The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-29
TIE oPENINq or SIERRA.

Almost at the moment of the assem-
bling of the disarmament congress at
The Hague came the news that hence
forth Siberia is not to be known as
one vast prison for political offenders
and the most desperate criminals of
Russia. It was natural that this an
nouncement should be hailed as an
other instance of the czar's humanizing
spirit, and it is proper that he should
have full credit for whatever humane
considerations may have contributed
to his decision. Nevertheless, there
are other motives that surely did not
escape his majesty's notice or that of
of Industrial exploitation. There are
vast mining and other resources to be
developed and it is imperative that
the bad name which Siberia has ac-
quired, both by reason of its climate
and its associations, should be as far
as possible extinguished, in order that
capital and immigration may not be
frightened away.
It may surprise Americans to know
how far along is the great railroad
that is being laid across the steppes,
mountains and rivers, more than 1000
miles from the Russian frontier to the
Pacific ocean. Trains are already run
ming, every ten days, as far east as
Irkutsk, near the shore of Lake Bal
kal, which is more than halfway
across Siberia. A branch line takes
passengers to the lake, where they
may be ferried 81 miles to the other
shore and there take the TRANSIT aikal
division Of the railroad, which connects
with the Chinese Eastern railroad, and,
10, the passage to the Pacafic lies open
With the exception of the circuit of
Lake Baikal, 1t is expected to have
the entire Trans-Siberian track finished
by the end of the year.
It viii be seen therefore, that the
time for exploiting Siberia and opening
up the country to settlement and in
dustry is at hand. The expense at
tendant upon railroad building in that
country has been enormous. Wash
outs and other accidents have been as
numerous and discouraging as the en-
cheering difficulties. Entertainments
and bridges costing $S5OO.0O0 were
swept away in a single winter by the
avalanches and the torrents formed of
melted snow. The Russian govern
ment did not go to all this vast expense
simply for the sake Of a military con-
nection with the Pacific coast, desira-
BILE as that may be. The opening up
of the country was the important en-
terprise. Obviously if Siberia was not
worth developing. it was not worth an
investment of thousands Of millions OF
roubles in railroads and defences. In
deed, IL it were an arid and worthless
country, it might be accounted a natu-
raj barrier and defence, secure from in
vasion and assault.
As the railroad is now nearing COM
pletion, the car hastens to remove the
principal stigma that rests upon the
name Of Siberia. 1t is not to be for
gotten that Australia was first a place
for the deportation of convicts and
the fact has not interfered with its
growth as England's second most pros
porous colony. Nevertheless. the car
/ rightly argues that a country which is
chiefly distinguished for the horrors OF
convict life will not be especially at
tractive to labor or capital, and there
fore he has removed the chief handicap
to its development This is of course
only the first Of a series Of efforts that
win be made to encourage exploration
j immigration and investment