The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-02-22
A CITY slUlr IN 3 YEARS.
How the Russians Do Things IN Man.
churia.

has figured much lately in protesting
to the Russians against their cruelty
to Japanese neutralJ, mas sent a re-
port to the sta department in Wash.
ington that shows ,he remarkable
methods of the Russians IN Manchu.
ria. He says, among o.her tbings
One Of the greatest achievements
in city construction nat The world
has ever Witnessed lis now soing on in
the heart Of Manchuria In The build
ing of such cities as Vladivostoc,t.
Dalny and Port Arthur. Russia has
demonstrated S power and purpose
on the Pacific in line with the worlds
conception of its character; but in
the construction of this wonderful city
of Harbin it is displaying an altogeth-
er dineren- type of activity from
what we are prone to attribute to IT,
The Moscow Of Asia.
1t is in this city more thGG in all
the others combinei that Russia is
asserting its in entions Of becoming
an active industrial force in tie af-
fairs Of the Orient, and its people are
already giving the place the title of
The Moscow OF Asia The city is 10.
Gated on the Sungad river at the
point where the Manchurian branch
of the Siberian railway crosses the
stream and where the Chinese east
ern branch starts south to Dalny and
Port Arthur II is about $50 miles
west of Vladivostok and 600 miles
north of Port Arthur It's location is
the geographical center of Manchuria,
and from present prospects it is to be.
come the commercial cen er as we'll
The city is surrounded on all sides
for hundreds of miles with a rich and
productive agricultural country, pro-
ducing corn, wheat, oats, barley
beans. millet hemp, tobacco, yege-
tables ami some fruits. Minerals ana
timber and great areas of grazing
lands also surround it.
At present he place consists of the
old town three miles from the cen
trail depot: Prestin. or the river town
the present commercial center, end
the administration town, in close proX-
imi y to the railway station. Before
the railway engineers established this
as their headquarters there was no ma
tive town IN this vicinity and the en-
tire place is therefore a Russian pro
duct
No Foreigner a Land Owner.
II is as distinctly a Russian ci y
as though i; were located in the heart
Of Russia and none except Russians
and Chinese are permitted to own
land. construct buildings or engage in
any permanent enterprise The city
has been crea ed by the Russian gov
eminent. under the management Of
tn Manchurian Railway company. The
land for many miles in each direction
has been secured so as to make il
impossible for any foreign influence
to secure profit or footholj close TO
the city, and foreigners are MT recog
nized as havink any rights whatever
but are permitted there by sufferance.
The chief railway engineer is the ad-
ministrator Of the city, and up to the
present time has had complete con
troll Of everything, but in the new
scheme for the government OF Man
churia some form of municipal organ
liza ion will be permanently establish
ed
Grew to 10000 In Three Years.
In 1900 the place began to assume
Importance as a center Of railway
management. and in 1901 the popula-
tion had grown TO 10000 Russians
in 1902, to 10000; by May, 1903, to
$4,000; and in October, 1903, a census
showed a population Of 10000, exclus
i've OF solliers. OF these. 400 are Jap
anese and 300 of all other nationals
lies. including Germans. Aus rians
Greeks and Turks All the rest are
Russians. There are no Americans.
The railway and administration EN-
ployes. including families, constitute
II 900 of the population The Chinese
population is aout 10000, located IN a
special settlement. The ratio of wo
men to men is as follows: Japanese
100 per cent; Russians, A per cent
Chinese, is per cent; average Of wo
men. l4.3 per cent
Harm is the center Of the entire
railway administration Of Manchuria
and. as the Russian commercial enter
prises Of the Far East are under the
direc'io of the railway company, Il
will also be the center OF Russian in
dustrial and commercial development
Ii IS tho headOua rterg of the ciVi