wells about the city, to the number of one hundred. The fantai, a man next in rank to the viceroy, came at the viceroy's request and asked me to aid them in the work. Tests showed that the soil was adapted for the wells only here and there, and I therefore advised against the expenditure and suggested artesian wells, with storage. for fire purposes, as preferable. The advice has not yet been acted upon, but the reputation of the American well has spread until from different parts of the province, as well as from Ningpo and Tsingkiang, come requests for my aid in securing a good supply of water by pumps. I believe there is a good opening in China for a few persons who understand sinking artesian wells and other methods of securing a good supply of pure water. Waterworks are unknown in China outside of foreign concessions. There came to this consulate the other day, accompanied by the taotai of foreign affairs in this city, a Mr. Chang Ching (known as the "Optimus" of China—that is, the man who has passed the highest rank in the highest examinations), who said he was much interested in deep-well work, and that he had organized a company which had purchased over 1,000 acres of land with the intention of utilizing it for cotton raising and other agriculture. He wishes to know about American machines for diking, deep-well boring, and windmills. If manufacturers of these machines will send to this consulate catalogues with prices and probable freight cost of their various products from New York to Shanghai, I will see that they are put where they will do the most good. The prices required are the net ones to the purchaser. NANKIN, January 3, 1903. WM. MARTIN, Consul. GOLD MINING IN THE PRIMORSKI REGION, SIBERIA. The Ministry of Agriculture and Domains has just published the following report on the results of the investigations relating to gold mining, made in the Primorski region in 1898 and 1899: The geographical position is favorable and the climate is soft; the absence of frigidity and the easy access to water ways of communications promise favorable results. Gold mining in the Primorski region is divided into two parts-the northern, on the Amur River and the Okhotsk Sea, and the southern, on several little rivers along the South Ussuri district and the island of Askold. Gold mining has increased in the former since the construction of the Ussuri and Transbaikal lines of the Siberian Railroad. The large mining companies (which produced 62.4 per cent of the total gold mined) have representatives in large trading towns, who buy materials, keep an eye on the market, and make contracts with tradesmen. The small enterprises have no agents and must pay retail prices. The large companies enjoy a credit from banks, and can receive loans at 8 per cent. The Russian-Chinese Bank began to help the small companies in 1897 by undertaking to deliver gold to the Government laboratory and advancing money to the amount of 3 rubles ($1.55) per zolotnik (2.4 drams). In 1899, it issued 60,500 rubles ($31,158) at 9 per cent per year. Trial excavations are made at a distance of 1 verst (0.663 mile) apart, with additional pits to ascertain if the gold veins do not incline sideways. When making final calculations, the whole area is divided into triangular lots, formed by the lines of pits, and when the stock of gold is approximately studied, draining canals are dug and the necessary buildings are constructed. The work begins with removing the turf and upper soil. Generally, this work is done by hand digging, horse cars carrying the turf away; but recently they have begun to wash the turf away by irrigation. The gold sand is dug out with pickaxes and spades, a workman being paid from 1.19 to 1.80 rubles (61.2 to 92.7 cents) a day. The washing is effected by barrel engines moved by locomobiles. The richest gold layers in the South Ussuri region have been worked by the ancient Chinese processes. In addition to the gold-mining industry in this region, there are other natural riches, viz, forests, fisheries, and coal, iron, and lead mines, which do not need so large an investment of capital and are not connected with such risks as the searching and working of gold mines. The lack of technical knowledge in the gold-mining branch is the principal reason why its development is so slow. The most important enterprises in the Ussuri land are the mines "Osnovatelny," belonging to Lieutenant Molchansky, who worked them by contract during 1897 and 1898, and suspended the work in 1899; the mine "Askold" (on the island of the same name), where vein gold is being extracted by a plant for working quartz; and a mine on the River Siao-Sooszi-he. I The total quantity of gold mined in the Primorski region, according to statistics, was 1,104 poods 2 pounds (39,904.7 pounds), containing an average of 1 zolotnik (2.4 drams) in 100 poods (3,611 pounds) of sand. This amount is less than the product of the adjacent region of the Amur, which can be explained by the novelty of the business. The chief gold-mining works in the province of Primorski were established during the last ten years, and a great number of gold veins of this region are not yet worked and not even declared. ST. PETERSBURG, December 31, 1902. W. R. HOLLOWAY, Consul-General. MINING IN RUSSIAN CHINA. The bourse committee at Vladivostock has addressed, through the governor, a petition to the imperial authorities at St. Petersburg, praying for the removal or modification of the existing prohibitory law against all foreign industrial enterprises, especially for mining, in the coast districts of Russian China. The statute in question, promulgated June 17, 1901, prohibits all foreign mining operations and other industrial enterprises within about 66 miles of the coast line. The petitioners state that, owing to the lack of native capital and enterprise, there is no immediate prospect of a rational development of the mineral wealth and other industrial resources of that region. It is declared that, as at present administered, this prohibitive law is partial and unsatisfactory in effect. Exceptions are made in granting concessions without any comprehensible bases. American, French, and Belgian prospectors, representing wealthy syndicates, seeking mining concessions on the Ussuri, in Sakhalin, have recently arrived. A French syndicate, which applied for a concession to work extensive coal fields in the neighborhood of Vladivostock, was refused, but the concession has been granted to an English company trading under the Russian flag. This British enterprise will shortly, it is expected, be in a position to furnish both Vladivostock and the Ussuri Railway with plenty of good and cheap coal. Numerous foreign syndicates have sought concessions for the development of the silver and lead deposits lately discovered in the Ussuri region; but they were met by the law that prohibits the working of all kinds of mineral ore by foreigners. What the country requires, the petitioners urge, is, for a number of years at least, complete freedom of operations for foreign capitalists, engineers, practical miners, and, above all, foreign brains and energy. This petition states that the mining affairs in all parts of far eastern Russia are subordinate to the mining commission at Irkutsk, thousands of miles distant and necessarily ignorant of the local conditions in the extreme limits of its official jurisdiction. The petition begs that this be forthwith. remedied. ST. PETERSBURG, January 26, 1903. W. R. HOLLOWAY, MINING INDUSTRY IN TURKESTAN. In September last, work was begun on the copper foundry of Nazarov & Co., in Turkestan, at the foot of the Supetau Mountains, on the shore of the River Syr-Daria. The mineral riches of Turkestan are diverse. In addition to gold, silver, iron, copper, and coal mines, there are zinc, manganese, stibium, ozocerite, naphtha, crystalic salt, Glauber's salt, fire clay, etc. The discovery of these resources was recent, and want of capital prevented their development until the completion of the Trans-Caspian Railroad. The discovery of copper veins in 1892 in the Fergan region, along the River SyrDaria, and in the Namangan and Cocand districts, resulted in the organization of a stock company with Belgian capital to work them. The veins consist of large strata of sandstone, impregnated by copper acids. The layers of copper-ore sandstone begin in the west, at the foot of the Supetau Mountains, and extend to the east about 12 miles. They contain an average of 1 to 5 per cent of copper, although there are spots which yield from 10 to 40 per cent. At present, only virgin ore is worked, the product amounting to 700 poods (25,278 pounds) per day; but new machinery is being added, and it is expected that the output will be increased to 3,000 poods (108,336 pounds) per day. It is proposed to work the oxidated ores by chemical process. ST. PETERSBURG, December 30, 1902. W. R. HOLLOWAY, Consul-General. THE COMMERCIAL SCHOOL AT TIFLIS. In compliance with a request from a former university president in the United States for information in regard to the commercial school at Tiflis, I put myself into communication with the director of the school, and with the German consul at Tiflis, who very kindly sent me the following letters. The German consul said: The commercial school at Tiflis was founded by the merchants of this city and formally opened on the 17th of September, 1900. The school building cost $107,940. The expenses of the institution are paid by tuition and by an annual subsidy of $5,140 granted by the merchants of Tiflis. When absolutely necessary, the State also gives some support. The State pays the teachers' pensions, which are earned in Caucasia after twenty years' active service. Throughout the rest of the Russian Empire, such pensions are granted after twenty-five years' teaching. The director of the Tiflis commercial school wrote: Our commercial school stands immediately under the administration of the Russian Minister of Finance. There are three elementary classes and five general classes, as well as two classes for special study. Thus far, only the three elementary and three of the five general classes have been organized. A new class will be organized each year until all are complete. The first graduating class will go out in 1907. There are 694 students at present, composed of the following nationalities: Children between the ages of 7 and 9 years are admitted without examination. Children coming from the public schools are usually admitted to the first division of the general class. In addition to this course some of the languages of Caucasia are taught. One should not lose sight of the fact that the 10,000,000 inhabitants of Caucasia are made up of the remnants of many ancient nomadic tribes. According to Russian statistics, only 2,500,000 are Russians, 1,000,000 are Armenians, 1,500,000 Tartars and Georgians, while the rest are principally Mohammedan tribes. It is claimed that there are 30 different languages and dialects spoken in Caucasia. Tiflis is an Asiatic city. It is connected by overland caravan routes with Persia, Turkestan, Afghanistan, India, and even China. Camel trains from Damascus, Bagdad, and Arabia reach the city from the south. It is the object of the Tiflis commercial school to draw its recruits from all these adjoining countries; to infuse into them Russian customs and business methods, at the same time giving them instruction in their own language, religion, and traditions. Such methods will have a powerful effect upon the destinies of southern Asia. It is the hope of those personally interested in the Tiflis commercial school that by the time it is completely established the number of pupils will have increased to 1,200. From a German gentleman of Mittweida, Saxony, who visited. Tiflis in August, 1902, and from other sources, I have learned the following additional facts: The teachers are regarded as being in the service of the State, enjoy certain rights as State officers, wear uniforms, and are appointed by the Minister of Finance. The school is divided into two sections, namely, a preparatory school and an advanced commercial school. In all Russian commercial schools the preparatory department is divided into four classes and the advanced school into seven classes. In Tiflis the preparatory school is complete, but in the advanced school only two of the seven classes have thus far been established. This is owing to the fact that the school was first opened in 1900. The remaining five classes in the advanced school will therefore be organized as soon as the demands for the same are urgent. year is devoted to every class, making in all four years for the preparatory and seven years for the advanced courses. One Apprentices and others who wish to attend Russian commercial schools have the option of preparing themselves in whatever school they choose. For example, No 271—03—5 |