The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-30

One often reads of the efforts Of tndi-
viduala to "break the bank at Monte
long been the theme of song and story.
yet the unique principality has many
features that are little known in this
country. For instance this little princi-
pality Of Monaco Is the most thickly set
tied country Of the world. having popu-
lation of 600 to the square .kilometer-
against 80 of the island OF. Java.
every foot of its public roads being swept
daily and the refuse burned.
1t is the only country In tho WorH an-
tirely free from all taxatton.> ::
It is the only country In the world tnat,
having no constitution nor intended civic
rights. desires none.
And it Is the only country In the world
run by joint stock company!
It is this latter fact which explains the
others. In theory. the Sovereign Prince
Albert l., succeeding to his father.
Charles III. continues to reign over
Monaco, as his ancient family of Grimal-
di has done for more than 1000 years; IN
fact, the tSociete des Bains de Mer ct du
Cercle des Etrangers Monaco" (com..
pany of the Sea Baths and the Strangers
club at Monaco), succeeding to the
original concession granted M. Blanc in
1861, is now in possession of a new con-
tract which hands over to It, with the
right to operate public gambling estab-
lishment, the right to pay the 'country's
full expenses. !.:: -
The contract, indeed, :. is an iron clad.
one, in many respects onerous to the:
company, binding 1t to the most detailed
expenses and guaranteeing to 1t but one
thing-the gambling monopoly. Were the
present prince in more Independent
political situation he might still reign
over his country-and the company to
boot; but, taking things as they are, It Is
the company, with its astute hnanciers
and statesmen, THAT is making Albert !.
the European sovereign the most beloved
by his people and his state the best ad-;
ministered, perhaps. in all the world.
The Condamine. a..
How the thing works will be seen in the
marvellous growth OF that part of Monaco
Monte-Carlo called the CondamlQe.
| Glancing at the photography OF the prin-
| cipality, taken from the sea Zone photo
graph takes it all in). It Is seen to consist
| high on the rock, the ancient stronghold
| Of the Grimaldis; modern Monte Carlo,
| with its yerdure- embowered villas and
! Casino, high up and just across the little
| bay: and lying low along the curvlng
shore, between the two, the town called
| La Condamine, where the prince lpardon,
| the Casino company built Santos-Dumont
| his balloon shed.
| Before the year 1859 the Condamine was
nothing but collection of orange, lemon
under the. cultivation Of Rtmmel, the
| Paris perfumer At that date the present
| company was already in possession OF all
| it's privileges and actively engaged IN
! stirring up Improvements. Wisely keep
ing It, as corporation, out OF sucn spec
| ulative works. the company's managers
| began founding new joint stock com
| panies for each Improvement. The stock
| was. naturally, all divided up among the
| fortunate stockholders OF the original
close corporation; the original corpora
tion's managers managed the new enter
prises, so that all the plans fitted in to-
master mind of M. Blanc and still the
gambling corporation was kept out Of all
| land speculation.
One Of these new companies took up the
exploitation of the orchards OF the Conda..
mine. It bought up all the land. much OF
it from the then sovereign, Prince Charles
| ILL.,, himself, constructed streets, planted
| them with regular rows OF trees, built
modern sewer system and = whole hne
town with business streets and streets OF
villas and small independent houses for
those slightly better OF.
| Progressive Prosperity. :. :
The town rose as by enchantment. From
the seashore 1t stretched to the moun-
tain's foot; and now 1t is crawling up. the
mountain, CHEEKY, prosperous, immacu-
lately clean town. Inhabited not by the
rich, but by the middle, and lower classes.
and not so much by cosmopolitan out
siders as by the born subjects OF the prin-
cipality.
| More than half La Condanine popula-
ton still pays rent to the company, while
the other halt has bought itS stores and
dwellings on easy payments. which. nev-
ertheless, netted the company many hume
dred per cent clear profits. And as It
was with the CondaIntne, SO it has been
with La Turbie. the Garlic Cape Monte
Carlo itself and each Of dozen towns
near by on either side. "A special com-
pany has in its charge the improvement
/ OF the port of Monaco. sAnother company
i runs the rack-and-ptnion railway up the
mountatn to the heights Of La Turbte.
Another company has the contract for
cleaning the streets and burning the gar
bage in the most complete establishment
i of Its kind In Europe. And still another
company has Just completed an electric
street car system. which. while very sat
Il Iisfactory, startles the visitor to Monte
Carlo in more ways than one.
L To give nm idea of tha rising proarer.