Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-06-15

RUSsIA'S FINANCES.
ARCH MINERAL COUNTRY WITHOUT
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

Ayoung Government Engineers Novel
Method of Reaching the Precious Net
al~s-southern Sibcria's Prosperity and
Fertility of soil-The Cossack.
/ had this morning q long and pleasant
conversation with Col. de G%essler, an ex
member of the staff of the Grand Duke
I Vladimir, in the Russian army. Col. de
! Gessler has occupied an official position in
the military forces of the Russian govern
ment for many years, and is intimately
acquainted with their resources, their
quality, and their power.
Just what" / asked in the course of
our conversation, us the condition of finan-
cial affairs in Russian
"There seems to be an utter drainage of
gold from the country. Our ruble, worth
nominally something like 50 cents of your
money, now sells for A cents. This, of
course, applies to the paper equivalent
which is in circulation throughout Russia.
Coins of all kinds are very scarce, and pa
per money is about the only thing one
sees. There was a time, directly after the
last war, when the banks would give no
gold at all, no matter what kind of an Or
der was presented to them. They were
wiling enough to comply with the de-
mands made upon them, but they had no
gold whatever to do it with. We have a
rich mineral country, but there is no in
centiye to private enterprise in mining.
while we all know what such work is
likely to amount to when it is lone by the
| government. Let me give You an exam-
pie Of the way these things are I0naged.
A mar buys Il piece ofland in the mineral
country, and undertakes to locate a mine
omit. lie digs down and down, until he
reaches the vein of metal.
Up to this point he has been allowed to
go ahead upon his own responsibility, but
tpe fnlnute he touches gold or silver he is
compelled to repe9t to the governor of
that province, and the representative of
the car comes in and takes possession.
paying q certain mount in cash for the
property. Thus the discoverer does not
receive enough of benefit from his work to
attract very many gold-diggers to the
mines. Some of the frauds that are prac-
tlced ON The government are interesting.
The methods of digging gold are very
primitive, and the fashion is to cut a great
cash in the mountain side instead of sink
ing shafts or tunneling.
ANEW METHOD OF MINING.
"A number of years ago the government
sent @ young engineer TO adopt more prac-
" tdSSihS ouU blG. precious
metals. He went, and reported that he
was about to put a new scheme into prac-
tice. The soldiers in Siberia can not do
military duty to any extent in the winter,
ana they Rre allowed to work rs laborers
IN that period, keeping for themselves
Whatever they may earn. This young en-
glneer engaged thousands of them and set
them to work, making an excavation
which covered more than a square mile at.
the surface. Year after year this work
was carried on, the excavation growing
smaller and smaller toward the bottom
the sides slanting SO as to keep the earth
from falling in. By tie time the rock was
reached there was not much space for the
proposed operations, and the whole thing
was abandoned as u failure. In the inter
val, by paying his laborers / rubJe a day
per head. and drawing three or four times
bnau amount from the government, the en-
glneer had accumulated a fortune of about
5000, 600 rubles. The affair has never beer
investigated. Siberia is not altogether the
country 1t isrrepresented to be. OnIyi in the
north is the climate severe.
ASoathern Siberia is one of the most
fertile and prosperous regions in existence.
LII rs TO this part of the world that most
political prisoners are exiled. The govern
ment gives each of them a fixed number of
acres OF land, a house, cattle, horses, and
farming implements. The only restriction
placed upon them is that they shall not 20
outside a given circle, aud there is o. suf-
hcient force to see that they obey this be-
hest. The vast majority OF them settle
down to u quiet. peaceful, and prosperous
HE, and never want to come back again.
even after their terms of exile are fin
isheu. Ihere are many enormously rich
Il nnnlAA in Z yNnrf,-,,t~c lFt ar,rL
merchants make vast fortunes, financial
~easiness is prevalent, and there is just as
much luxury inthat country as there is in
any other part of the world. 1t is to north
ern Siberia, where the copper mines are
situated, that the worst criminals, such as
murderers and thieves of the vilest degree,
are sent. To condemn q man to work in,
the copper mines is as good as reading his
death sentence, for he seldom survives a
year of labor there.
THE coSsAcK AN INDEPENDENT OLDER
What" l asked, sis the difference be-
tween your Cnssaek and the ordinary
soldier in your army?n
The Cossack," responded Col. de Gessler,
rs an independent soldier. lean onlyliken
MN TO the militia in our country, and
even there l find points of marked dissima
llarlty. He owns his horse, his uniform.
MS small arms, and all his other accoutre-
ments excepting his rife. That alone be-
long to the governments When he begins
in the service of the car he must remain
in that service whenever it is demanded
OF him to the end of his life. His only adj
vantage IS that in time of peace he is
to carry on any pursuit which he may
care To embark. The Cossack country is
always thriving and pleasant. The Cog
sacks, indeed, regard themselves as the