The evening times., 1899-02-24
HECHT & COMPANY, 5t3-5t5 Seventh s

pie mostly hardheaded daring. who have
preferred the desolation and wilds of ST.
IBERIA TO the tyranny of the Gficiallsm OF
European Russia. For Siberia is far away.
the population is sparse. and the officials
not overZealOus. Into districts out OF the
direct line of communication ofHcialism
seldom penetrates. hence the peasantTy
are consequently few and far between, and
are prosperous and independent. They
have escaped the yoke OF SeTfdOm from
which Russia proper has only been re-
Gently emancipated. and they are made Of
very different stuff 10 the soft, enerVated
and besotted moujiks OF Central Russia
Besides these RussiOn yeOmen, who own
their own land and are democratic
as they are fearless. there are the dssceD-
dants Of the aborigines the SamOyeds and
other tribes. some OF whom still practice
idolatry But they have all grown mar
velously civilized and prosperous. IN the
towns we shall find wealthy merchant
princes leading lives of luxury and splen-
dor Here we shall find gorgeous winter
gardens. palm houses hOthouse fruit, and
a magnifcence of private life which the
Englishman viii not even suspect. The
houses are beautifully and elegantly fur
nished; enormous mirrors Imported at
great expense adOrn the walls, marble col
umns support the lofty ceilings. Nor ars
art and music wanting.
In short life in Siberia is far from being
the sad and dreary business We are apt
10 imagine it. There is society; there are
theatres. concerts, and particularly intel
iigent people As a Russian once told me.
All our cleveTest men are in Siberia
There is much truth in this. Russia has
deported her fTondeurs and original think
erS 10 this happy land, where they have
settled. prospered and found that breadth
of life which was denied them at home It
is believed that all this will shortly be al
tered and that the lurid light Of an effete
Western civilization viii be let into this
Utopia and will show up the slOthful lives
of its officials. the luxury of its middle
classes. the prosperity and lawlessness of
its peasantry. and put an end to them. and
that this will be the result of the railway.
But Siberian merchants-and they are
shrewd fellOws-tO whom l have talked do
not share this view. They DO not think
the existing Russian government is strong
enough 10 impose its yoke upon the Sibe-
rian people and break their proud and in
dependent spirit: and. moreover. they
think that the expectations which the rail-
way has given rise to are not likely to be
very rapidly realized.
After all. it is hardly iustifiable to expect
this slow and badly constructed single-hne
light railway, which will only run trains
about twice a week. to do very much for
the transformation and development of 50
vast a country. This. of course is per-
feetIy true and when we remember how
sadly Russia, by her underpaid and in
adequately trained officials. has misgov-
erned the Caucasus. one of the richest jew
els in the Russian crown. We shall be
forced to admit that the bringing of the
Russian administrative system nearer to
the doors of the Siberian population may
not, after ALL be an unmixed blessing.
Nevertheless the completion Of that rail-
. way will mark an epoch in the history not
only of Siberia. but of Russia IL the min
ing boom predicted by my friend the engi-
neer should come along il would be the
forerunner of great commercial expansion
that would lead inevitably TO an expansion
of the railway system and 10 greater pros
perity. But ! anticipate that the opening
up of Siberia will have far-reaehing po-
litical as well as commercial consequences.
The exhausted Russian soil is already be-
ginning to refuse to support the thriftless
.peasantry.