Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-30
FAR EASTERN QUESTIONS TAKEN
UP BY ATKINSON in LECTURE

railroad and report about the robber
bands.
The Hunghutzurs belonging to no.
madic Chinese tribes are the robbers
and the bold and bad men Of this.
country. Whether they are as bad
as painted / cannot testify, but can
testify that they have got everybody.
in Manchuria scared Of them, even
the Russian army. During my stay
there, friend of mine, an English
man, Alexander Smith, was taking a
small shipment of flour down the
Sanguri river. His boat was attacked
from shore by these Hunkhutzurs, he
escaped and finally was rescued by
some Russian cavalry and escorted
hack to Hardin. He lost his flour and
his boat. Mind you this was all with,
in ten miles of Harbin where there
are ten thousand Russian troops
quartered.
The Hunghutzurs. of course. live be-
yond the railroad zone, where troops
are quartered, and constantly making
raids. They seem brave and deter,
mined. and the Russians are in deadly
fear OF them. 1t is most interesting
to see the troops which are stationed
at every railroad station. They. are
drawn up, and salute every train that
arrives and departs. l. think 1t Is
theory that there may be some officer:
aboard. Every car contains two SOL
diers, who are. fully armed Former
car. II was so when first got there.
But so many cars were held up and
soldier shot or put out of business
two men are now put on the cars in,
stead of one. At the stations in Rus
sian territory Russian soldiers are
drawn up. Where the railroad runs
through chinese territory. you gener-
ally find company each of Chinese.
and Russian soldiers. Through south
ern Manchuria, the territory which is
controlled by the Japanese. of course
you see the businessifke little Jap.
After leaving Vladiyostok the coun-
try is wild, wooded and mountainous
up to within 100 miles of Hardin, and
It is there that the great Manchurian
plains commence, and it is there that
the great clouds OF dust commence.
Dust, such as a man never dreamed
lof. Dust. dust, Dust, that's my story
sof Manchuria- there's dust in every.
thing in Manchuria
! In the Russian towns one passes
through, gaudy domes of orthodox
churches stand out conspicuously-to
US they are source of interest. The
domes are sometimes sgilded. but
mostly painted blue They look so
picturesque, especially as the houses
OF Manchuria are never painted. I
noticed the same lack of paint in ia
pan. couldn't say If it is econo-
my, or that the wood doesn't need
paint.
| Near Hardin the sugar beet factor
les are seen. and miles and miles of
sugar beet fields. The area for. plant
islig beets and the output OF the fac
tories is controlled by the government.
was told that there is enough land
I'm Manchuria alone sufficient to grow
beets to supply the world with sugar.
With cheap Chinese labor in immense
quanLties It ought to be snap.
! The wonderful city of Hardin Is sit
/ uated at the junction of the TRANSIT
berian railway and the Sanguri river
| It is roughly 500 miles northwest Of:
] VladivostOk Dalny is south or rather
little southeast Of Harbin-about
COO miles. Hardin is really composed
of a number of tOwns-Old, Hardin.
new or official Hardin, Pristan, Alex
ieffskaya, Fudiden, and one lor two,
others. There are $4,000 Russian in
habitants, and, as far as could. find
cut, every man jack of them was will
ing to emigrate to Hawaii, if we paid,
their passage. 80. \
The railway station and railway,
sidings are built on an immense plan
and strictly up to date. Hardin has
been built in the last twelve years.
and its buildings are wonderful. There
Is lots more to be DONE Theretare no
paved streets, there is no water or
sewer system, no telephone, no cleo.
trio light or electric power, system.
nor are there street cars. All this Is
waiting for some energetic American
with capital to build and reap the
harvest. There are no political or
diplomatic problems to be overcome
, before franchises can be made for
same. That is only matter of tact
/ snd work TO overcome. 81
Pristan is that part of Hardin.
which is between the railroad and the
Sanguri river. 1t is busy town in
the day time--at night they retire be.
hind barricaded doors. Russian sol
diers police the principal street, the.
chitish Ulitska. In driving at night
you are warned to keep on the Chi
tiski Ulitska, and go on the side
Istreets at your peril. Everyone car.
ries a revolver openly in the hand
whenever going about Pristan during
the night time
Early one morning was awakened
by Greek who formerly worked for
Lycurgus. He told me he was delfv-
ering bread about four o'clock in the
morning and was attacked by some
: Chinese. He shot one man, wounded
another He said they had no Greek
consul there and wanted me to look
him up in case he didn't report. He
was afraid he would be grabbed and
sent to the mines without trial. How
ever it was fixed up satisfactorily in
a few days.