The sun., 1893-07-16

end fair return on the enormous capital In
vested. The road is certain to be heavy drain
upon the State treasury. and 1t may not
be operated at profit for q century to
come; but the Russian Government and ma
tion have heartily committed themselves to
the colossal work. for they feel that In many
ways its far-reaching results will rebound to
the enormous advantage Of the empire. The
colonization of Siberia. the development Of its
mines and agriculture. the opening Of markets
for Russian industries. the heightening Of
Russian Influences in east Turkestan. Mon
Rolia, and Manchuria, and the diversion OF a
part OF the trade OF China. japan. and Corea to
Russian territory. these and other results are
among the ends for which the empire strives.
Let US examine briefly some ASPECTS OF the
undertaking upon which. without doubt, tho
future Of Siberia depends
The extreme western section OF the line now
building starts from the little town Of
Tchelyabinsk on the eastern slope Of the Ural
Mountains The town is already connected. or
is soon to be Joined by rail. with the two Rus
sian lines that push through the heart Of the
iron mining region Of the south and central
Urals. From this town the road is extending
southeast toward Omsk. 495 miles away. the
capital Of western Siberia. Good things are
often far to seek. and SO the Siberian road
toward the land Of promise must at the out
set. push across the barren and almost use-
less waste. skirting for nearly half the
way to Omsk the northern edge OF the salt
steppe Of Akmolinsk White Tombh the home
Of the Siberian cattle plague. and wide areas
utterly destitute Of timber and sweet surface
hope that this region nearest their doors may
some day be reclaimed; and last year COM
and of
tion In this part OF the Rtrghis steppe re.
ported that good water might Be obtained by
North Pf this barren region and along the
IN the wide areas around Tjumen, iu Ksrsan. aMl
Jalutorvsk. Tobolsk. Barnaul. and Biisk is a
become garden In area Il 10 as as large la seuns as
sasf Sss ss;s 4 sfss
sropped TO death and made thirsty By
people. mostly pure Russians. who with
IN two centuries have been ySlun.
aons ess wstes
5at nost q the land & weIl adsptsd to bseo@c
ons Of the GrSnaTies 9f the world and Russia
i has been found thirty years after the abol- ii.
tion Of serfdom that the agricultural poputa.
far beyond the ability to secure freeholds: and
this IL one OF the causes which aggravated the
The policy OF the Government to-day is to
encourage and facilitate the removal OF the
aSas F9T thsss p Fl
tile areas oi western Siberia need this surplus
seeks by means OF the hundreds OF thousands
Of toilers who can nm now hardly keep soul and
Of acres under cultivation. Emigration from
the mother land to these great wheat fields
ssae be Of carried cost on ars s
Ieaching them: and yet from 1885 TO 1891
1ss00O people left Russia 70 make new homes
fact that they have as yet very limited oppor- T or
tnnity for sending their produce to exterior
IS s p SO the small saSe shae
AZ the iruts q the soil save in years Of e1cep-
=. What the country needs is large coloniza-
ton; and this can come only when the western
the building OF the road through hi this great Tst
sS on botS sSss S%
striking difference between the Trans Asian
railroad and our own transcontinental lines
In the United States and Canada the desire
arst OF al was to reach important trade centres
as In Canada through hundreds Of miles OF un-
Inhabited prairies and mountains but as soon
there was 'SH Ths 81. 81
berian railroad. however. will have no great
trade centres On p the borders Of the paSiac at
e fll up the fertile regions Of western
Ned on practical, economic grounds. The
development OF western Siberia is about the
only element Of undoubtsd practicability In
tne whole scheme. The western section of the
line will soon he made to pay and within {.
decade or two after the building of the road
the most favored parts, OF Sibetia. closely
gin to have value to Russia far exceeding
that OF any region which has fallen to any Of
the powers In the mad scram BILE for Africa.
In the government Of Tomsk, a. branch line
south OF the main line to Barnnul and Biisk In
the mining regions OF the Altai Mountains.
will afford to the road another important as
pect. There are practical men who believe
that gold mining will be developed here that
viii compare iayorably with that Of California,
may be. there is great deal OF the precious
metal In the Altai Mountains. and the railroad
will give AN enormous impetus to this valuable
part Of Russia's domain. which never can he
properly developed until steam communica-
tion, Joins ftwith the European systems OF rail-
roads
We see. therefore. that that part of the rail-
road which ends toward the east at or near
krRsnottrsk has most practicable ends in
view inFhe development of colonization. agri-