Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-05-15
mental roads in America, and when the
Union Pacific Northern Pacific and

uSuIdl COuu0 Ill America, Auu WHICH Suc
Union Pacific. Northern Pacific and
Southern Pacific roads had been built
and put in operation, developing our
great West and populating 1t in com
short time, the Russians con-
cluded that they could follow the Amer
lean example with like success.
In 1894 there We're 10000 men at
work on this great undertaking, which
was estimated to cost $3.50, 10000 The
world began to realize that way off III
Siberia the most gigantic railroad en-
terprise had its theater, and that Rus
STA was doing what no other govern
ment in the world had ever under
taken. This road was to- be nearly 81
600 miles long. and It was crossing
country SO little known that any story
of Russian cruelty practiced there
found ready belief. To the world at
large Siberia was a land Of ice and
snow, and banished nihilists, but the
Siberian railroad promised to develop
new markets for German as well as
Russian goods, and 1t also promised an
outlet for the greatest wheat field in the
world. People in every country began
to take new interest in Siberia.
Opening Up siberin.
The road was built rapidly, and rs
the western division was pushed into
the Interior of Siberia 1t made travel
easier, and the country became better
known. Not only Russians, but other
people, realized the future possibilities
of Siberia. 1t resembled our great
Northwest, with grazing lands for great
herds and flocks and, what was more
surprising, immense tracts of wheat
land to make the country rival of the
United States and Argentina in supply
ing the food products of Europe. The
western division of tine Siberian road
was opened to Irkutsk, on Lake Baikal,
in 1893, md trains have been running
from st. Petersburg to that point regu-
larly ever since. The eastern section
from Vladivostok to Khabarovska,
where the railroad strikes the Ural riv-
er, was opened in 1897, and it has been
doing large business ever since, the
river being used above Khabaroyska
to transport passengers and freight in
to the interior of Siberia from the Pa
cific coast.
In 1896 the Chinese Eastern railway
was organized and secret treaty with
China negotiated In that year provided
for the construction of this road across
Manchooria. The Russian government
guaranteed the resources of the COM
pany. The total length of this branch
Of the road, for 1t is to be the Eastern
division of the Trans-Siberian railroad,
Is 1872 miles, of which 945 miles Is in
Chinese territory. 1t makes Port Ar
thur the eastern terminus of the road.
This port is one of the most valuable
in China, opening on the gulf Of Pc
chilli, within easy reach of Tien-tsin and
Pekin. 1t is an ice-free port, and when
within another year or two Russia COM
pletes the section of road between Ir-
kutsk and the Amur river the Gear will
have military road which will carry
his troops from st. Petersburg to Port
Arthur In ten days, while the other ma
lions of Europe will have to follow the
old Suez canal route which consumes
from thirty to forty days.
But Russia had other and even great.
er ambitions in building this road, and
those who are studying the commercial
relations with CHINA are impressed
with the. business foresight of the Gar
Alexander, who planned the enterprise
That 1t will save from twenty to thir-
ty days travel between Europe and
China is the best Indication that the
road will draw to 1t the travellers who
go to the Orient OH business. for time is
money. Consul Monaghan says that in
1896 there were 216,93S passengers who
went the Suez route to China and Aus
trali& II one-half Of these are bust.