Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02
Divided Into Three Parts.


Hardin is divided into three distinct parts
the old town. three miles from the central
railway station; Prestin, or the river town,
| the present commercial center. and the adj
ministration town, in close proximity to the
railway system. 1t is, in fact, the center of
the entire railway administration in Man
churia. In America 1t would be called a
railroad town. The railroads have con-
verted it from remote military station into
the commercial emporium of the far east.
The chief railroad official is the admins
traitor of the city, and the railway offices
and the administration buildings are side
| by side. $3.50.
Transportation facilities at Hardin are
excellent. The Sungari river Is navigable
for light draft steamers and native craft
nearly 200 miles above the city. and much
| traffic in wheat and other produce is car
| ried on in this manner.
River Steamers Run Daily.
| From Hardin to the Amur river good
| sized river steamers run daily during the
| season. They carry passengers and large
| cargoes of freight. These steamers use
| wood for fuel, and the machinery in them
| is of American make. Going east from
Hardin the railroad reaches the sea at
| Vladivostok. Going south the railway used
| to meet seagoing ships at Nieuchang,
| Dalny and Port Arthur. Now, Of course,
| that traffic is interrupted. West from Har-
Z. bin the train runs on branch line to
| Stretensk, at the head of navigation Of the
| great river Amur The main line, of course,
| extends to Lake Baikal and on to St.
| Petersburg. From this 1t will be seen
| readily that Hardin Is pre-eminently the
| railroad center of Asiatic Russia.
Since 1t was primarily established as a
| military station and center for the adj
ministration of the government system of
| railroads Harbn's rapid development into
a great commercial and manufacturing city
was a surprise not only to Its original pro-
motors, but to the world at large.
It's Expansion American.
It's manner Of expansion was decidedly
American. 1t grew so rapidly that real
estate operations assumed an activity that
would have done credit to American specu-
lative genius. Capital for most of the pri-
vate ventures was furnished by Siberian
Jews, and the Chinese also advanced funds
! for the erection of many fine buildings. No
| private enterprise was. permitted to take
| root in the administration city.
| Harbins boom continued up to the mo-
| ment of the beginning of hostilities. The
| city resounded With the din of construction
labor being done,;by electric light. In six
years ten flour mills were built, with an
| average daily output nof 100000 pounds
More than million Was invested in pork
| anu DeeI packing saw were
| put into operatioh brtckyards were started
everywhere. and a mad passion for build
| ing seized everybody. The government alone
expended over stg0 op 900 in four years.
War DwarfedI cAllaother Interests
But now war has dwarfed all other in
terests at this 9MoscoW of the east as it
| has been nicknamed Nobody cares at pres
emit to discuss the future Of Hardin. The
| only interest taken In its phenomenal num-
Der Of new buildings is by the army medi
| cal department, ever on the lookout for hos
pftal opportunities. Ali the subjects Of local
| interests have grown stale and unattrac-
tive. One item of news from the front is
more engrossing nowadays than all the
gossip of the town. Everybody knows that
the future of the Russian army has much
| to do with the future OF Hardin.
The atmosphere of war is very heavy
| in the city, There are hospitals on every
side, troops encamped In the streets. and
squads of soldiers bearing litters on which
are stretched the sick and wounded form
an almost constant procession. It IL all
SO unreal. so unexpected, for Hardin. A
| few short months ago she received her
war newsvby way of ST. Petersburg, she
was so far away from the actual fighting
Today the enemy IL almost knocking at