Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-03
RUSSIAN GROWTH
POPULATION ESTIMATED AT ONE
HUNDRED AND THIRTY-sIx
MILLIONS.
PROGRESS IN GREAT EMPIRE.
Immense Railroad Constructions in
Recent Years-Residents to Blame
for Reports About Cold.

ST. Petersburg. Nov. 19.-The popula-
ton of Russia was estimated at about
$1,000, 900 in 1861. the year of the ananct-
patton of the serfs. 1t is now calculat-
ed to be over 1856. 600, 900. according %
a statement just published by the minis
try of finance.
This estimate is obtained by addin.
the annual excess Of births over deaths,
which is certainly 1000. 900 TO the total
of l29, 900. 900 given by the census Of Jam
uary %. 1897. which was 126, 000. 900, with
out the grand duchy of Finland or 129,-
eco, 900 including Finland. The Slavic pop
ulation is % per cent of the whole, Rus
slams alone numbering 5000, 900, or so
per cent. The total Finnish population
is over 5000. 900. and the Lithunians a.
most the same figures, numbering $780,
coo. Various Turkish peoples of the Vol
ga, the Crimea, the Caucus and the ST.
berian number II, GOO, 900. or about 9 per
cent of the whole. There are 1000, 600
Hebrews and about a million persons OF
German descent or birth.
1t has so long been the fashion to Ge-
scribe the land Of the ear as darkest
Russia" or Starving Russia" that most
people have difficulty in realizing tha:
there had been any progress in the en-
pa lthS A"sN - - $3.50 NN>StN 80 pple-
lation. An observer who is not preju-
diced, readily finds proof Of the con-
trary. One who has open eyes is fairy
overwhelmed with evidences OF a for
ward movement along a thousand lines.
Since the gloomier view is maintained
stubfoornly, in spite of the immense rail-
road constructions Of recent years. it
nay be worth while to indicate a few
of the numerous minor indications of
quickened life which have come to hand
~unsought. n to mention some of the
erroneous impressions which a residence
here dispel. One is accustomed to thin1
of st. Petersburg as hard frozen more
than half the year, with the thermome-
ter usually 80 and 40 degrees below zero.
Persons who think nothing OF a winter
in St. Paul, Duluth or Canada. return
from a short visit to Russia with the
most exaggerated notions of the i%ntensi-
ty Of its winter. The Russians are them
selves to blame for this. She houses are
constructed with double windows, which
are rarely opened except in midsummer
and are Theoretically sealed, except for
small air-holes, which, in the windows of
the better class of houses, are opened
only once a day. The windows Were all
sealed two months ago, and in spite of
the fact that the thermometer has reg
istered freezing weather only W. or
three days of the present autumn and
winter.
Your correspondent has seen native
Russians run from a room where the
window was opened for a moment as
from a pest house. That is an unusually
light fall of snow asserted here. Winter
terrors vanish upon closer inspection.
Col. Holloway, the consul-general of the
United States, who has lived here three
years, has never known the thermometer
to register below 10 to Il degrees of cold
and is comfortable in the consulate, With
no more clothing than he wore in his
indianapolis home.