The Washington herald., 1907-03-17
SOUTH MANCHURIA
Japanese Are Developing the
Country Very Rapidly.
ROAD FROM MANTUNG TOMUKDEN
Military Railroad Turned Into "a
Commercial Enterprise-The In
dusfFieS of the Province and It's
Mineral WeaIth-RaisinE Beef for
the Philippine Islands.

1t is very evident that since the Russo
Japanese war the japanese, besides do
/ ing what they can to develop Korea, have
also expended considerable energy on the
/ territory in Southeastern Hanchuria
from which they drove the Russians.
They have just completed new railroad
/ from Antung, on the Korean border. TO
Mukden, and this win do very much to-
ward the commercial development OF the
/ Southeastern Shenking province through
which the line passes.
The new railway from Antung to Muk-
den covers a distance of 1S7 miles. II
was first constructed lightly for military
purposes, but has now been rebuilt al
though no tunneling will be done, in all
probability, until a survey Of the perma-
nent railway has been made. The
gauge throughout is two and a half feet
The rails and rolling stock are supplied
by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. The
system consists Of $50 locomotives and the
two sizes of freight cars carry two and
five tons respectively. The total carrying
capacity at present is only I,2OO tons.
The line was opened TO general tSaiiic,
both freight and passenger, last August
Two runs are daily made from each end
Of the line, in addition to more or less
regular ones between some OF the in
termediate points. The journey from
Antung 20 Mukden takes two days The
through trains both leave in the morning
one at 8 O'Clock and one at 3. and reach
Tsaohohu (Sokako) twelve hours later
Operation after dark Is subject to a great
deal Of risk. so passengers are obliged
to spend the night at Tsaohohu. resum-
ing their journey on the following morn
ing at the same hour as before
Tsaohohu has a number OF Chinese inns
and one japanese hotel, but none OF these
is particularly inviting to the foreigner
The traveller must bring his luncheon
with him from Antung. as neither food
nor drink can be secured until reaching
Tsaohohu. and unless he is sure To be
satisfied with "a japanese cuisine he must
equip himself al Antung with two days
sustenance.
The greater part Of the freight handled
up TO the present time consists OF rail
way supplies. The amount Of general
goods carried is almost too small 10 be
absence Of a custom-houSe at Antung
has been taken advantage of to ship
large quantities. of merchandise into the
region made accessible by the railway is
not borne out by the actual conditions.
The rate 10 sen % cents ton per mil
for most commodities, is almost pro-
hibitivc
The standard-gaugc railway 10 connect
Antung with Mukden. it is expected, viii
follow the same general course as the
present one. Since its completion, how
ever. viii probably require. the larger
part of three years the new South Man
chuTian Railway Company. which has
just taken over the system Is 10 con
tinue the operation Of the present line
and will undoubtedly carry on improve
ments With its present narrow gauge.
however. this railway. even when worked
10 its utmost fmit. can give no more
than a very small stimulus to the min
eralA agricultural, industrial. or CONNER
cial development Of the region which il
traverses.
Mineral Wealth.
Southeastern Shenking is said to be un-
usually rich in minerals. The mountains
contain abundant deposits Of coal, iron.
copper. lead, silver. and gold. The work
ing OF all these deposits has for a long
time been more or less regularly car
ried on by the natives. their methods.
however. are Of the cfudest and the out
put consequently small. Granite is also
quarried, and is known to be Of excellent 1
quality: but as yet it has been little
utilized, except for local purposes. owing /
TO lack Of transportation facilities.
The coal thus far unearthed has been /
found TO be a superior grade Of anthra /
cite, and It's utilization only awaits capi
tai and the means Of bringing it 20 the
market One Of the largest carboniferous /
beds yet discovered in this region. and I
till recently scarcely touched. lies near /
Penshiha (Honkeiko). an important sta
tiOn on the Antung- -Mukden Railway Its /
development on a somewhat extensive /
scale was first undertaken by the Chinese /
in the latter pqN of 1868 with the result 4
that some fourteen pits were opened. 1
There is another large bed of coal at 1
Niutan. a short distance to the southeast /
where about 1.C60 coolies were formerly /
employed i'm digging. most of the output /
being sold to the Russians
t. Okuragumi, "a japanese concern. a I
yea- 20 obtained permission from the
Chinese government to work mine near
Penshihu. They have hardly commenced /
operations. the entire output thus far
not exceeding so tons. but intend at an
early date to use some sl00Ce0 in the con-
structiOu OF shafts and other improve
ments- The coal is said 10 be of the
best quality. and that taken ont so far
mas been sold to the Japanese govern
nent for use at it's iron foundries. Tho
)kuragumi plans In the near future 10 Il
establish a gas plant az Mukden, and the
,oai mined here viii be employed in this
Mining Improbable.
Silver has been found chiefly at Antung
and Fenghuangchen near the Yalu River
and was was at one time mined by the
Chinese; but the work was abandoned
wing to the large lawless element which
existed among the coolies and which
made operation both unsafe and unprofit-
lbie. Thus far the iron wealth seems
practically TO have lain untouched by
he pick. Desultory attempts have beer
made ~ the Chinese to utilize it. but the
United returns on the capital invested.
he fault Of crude methods. as well as
he difficulty of bringing the product 10
market, have made it impossible for the
-irgin article to hold its own against
he old scrap iron entering the country
rom Niuchwang
Most Of the minerals named are said to
'e present in large and paying quantities,
nd their utilization only awaits "a cheap
T and quicker outlet. The investment Of
apital IN the development of these re-
ources. however viii hardly be attrac-
i've TO the foreigner unless the Chinese
overnmeSt mitigates its present restric-
ions on the mining industry
Agricultural Developments.