Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-07-05
Misesllaneous &eading.
THE MOSCOW OF THE FAR EAST.
Harbin 10 the Leading Commercial
Center of Manchuria.

The Russians could have scarcely
fixed upon a more suitable locality
than the valley Of Sungari for estab-
fishing a large industrial center. The
valley produces enormous quantities
of wheat, oats, barley. hemp and to-
bacco, and 1t has fruit trees and build
ing timber in abundance. Harbin Is
surrounded by far-spreading meadow
lands, and at no great distance there
are rich deposits Of minerals and coal.
Lying at the junction Of three lines of
railway, leading respectively to Rus
sia, to the Pacific ocean, and to the
Yellow sea, Hardin has become the
leading commercial center OF the
whole Of Manchuria. In addition to
the communication by rail there Is the
waterway Of the Sungari, which Is
navigable for 140 miles toward the
SOUTH and whose waters unite them
selves with those Of the Amur river.
for seven months of the year. So
great has been the advance made by
Harbin in the last two or three years
that it is called already "the Moscow
Of the Far East"
Russia has certainly made itself at
home in the town. Trade and indus
try are carried on chiefly by Russians,
and only partly by Chinese, while the
land is reserved to Russo Chinese hus-
bandry for a great distance all round
the town. Neither in the town nor In
the distance can foreigners acquire
landed property. In 1901 there were
12,O 900 Russians at Harbin, In May,
1903, there were $4,000, and in October,
1903 there were $4,000, without count
ing the troops. One-third Of the
Russian population consists of wo-
men. OF Japanese and Europeans
there are at most 700. The Chinese are
40, 900 in number, and they dwell In
special quarter Of the town. Harbin
has a Russo Greek cathedral Of beau
tiful architecture, imposing railway
station buildings, handsome dwellings
for the officials, a hospital, a COM
mercial school, a girls high school and
bank Of most sumptuous construc-
ton. In fact Russia has been most
lavish in it's task Of making Harbin
visible sign Of Russia's civilizing
ownership. The public and official
buildings at Hardin have cost Russia
fifteen million dollars. The town has
an electric tramway and Is lighted by
electricity.
The Russian government grants
plots Of land on building leases for
term Of eighty years. The Russo
Chinese bank plays a great part In
trade: it grants full credit, without
mortgage, to trustworthy Russian
merchants, while it gives credit to
Chinese traders, who are able thereby
to introduce Russian goods into Man
churia On the other hand, and this
Is so typical Of Russian methods. for
eign enterprise Is being driven out by
special customs duties and high tar
ifs, for the Russo Chinese bank re-
fuses to give credit to foreigners, and
as the latter are not allowed to open
offices they are being squeezed out or
Manchuria. Milling Is a chief branch
Of industry, there are also flourishing
brickfields, distilleries, salt works and
smoking places" which send into the
country huge quantities Of hams and
other smoked meat. The rich mead
ows and the abundance Of corn as
sist cattle raising. AS there Is no
duty on spirits, vodka" Is very cheap
and eight distilleries working with the
breweries, supply the whole Of Man.
churia.