The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-07-25

iSGAh, hONO1OAO, IOLA 20
Trans-Siberian fare is S160, making a
saving of 1920, in addition to the
twenty days. There is no doubt but
that the most of the travel to the Far
East viii be by railroad in the vr-y
near future.
l understood that the trains are
good. The express. which goes once
a week, has sleeping cars, dining cars,
library, a gymnasium and all the
comforts possible to railroad travel
The trains go at a good average speed.
and everything is done for the comfort
of the passengers.
THE LAKE BAIKAL EXTENSION.
At present the cars are ferried a
cross Lake Baikal, but there is talk
of building a railroad along the banks
of the lake and connecting the two
ends of the line. I asked Prince Hill
koff what he thought of this scheme.
He replied:
Il do not approve of it. AS it is
now we cross the lake on a steam fer
ry. The distance is only twenty-four
miles, whereas if we extend the road
it will mean hundred and fifty miles
Of new line and this will have little
advantage over the lake as it will take
longer to go by train than by the
ferry. The great objection has been
that the lake is covered with ice in
winter, but this can be obviated by
ice breakers. We had one from Amer
lea which worked we'll for a year
or so when its paddle wheel broke
This stopped the traffic for a time AID
was the cause of the proposition to
i IL
Several good steam ice breakers
would keep the lake open the year
around and they would be infinitely
cheaper than the new railroad. which
will cost millions of dollars"
THE GROWTH OF SIBERIA.
What is the railroad doing for ST.
IBERIA, your excellency?" 1 asked.
ut is opening up the country and
it will result in its development. Nu-
merous branch lines will have to be
constructed and in time there VIII be
a great empire out there inhabited by
Russians. The territory is enormous.
Siberia is two and one-half times as
big as Russia in Europe. 1t is half
as large again as the whole European
continent and considerably bigger than
the whole United States with Alaska
and your new colonies added The
northern part of it is not worth much,
being composed of polar marshes the
subsoiI of which is always frozen, but
a little south of that there is vast
belt OF pine and fir trees and farther
south the wide strip through which
the railroad goes. Much of the land
there compares with the northern part
of the United States which you call
your great northwest and with the adj
joining country on the other side of the
line belonging to the British. 1t W IL
raise wheat and all sorts of hardy &C.
reals We are finding it excellent for
dairying and it is impossible to tell
what it may not be in the future. A
large part of the value of Siberia is in
it's minerals. It has gold, silver, cop
per and iron. 1t has coal, rock salt
and precious stones and it is in short
a world in itself which we have not
yet prospected."
EIGHT MILLION SIBERIANS.
How about immigration? L asked.
THE population is steadily increas-
ing" replied Prince Hilkoff. I'VE are
shipping in a vast number of settlers
over the railroad and the steamers
take many from Odessa down throISn
the SueZ canal and about Vladivostok
and other parts of eastern Siberia. The
immigration began along about 1860
and in 1880 about 10000 had immi-
grated. After that the number COM
ing in increased much more rapidly,
and at present villages, towns and lit
tie cities are growing up all along the
line of the railroad. The total popu-
lation of Siberia is now about eight
millions, of which a large proportion
is Russian The Trans-Siberian alone
carried 900 immigrants last year
and we shall take more this"
How about the settlement Of Man.
churia? Will you not establish Rus
sian colonies along the line of the
Eastern Chinese railroad?"
'I have nothing to do with the Man
churian end of the line" replied his
excellency. 'That is owned by a prf-
vate company and is more directly I'M
der the charge of the minister of f.
nance. I don't believe that colonies
would pay there. The land is poor and
there is no inducement for emigrants
to take it up"
DALNY VS.. VLADIVOSTOk.
What is to be the great city on the
Trans Siberian road, your excellency! =
1 asked.
Il think it should be Vladivostok,"
replied Prince Hilkoff. 81 should lie
to see the railroad metropolis of the
Far East in our own territory and be-
lieve that we should go TO work 20
make a great city there. The only
trouble at Vladivostok is the ice when
fills the bay during the winter. But
that could easily be broken up and
kent omen by ice breakers so that
ships could call there all the year
round. I don't think SO much of Dalny,
the commercial city We are building
at the Manchurian end of the Trans
Siberian road. 1t is true that 1t mas
an excellent harbor open all the year
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