Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-07

III eHe NeHl Win eacn passing year. Inc
Arkansas valley of Colorado is far from
being alone in approaching the impor-
lance and value of artificial irrigation.
THRIFTY slBERIA's
VAST RESOURCES.
| Washington, Jan. 7-Representative
Ebenezer j. Hill of Connecticut, who
has just returned from a trip around the
world, Is one of the men who appear to
have studied Russia and Russian his
tory. Particularly has he given much
attention to Siberia In describing his
trip thru the cars domains he said:
Few people realize the immensely Of
Siberia. To think of a single state
stretching thru 10 degrees of longitude
and possessing one-ninth of all the land
surface of the globe is staggering. Let
us measure 1t by countries we are ia
miliar with. The United States and all
its possessions and all of Europe except
Russia could be put into Siberia, with
land enough left to make thirty-five
states like Connecticut. And Manchu-
ria Will make seventy more.
II had thought Of Siberia as convict
settlement only. I found it a country
of nearly 100000 people, 81 per cent Of
whom were either natives or voluntary
immigrants. and all living better and
enjoying much more political and reli-
gious liberty than in European Russia.
VAST VIRGIN FORESTS.
II had believed Siberia to be froz-
en- wilderness. The part thru which
travelled was like Minnesota and the
foothills of the Rockies, where wheat
and rye and vegetables matured, where
strawberries, currants and raspberries
abound where sheep and horses Craze
unsheltered thruout the year, and where
greater extent Of virgin florists Of
splendid birch and pine is found than
the whole area of the United States. For
about 400 miles north of the trans-Siber-
ian road like conditions prevail and
north Of this tillable land are 400 miles
more Of unbroken forests before the
frozen tundra of Arctic waste are
reached.
II expected to find in every town
convict prison full of exiles and crimi-
mails. With the exception of the two
convict barges floating down the Amoor
river on their way to Saghanon, I saw
no trace of the system, but did see in
small the dome of a Russian church,
and In the larger towns Catholic and
Lutheran churches as well.
Into and thru such a country the
Russian empire has built marvellous
railroad planned for military purposes,
its freight and passenger traffic has 80
enormously increased that there 10 no
longer question of Its financial sue
cess. From it's beginning. a steadily In
creasing tide of immigration has flowed
into Siberia from central and northern
Russia. Vladivostock, which. forty
years ago, consisted Of four Chinese
fishermen's huts, is now f1ourishing
city of $4,000, and Khabaroisk and Blag-
ovestchewk are not far behind In wealth
of population.
The car fare to incoming settlers is
surprisingly low, about $12 for 4,500
miles.
DESPOTIC RUSSIAN OFFICIALS.
"My first purchase in Siberia was a
postage stamp, and. living in country
where the officials are public servants,
it seemd strange to me to stand with
hat removed, before a counter, behind
which a man sat with cap on. dressed
IKE niajor-general, and graciously
consented to sell me one scent stamp.
Great as the postmaster Is he Is nothing
compared to an army officer. On one
extremely hot day on the Amoor, a
wealthy merchant was lying on sofain
the cabin. He had removed his coat A
lieutenant in the army, travelling third
class as a deck passenger, happened to
see him in his shirt sleeves. and just
above tis head picture of the emperor,
ordered him to put on his coat in the
presence of the emperor. The mer-
chant appealed to the captain Of the
steamer but TO no effect.
There are times when despotic gov
eminent is a good thing, If one hap
pens to be on the inside to enjoy it.
When our transports were visited at
Toxic by the Russian Ambassador he
sent back with them letters to each OF
the governors Of the provinces thru
which we were to pass. On presenting
the letter to Gen. Tchitagoff, at vlad!-
vostok he at once told us he would tel
egraph to Khabarofsk and have our
state On the steamer reserved. The traf-
fic on the Amoor under any conditions
is enormous but with navigation al
most suspended by reason OF very low
water, DOtH StItlclish dliu Mia OeAA OAs'h
had been crowded for weeks by passen-
gers waiting to go up or down the river.
We were told by others who had en-
gagged rooms weeks ahead that no first
class accommodations could be scared,
but when the train stopped at khabar-
DISK an inspector of police advised US
that a good stateroom was reserved on
the steamer for the next day. The gov
ernor always has at his disposal GER
tain amount of accomm odations on the
theory that be may at any time want
to start somewhere.