. Some year
ago they caught an English attache
Mr.. Tod and ate up his pomatum
What was worse for him, they mad
him eat some of it too, and strippe
him naked, tied him to horses tail
pricked him up behind with spear
point when he tagged and ultimatel
held him to ransom.
Baron Reuters friends will be rar
prize for the Koords, some of whom, b
the way, are worshippers of the devi
Then, if the English spectators al
ever allowed to get to their journey
end their comfort will be small. Unit
the railways are made Gan end of til
business which will hardly come abou
in the present century, everythin
which constitutes the comfort of
civilized household must De imported
and land carriage is expensive.
moderate man, too, will be obliged t
keep a dozen servants and half doze
horses, neither of which articles al
cheap or good, and upon the whol
, salaries must be calculated much highe
, in Persia than even in India. Nothin
under thousand pounds sterling yearl
will keep family decently; and to G
to Persia for mere victuals and drinl
, without being able to save a dolla
would be poor business, indeed
I. There is no mistake about the actu
+ cost of living and moving about
Persia, and tents, cooks, guards, tel
pitchers, interpreters, food and wiz