The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-02-24
STUPENDOUS FEAT.
How q Railroad Across Siberia
Was Built.
Many Millions Of People Are Set
tling Along It's Route.

urc, Oh lOriler husSlun GinpeIot "up
wanted railroad built from St. Peters
burg to Moscow. He told his Minis
ters, and they told the engineers, nnl
they went to surveying route after
route, without finding II satisfactory
one. At last the Emperor grew tired
of Whiting and usked why the railrond
was not built. "The engineers can
not agree upon n route" was the re-
ply. Bring me mp and | will
show you one" returned the Empcr-
or. Then he took ruler and pen,
aud drew straight line from one city
to the other. "fhat is the route"
snid he ''now build the road" And
it was built. Atruthful companion to
this story may be told, dating bnck
scarcely eleven years, aud Mt the pres
ent moment being fulfilled. In 1856
the Emperor summoned his Ministers
to him. Without n word of preface,
'Iiet there be II railroad built across
Siberia" he said; "by the directest
route and as quickly as possible.
And then he dismissed the council.
Today that railroad, incompnrably
the greatest in the world, making our
Pacific roads seem petty, is mcasurn-
bly, near completion. 1t is finished
and in full operation to point be-
yond Tomsk, ut one end, and from
Viadiv0stok to Chubnrowsk, on the
| Amoor, Mt the other, while consider
nblc stretch is MT lenst graded, ready
for the ties and rails, in the middle at
Lake Bnikal. No less that $4,000
men are constantly employed upon it,
| and it is reckoned that by the end OF
this century, iour years hence, through
trims will be running from the Baltic
indeed, from Puris-to the Pacific.
| The cost is estimated Mt Sl75, 900, 900,
but will probably be much less,
since the actual cost of the section
| from the UraIs to the Obi has been
81, 500, 900 less than the estimates.
| Vlndivostok, 4,741 miles from the
Urnls, will be one Eastern terminal
but not the chief one. BY the terms
Of the new Russian treaty with China,
branch line, so-called, is to be run
off ut Nlkolokaya, down through Mau-
churia and Mongolia to the Yellow
/ Sea, with terminals at New-Chwang
and Port Arthur, where there will be
n harbor open all the year round.
This "brnuch'' will be l,2S) miles
long, GAG miles being in what is now
Chinese territory, and it will shorten
the distance from the Urnls to the
coast by $40 miles. No doubt it will
really become the main line, ns soon
rs Manchura and Coreu become
openly and avowcdly, MS they are now
substantially, Russian provinces.
The practical effect of this stupen-
dous undertaking upon Russinn social
aud industrial interests is already np-
parent. In 1891 the present Czar
turned the first spndcful of earth on
the road at Vlndivostok. Forewith,
popular migration from European
Russia to Siberia began. In 1892 no
less than 100, 900 permanent settlers
crossed the Urals. But they were a
mere advance guard. A larger num-
Der was reported in the single month
OF May, 1895, while the total nun.
Der for 1896 was nearly 1000, 600.
No other new country ever was filled
up at such rate. At present nearly
all are settling west of the Obi. But
ms the construction of the road
proceeds, and the still more de-
sirnble regions further east nr,
opened up, the number of set
tiers mny be expected to increase,
and by the end OF the century, when
the road is completed, we may reason
ably expect to see the population o.
Siberia more than doubled Their,
will be practically new nation, ot
ten or twelve million inhabitants, il
one of the richest lands of the world,
with nm incnlculnhle product of raw
materials to dispose of, and with m
almost inestimnble need of manu-
tuctured goods. Aud its natural com
mercnl outlet and inlet, on the ocean
will be directly opposite the Pach,
Coast of the United States. There i
n fact winch American traders au,
American statesmen may we'll talk
into consideration. New York Tri
bnne.