New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-13
MR. REID, OF NEWFOUNDLAND.
THE MAN WHO HAS UNDERTAKINGS TO FARM
THE COLONY AND DEVELOP
IT'S RESOURCES
From The Pail Mall Gazette.

Newfoundland no longer belongs to the Queen H;I.
or even TO Mr.. Chamberlain. Sir Charles Dixie
French VIII not have to obtain Lord Salisbury
incurson on cur rehis The country has been
handed over. body. soul and spirit! 10 Mr., William
Ked. the more famous son OF a famous Canadian
contractor.
MIR. Reid is the only man whose income tax SS-
lie has also. perhaps. the keenest business eye IN
un h ERe ana rae aoou Mr. SIX cnhs of
any further responsibility in connection with the
he cbaned the eonlract which the colony
Offering In 1898 for the construction Of ra,ir Nay
punctual a. the meeting the contract would have
gone to an American the fee simple Of the colony
YIN to the unpunctua member. Fortunately for
Mr. Reid, for the colony, and. We may iairly say,
a contract Vas signed by which Mr. KciI received
SloeD mile for the road and no less than Two
said land 10 be selected within five years from the
date OF this contract, or as soon thereafter as sha
may suit Mr.. Reds tastc.''
50 Mr Reid was not left to mourn over New.
foundland her who IL anothcr's," and, wing
made to1cD OUT Of the construction OF the r an
ness and buy up any little outstanding wiidcrnesscs
which remain lie has taken over The telGsra,p i,
to the railway will be complete; ne has bought
tho drydock; he Is owner Of inc gigantic coal hclds
! ne. steamers around the coast and an electric
the material for monstrous fortune In the few
hundreds Of square miles which have been trans
ftrred TO him for lumber and pulp manufacture
the latter being business which usually Yields
grateful and comforting 3 per cent,
ana IT IS wen that Enelshmen should recognize
it, 1t is this: The ocean passage could at this
on the northeast coast Of Newfoundland Is lust
principle which was first practically developed In
the Tufblna IS applied TO the ocean-soing
steamboats, may expect to see the Campania
reduced 10 the status of a superannuated cab-horsc
ana the new boats skipping , oyer r. inc A da iSr
across NewfonndIanG by rail- across tho Straits Of
whose ice-hreakins capacity so astounded canadiaR
Canada's railway system: and once there ali dis
comfort is at an end Setting aside howe owe tho
TO have all the English Canadian traffic over his
line And besides All this; he has been he first 70
recognize that the mineral prospects OF NeWiound
land are vastly superior TO those OF british %
ilmba He is PREPARED to conradct tnc nan N
place which may or may not exist behind r.
srs0s Of f hut ahs ht this ses no, S
Lord Batimore's verdict delivered four hundred
years 5, ago is true i is ; country IN when IS
NSwfoundand has gold and sysr conTGr oG and
asbestos. manganese. nfessorial earth; and, above
all. mountains OF iron ana plains OF coal inc Inc
further developed are. first that there is no money
IN the colony TO develop them. and in the SECOND
hat inc Colony has been given to Mr. Reid all this
win be changed. for he knows The minrra Is, are
there. and. what Is more important. ne KNOWS
where they
He Is a close man He has hitherto RETAINED
from taking the administration OF the colony
from lack OF time but We may daily expect to hear
that the coronation stone is TO be sent over TO
81 Johns by parcel post. and that Sir Herbert
Murray has been pcnsioned on
II is Impossible To describe the man. And the
reason for this Is that he has one recognizable
characteristic wFch. besides his immense capacities
as engineer and manager. has made him 40 great
ana which prevents further analysis. II ne were
going TO construct railway system for the planet
Mars tomorrow. he would not tell his wife, or
even his head undorlng. Til the balloon was ready
at the front door