The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-05-02
ROUTE OF THE GREAT SIBERIAN RAILWAY.

ROUTE OF THE GREAT RAILWAY.
STA, the constant friction ON the bound
aries of their colonies in the east and
the apprehension with which each has
regarded the slightest movement the
other has made in that direction. It is
presumed that when the Siberian rail-
way liz in operation it viii be possible to
make the trip from Moscow 10 Vladivos-
tok inside of 10 days,
That Russia evidently had the mill
tary possibilities of the road uppermost
i'm her mind when it was decided to pro-
coed with it's building is shown by the
fact that the estimated capacity Of the
road Is based upon the number OF mill
tary trains which may be sent ver it in
"a hours. For its strategic value alone
Russia could well afford to put the
8270, 600, 600 which ID viii cost into this
railroad, without regard to the other
advantages it offers
In case of hostilities between Russia
and England the former country would
be able in o comparatively short time to
send a large number Of troops by a
Of this great railway system TO attack
Great Britain 3 Indian possessions. Eng
land would be forced to send her troops
by means of transports through the Med
i~terranean and Suez canal or acros the
Atlantic, British North America and
the Pacific ocean.
From a commercial point of view also
the Importance of the Siberian road can
not be overestimated. It will furnish
means of transportation for the Chinese,
| Japanese and Indian trade to Europe
and divert the of the east that
| now travels in from the lines
| it follows farther south. The popular
notion Of Siberia is that it is q barren
waste, extending from the frozen ocean
| ON the north TO the burning semitropic
| plains ON the south, and that its chief
inhabitants are Russian political prison
ers who have been condemned to spend
| their lives in the mines of this almost
unknown region. But this idea is very
far from the truth.
As a matter of fact, it embraces enor
NOUS areas of exceedingly fertile soil
and possesses climatic conditions favor
able to the development of agricultural
industries. IL is also rich in minerals.
Iron and coal are found nearly all over
Siberia and in veins OF exceeding rich
ness. Gold, too, exists in abundance.
These mineral deposits are now neglect
ed simply because the present cost Oh
transportation is too high to permit
them to be worked profitably. The rail.
way will cheaper the carrying of nipple.
ments and stores to the mines and in.
crease the supply of laborers, who are
not numerous enough in a great many
places. It will also facilitate the mar
keting of the output, and as the road il
to be a government institution probably
the golden rule of "all the traffic viii
bear will not be allowed to throttle
the industries IL is built to promote.
Hitherto the principal barrier TO tn,
development of civilization i'm Siberi,
has been the absence of regular commu
nication with European Russia as wei
as between the most important indus
trial and administrative centers within
the country itself. The railway viii re
move this barrier and will pour in
food OF immigration from the congestet
districts in Russia and from other place
where the pressure of a landless popula
tion upon the limits of Subsistence ii i'm
imical TO tho stability Of existing inst
tutions.
The influence of the new road upOl
, the commerce OF the world must not b
. lost sight OF. It win connect 400. 600.
J 900 Chinese and 35, 900, 600 Japasles
9 more directly with Europe. The journa
from Europe through Vladivosf0k l
& Shanghai will be made In 10 o. 20 dry
4 instead OF ~ by way Of the S~uescaft
. or 35 by way of the American transcpz
~tinental railways as at present s. ma
2 also have much TO do with ~detkxniz&in
that great contest between A6fatic III
European civilization which Ax3ixl
statesmen hsve declared mnak one III
be settled.