The sun., 1913-10-19
AMAZING RESOURCES
OF SOUTH SIBERIA
Rich Gold Mines of Amur-
Fight for Control Between
Chinese and Russians.

SHANGHAI. oct IA recen, traveller
in the Amur River country speaks of
wonderful possibilities of DEVELOPMENT
there. Wealthy though ii is the distric,
is hut little known The Amur is nayt-
gabl" for distance Of 5000 miles. from
NicolaiNsk. at the mouth. to Stretensk
me whole country appeared fine and
promising. There are wide plains wholly
uncultiNated. on which grows excellent
grass. about three feet high OF iine tex
ture. These plains il is estimated. would
support millions of sheep or cattle. The
son is OF good quality and of deep
black.
In the gardens and plantations where
settlements have arisen beautiful crops Of
an descriptions were to be seen-whcat
barley. oats and potatoes in abundance
Through the last COO miles to the sea
the country is one eNpansc of splendid
forest, both on Russian and Chinese ter
r'tory. In every mountain gully there
We're Chinese prospectors seeking gold
hundred million people could be settled
IN this white mans country.
Easily naNigabl'. the Amur provides a
great natural highway for traffic from
end to end. II IL strange that neither the
Chlnesc on the south nor the Russians on
the north appear TO have made any seri-
Gus effort to develop the resources of
the country. There are signs of progress
however. The chief OF these Is that wheat
and barley are being harvested by reapers
and hinders-probably for the hrst time
III Asia. The Russians are building n
railway line about thirty miles north Of
the banks of the Amur.
Next year the line will reach Kha-
harovsk, and st, Petersburg will thus hr
put in communication with Nladtvostok
by line quite Independent OF the great
siberian railway Along the entire
length of the river Russian settlements
lI,. l,,t n,k nf fuI -,
their work has compelled numbers OF
people to return home. At the same time
II is estimated that 100. 900 workers enter
the country every year from Europe.
Farming mining. numbering and fishing
are the chief Industries
\ country which should he exporting
millions of bushels OF wheat and might
IN course of time become the chief source
of the F.urc,nan supply is now importing
bags OF flour The principal minerals
are gold. copper and coal. Rlasovesh-
chensk is the centre of an increasing gold
mining industry. and SO plentiful is gold
that II was humorously said to be rcck-
oned not by the ounce hut by the rood
II Russian weight equal To thirty six
pounds, The Russians are adopting
strong measures to prevent the advance
OF Chinese on this territory, hut az Yet
Chinese are to he seen everywhere.
ON the river bank opposite TO Rla-
"oN Ncshchensk a prosperous Chinese city
has grown up, but no native boatman is
, allowed 10 cross the river from that side.
Chinese may only use the ferry which is
a Russian monopoly. upon obtaining
from the Russian Consul n specia! permit,
The political situation Is distinctly inter.
estinR. As TO the antiquity OF Chinese
industry In this part Of Siberis there are
, evidences that the gold mines were
worked by them centuries ago, Grow
| ing out Of some OF the old workings are
| trees OF great size and age.