The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-20

many of them have been neglected only
because the price Of labor and machin-
cry did not admit of their being worked
with sufficient profit In America, l
believe, and in other countries. where
gold mining is carried on, much poorer
beds are worked and, therefore, the
output is larger than in Siberia The
Siberian railway will facilitate and
cheaper the carriage of stores and inl-
PIGMENTS TO the gold mines and also
Increase the supply of labor. from an
insufficiency of which many of the
mines are now suffering"
Turning to the question of the influ-
ence of the railways upon the extern
ton of local trade, Prince Hilkoff ex-
pressed the belief that this influence
would be most considerable.
Many articles of raw materials, for
which there is at present no local de-
mand, will find a ready sale at more
distant markets; and at the same time
thanks to the rapid transport of goods.
the rapid fiuctuation in the prices of
necssaries and the exceedingly high
prices current at present, will no longer
exist"
l would add here, on my own ac-
count, that all the advantages above
mentioned by Prince Hilkoff are those
which will Immediately result from the
opening OF the Trans-Siberian railway
and which have to do, more or less,
with Russia's internal and domestic
policy; the whole extent of its actual
importance to Russia as a source of
foreign revenue was. however. a sub
ject of a somewhat more delicate ma
ture, which Prince Hilkoff could hardly
venture to discuss with the same pro-
priety and freedom. In order to COM
prehend, in fact the probable far
reaching consequences of the enter
prise, both to the world in general and
to Russia in particular, we must take
into consideration the uninterrupted
railway communication which will thus
be established between Europe and the
Pacific and the far east. This was
clearly understood by the Russian mer
chants. whose representatives at the
fair of Nizhni-Novgorod in 1889, ex
pressed their hopes concerning this
great enterprise in the following terms:
This great railway will be of immense
economic importance 70 Russia, and
will give a great impulse to Russian
industry; it will connect 400, ZOO, 900 Chi
nese and 35.000.000 Japanese with Eu-
rope through Russia. The strenuous
endeavors made by Germany to gain
possession of the markets of the Pacific
and the efforts which have been made
to complete the Panama canal visibly
show that the economic struggle al
reSSy commenced will end on the Pa
cific ocean. The Canadian Pacific rail-
way has now appropriated part of the
freights of silk, tea and furs which
previously reached Europe through the
Suez canal. Undoubtedly part of these
goods will pass through Russia, as the
journey from Europe through Vladi-
vostock to Shanghai will be made in
is or 20 days instead of 45 through the
Suez canal, or IS days at the present
by the Canadian Pacific railway"
Contrary to the usual method of dis
cussion, the conversation now turned
from the probable effects of the Trans
Siberian railway to it's official and tech
nical origin. l told his eXcellency that
the execution of this gigantic railway
enterprise on the Dart of Russia was
exciting considerable genuine interest
among my own countrymen and that,
without wishing to annoy him with in
tricate details. a few general state
ments made by him regarding his
raison d'etre and method of construc-
ton would. no doubt, be greatly ap-
preciated bv them.
"Of America and the Americans"
said Prince Hilkoff. in a manner that
left no room to doubt his sincerity, Il
lions, and / should take great pleasure
favor
His exceliencv here retired to one of
the adjoining apartments and soon re-
turned with an official looking pamph-
let in his hand, the leaves of which he
was hastily turning over as he entered
the room.
lon the 18th of May, 1891" he COM
menced, on resuming his seat at the
table, the heir apparent to the Rus