Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23

Ehrougn SlDerla- Ii Will open up f1cu SO4O
mines and diamond and ruby mines that are
unrivaled, beside valuable agricultural
lands. General Annenkof, the builder of
the traus-Caspian road, is the active spirit
of the new enterprise.
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPATcH.l
ST. PETERSBURG, February IA final
decision has at last been reached by the
Imperial Government regarding the trans
Siberian railroad. The work of construc-
ton is to be commenced at once, and pushed
vigorously to completion. Surveys have
been made with sufficient accuracy to deter
mine the most practicable route, and also to
indicate the cost and time that will be re-
quired for the ENTERPRISE. Operations will
be begun simultaneously all along the line,
so far as grading and the laying of ties are
concerned. The laying of rails will, Of
course, have to be carried forward entirely
from the western terminus.
General Annenkof, the builder of the
trsns-Caspian road, reckons that the entire
line to Vladivostock will cost less than
5000, O00, 600, and that through trains from
the Baltic to the Pacific can be run within
five years from the beginning OF the job.
There are those, Of course, who think this
estimate far too low. But there were also
many who jeered at General AnnenkofPs
scheme, ten years ago, for a railroad to
Merv and Samarkand. His schemes have,
however, been justified by successful execu-
ton, sand the trans-CaspiSn railroad is
not only an accomplished fact, but
it is a highly profitable fact as well.
II has given such an impetus to
the agricultural rehabilitation of Central
Asia, and afforded in that direction such
general field Tor Russian enterprise on Rus
sian territory, as to effect almost CONNER
eial and industrial revolution. And al
though the line from Michailovsk to Kizil
ArEat cost the Russia treasury SIS, 900 a
mile-and there are 150 miles of tit is
now seen to have been a most desirable in
YeStment It is very largely this fact of
General Annenkof's great success in Cen
tral Asian railroad building that has de-
termined the Czsr to give him free hand
in the stupendous Siberian enterprise.
GOLD AND GEMS.
Another highly important consideration
In this matter is the colonization of the
country along the Amoor river. Beside its
vast agricultural possibilities, this region
is exceedingly rich in precious minerals.
For many years it has been known to contain
some of the richest deposits of gold in the
world, and vast stores of gems have also
been taken from the mines. There are
creditable tales of ruby mines equal to those
of Burmah, and diamond mines that will
rival the Kimberly. All this region and its
products belong to the Russian Crown. But
il borders on the northern part of China, and
the boundary line is ill-guarded, The
result is that the Chinese swarm across
by thousands, and are really Sc
curing the lions share of the spoil Be
side the many Chinese colonists who make
their permanent homes on Russian soil,
there are countless raiders, who come over
for few weeks at a time, or for as long as
they can elude the vigilance of the scat
tered Russian police. They seem instinct
lively to know where the richest pay
gravel" is to be found, and in a few days at
the placer mines will wash out small for
tune in golden sand. For several years
there have been standing orders to the Rus
sian police to
SHOOT SUCH ADVENTURES
at sight, orders which have been carried out
10 the letter whenever opportunity afforded.
But such opportunities have been few, and
the Government has at last come to the con-
clusion that the only way to keep the
Chinese out is to put more Russians in. Ac-
Cordingly thousands of families of settlers
are being sent thither every year at Imperial
expense The journey, however, is a long,
tedious and costly one, and it has become
evident that complete colonization of
those rich provinces is impossible without
better facilities for transportation.
Nor is the colonization of other parts OF
Seberia to be overlooked. During all the
eight centuries that have elapsed since the
C0ssaeks repaid the Gar for driving them
frorn Euror,o NV narinr far him ha
Empire of Northern Asia, Siberia has suf
tered from an uBdeserved bad name. Il is
not desert of snow and ice. 1t Is not
vast penal settlement. True, a considera-
bic portion ofit is as desolate in it's Arctic in
Hospitality as it could possibly be, and
many of the chief settlements are occupied
chiefly by exiles and eonviets; but there
are also thousands of miles of fertile land, |
with bnlmy climate and every natural gift
that makes country desirable for haDita-
fion, and thousands of miles where the foot |
Of the convict has never trod.
MECCA OF THE PEASANTS.
Tousk is the favorite colonizing country
Of the Russian peasant. Every year thou
sands Of Russian moujiks of their own free |
will Tudge from the populous Russian |
provinces to form new communities in ST.
IBERIA, and these think no more of the tribu- |
lations of the exiles there than English i'm |
migrants to Australia trouble themselves |
with the history of Botany Bay. This |
stream Of immigration will, of course, greatly |
increase with better facilities for travel, the |
opening of the railway to 0renburg, for in |
stance, having been followed by a migra- |
fion thither BY rail of Z, 900 or 5000 Russian |
peasants every year, on their way to the |
cnltiEable districts Of Southern Siberia and /
the Kirghiz Steppes. Since the Russians |
finished the railway from the Caspian to the |
Oxus Russian peasants have commenced |
using that route to make their way to the /
settlements IN Turkestan.
There is stall another immense advantage /
to be secured to Russia by the construction
OF this railroad, and that is, the trade of the |
Pacific Ocean. At present this traffic /
reaches Europe almost exclusively bv En-
giish routes. The Northern Pacific trade |
is carried across America bv the Canadian |
and the United States Pacific railroads and /
thence shipped TO Europe by the Atlantic
lines. The trade Of the central part of the
coast finds its way to Europe by the English
routes through the Suez Canal. With the
opening up Of China and Japan to COM
merce, this trade is
ENORMOUSLY INCREASING
in importance and it is to capture a portion
of it that Russia now aims. The Pacific
terminus OF the road will be at Vladivostock. |
There will presently be running an
other road from some point in
China to Vladivostock, which will /
convey to the latter point the
traffic OF China. Steamship lines will also
connect it with all important Chinese and |
japanese ports. Thence the transit across
the Russian Empire to Europe will be much /