The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-11
THE lNooeuaopeAN TELEGRAPH.


How n Traveller Was 6urprised In Persis.
Eugiand's Enterprise.
From the Belgian coast to far distant In
dia there stretches che continuous. long row
Of splendid iron poles, climbing over rugged
mountains in the Caucasus, stretched out
across the level Persian deserts In long,
straight reaches, protruding like biack, Ia
pering stems from the white glsring sand
waves of Beloochistan. Ny fist acquaint-
apce with this remarkable Telegraph line
was made at Tabreez In riding from Con-
stantinople, through Anatolia and Koordis-
tan, had been accompanied from time to
lime by stretches of dilapidated Turkish line
Usually ono wire mousteds on rough poles,
twice as far apart as they ought to be and
leaning toward all points OF the compass.
AT Erzcroum seemed to have got beyond
the territory covered by the Turkish system,
aud had ridden several days journey into
Persia.
1t was wild, barbarous country about the
Turko- Persian border, inhabited chiefly by
nomad Koords, and l missed even the occa-
sional welcome company of the Turkish tele-
graph line Its disappearance seemed like
casting off the last strand OF western civili-
zation. At that time l hardly expected to
see another telegraph line until ! should
reach Japan. my intention being to reach the
Pacific through Turkestan and China.
Suddenly one day, when nearing Tabreez,
saw away or on tho desert q sight that
made me blink and rub my eyes to make
sure that it was not mere optical illusion
was looking at The deserts Of Persia are
famous for producing bogus objects mirages
of lakes and waving palms Of lovely castles
and similar fascinating scenes; but this time
it vas none of these. Miles away TO the
north, seemingly suspended in fnidair, was Il
league long row Of telegraph poles, straight
rs a die, even as the pickets OF q garden
fence ~
As drew nearer the line assumed more
definite form. Its marvellous symmetry, !
then discovered, was not the enchGntment OF
distance, but a solid reality in English iron,
with the name Of the contracting firm
stamped OH the poles. Every pole tapering
from circumference of twenty inches at
tue bottom to six or eight at the top, and
across the dead level wastes Ut tho Persian
plains set up as evenly and perpendicularly
as they might have been in Hyde park. 1t Is
worth noting, perhaps, by the way, that the
English always take particular pains to have
everything OF this kind very superior in tho
east; it is perpetual source of wonder and
admiration to the natives, a standing adver-
tisement of England's wealth, power aud
ability to tue multitude who have no other
way of learning
From Tabreez | was able to follow this in
fallible guide into Teheran Often could
SEQ it stretching ahead Of Inc mile after mile,
the poles so even that they seemed not to vary
an inch and disappearing in the heavens at
the farther end by the curious iegerdemain
of the desert. The eolian music or Its triple
wires as the desert breezes played through
them, and the messages flashed past from
India to England, from England to India
how companionable it was, that bit Of civil
zation in barbarous country, only those
who have been similarly placed know
Thomas Stevens in New York Sun.