Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-05-04
Siberia and American Hardware.

a representative of Hardware had
the good fortune and pleasure recently
of being present during a conversation
that occurred in the Hardware club be-
tween j. G. Pangborn and several of
the leading lights of the trade. Mr..
Pangborn is "A well known railroad
man. being president of the Commits
sion Worlds Transportation. Field
Columbian Museum. Chicago. and an
honorary director Museum Railway, F.
C. NJ. He has recently Travelled extern
sively in the East in the interests of the
commission. visiting India, Siam,
Afghanistar, Beloochistan. China,
Japan. Siberia. Russia. Australia. New
Zealand. Java. etc. His Investigations
were. however, confined principally to
Siberia. of which country he spoke in
glowing terms. his hearers were in
terested especially. as he. gave it as his
opinion that Siberia offered unrivalled
advantages as market for American
hardware. Mr.. Pangborn is well quail
fed to speak. as he made the journey
from Nladi NostOk across the steppes
OF Siberia to Moscow and ST. Peters
burg. a distance of about seven thou
sand miles. by sleighs and railroad,
ftPout iOuI tIlouSdIlu lilies 0I t0e
journey being made in sleighs.
Mr.. Pangborn said that he had ex-
pected to find the condition of the
peasants deplorable, from the accounts
Of we'll known writer on the Siberian
exile system, but the real conditions
proved a revelation. He described
them as kindly race, and not OPP
pressed as the average mortal thinks
them to be. but discussing their minis
tiers in as strong terms as we are some
times wont to use in reference to our
own secretaries, only holding sacred
the emperor, who is the head of the
church as well as their ruler The
political eXiles, he said. number not
more than four hundred, and though
one of the party Of which Mr.. Pang-
born was a member was a photoE-
raphcr. who took an immense number
of pictures, including those of exiles
and convicts, only two were obtained
of prisoners having leg chains on, and
the man being the same one in both
pictures, and his offence breach of
camp discipline. The feeling through
the country he said is very favorable to
Americans, the people having never
forgotten the ship loads of wheat that
America sent them during the famine,
England sending it by the sackful.
while America sent it by the shipful
The tools of American manufacture
that Mr.. Pangborn noticed, were a short
broad axe largely used by the peasants
in building their log huts; the manu-
facturer's name he could not recall,
and shovels made by Oliver Ames.
Baldwin locomotives were in evidence,
and Mr. Pangborn said IF such large
machines of American manufacture as
locomotives have obtained footing
Why could not a market for American
hardware of all descriptions be
createdp" The metal trade of Russia
and Siberia is largely in the hands oi
the German. French. Belgian and Eng
lish. it being the only Eastern country
where the Englishman is not on top;
this condition of affairs being no doubt
due to the luminosity between the tive
races. The taste for heavy brass hard
ware was apparent in the trimming.
of the stations on the Siberian railroad
heavy escutcheons being provided
where small ones would be made I,
serve here. There are many fine hard
ware stores in st. Petersburg, but tn,
best are found in Moscow