Holbrook argus., 1900-12-01
THE GOLD OF SIBERIA.
COUNTRY THAT IS RICH IN AU-
 RIFEROUS DEPOSITS.
Methods of Mining Are Still Slow and
 Primitive-Russian Law Very Favor able to Foreigners-Claim- Jum ping Unknown, and Food and Labor Cheap.

keep your eyes on Siberian'
 That is what scientific writer on the old problem wrote only few months ago, and those who have visit ed that supposedly bleak, cold and dis nal country may fairly echo his words. Siberia has been misunderstood. For forty years now mines have been open ed all over the country. In Tomsk a minister of mines is permanently resi- dent, as well as at Irkutsk, while the number of people employed in the min ing industry is considerably in excess of 100000
 Yet ill spite of the marvellous rich ness of the country, which has been described by more than one writer as likely to become a second California, little or no attempt has been made by foreigners to enter and to take up the industry of gold mining. Yet the gov ernment is most anxious that such should be the case, and in order to fla cilitate the importation of foreign en- ergy and brain to the great Siberian gold fields, special concessions are held out to foreigners which the native does not enjoy.
 Russian law is peculiar, complicated and little overlapping, and this may have great effect upon the capitalist, backed up as it is by the extraordinary prejudice which still exists in civilized Europe against everything Russian.
 In many respects Siberia resembles the Klondike district. Many of the mines are situated in places equally as inaccessible in winter, and which have the same characteristics in summer. The alluvial deposits are free and in some cases rich. Quartz there is, but with the exception of one or two places this has never yet been tapped, and in the whole of Siberia at the present time there is not single efficient bat tery for quartz crushing-this state ment on the authority of MT. ShoStok, the minister of mines for Siberia. Nor Is there any machinery for the proper washing of alluvial gold, and yet mil lionaire gold miners, free men or eX- Hes, may be found by the dozen in TomsE, Irkutsk and Krasnoairsk. The practiced miner, fresh from the fields of western Australia, British Colum- bia or California, would doubtless laugh hugely at the primitive arrange ments in use in Siberia.
 The foreigner desiring to become a mine owLer in Siberia must first have a letter of recommendation from his ambassador or consul, and then he can ai icti nr prospect for himself. He is not allow ed more than five versts, or three and quarter miles of land, in. any one par ticular spot, but he can have as many mines as he likes, provided they are not on one run. All the gold he obtains he hands over to the government, which assays and smelts it for him, crediting him with its value, less or 5 per cent, according to the district, which is tax money. Once in possession of the con- cession, the miner may go to any part of Siberia, and if he knows his business and is careful there is every prospect of him becoming a rich man, for, if anything, the protective laws of Russia are more severe than in any other country. Such a thing as claim jump ing is unknown, robbery or murder al most unheard of and food is astonish- ingly cheap, as also is labor. The gov ernment provides each mine owner with Cossacks to guard. the precious metal, and, in short, when one thor oughly understands the conditions, there can be no better way of pursuing the fascinating hunt for gold than un- der the Siberian regime.
 One of the most astonishing features of Siberian gold mining is that many of the richest miners are eXiles sent to Siberia years ago for some political or criminal offense, and, although they have wealth in abundance, they cannot leave that land of snow, of steppes and mountains until the great white Czar should be pleased to grant his gracious pardon.-New York Herald.