Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-11
ENCIRCLING THE EARTH.

The Siberian Railway Will Enable Us to Go
Round the World by Rail.
It is announced that the Siberian Rail-
way scheme has been approved by the
commission appointed to consider it, and
that the road will be conn leted In six
years. Il has been heretofore reported
that American capital and skill would be
largely drawn upon to carry out the en-
terprise. The line will open a country
similar to our northern tier of States and
Southern Canada for distance of over
1000 miles, besides the western connec-
tions and lateral feeders. 1t is expected
that a branch viii be run southwark into
Manchuria, and thence to Pekir, to
join the Chinese system which has
already been commenced to connect
the capital with its port, Tienstin,
20 miles distant. That will give
the road two termini, one at VIadivostok,
the other at Tienstin, with the practical
bility of extensions TO other Chinese trade
centres and ports. The opening of the
line from Tientsin to Taku was accom-
plIshed IN the face of much official and
popular opposition. A short time ago
it was announced that the conservative
party at the Chinese court had succeeded
IN stopping further work, but since then
more liberal counsels have prevailed. The
death of Prince Tun, one of the young
Emperor's uncles and an influential con-
sentative, probably contributed to that
end. TIE road will now be pushed to
Pekin without delay. 1t is known that in
Manchurla, near tse line which a con-
Meeting road would naturally take, rich
gold deposits exist. They wonld have
been worked to some extent By Chinese
and whites from Siberia, but there has
been no adequate development in the
country. Semipelatinsk and Viadivostok
will run near the northern base of the
Altai range, which separates Siberia from
the Chinese dominions. Around the head
quarters of the Irish river, near Semi
pa.antlnsk, deposits of silver and copper
have been discovered and gold and
lead in small quantities. In the
Yatlonnei Mountains, the section of the
Altai just west of the Amoor country,
where the range breaks down to an
unduiating plateau, gold silver, lead,
zinc, antimony, iron and arsenic are
found, and emerald and topaz mines of
great value exist. The country along the
line for width OF several hundred miles
is in part covered with valuable forests of
pine, fir, larch, poplar and hard woods.
Along the rivers wheat and other grains,
tobacco, vegetables, ETC., grow well, and
the grazing is excellent. The fertility of
the Amoor region is we'll known. Some
day a great population of the Caucasian
race will find this country and reach out
to trade with the United States. In
many ways this opening of new route
of travel around the world will be of es-
pecisl significance to the United States,
which must of necessity be one of the
most important points on it. The effect
which the building of this road is likely
to bave upon CHINA is also most i'm
portant factor in forecastiSg the future.
England's Indian railway system is
gradually encircling the empire on the
south and west, the Russian line will
stretch along its northern border, and
when it starts for Pekin it is not unlike
ly that China will yield to the inevitable
and enter upon career of railroad de-
velopment.-San Francisco Bulletin.