Evening star., 1902-03-15

A Few years ago / Travelled over the B1a ok
plain south OF Moscow. 1t has some of the
richest soil known to man. and 1t produces
abundanuy with the rudest cultivation
The people are now introducing our ma
| chinery, and their crops will be increased
| thereby. The wheat lands of Siberia are
said TO be as rich as those Of the Red River
valley, and the climate is about the same.
Colonizing Siberia.
Russia is rapidly colonizing Siberia. The
soil is being broken. Irrigation works on
large scale have been started, and develop
ment is going on upon the choice tracts
along the new railroads.
Since 1887 more than million peasants
have emigrated to Siberia, and vast num-
bers are now being sent by sea from Odessa
to Fladivostock. The cZar has built a fleet
OF emIgrant steamers which run regularly
from the Black sea to the mouth of the
Amur. | see them often in these waters
They carry peasants free from Russia to
Siberia and the government gives each
family from 200 to 800 acres Of land free
of charge. 1t also loans them money to start
farming and furnishes agricultural imple-
ments at reduced rates. Within seven years
almost 2O,0OO.OO acres Of state lands have
been turned over to immigrants and from
now on the settled country will be ra apidly
increased. ] have no figures as to the
numbers which are coming in by the
Trans s-Siberian railroad. but they must be
enormous, for the government has reduced
is aiding migration In every possible way.
The Gear in Manchuria.
The czar has already begun to colonize
Manchuria The soldiers who guard the
railroads have in many cases brought their
families with them and they are settling
along the line as they build it. The Rus
slams make no bones of saying they own
Manchuria. General Gribsky, who has
charge of the territory. recently sent out a
proclamation that the Chinese would not
be allowed to settle in certain sections, as
the lands were to be used for Russian col
onization. He forbade them to build in
the town Of Aigun as 1t was needed for
Quarterng the Russian troops and for
Russian warehouses. It was in Aigun
that the Chinese fought the Russians. The
town was destroyed and the villages near
it. General Gribsky has warned the Chi
nese that If one Of them dares to shoot at
or injure q Russian he will have his viii
lage or town burned to the ground He
closes his proclamation with the following:
1.-The Russian czar loves those who obey
him. Turn a deaf eye to the evil counsel
lors who urge you to fight us! They are
your enemies and will bring you to ruin
and death! Woe be unto you if you do
otherwise than as we command your
The Chinese know by bitter experience
that the Russians will do what they say.
They will treat the people well If they
obey them but If they do not, they will
not hesitate to annihilate them. Some Of
tery destroyed during the late war. An
Ohio man who crossed it saw thirteen
Chinese villages in flames at one time and
described the river as black with bodies
for three days after the Russians took one
Of the Chinese cities upon it's banks.
Russia's Manchurian Railroad
The czar is rapidly pushing his railroad to
the northward to connect with the Trans
Siberian system. Short passages by rail to
Europe are already advertised at the lead
ing ports, and we shall soon be able to go
from Port Arthur to Paris. The railroad
is nominally under the control of the East
ern Chinese Railroad Company, but this is
another name for the Russian government.
The company itself has a capital of two and
one-half million dollars, but it's bonds are