The record-union., 1899-04-15
MODERN SIBERIA.
REGION OF ENORMOUS
WEALTH AND FERTILITY.
splendor of the Lives Of It's Lead
Ing Merchant Princes-Min-
ing Boom Predicted.

some years ago it was my privilege
70 be introduced to a mining engineer
OF Worldwide reputation. He had trav-
eled and explored nearly every corner
od the globe. and his name is insepara-
Oily associated with a famous process.
he had worked in America, Australia
and Africa, and was familiar with the
mineral wealth of every country one
could name. When I met him he had
Just returned from a visit to Siberia
whittier he had been sent on a confi-
uential mission to report upon the MIN
eral resources of that vast region. he
was most enthusiastic, and told me that
he had never in the course of his vast
experience visited a country more re-
markable for it's mineral wealth than
Siberia. Mark my Words he SAID 10
me impressively, when that country
comes to be opened up there will be
boom there compared with which the
Transvaal boom was nothing" He told
me that there was practically no KIND
of mineral wealth which Siberia did
not possess in abundance; there were
coal and petroleum, there were IRON
and copper, gold and silver, besides
numerous other minerals. The opinion
of this expert was all the more valu-
able because it was disinterested. There
was no question of bringing out a COM
pany; his views were expressed to me
privately, without any Interior object
Since then the public has learned to
understand that Siberia is an excep-
tionally rich country, but what 1T does
not realize is that Siberia is also a
very fertile country, and that it en-
braces within it's confines every
extreme of climate. What is ST.
IBERIA? 1t is really the largest part of
Asia. Stretching from the Ural Mount
aims to the Pacific Ocean, it covers ar
area in which Canada could be con-
veniently lost and would never be heard
of again. People in this country 90
not know that Siberia is capable OF
becoming the granary Of the world IN
the southern parts of the country the
vegetation is tropical and luXurlant,
while in the extreme north the country
is practically an enormous swamp COW
cred with a dense brushwood growth
called tundra In the central regions
there are still dense primeval forests
into which the foot of man has never
penetrated. These regions are inhab-
tied by sparse population-some emf
grants and settlers; other people whose
ancestors were transported thlther 1or
mild ofTenses; and many convicts, VINO
have preferred to remain in this fruit
full land after the expiration OF their
sentences to returning to the lnnos-
pitable country of their birth and re-
Stunning their old lives under the eagle
eve of an unfriendly police.
Dostoyeffski. in one of his novels. de-
scribes Siberia as an FL Dorado The
nopulation is reinforced by escaped con-
yicts. who are among the most ener-
petic of it's constituents Of such ma
teriaIs is the Russian population com
posed; fearless people mostly, hard-
headed, daring, who have preferred the
desolation and wilds of Siberia to the
tyranny of the officialism of European
Russia. For Siberia is far away, the
population is sparse, and the ofhclais
are consequently few and far between
and not overzealous. Into districts OUT
of the direct line of communication oIu-
cialism seldom penetrates, hence the
peasantry are prosperous and lndepeiid-
ent They have escaped the yoke OF
eerfdorn from which Russia proper has
only been recently emanelpateu, anu
they are made of very different stun to
the soft enervated and besotted mo'l-
iiks of Central Russia. Besides these
Russian women, who own their o" IL
land and are as democratic as theJ
are fearless. there are the descendants
Of the aborigines the Samoyeds anu
other tribes. some of whom stlll pfac-
tice idolatry. But they have all grown
maryelously civilized and prosperous
Tn the towns we shall find wealthy
merchant princes leading lives OF lux
,lrv and splendor Here we shal hiiu
gorgeous winter gardens, palmnouSes,
hothouse fruit and a magnlncelce y.
n,ivate life which the Englishman VIII
NOT even suspect The houses are peau-
tif,,llv and elegantly furnished; eh'l-
NOUS mirrors, imported at great ca
pense. adorn the walls, marble coluluiiS
s,,pport the lofty ceilings Nor are ar
and music wanting.
In short life in Siberia is far from
being the sad and dreary business we
are apt to imagine it. There Is socis-
~. there are theaters, concerts, ana
narticuIarly intelligent people AS
Russian once told me: "All our crew
crest men are in Siberia Ihere Is
much truth in this Russia has de-
ported her frondeurs and original thiiih-
ers to this happy land, where they nave
settled, prospered. and found .ha'
breadth of life which was denied theni
AT home. It is believed that All TINS
win shortly be altered, and that inc
lurid light of an effete Western CIVIL
zation will be let into this Utopia, ana
viii show up the slothful lives or lis
officials. the luxury of it's middle
classes. the prosperity and lawlessnesi
of its peasantry, and put an end &c
them. and that this will be the result
of the railway. But Siberian merchants
and they are shrewd fellows-to whom
I have talked do not share TINS view
They do not think the existing Russian
Government is strong enough to impose
its yoke upon the Siberian people and
break their proud and independent spir'
Il. and. moreover, they think that ths
expectat tons which the railway has
Given rise to are not likely to be very
rapidly realized.
After all, it is hardly justifiable to ex-
pect this slow and badly constructed
r.