Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-09-09

ciprocity treaties the United States
/ will wake up some day to find that
she has lost industrialiy far more than
she has gained and the worst of it is
tnis loss may prove to be an irretriev-
able one But that's matter for an
other time and place.
The Railway and Civilization.
With the exception of the lands con-
tiguous to the harbors and sheltered
points along the sea, the Newfound--
land discovered by Cabot four hundred
years ago has remained in its pristine
state of untrodden and unknown wild
ness until the past few years. The
completion in 1888 of trans,island
railway, 54S miles long extending from
Port-AuX- Basques on the southwest
point of the island, in the general di
rection of an inverted capital U to St.
Johns, has opened up the interior and
has brought ST. Johns into quick COM
munication with Canada and the Unit
ed States at ali seasons of the year.
This stupendous project was accom-
plished by the government, assisted
by Canadian capitalist, r. G. Reid
man Of wonderful resources, large
capital and great ability. The road is
known as the Reid-Newfoundland rail
way
Generally speaking the government
paid for the construction of the road
and Mr. Reid will manage and cper-
ate it for fifty years, during that time
receiving the revenue and paying the
expenses. In connection with the rail-
road Mr. Reid has established line
of frst-class postal steamers connect
ing with the railroad and touching at
all important coast points in New
foundland. Though the railroad as yet
runs through a trackless wilderness,
without an inhabitant for fifty miles at
stretch an excellent passenger train
service with modern sleeping and din
ing cars has been established, making
the trans-island trip each way three
times per week, the running time be-
ing twenty eight hours from Port-AuX-
Basuues to ST. Johns. Tourists tick
cts are sold at very reasonable rates
and the trip is one of great interest
and pleasure To the sportsman seek
ing recreation in fishing or hunting
this line offers attractions at this time
which are probably unequaled by any
other railway in the world. certainly
not in America. Persons who are in
terested will be supplied with all nee
essary information, printed matter,
maps, etc, by addressing H. A. Nor
inc, general passenger agent, St.
Johns, Newfoundland. In doing this,
however, remember that Newfound-
land is foreign country and that let
ter postage from the United States to
st. Johns is five cents for each half
ounce.
Newfoundland is not an agricultural
country and never will be. Neverthe-
less it contains considerable arabic
land. much of which is located along
the line of railroad 1t is in the de-
velopment of numbering, pulp making
and mining operations that the rail
road will. in a few years, bring about
marvellous development. The railway
is the greatest force making for Chris
tan civilization and nation building in
this era of the worlds history. A
Newfoundland writer truly says:
"These solitudes which shall never
relapse into their past repose. at last
rescund with the echoes of the rail
way and all its vitalizing forces They
are the heralds of that dawn which
has been delayed for ages but which
has come to mark the closing years of
this auspicious century. 1t is a great
public benefaction, whose possibilities
of development and ultimate good are
| beyond computation" A. W. Lee.