The Banner-Democrat., 1901-02-23
THE PEOPLE OF SIBERIA.
Not Four Per Cent. Of Them Conylcts OF
Political Exiles.

L
Not Four Per Cent of Them conviets or
Political ExiIes.
"Statistics have their value when
given comparatively. In following up
the analogy which was always present
in my mind in crossing Siberia, the
analogy between that country and the
United States, it is interesting to COM
pare the area and the population OF
both. Siberia has 100000 square
miles to our $500, 900, while our popu-
latiorl of 100000 overshadows the
5.75O,OOO Of Russia's Asiatic posses
sions. OF this number &c per cent. are
Russians, the rest indigenous. But
this average Is brought down by the
low per cent. of Russians IN the eX-
treme North, which, as In Northern
Canada. is left almost entirely to the
aboriginal Eskimo, and to the hardy
fur trader, while in Southern Siberia
from 60 to 90 per cent. are Russians.
Not 4 per cent. Of all the Russians are
conyicts or political exiles. The num-
Der of convicts varies In the diferent
sections. In the government OF
Tomsk, in the west, they only amount
to one-sixth per cent, which neces-
sarily makes much higher average In
some Of the other provinces. These
facts are fatal to the theory that the
Siberian population is composed most
ly OF criminals and the sons OF GRIM
inals.
"The Russians find the great north
ern steppes as bleak and as inhosplt-
able as do the Canadians. Yet the
mineral deposits and the fur trade at
tract q certain population. 1t Is ex-
traordinary to read Of the early con-
guests of the Russians in this coFtry'
of their first settlements here,
pugh there were no visions OF an I'll
Dorado to draw men on.
/ "None Of the country north OF the
Amur ever belonged to China, though
? that is the popular idea. 1t was In
habited by Independent tribes, some OF
| which were subject to the Chhese
= throne in a very roundabout way. pay
ing tribute to q Manchu Khan, VINO, IL
: turn, paid tribute to the Son Of Heav-
!. en-. In finally obtaining possession o.
q the region, the Russian government
was urged on by its individual repre-
g sentatives there, not by Its owl
. ayowed policy, as 1t is today. The chic
= of these was Muravieff, whose nam
will ever be connected with Siberia
- the name Of Washington Is with ou
!, own country. In 1853. in a treat
- drawn up at Aigun, where the Rus
70 SLAMS and Chinese have recently cam
;. in conflict, the Chinese relinquishe
all claim to the left bank Of the gres
&c river. From that time dates souther
U. Siberia's mushroom growth. wac
III yostok Is one of the fruits of 1t; Kha
ne aroffsk, at the end of this eastern Sc
ton of railroad, is another. Fac
u city is less than 80 years old, and eae
bears a striking resemblance, as 90
the Siberian cities, to our centres
er quick growth in. the West. Only
T. large garrison creates O military s.
'm ciety. which element Of the popul
ton differentiates these cities fro
nd ours Absent, too, is the atmosphe
nd of nervous enterprise and busine
on push, the result of what the Yank
ell terms 0uStlluS. AHe AhoAA -
led owes its birth and life to the ener
asst of the individual, the Siberian G.
ION owes its founding and its continu
existence to the government. A s
ers is not selected in accordance with
economies of business. but on accor
me of military exigency. The city's te
E q ure of life does not depend upon
i'm; boom, but on the convenience OF
he government. Private individuals u
fer follow in the path automatically bl
all ed. and turn whatever is possible
'ent their own advantage, but the city
the not there for them, but for the COVE
on ment. In spite Of this fact, busin
thrives, and men are making mon
de- which speaks we'll for Siberia. Al
be- N. Benjamin, in Ainslee's.