The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-03

map showing the territory they wanted.
The Chinese threw up their hands In
horror. and said they could not possibly
allow them SO much as that. All right,
said the Russians. I'VE will take less,
and they showed them another map,
which was made on a smaller scale, but
in which the amount OF territory taken
was the same The Chinese looked at 1t
and did not perceive the cheat They
made q treaty agreement to this bound
airy, and that is the boundary between
China and Siberia to-day. The way the
Russians work is to colonize the country
close to the line of China and gradually
move southwark. They undoubtedly
have their eyes upon Corea, and, while
they will probably not take the country,
they will exercise such an influence over
it that they will be able to get what
they want.
WORKING WITH CONNECTS.
great part of the work on this east
ern section of the Trans-Siberian road
has been done by means of convicts. but
this has been changed within the past
year. The convicts have been shipped
off to Saghalin. and the men are now all
paid workmen. including large number
of soldiers. 1 saw them at work, and 1t
looked like slice out of Russia, and re-
minded me of the work I had seen on
the Volga during the great Russian fam
had a much better chance to see some
thing of the country and the railroad.
The station at Nikolsk is long, one
story building, made of red brick faced
with stone. The engine of our train
burned wood, and around the stations
there were great wood piles. while the
wood was stacked in cords at the back
Of the engine. We had some fourth
class cars on the way going back. These
were even more uncomfortable than the
r I,rr 3ln6
chance to lie down in them, and thew
were filed with peasants and soldiers.
The baggage car was in the middle or
the train. and / looked in vain for a
postal car. Still, there was postoffice
box at each station, and l am told that
the postal service is fairly good. l noted
some of the gravel cars. Their sides are
made so that they can be let down. They
are about fifteen feet long, and have
four wheels to each car. The road is of
the standard Russian gauge The rails
seem to be little lighter than ours, and
the ties are of pine. At every station
found policemen with revolvers on their
hips and swords at their sides. Many or
the stations are built of logs, and
crowd of Russians in caps. and of Chi
nese with pigtails, stood and gazed at
the train as it went by. Just out OF
Vladivostock the road turns through
low hills 1t skirts the beautiful bay or
Peter the Great, and as you ride along
this, going from one gulf to another, now
rushing through forests and now sailing
along the edge of the water. you are re-
minded of the picturesque lakes OF
northern Michigan. The road through
out its length will be one Of the most
picturesque in the world, and it will be
great scenic line 1t has now been built
about fifty miles beyond the point where
/ stopped, and the other portions are
going on rapidly. No one really knows
just how soon it will be completed, but
1t will undoubtedly form one of the
great elements which are now at work
changing the face of Asia and making
the celestial world over on the basis of
our modern civilization. 1t is certainly
an enterprise which will bear watching.
and which is already full of mighty pos
sibilities, not only to Russia, but to every
civilized nation. and might say every
Asiatic heather nation on the face of the
globe. FRANK G. CARPENTER