The sun., 1898-12-11
" CzARD OF NEWFOUNDLAND
hrs NAME rs REID AND HE RUNS
THE ENTIRE ISLAND.

1000 square miles IN IiNIcnt-Wm OWu
All tho Railroads Some D0y-Vnst Min
eraI Possessions and Their Development.
QUEBEC, Dec. S.--The extent OF Millionaire
Menier's sovereignty over the comparatively
insignificant island OF Anticosti Is completely
overshadowed by the enormous extent OF the
possessions OF single individual on the adia-
cent island Of Newfoundland He Is undoubt-
edly tho largest landowner on this continent.
Newfoundland Is one-sixth larger than Ireland
and r. g. Reid. commonly called Gear" Reid.
owns about one-hnlf OF 1t In fee simple. Two
hundred thousand people regard him pretty
much as II he were their feuda baron. and look
to him to exploit their country before the world.
No man. no Gar, even. ever held the destinies
of country more closely in his fingers than
Mr.. Reid does with his island. Seven thou
sand square miles Of it are absolutely his own.
with its enormous wealth Of timber and min
eral lands, and every mile OF its railway sys-
tenn will eventually become his private proper
ty. The latest contracts which he has signed
with the Government OF the island have secured
to him privileges for which a prominent states
man has declared that he could easily have
obtained $5,000,000 in England. It raised
such violent opposition in the colony that the
Governor declined to sign IL before submit
ting 1t to the Imperial Government Mr. Cham
berlain returned it with the remark that no
matter what personal opinion he might hold
respecting such contract he could not inter-
fere to prevent the management by SELF
governing colony of its own finances.
A few years ago" Czar" Reid was penniless
Scotch boy. He began life in Australia and
subsequently made some money by building
sections Of railway for the Canadian Pacific. In
1893 he offered to construct a railway for the
Government Of Newfoundland across the island
for $4,000 mile His offer was accepted and
the railway built. Then the Government found
itself in such financial stress that it could
neither equip nor operate the line. Reid Of
fered to obtain the equipment and operate the
road, but valued the cost at 100000 year.
The Government gave him 100000 year as a
mail subsidy. and 5000 acres of land in fee
simple for every mile OF main or branch line
operated by him for period Of ten years.
Mr. Reid was not content. He bought new
concessions. He offered to operate the
road free at the expiration Of the ten years.
providing that at the end OF forty addi-
tional years the road should be his. He also
stipulated for further grants OF land. for the
railway and telegraph monopolies OF the ISL
and. The Government agreed to the terms,
and then 1t was that the great outcry arose
that resulted In the reference OF the con-
tract to Joseph Chamberlain. Mr.. Chamber
lain's reply has not Quieted the agitation.
however. and petitions are being extensively
signed throughout the colony praying the
Colonial Office to cancel the contract on the
ground that the island has been sold for a song.
80 strong is the public sentiment in the island
against the Reid contract that " Czar" Reid has
just found it necessary. in order to prevent a
public uprising in some parts of the colony, to
issue public notice declaring that he intends
to take possession of no Newfoundlanders
fields. farm or garden or any other private
property. but only the ungranted Crown lands
Mr.. Reid has ordered the construction OF
seven new steamships. One OF these Is to run
between the island and Labrador and the other
six will make regular trips between the various
bays and the terminus Of the railway at St
Johns. The Gear" OF Newfoundland will
shortly be one OF the largest mine owners
and manufacturers in the world. New
foundland's mnera! exports are expected
soon to reach million dollars worth a
year. A hundred thousand tons OF iron ore.
or double last years output. was exported
from Belle Isle mine alone this year. A
syndicate Of British ironmasters has leased
the Bay de Verde mine and is prepn ring to
work it. The vein is sixteen miles long and
estimated by experts to contain 40OOO.OOO
tons of finest ore At Little Bay a new copper
vein nine feet wide has been discovered Mr..
Reid's prospectors are constantly making new
and valuable finds all over the island
Just now the "Czar" and several OF his sons
are seeking incorporation as the Newfound-
land Bleaching Pulp Company with capital of
$2,0O0.0OO. and also as the Newfoundland
Pyrites Company with capital OF 81 800. 900.
The site OF operations is ideal. 1t is an i'm
mense area on the shores of Grand Lake. not
far from the railway. densey covered with
wood OF the very best kind for making pulp.
Close to it are the coal mines. Water power to
any extent is available. In the marble beds of
the Humber at a short distance. are mex
haustibe supplies OF lime. At Bay of
islands. at no great distance. are immense
deposits Of iron pyrites containing so per cent.
OF sulphur. from which sulphuric acid Is made.
an indispensable article for the manufacture Of
the best kind OF pulp To this is to be added a
company for mining and exporting iron pyrites.
for which there is everywhere a rapidly in
creasing demand for the manufacture OF sui
phuric acid. the resIduum being used for the
making of the very finest kind of STEEL The
supply OF this mineral is inexhaustibe. and
everything points to an early recognition OF
Newfoundland as one OF the foremost mining
centres Of modern times.