The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-06-20
Railroads in Asia.

The bridging of the comparatively
narrow tract which separates the civili-
zation of India and of Europe is to be
accomplished perhaps even more rapid
Iy than anybody suspects. The gradual
advances of Russia toward the PUniaub
frontier have been watched for many
years, and it has been a curious matter
of speculation just where the British
and Russian lines should finally meet,
and how soon the barbarism that now
lies between them should be obliterated
in the contact of these great and ag-
gressive powers. But it seems we are
not to wait for the slow course of con-
quest, annexation, armed occupation, or
whatever else the czar may choose to
all his absorption of the Tartar terrific
ty. NJ. de Lesseps has formed project
or constructing under Russian auspices
a railway across Turkestan, to complete
the chain of communication between st.
Petersburg and Calcutta. It is under
stood that M. de Lesseps has received
the assent of the imperial government,
daring engineer who built the Suez
canal will be able, with the proper Off
cial encouragement, to execute this
much less difficult and ambitious work.
The locomotive has already penetrated
as far as Orenburg on the Ural river, a
frontier town of European Russia, four
teen hundred miles from st. Petersburg.
Thence there viii be a desert stretch of
fifteen hundred miles to Samarcand,
across the Kirghis Steppes, and from
Samarcand another stretch of eight
hundred and fifty miles through Box
hare to Peshawur, on the borders of
British India At that point the new
line would connect with the railways
already built or row building, the En-
gIish having rail communication al
ready from Calcutta and the other chief
cities of HindOstan to Lahore, only two
hundred and seventy miles from the
frontier. OF course the construction of
this great road under Russian protection
would be equivalent to the annexation
of Turkestan to the empire. Mean
while another scheme of still grander
proportions has been formed IN Persia,
where the shah has granted to Baron
Reuter-, the famous news-collectOr, Ger
tain exclusive privileges which may re
suit in the entire renovation of the
kingdom. Reuter- and his associates are
to build railways with aid from the
state to construct canals, reservoirs,
wells and water-wOrks TO utilize the
forests to work the mines and to farm
the revenues. They are to begin by
contracting a loan of Six million pounds,
upon which the Persian government
guarantees the interest. A new light
may be thrown upon the eastern ques-
ton when the irOn-hOrse snOrts through
Shir8Z and Ispahan but there are OBJ
vious reasons why a railroad separation
from European civilization on the one
hand by the whole extent of Asiatic
Turkey, and on the other by the in
hospitable Afghan and BeIOoch terrific
ries, should not be especially attractive
as an Investment. Whether, however,
the door Of communication between In
dia and Europe is to be placed in the
PHniaub or on the lower Indus, it is evi-
dent that the world is pressing impa-
tientIy for a solution of the political
and commercial problem, and that it is
not to be much longer delayed.-NcsO
York Tribune.