The evening times., 1900-06-13
THE mines OF SIBERIA
Good Coal and Many Rich Ores Be
ing Taken Ont.
Commercial Agent Greener. at Viadi-
vOstOck, Says That While the
No Place for americans other Than
Artiran--E<aU-sanSH Haze Monopoly.

In a recent report to the State Depart
ment regarding the mining industry in 81
IBERIA United States Commercial Agent r.
]. Creener at VladivosIOck, writes:
The fact that the Gar has ordered the
suspension OF the import duty On coal for
use on the railways Of Russia until Sep
tenber /. 1900. has ? special significance
for the United States in view of the scar
city OF coal. which now seems worldwide
except il our country II arouses, further
more, an interest in the Siberian coal
mining industry, hitherto not sufficiently
regarded. While sOme American coal has
already been shipped 10 Japan and China.
none has as yet come this way, and proba-
bly, Will no., owing 10 the greater demands
nearer Rome.
Mining OF all kinds in Siberia has NTH
crtO been 0eset with so many difficulties
as 10 discourage operators, native O for
Cign. The concession TO az ADerican-D.
" Clarkson-to mine for gold or coal Ca
his own account. without the usual I'd
junct OF Russian partner, seems 10 point
10 q more liberal policy Still, there are
restrictions Mr. Clarkson and Mr.. Emery.
;he latter the pioneer American merchant
OF Siberia-who has also been granted spe-
cial privilege by imperial rescript-caonot
enter into combination with any existing
company nor operate any but new CLAIMS,
and even then work must Be done under
disadvantages which would be hardly toll
erable 10 ordinary American prospectOrs-
For example. one must have special per-
mits from local authorities for Telling trees
and constructing roads, and there are ce--
tain rules 10 be followed when minera->
other than those specified in the grant,
copper iron. etc.-are found
The mineral wealth OF this region has
been for years practically untouched Chi
nsse have worked the aur.ferous sand on
a small scale. and even now they e
thrashing over the old material with mini
mum success. The comp amt has been at
there was .c capital 10 ceve,op the min sr2l
deposits; yet. within four years, B-.gian,
English. French and American exI erts
have visited Siberia, exemiDzd d the various
districts and advised the formation OF
companies for the exploitation Of mines;
but prudent foreign companies Withheld
the capital mainly because OF the goyer--
mental restrictions.
Good Specimens of Coal.
Good specimens Of coal, anthracite aid
bituminous are shown. There are excel
lent aurife-ous exhibits, and much small
| capital has been exhausted in simply dis
covering that there Is mineral wealth
There Is one coal mine at Nadishilsk
thirty-one miles from Vladivostock. and
| only twelve miles from the UsSuri Rail-
road. The extent Of this coal bed is 81
square miles and IL is semi b. acite,
! excellent quality, smokeless- II has at
| tracted the attention Of the naval bureau
! as available for battleships, and also foI
I the naval works and factories here Wen
a French company tried 10 buy this mine
/ and offered $l44. $50. SIS, $50 deposit wzs
required. The French company retired
Recently. il is said half interest in this
mine was sold for sec, eco, and il is now
being managed On strictly business prin-
/ ciples. the original owner being allowed
| 81 coo per year 10 Supsrintead the work.
There is another coal mine sixteen
| miles from Vladiyostock and two and six
! tenths miles from the railroad with a
/ coal bed of seven and seven tenths square
miles. This coal is said TO be suitable fo-
steamships ard In some respects superior
| TO Japanese coal The French company
referred 10 tried to buy this mine also.
but no agreement could be reached The
| Frenchmen said the more anxious they
| were to close the deal, the higher rose the
| price. A number of other coal mines have
| teen recently discovered Even before the
present famine coal was expensive in
| VSadivostock. and il is now worth from Sc
] to $40 ton The market is good, on ac-