Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-10-08
AsIArlo COLD MINES.
Interesting Particulars About the New
Mining Community ON the Amoor.


Interesting Particulars About tho Now
Mining Community ON the Amoor.
The Sfbir, Siberian semi official
paper, gives some interesting particu-
lars OF the community which has lately
sprung up on the south of the Anoor,
in the district where gold has been
found in such abundance that the
name Asiatlc California has been
given TO II. The place Is practically
an almost inaccessible desert without
roads or paths; II Is we'll beyond the
Russian frontiers. and II would seem
that until the middle Of last winter the
Chinese were quite ignorant that a gold
mine had been found on their terri
tory. The diggcrs, who are largely
composed of American and Australian
miners and recruits from the diamond
fields, soon found the necessity OF
establishing order. and they have CON
stituted sort OF democratic republ' G.
The gold field is at present divided into
twenty-five small districts. over which
two elected Chiefs preside, Judge
and an Overscer, whose duty it Is to
compose all differences which may
arise among the diggers, and to nflict
moderate punishments for any Oiienses.
A general President controls this body
of Judges and Ovorscers; he is chosen
by general suffrage from among the
dlggers, and he is charged with the
task of conducting any business which
may arise with the Russian or Chinese
administrations of the Amoor dis.
tricts. The decision of all matters of
grave Importance is reserved so a
General Assembly of all the diggers,
and Tn assembly Is empowered Co cx-
pei any one from the mines. to depose
the President and to inhict capital
punishment. The President has sal
AIRY Of four hundred rubies a month. or
about fifty-siS pounds; the Overseers
and Judges have salaries Of half this
amount. A direct tax on all places Of
amusement and liquor saloons consti-
tutes the fiscal income of the common
wealth. There are about n hundred
and fifty such places in the district,
and the receipts vary from two hun
dred TO four hundred rubles n day.
Each place pays a monthly tax Of
twenty-five rubles. A Russian official
has been stationed by the authorities
of Eastern Siberia in the district, and
he has purchased large quantity of
the gold obtained by the diggers, at
the rate of 8. 40 rubles the soiotRib (equal
to 4.5 grammes), or nearly at the rate
Of forty-fve pounds the troy pound.
The amount purchased to the begin
ming of summer amounted to sixty-siS
poodS, or over two thousand six hun
dred pounds When the Chinese au-
tborities learned that a gold mine had
been discovered within their borders
they took steps to assert their rights,
and sent a small detachment Of troops.
The dggers tried to buy thcm of, of
fering first four pounds and then eight
pounds of gold Then force of ten
thousand men was sent from Man
choora, the intention being to at
tack the diggers as soon as the ice be-
gan to break up in the Amoor, and
they could no longer escape by the
river into Russian territory. Had they
done this there would have been much
bloodshed. for the diggers arc well
armed and very determined, and as
discoverers consider they have an alb
solute property in the diggings. Pos
sibly Russia would have found in the
CONFUSION an excuse for Intervention
in n district which she must greatly re-
gret is not within her own borders.