River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-07-08
YANKEES GONE TO RUSSIA.
To Develop "A Field the Russians Have
Found Improbable, and Make Some
thing OF the sea of AzOf

New York Graphic.
| Among the passengers who sailed for
Liverpool in the steamship Scythia, of
the Cunard line, from this port, were
Wayne MacVeagh and Wharton Bar
ker, of Philadelphia; John Fritz, of the
Bethlehem Iron company; Charles
Hinchman, of the Philadelphia Steel
company; Augustus Dowdall and S. r.
Fuller, chief engineer of the Philadel-
phia, Wilmington and Baltimore rail
road. Mr. Barker goes to Russia at the
instigation of the emperor, who has
given him the sole right of opening up
| the DonetZ coal fields, north of the sea
of Azof; the iron deposits of Krivol
Rog, north of the Crimea; the consJruc-
ton of railway system from the Sea
of Azof. the erection of works for the
manufacture of Bessemer steel rails,
the establishment of great shipping
port on the Sea of Azof, and the build
ing of grain elevators Mr. Bar<er's
CONCESSION extends eighty-fve years,
and the cost of the great works will be
upward of $8,000,000. He has secured
the aid of well known capitalists of this
city and Philadelphia, and is confident
that the undertaking will be a complete
success. Mr.. McVeagh accompanies
Mr.. Barker as counsel to the company.
Arriving at St. Petersburg, he will ex-
anime fully into the legal questions of
the concessions. Messrs Fritz and
Hinchman will inspect the iron ores
and coal veins and will report upon
their value. Mr. Dowdall goes out as
private secretary to Mr.. Parker.
''The people here, said Mr.. Barker,
''have very little knowledge of the inn
mense tracts of iron and coal and the
enormous quantity of grain produced
i'll southern Russia. From one port
alone on the Sea of Azof fifty million
bushels Of grain were shipped last year.
We propose building harbor at suit
able point on that sea, with railroad
running directly to the grain fields of
the interior Elevators will be erected
to aid us i'll handling grain, and line
of steamers will be established from
that port to Philadelphia. We shall
not build the steamers ourselves but
only charter them as they are needed
What point will you select for the
seaport? was asked.
Probably near Taganrog, town on
the north shore of the Sea of AZof, OPP
posite the mouth of the Don. 1t was
founded by Peter the Great, and has a
a harbor which is very shallow Maria
pol, a town one hundred and forty miles
southeast of Yekaterinoslay, is another
place we have in view. In regard to
the iron interest we intend to build roll
ing-mills, blast-furnaces, etc" and en-
gage largely in the manufacture Of
iron and steel. There is no better ore
in the country than that produced in
southern Russia"
What amount of capital will be
necessary for the prosecution of this
work ?"
Not less than $8,0O0,000 will be re-
quired, if it is proposed after the report
of the experts, to go on with the enter
prise. This has all been subscribed by
business men in this city and New
York who do not wish their names
mentioned at present. We 90 first to
London then through France, Austria
and Hungary, and then to our destina-
ton in southern Russia We expect
to return about the LIST of September
with everything arranged for a vigorous
prosecution of the work"
Col Thomas A. Scott in an interview
with a reporter ofthe Philadelphid Times
yesterday on the subject, says:
at is probably the greatest enterprise
ever entered into between any Ameri-
cans and the Russian government. The
concessions were granted to Mr.. Barker
by the car himself, as his connections
with the Russian government have been
very satisfactory The extent of the
territory to be developed extends for
several hundred miles, and the period
of the concession is longer than has
ever been granted before The Rus
sian government wants American en-
terprise and energy to develop her re-
sources, and is willing to make liberal
concessions for that purpose. A liberal
fund has been subscribed, and the stock
holders are ready to go on with the Ell
terpise as soon as the experts hayere-
ported upon it, The stockholders IN
clude Representatives of the railroad,
coal, iron, steel, and banking interests
of Philadelphia and New York, the lat
ter comprising the representatives of
some of the largest foreign houses.