Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-02-13
THE CANADIAN GEAR"
r. C. REID THE LARGEST LANDOWNER
ON THIS CONTINENT.

The Real Estate He Owns ia Said to BE
1000 Square Miles in Extent-Win Own
All tho Railroads Some Day-yast
Mineral Possessions.
The extent of Millionaire Menier's
sovereignty over the comparatively in
significant island of Anticosti is COM
pletely overshadowed by the enormous
extent of the possessions of single
individual on the adjacent island of
Newfoundland. He is undoubtedly
the largest landowner on this CONT
nent. Newfoundland is one-sixth
larger than Ireland and r. G. Reid,
commonly called "Czar" Reid, owns
about one-half of it in fee simple.
Two hundred thousand people regard
him pretty much as if he were their
feudal baron, and look to him to ex.
ploit their country before the world.
No man, no Gar, even, ever held the
destinies of a country more closely in
his fingers than Mr.. Reid does with
his island. Seven thousand square
miles of it are absolutely his own,
with its enormous wealth of timber
and mineral .lands, and every mile OF
its railway system will eventually be.
come his private property. The lat
est contracts which he has signed
with the government of the ISL
and have secured to him privileges
for which prominent statesman has
declared that he could easily have OBJ
tanned S5,000,000 in England. II
raised such violent opposition in the
colony that the Governor declined to
sign it before submitting it to the
Imperial Government. Mr.. Chamber.
lain returned it with the remark that
no matter what personal opinion he
might hold respecting such contract
he could not interfere to prevent the
management by self. governing
colony of its own finances.
A few years ago Scar" Reid was
penniless Scotch boy. He began life
in Australia and subsequently made
some money by building sections of
sailway for the Canadian Pacific. In
1898 he offered to construct railway
for the Government of Newfoundland
across the island for $50, 200 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 offered to obtain the
equipment and operate the road, but
valued the cost at 100000 a year.
The Government gave him $50, 900 a
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 expira-
ton of the ten years, providing that
at the end of forty additional years
the road should be his. He also
stipulated for further grants of land,
for the railway and telegraph monop-
olies of the island. The Govern
ment agreed to the terms, and then it
was that the great outcry arose that
resulted in the reference of the con-
tract to Joseph Chamberlain. Isr.
Chamberlair's reply has not quieted
the agitation, however, and petitions
are being extensively signed through
out the colony praying the Colonial
Office to cancel the contract on the
ground that thu island has been sold
for song. So strong is the public
sentiment in the island against the
Reid contract that Gear" Reid has
just found it necessary, in order to
prevent public uprising in some
parts of the colony, to issue public
notice declaring that he intends to
take possession of no Newfoundlander'
fields, farm or garden or any other
private property, but only the un-
granted Crown lands.
Mr.. Reid has ordered the construc-
ton 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 "Czar" of New.
foundland will shortly be one of the
largest mine owners and manufacture
ers in the world. Newfoundland's 8
mineral exports are expected soon to
reach a million dollars worth year.
A hundred thousand tons of IRON ore,
or double last years output, was ex.
ported from Belle Isle mine alone this
year. A syndicate of British iron.
masters has leased the Bay de Verde
mine and is preparing to work it. The
vein is sixteen miles long and esti.
mated by experts to contain 40, ,000,.
900 tons of finest ore. At Little Bay
new copper vein nine feet wide has
been discovered. Mr.. Reid's prospec.
tors are constantly making new and
valuable finds all over the island.
just now the Scar" and several OF
his sons are seeking incorporation as
the Newfoundland Bleaching Pulp
Company with a capital of $4,000, 900,
and also rs the Newfoundland Pyrites
Company with a capital of 81, 500, 900.
The site of operations is ideal. 1t is
an immense area on the shores OF
Grand Lake, and far from the railway,
densely covered with wood of the very
best kind for making pulp. Close to
to it are the coal mines. Water power