The Opelousas courier., 1897-10-09
%STUPENDOUS FEAT.
How a Railroad Across Siberia
Was Built.
Many Millions Of People Are Set
Ting Along Its Route.

There is a familiar story, perhaps
less apocryphal than most good stories
are, of q former Russian Emperor who
wanted a railroad built from St. Peters
burg to Moscow. He told his Minis
ters, and they told the engineers, and
they went to surveying route after
route, without finding q satisfactory
one. At last the Emperor grew tired
Of waiting and asked why the railroad
was not built. "The engineers can
not agree upon a route" was the re-
ply. "Bring me a map and l will
show you one" returned the Emper-
OF. Then he took q ruler andta pen,
and drew q straight line from orr city
to tie other. "That is the route, =
said he; ''now build the road. And
it was built. Atruthful companion to
tubs story may be told, dating back
scarcely eleven years, and at the pres
ent moment being fulfilled. In 1886
the Emperor summoned his Ministers
to him. Without a word of preface,
"Let there be q railroad built across
Siberia" he said; 'by the dlrectcst
route and Us quickly as possible"
And then he dismissed the council.
Today that railroad, incomparably
the.greatest in the world, making our
Pacific roads seem petty, is measure
bly, near completion. 1t is finished
and in full operation to o point be-
You'd Tomsk, at one end, and from
VIadiyostok to Chabarowsk, on the
Amoor, at the other, while q consider
able stretch is at least graded, ready
for the ties and rails, in the middle at
Lake Baikal. No less that 81, 900
men are constantly employed upon it,
and it is rcckoned that by the end Of
this century,f four years hence, through
trains will be running from the Baltic
Indeed, from Parasitic the Pacific.
The cost is estimated at S175, 900, 600,
ut vii! probably be much less,
since the actual cost Of the section
from the Urals to the Obi has been
ST, 800, 900 less than the estimates.
Vladiyostok, 4 ,741 miles from the
Urals, will be one Eastern terminal,
but not the chief one. By the terms
Of the new Russian treaty with China,
a branch line, so-called, is to be ruu
off at Nikolokaya, down through Man
churia and Mongolia to the Yellow
Sea, with terminals at New-Chwang
and Port Arthur, where there will be
a harbor open all the year round.
This t'brauch" will be 1888 miles
long, 946 miles being in what is now
Chinese territory, and it will shorten
the distance from the Urals to the
coast by 342 miles. No doubt it will
really become the main line, as soon
as Manchuria and Corea become
openly and %avowedly, as they are now
substantially, Russian provinces.
The practical effect of this stupen'
dous undertaking upon Russian socia
and industrial interests is already APP
parent. In 1891 the present Cza]
turned the first spadeful of earth OF
the road at VIadivostok. Forewith
popular migration from European
Russia to Siberia began. In 1892 nt
less than 100, 900 permanent settler
crossed the Urals. But they were
mere advance guard. A larger mum
Der was reported in the single montl
of May, 1895, while the total mum
Der for 1896 was nearly 1000, 900
No other new country ever was tille'
up at such a rate. At present nearl,
all are settling west Of the Obi. Blu
as the construction of the roat
proceeds, and the still more de
sirable regions further east ar
s opened up, the number of set
tiers may be expected to increase
! and by the end of the century, whel
. the road is completed, We may reason
, ably expect to see the population o
Siberia more than doubled. Their
- will be practically q new nation, o
ten or twelve million inhabitants, i
t one of the richest lands of the world
| with an i~ncalculable product of IA
materials to dispose of, and with a
=. almost inestimable need of mani
featured goods. And its natural CON
mercial outlet and inlet, on the ocean
q will be directly opposite the Paciti
Coast of the United States. There
s q fact which American traders an
4 American statesmen may we'll tax
o into consideration. New York Tr
n bune.
A Letter Written Amid Flying Shells
9 In the Century is an article O