Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-08-04
LIE Npo-EuRopgAN reLEaRApA.
How Traveller Was surprised in Persia.
Eugland'S Enterprise.


Eusland's Enterprise.
From the Belgian coast to far distant In
dia there stretches one 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, protrIdiug like black, Ia
pcriug stems from the white glaring sand
waves of Beloochistan. My first acquaint-
suce with this remarkable telegraph line
was made at rabrceZ In riding from Con
I stautlnople, through Auatclia and koOrdts-
/ tam, had been accompanied from time to
time by stretches Of dllapidated Turkish line,
usually one wire mounted on rough poles,
twice as tar apart rs they ought to be and
leaning toward all points Of The compass
At Eraeroum seemed to have got beyond
the territory covered by the Turkish SYSTEM
and had ridden several days journey into
Persia,
1t was n wild barbarous country about the
1urko. Persian border, inhubitci chiefly by
nomad Koortly and missed even the occu-
sioual welcome company of the Turkish tcle-
graph line. Its disappearance seemed like
casting of the last strand of western civili-
zation At that time / hardly expected to
see another telegraph line uutil | should
Pacific through Turke5tau and China.
Suddenly one day, whom nearing Tabreez,
| saw away oil Oh the desert a sight that
made me blink and rub luy eyes to make
sure TINT it was not mere optical illusion
WINS ol,ng at The deserts of Persia are
famous for producing bogus objects miraSes
of lake 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 middir, was
league long row Of telegraph poles, straight
us die, even as the pickets OF a garden
fence.
AS drew nearer the line assumed more
definite form. Its marvellous symmetry, |
then discovered, was not the enChuntment of
distance, but a solid reality in English iron,
with the name of the contracting firm
stamped on the poles Every pole taperng
from Il circumference OF twenty inches ut
the bottom to six or OF at at the top, and
across the dead level wastes of the Persian
plains set up us evenly and perpendiculary
rs 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 the
cast; 1t is u perpetual source of wonder and
admiration to the natives, a standing advci'-
tisement of England's wealth, power and
ability to the multitude who have no other
way of learning.
From Tuhrccz was able to follow this in
fallible guide into Teheran Often could
see it stretching ahead of me mile after mile,
the poles SO oven that they seemed not to vary
an inch, aud disappearing in the heavens at
the farther end by the curious legerdeman
of tho desert The 9oIian music OF Its triple
wires as the desert breezes played through
them, and the messages flashed past from
India to England, from England to India
how companiouable it was, that bit of civil
cation in barbarous country, only those
who have been similarly placed know
ThOmas Stevens in New York Sun.