The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-24
RUSSIA ON THE PACIFIC.
Concluded from Ninth Pageo

RUSSIA ON THE PACIFIC.
Concluded from Ninth Page)
and there is a great deal lying along
the line OF the new railroad. / rode
through veins of coal in my trip over
the line, the grades being cut right
through the coal fields. These are not
far from Vladivostock, and there may
yet be. great manufactures in Siberia.
The island of Saghalien is said to be
underlaid with coal, and there are vast
coal mines near Tomsk, on the line of
the railroad. There are. in fact, coal
mines all over Siberia, and the silver
and lead deposits are very large. There
are ! uety different mines of silver in
one esion alone, and there are lead
mine in the eastern part Of the coun-
try. There are four hundred different
copp;r mines in another region, and
it Is almost impossible to estimate the
mineral wealth of Siberia. The west
ern part of the country has been pro-
ducing silver for years, and the Altaf
mountains are one of the richest mining
regions of the world
Siberia is very rich country agricul-
turally, and Russia is coloniZing it as
fast as she can. 1t has millions of acres
as fat as the Red river valley. and it
will eventually be one of the great
embarrassing countries of the world.
There were hundred thousand Rus
Sic1n AHlAl6LdIllS ~ 1897 anu Tie CZdI
has now a special line of steamers,
whose business it is to carry Russians
from the Black sea and the Baltic
around to Siberia. They take them in
colonies and land them at Vladivo-
stock, or at the ports of the Amoor
river. They are given great advantage
as to lands, but the land is usually
parceled out to the communities and
the villagers own the land in COM
mon, as they do in Russia. This, it
RI ms fc mis-
country can develop to its full extent
except by individual ambition and in
dividual effort for individual gain. The
chief trouble in Russia to-day is in
it's land system. If the land of the
Russian empire were held by individ-
uals instead Of by villages the country
would be one of the richest on the globe.
AS tits, it is only half farmed. No one
cares to work when he has land in
common with his neighbors, and the
most shiftless farmers on the globe
to-day are the Russian peasants. Land
in Siberia found to be sold very cheap.
The rates are less than those of our
government lands. and If l remember
correctly they are three rubles per desia-
tine, or about dollar an acre in silver,
or less than 60 cents an acre in gold.
The laws of Siberia are such that in
dfviduals can buy land If they wish it,
but the peasants seem to like the village
system best. They stick to their old
habits, and Siberia is likely to be a
second Russia.
SIBERIA FOR THE RUSSIANS.
was struck with one thing in my
visit to Siberia, and that was that the
Russians propose to hold the country
for themselves. They don't intend to
throw it open to the world, though they
are glad to- have citizens who will take
an oath OF allegiance to Russia and be-
come Russian subjects. The laws Of
the country are now such that only
Russian citizens can acquire property,
develop mines or do business. One of
the requirements of citizenship is that
the applicant must be able to speak
Russian, and the people do not propose
to be overrun by a lot of foreign-speak-
ing aliens as America is. The mines
are open to all the Russians with the
single proviso, as 1 said, that the gov
eminent have the first chance at the
output. 1t has already established
smelling houses and assay stations
throughout the country, and it takes
gold and silver at it's market rates,
taxing it certain percentage, l be-
lieve for the Gear. / was told that the
gold mines of Siberia turned out last
year $45,00000O worth of gold, and that
there is single mine not far from
Vladivostock which has produced $3,000,-
600 in a single year. l met some rich
mine owners in VladivostoclS, and
heard all sorts of big stories. One
mine, which was originally listed at
$40 share, has stock which is now
worth $4,000 a share, and large fortunes
have been made out of silver. The tim
Der resources are enormous. and after
America is deunded of it's forests it is
probable that the world will have to
go to Siberia for it's large timber.
1 was much surprised at the extent of
eastern Siberia. l had an idea that
the Amoor river ran into the sea not
far from VladivOstock. 1t always looked
to me so on the map. told Mr.. Bryner
that thought would take a little run
up the Amoor, and he informed me that
/ was about four days ride by steamer
from It's mouth. He told me that the
river was one of the finest in the world.
1t is nine miles wide at it's mouth, and
vessels drawing twelve feet of water
can sail up it six hundred miles, while
vessels CT light draft can go two thou
sand miles into the interior on this
stream. / met one young man who was
in business at the town of Nicholievsk,
which is the chief city of the Amoor.
1t is a town of $500 people, and it does
big business with all northern Siberia.
There are forty-seven ships that sail
up and down the Amoor, and the Rus
sian volunteer fleet, bringing immi-
grants comes there many times every
summer. This town, like Vladivostock,
Is to a large extent a military settle
ment, and the Car has his soldiers
scattered all over Siberia. l was told
| that he had something like $4,000 men
| in the eastern half of the country, and
| he is Systematically making it Rus
| sian empire by colonizing it as he does.
| Every year or so the boundry is moved
a little further south, and there is yet
| possibility that Russia will take more
| from China than she has done in the
past The great Trans-Siberian road,
| which is now being pushed at three
different points along the line, will
form line of communication by which
| Russia will be able to control the ASH
| attic trade, and there is no telling as
| to whether she will control a great
| part of the territory of Asia as we'll
| This road was begun at Vladivostock
! and is now being pushed to the west
| In my next letter 1 will describe the
| queer experiences 1 had in travelling
upon it. FRANK G. CARPENTER.
An Army Snow-ShOes.