Show RAILWAY SYSTEM THE great rejoicing in russia over the completion of the trans caspian railroad is a matter of greater significance than tahe meagre dispatches from that distant land may indicate sa marcana mar cand inthe eastern part of tur destan is about a thousand miles from the european line and within only three to four hundred miles of british india the entire line from the initial point st petersburg to the present vermin terminus us is over three thousand miles in extent one thousand miles ot of which is through the most moat bleak blea kand and forbidding region that ever allowed of railroad facilities A literal desert is the region traversed by the road an enormous e expanse ap anse of flat country devoid of eve everything bryth ryth in Z except sand salt lakes and here and ther e a species of bramble with everlasting winds keen with cold col in the winter winte r time and biting from saline tion in 8 ummer summer the eastern easte rii part of turkestan Turk estan is more diversified and fertile it contains miny many populous mohammedan cities once important in the famous tartar empire extended its conquests into china india persia turkey and past east russia though here is considerable settled ion native wad iad russian Sasa ian yet the inhabitants are aie for the more part pastoral and of a bedouin like character which uncomfortable feature way may not enhance e the s abety of the new mode of travel over t lie he old caravan methods the bedouin i B to the I 1 lar ar east a source of serious apprehension as were the indians in our earlier experiences over the great american plains russia too has accomplished a work analogous o ous in extent to that of Auie americas rica transcontinental transcontinental highway the cam e el indigenous to turkestan Turk estan will will now become antedated and a d drag ra g on the market the rich products of the orient will find a new channel to europe through the arteries of russian commerce and what effect this will have upon british indian interests remains yet to be demonstrated The next russian enterprise it if european peace continues promises to be the long ions contemplated projection projection of a railway line milea in I 1 n length extending through siberia to on the pacific coast |