The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-08


face in common.
Here private enterprise as well as the
army has taken root. If Muravieff could
come back to the town he founded he
might move his capital and his statue rs
well from Kharabarofsk to BIagovesch-
ensk. He founded the place in 1856 as a
military post. called Ust-Zeisk- In 1858
the name was changed to Blagoyeschensk
in honor Of the fact that the news Of
the treaty OF Aigun. by which the Amur
basin became Russian, first reached the
Russian dominions here. Muravieff, late
from his sessions with the poor dupes of
mandarins, brought it himself in triumph.
On that day an archbishop. surrounded
by priests, with all the gorgeousness and
po1np OF the Greek church. laid the
foundation stone for church in honor
Of the annunciation of the Holy Virgin
on the sandy river bank, as yet IN
broken by more than the soldiers lean
tos. Muravief made a speech. which has
a great place in Russian history.
Comrades, I congratulate youi" he
said our efforts were not in vain The
Amur has become the property Of Rus
STA The holy orthodox church prays
for you. Russia is grateful. Long live
the Emperor, Alexander IL May the
newly acquired territory prosper under
his mighty protection. Hurrah."
The church and the army thus ever
go hand in hand. Here in town on the
borders of civilization one finds a com
Portable home for superanuated priests
who have given their lives to the shep-
herding of the remote settlements of
convicts. exiles and emigrants. The beg
gar who stands blinking in the sun on
the street corner, the half-drunken roust-
about, the outlaw who preys upon the
peasants, never fail TO cross themselves
when passing a church.
The i'll wind for the Chinese blew good
TO the little colony Of emigrants, exiles
and released convicts who have settled on
the fertile Zeya and Bureya plains, near
Blagovenschensk. They have cause to
rejoice with our western states, though
the price Of silver remains the same.
Thanks to the massacre Of their cOmpeti-
tors. they are getting double prices for
the wheat reaped by American machinery
and threshed by English machinery and
ground in the steam -four mills of the
town. The difference between that and
lions from America and shipments from
Russia. A moujik and his wife who came
riding in from the country in springless
tarantasse-which resembles half of an
enlarged barrel cut in two and placed on
wheels-bdy luxuries which are quite be-
yond the dreams of the moujiks in Rus
STA, where many sections are in danger of
famine. In average times, indeed, the
clerks IN the stores can no more Judge
a customers purchasing power by his
dress than they could do in the early
days of Frisco. Agriculture and trade
are minor items. Gold is the magic
means that has given to Blogovenschensk
it's prosperity. From the mines are taken
from six TO eight millions q year. which
go to the government mint, and the town
has a bonanza king Of its own.
Capital, you are told, is the one thing
needed to Increase the output indefinitely.
The hope is generally expressed that it
viii be forthcoming from America Two
men called on me with mines to sell.
When I told them all correspondents were
poor-though complimented by the kindly
presumption to the contrary-they seemed
to consider my statement quite incOnsist-
ent with my nationality American engi-
neers, who have left little OF the world
unprospected in a general sense, have
paid their respects to this region. AS yet,
no American capital of account has been
invested here. Poor communications are
the first barrier; second, the inexpert
and sluggish laborers; third, the antipa-
thy TO an official-ridden land. Besides,
it is a mistake to assume that we are en-
tirely welcome. In the official world there
is a great difference of opinion. A few
radicals even advocate the encourage
ment Of German immigration into ST.
IBERIA. They point to the thrifty German
colonists introduced into Russia by Cath
crime. Yes, and the German remains
German. is the reply.
It is scarcely realized that. by borrow
ing great sums for the Improvement of
communications, De Witte is doing moth
ing more than we did when we foated
our bonds for railway building abroad.
The rate of interest that he pays is, on
the whole, more than the foreign bond
holders get out Of their investments, as
many a Briton who was bitten" viii
tell you. On the part of the conservatives
there is jealousy OF foreign companies.
Their feeling was expressed 10 me in an
illustrative remark by an officer returning
from Manchuria- He showed me some
wash-gold from large concession which
he and a friend had secured. of course.
it did not occur to him that his enter
prise was in any wise inconsistent with
the ethics Of his service.) Putting his
information and my meagre knowledge
together, 7 suggested that. with sufficient
outlay of money in the first place. and de-
velopment on a grand scale with i'm
proved machinery and methods. his prop
erty ought to become exceedingly valua-
bic. Otherwise. it struck me as being far
from a bonanza I added that no doubt
the capital would be forthcoming if he
sought 1t in the right place.
Yes" he said. Il presume one OF your
American companies would like it. How
ever. We propose 70 work II ourselves in
a small way. We have a number Of Chi
nese panning now"
There is something Of the suspicion OF
the subtle foTmidableness Of the American
in business with which all the world re-
CARDS the Russian in diplomacy. The i'm
mensity Of either country may lead in
two totally different peoples to that self
confidence in either case. which. when
you have the natural resources TO back
It. is the first essential Of success.
FREDERICK PALMER.
DID THEIR BEST.