Harbin, Dec. 12.
There is still an enormous stretch of land in Manchuria unexplored Teapect to the possibilities of gold, coal and naphtha, but what has already been discovered in the first two named commodities points to there being still much more in the ground. At present the represcntative of a London Syndicate is in Mukden trying to arrange a cor cession for the working of gold in Kirin Province but it is very difficult to arrange terms as the Chinese require so much for their share that little remains for the foreigner who has to take all the risk and provide all the capital.
British mining experts have found gold in several places along river Sungari as well as in Kirin Provicee but £0 far no concession has been arranged owing to the many difficulties that are put in the way of the financiers, Near the Sansin rapids there are many men Panning out gold in a small stream and as they have brought fairly large nuggets from the district, some Chinese merchants have already pegged out claims and ar? now looking for foreign capital to help them. From information which has come to hand from different districts, there is no doubt that gold may be obtained from quite a number of small streams where a dredge could work at a profit.
Coal and Naphtha fat present being received Mulin and the Regan ther spots where coal can be worked with 2 profit. Surveys lately made ea the Kovalsky Timber Concession prove that there is a large coal bed there. the coal being of good quality and at a depth of only five metres. Under this bed there is a second bed which has not yet been teste! as to quality or depth. There ix coal in several places down the river Sungari but none of the finds have yet been surveyed as the supply is quite sufficient for the needs of the country and no attempt is being made to look for new beds.
As regards naphtha there have been many rumours lately ast great discoveries of this commodity but this is really tangible and will not be, capitalists decide t+ risk a large sum in drilling. Here, however, the same remark applies as with gold, namely that the cor ditions imposed by the authorities make it almost impossible for any large foreign firm to risk capital, A Harbin "Push-Push"
There who have never visited harbin during the -vinter month and even if they have visited town, have omitted to visit the n Sungari, have no idea of what a "push-push" is. It is the name given to the men who push chairs, placed on runners, across the ice and convey people for five cents from one bank to the other. It would be supposed that this is a delightful experience, the crisp ice, the white snow and the dazzling sun making' the journey from Harbin te the opposite town of Sumbei an absolute pleasure.
But the experience of a rich merchant who arrived at Sumbsi last week end ix far from pleasant and serves as a warning to other intrepid travellers. Chinese Harbin, but finding nothing, proceeded on foot to the siver bani: ing a little while, ove of these gentry arrived with a passenger from Harbin and a! once took the merchant on board hi chair. Gliding away across the the merchant thinking of the deals which he would carry through on his visit to the city, he was suddenly confronted with a revolver and a order from his pusher to hand over his fur coat worth a large sum money. There was no one. sight, and, therefore, the merchant decided to discuss terms of surrender, He offered first $15 and then §26 but the pusher was obdurate and nothing would suit him except the fur coat. There was nothing to be done and the merjehant had to hand over his valuable coat, after which the pusher left him on the ice in"the middle of the river and himself made off for the shore. Running as fast could, the unfortunate merchant reached the Harbin shore and called the police but by this time the pusher had disappeared and no trace of him has been found.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.