The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-08

Heavy freight can be laid down in cen
trail Siberia, at the majority of the min
about the YenIsei River at prices not
exceeding $40 2 ton from. New York,
Prices paid for labor il Russia and 81
IBERIA are exceedingly lop'-from Is cents
to $3.50 per day, the laborers in every case
feeding themselves cut CT their earnings.
Ii will be asked why the variation in price
is so great, and also, how is it possible
to hire miners for so little money. In the
first place, the proximity or remoteness OF
centres OF population and agriculture is
responsible for the widely differing scales
Of wages Second, the reason of the
cheapness of mining labor in Siberia is
that the wants of<the people are few. The
Workmen are of the peasant class, and 1t
may be said that the larger proportion OF
them can neither read nor write. Their
food consists CT mutton, black breed. do
nestle fowls, eggs, milk, and tea Most
of the necessities of life are supplied by
their own farms or gardens, and their
purchases, besides tea, sugar and vodka
1.-THE national stimulanti are few. Their
clothes cost but little, and their enjoy
InentS are usually limited to the celebra
ton of the numerous civil and religious
holidays by mutual visiting and the con-
sumption, in greater or less quantities, OF
vodka. 1t will be q natural query if the
labor supplied from such sources and
nourished in so primitive 4 fashion is eff
ticient II is said that n no country can
be found men who mole cheerfully sus-
tain the naTd labor, pri' alton, and sudden
and severe changes of climate than the
Russian and Siberian peasants. Witness,
for example, the notably efficient service
rendered to the Russian army by the Cos
sacks, who are nouTished and reared in
the manner described above No more
hardy ard enduring men can be found In
any country. The bulk of the mining Ia
Dor is Russian, while III the UraI many
Tartars and Bashkirs are employed and
in eastern Siberia the miners consist, be-
sides the Siberian peasants, of Chinese
and Manchu coolies
One important feature in connection
with the conducting of mining operations
in Siberia is the aptitude of the Russian
workman for the ak. Wood is SO plentiful
in the country that in no case will the
price for fuel exceed 81 per cord, and min
ing timbers may be figured en- at a cor
Tespondingly low rate. The current anec
dote that a Russian workman will. for
twenty-kopec piece, lay his left hand with
fingers spread on board and with full
strength make an AK cut between each i'm
ger cannot be vouched for; but ii is GER
tainly true that in pick timbering in bad
ground, in erecting buildings, log cabins.
and all manner of wood Joining. the equal
Of the Russian peasant cannot be found.
In the copper mines of the Ural at Tagill
and BogoslOvsk. where practically the only
example of deep underground mining in
the Empire may be seen, the timbering is
sufficiently solid to have sustained the
Pyramids OF Egypt, and, although clumsy
and ill-directed in the extreme the ex-
ample shows what may be done by the
fJa--
Russian Peasants Good Workers.
II is a statement the truth of which has
been determined by experience, that If the
Russian peasant be treated by his foreign
employer with tact and consideration, he
proves. in the majority OF eases, an efficient
and willing worker
The mining laws of Russia allow the tax
ing up of mining claims indiscrminately
by Russians or by foreigners. The only
persons not allowed this are Jews, clergy
men. and peri rs not in possession of their
civil rights i'll their own country. Claims
consist of 2S0 acres OF land, generally sur
Yeyed al the locatcr's option with a length
OF about two and one-haIf miles and a
width of from TG0 to 1000 feet quartz
claim contains the same number of acres
but Is generally more clearly surveyed in
form of square with boundaries $500
feet, or one Russian .verst long. The form
OF the claim is al the locator's option and
the only restriction placed is that the width
shall not be less than 200 feet At location
but one stake is driven. which is sufficient
10 hold the location for two years. during
which time it is expected that Govern
ment survey will be ordered by the locator
On the completion Of the survey the Gov
eminent title is given, co spending to a
Land Office patent The ocator then be-
comes the holder of the claim and the own
er OF all minerals therein contained on
condition OF an annual payment TO the Gov
eTnment of $50. No development work is
required. either before or after the patent is
obtained. No limit is placed upon the
number of claims which an individual can
locate.
Cities of from 10000 to so. 900 inhabit-
ants are now numerous in Siberia. Ho-
tells supplied with comfortable rooms.
restaurants which may truly be said in
many cases to be palatial, electric
lights. and telephone connections are
not difficult to find. One NAV now t-ay-
erse Siberia with his hands folded if he
so wishes; as the elegant weekly yesti-
bule, supplied with bath. piano. dining
saloon, drawing room. leather sofas. easy
chairs, and observation car, the whole
fitted with electric lights and call bells,
roofs from Moscow to Irkutsk The cost
of this remarkable journey CT 1920 miles
including sleeper is but s44. first class
To the majority of the inhabitants of
st. Petersburg and Moscow, Siberia is as
unknown as it is to the people of the
mountain districts of Tennessee When
men of affairs in Moscow were asked
what clothes to take to Siberia. they re-
piled that furs were always necessary on
account of the intense cold Actual ex-
perience in the city of Krasnoyarsk
showed that the thermometer registered
10 degrees for days together in the
month of August, and any clothes but
those made of silk or linen were abso-
1utely uncomfortable.
But let Siberia speak for herself: let
the globe trotter get away from the Cook
agencies for a month and see a Few
world. where elements of strength and
virilty soon to be felt in the struggle
for existence are but Waiting TO develop
under the touch of western enterprise
Some advance has already been made, as
is evident when American moving ma
chimes are seen rafting through the
streets of Tomsk and policeman may
noted riding a United States bicycle
through the dusty highways of Kasn9y-
arsk. The beginnings are SMALL hut tn,
stTaws blow with the wind of progress
As an external application IL heal c,,+s