The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1899-01-06
The Awakening of Siberia.

From time to time we read in the
press of western Europe OF the
steady construction Of the trans
siberian railway, of the discovery of
gold, silver, copper, iron, and other
minerals in the enormous Asiatic
possession of Russia, which only a
few years ago the majority OF Eng
lishmen believed TO be little better
than vast region snowbound and
in the grip of ice for the greater
part of the year. The construction
OF the Siberian railway has, however,
considerably modified this idea, and
tits now generally known that Siberia
contains climates as mild and salu-
brious as those that are to be found
in many parts of Europe. The
southern portions of the country,
with their immense plains OF virgin
soil, and the transbaikal and Amur
regions, have far better climate
than many districts of European
Russia, while, as regards fertility of
the soil, they are far richer than
many countries in Europe.
Thanks to the partial construction
OF the Siberian railway, we have
already practical evidence of this
statement in the millions of quarters
of Siberian grain that are now find
ing their way to the markets of
Europe by the ports of the Baltic
and Black seas. The sudden and
unexpected appearance of SO great
quantity of grain from this new
source is said to have been one of the
main causes of the recent collapse
of the Chicago and other grain
spectators, who apparently had not
taken into account the fact that
henceforth Siberia is to be one of
the greatest granaries for supplying
the needs of Europe. Notwith-
standing the present existing
difficulties of transport, large
quantities of Siberian wheat are now
being conveyed to the ports of
Rostoff and Novo- Rossisk. In con-
sequence of its excellent quality, and
its peculiar suitability for making
the finer kinds of bread, this grain
is now being bought up by the grain
merchants in preference to the grain
grown in European Russia. Ii this
is the case when the Siberian rail
way is not yet completed, and when
the difficulties of transport are so
great, what will happen when the
port of Novo- Rossisk has been put
into direct communication with the
Siberian railway system by means OF
the newly projected line, Czaritzin-
Techoretz and Novo- Rossisk? The
importance of this new line is doubly
great, not only because by this route
the agricultural produce of Siberia
will find it's way to Europe, but also
because it will defect the great
grain traffic of the Volga basin to
the Black sea from the port of the
Baltic, which, strictly speaking, are
not it's natural outlet.
In few years we shall see Sibe.
rian wheat, grown on the virgin
steppes of western and southern
Siberia, pouring into the market o.
Europe, and competing severely with
the agricultural produce of the
United States. This state of things
bids fair to come about on account
of the high quality of the Sibe
rian grain, and also in view of iti
remarkably low cost of production
Grain in southern Siberia is 81
plentiful and 80 cheap, the home de
mand being exceedingly small, tina
the crops are frequently allowed t.
rot in the fields. Cattle, eggs, milk
butter, and all kinds of agriculture
produce are, for the same reason
wonderfully cheap. With the con
struction of branch lines to tn
Siberian railway, these and othe
products will in time reach tn
European markets and find there