The National tribune., 1902-02-20

"SSI"hiu uHlll dSdih ASoNhNN
New York, five months and 10 days later
The route was through Hawaii. Guam
the Philippines, China. Japan. Korea, ant
by the Amur River and Trans Siberian
Railroad across Asia into Europe.
The history of this country can be quick
iy told, for it illustrates the Russian say
ing that the empire only goes where th'
Cossack can march dryshod."
Its conquest was begun in 1880 by q
robber chief named Yermak, who crossed
the Urals and, defeating the Tartars, gave
their lands as his own peace Offering to
the Russian Emperor, Ivan the Terrible
For 60 years the Cossacks fought theiI
way eastward until they reached the
| Okhotsk Sea. easily routing the scattered
tribes Of the northern country; but it was
not until 1850 that Khabarovsk. a Russian
| farmer. led them into the Amur Valley.
His memory has been perpetuated in the
name of the fourishing city which stands
today at the junction of the Amur and
| Usuri Rivers. The Manchus were n war
like people, and the Black Dragon River.
as they called the Amur, WAS their north
ern boundary. After contest which con-
hnued 40 years, they drove the Russians
back and held undsputed possession for
1853 years, until 1854 when Gen. Mura-
yief notified China that, with or without
her consent, he proposed to resume con-
troll of the Amur River In 1855 he re-
established the COssack stations its en-
tire length. and in 1860. by the treaty Of
Aigun. this splendid valley of a river nav
gabie for 1000. and with it the whole
Pacific coast of MaBchuria. reaching west
ward to the TSuri River and southwark to
Korea was given up to Russia without a
struggle.
That one accession made Siberia what
il is today. Without it. it WIS and would
have remained a trackleSs waste. With
it. it will he an empire which within
century will exercise moro influence in the
worlds affnirs than European Russia ever
has. for il is snre to he the dominant
rowpr in the Orient, where half the pop
ulation of the world IL found and il is
not impossible that In some distant I'm
ture the Uritrd States Of North America
may clasp hands across the Pacific with
the United States of Northern Asia.
In the public mark in Khabarovsk. on
high bluff overlooking the Amur md
TIsuri Valleys. there stands a splendid
statue of Cen Muravieff. His back is
turned upon the ronquests OF the mast and
he is looking at and pointing toward Man
rhuria. l.a
As I sat and gaZed at it and thought
If the events of the past two years !
fancied 7 could ace the bronze eyes twin
[le and the lns move with shout nf
triumph. for the Cassack has marched
again. and hv fire and sword almost tn
the Chinese wall has established Russian
control over all Manchuria
Few ppsnle realizp the immensely Of
Siberia. for it is imnosqih,e for the mind
70 grasn the meaning Of : 5nn n00 SQUARE
rilrs. To think of a single State stretch
ing through 1870 degrees Of longitude and
covering 20 degrees Of latitude and equal
ing one-nirth cf the land surface Of the
globe is almost ibcOnceivabIe.
Tet ne measure II by countries with
which we are familiar Take all Of the
Tinted States hetwaen the oceans and
-dd Alaska the Ph'IiHniues. Hawaii and
Porto Rico: thnn add England frrlpnd
Scotland and Wales: then cross the Eng-
'ish Channel and take France Belgium.
Holland. Denmark. Norway and Sweden
Germany. Switzerland. Italy. Spain nnd
Portugal. Austria. Greece. Turkey Rnl-
@dria. Poumania and Scrvia. making all
nf Furore eXcent Russia. and Won could
mt them all in Siberia and have land
enough left to make 35 States like Con
-rcticut. and Manchuria will make 10
more.
| had thought NJ Siberia as cnnvict
settlement only. with small nopuIation
largely of criminals and nolitical
exiles. ! fourd it a country Of nearly
2 0On.0n0 peorle, ~ per cent. Of whom
were either natives or voluntary imm- |
Grants. with the exile system discontinued
nr transferred to the island of Sakhaliu
and all. "a rule. earning better wages |
living in better houses. having hotter food |
and clothing. and enioving much more no
itical and religious liberty and personal
freedom than in Euronean Russia and in |
Iced in some other Euronean countries in |
whose behalf our sympathies have not |
been evoked
had believed II to he frozen wilder
ness and n desert waste The portion |
through which 7 Travelled was land |
ite Minnesota. the nakotas and the font |
Hills Of the Rockies. where wheat and |
we and vegetables matured: where straw |
Nerries, currapts and raspberries abound. |
where sheen. horses and cattle graze I'm
sheltered throughout the year. and whore |
greater extent of virgin forest of srlen-
lid birch and pine is found than the
whole area of the Tinted States. I was
old. and ] believe il is true. that straight
hrough from the Kinoan Mountains tc
he Trails for about 400 niles north of
he Trans-Siberian Road like conditions
Prevailed, and north OF this tillable land
vas 400 miles more of unbroken forest
'efnre the frozen tundra or Arctic waste
vas reached.
I expected to find in every town n con
'ict prison full of exiles and criminals
With the exception Of two convict barges
Ioating down the Amur on their way to
'akhaiin, | saw no trace of the system
mt ] did see in every town and village
10 matter how small or humble. the dome
4 Russian church. and in the larger
ities Catholic and Lutheran churches as
veil.
I had been told that Russian officials
Tere peculiarly susceptible to tins and
ees, and Of course expected to be ft
lunder for hotel-keepers. porters and all
thers with whom q traveller comes in
ontact: hut after somewhat extensive
xperience in most of what we call the
iviized countries OF the world, | want
D record as my opinion that nowhere
ave ! had so courteous treatment so
enerous assistance. and so hearty wei
ONE as in Siberia. both from the officials
nd civilians as well. | do not think that
his was exceptional in my case, but that
ny American traveller with proper ere len
ais and without n mission to reconstruct |
he Government and reform all of its
buses at once would have the same ex-
erience.
| was cautioned to be an American
nd nothing else in Russia and while |
id not need the advice | followed it and
ound in doing so .hat as a Nation and {
s individuals we had the confidence, re-
pert and regard of all.
Bnt the greatest surprise to me was the
ountry itself, so wholly unlike what |
ad expected, and since | have returned :
, my home and read the descriptions of
: written before the railroad WIS built.