Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-03-20

,;bnahua, Max. March 18.-R. \
- an American mining engineer
snant considerable time in 81
has been in this city for the past
weeks and he gives a Representa-
of The Herald an interview on
country which is especially inter
90 in view of the war that is
on between Russia and Japan.
b r. Bishop says: i was mining
Tomsk, Siberia, with an Ameri-
company. We were about 100
os from a railroad and 50 miles
h of the Chinese border l was
. for some time and left about six
18th ago.
As TO the Siberian railroad, one can
oine what can be done in the way
,unnlying a large army in Manchu-
ond Korea, all the way from Rus
in Europe, as Siberia can furnish
hing over a single track railroad
with 56-pound rails when trains
20 only 20 miles an hour. The
vican Central is laid with 62-pound
and you see how it is hampered
making speed. doubt if the Sibe-
road can haul arms, supplies,
inments. men and horses for more
n 100000 men and keep them we'll
piled, with the transfer by sleds
= the ice across Lake Baikal in
hter and by steamer when the ice
Zone. The equipment of the rcad
Never is of the best and just like
roads of the United States. Bald
locomotives are used.
However, the road belongs to the
rernment, and men, munitions Of
and general supplies have been
|pped to the far east for many
Snths past to the exclusion of every
ng else, which | found cut by
ling to ship some freight
.The railroad is not completed
bund Lake Baikal yet, and | was
- d that it would take a year mo {,
d it will probably be longer. In the
eantime. while the lake is fr0l n,
|e freight has to be transferred by
Ids across On the ice (or by steam
when it is not frcZen) AMI lilen
bded on the trains again. Tlas
Zee of road is being built by Italians
bm colony Of these people in Sibe-
b. The entire road was built by
blians for whom tie Russian govern
lent gave bond to Italy for Their
|fe return.
Russian Laborers Lazy.
|"This seems strange. but the rea-
IN is that the Russian laborer is
zzy, dirty, drunken, thriftlesss fellow.
n American tramp will work little,
1T Russian labcTer is worse. |
mt to the Ural mountains for 120
liners and when they came | gave
lch of them a coat, hat and a pair of
loes, more than any one of them had
I'D in two years. The next day thirty
them left me, and many OF those
h. stayed would trade their clothing
r vodka, the native liquor, stuff
ade from corn by the Russian gov
which has a monopoly. 1t
90 per cent alcohol and is about
lch stuff as the tequila Of Mexico,
nd the effects are fully as terrific
he Russian is a slave to vodka, mere
than the Mexican peon is to te
uila.
Russian Soldiers Very ignorant.
1t is from this class Of men that
le Russian army is largely made up.
ut the soldier is restricted somewhat
the amount # vodka he gets. Den5-
st ignorance prevails, the 'illteracy
the people being 81 per cent
lroughout all the Russias. | Will
ay, however, that they are we'll drill
soldiers.
1T is generally supposed that the
usslan soldier is great meat eater
e would be if he could get it, but
lat is not often. The regular army
atlon is tea and flcur, and from the
liter he makes a brown bread. The
"a is dealt out in a compact cake
omeWhat similar to plug OF to-