HARBIN DESCRIBED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1053, 16 February 1911, Page 5

HARBIN DESCRIBED.

CRIME, DISEASE. AND AMUSE- , MEM. IBy Telciraiih.-Bpeclal Oorrenpondeht.l .;', , Chriitchurch, February 15. ■ to the' Cbristchurch Press," who has a, personal and ultimate acquaintance) with Harbin, whoro tho plague is' now raging with such seventy, says that fourteen years ago the dty wa/.. nothing but a small Manehurian village, consisithg bf a few dilapidated houses and an old Chinese distillery. The Russians, whea building what is now called th<s Tyans-Siberiari railway, decided to make this village their baie of operations. Two-years ago this towncov. «red twelve square, miles, and the' Russian;'population alone consisted of 60,000. Tho town is dirided into three eectjo'ns, vis., old Harbin, or Starytown, Ndwtown, and Priestdwn.' Starytown is the origiiial Village from which'it derives",its. name. Nowtown in the residential centre, aridPriestqwn the businets centre anil-port of Harbin.. At tho time ' tho writer was there the town was controlled' by, the Chief of;,the Railway \ Administration. Thcro wa< no taxation of any sort, and no municipal; authority, , tho consenuonco being' that there was little or no drainage of any sort. The eanitary: arrangements were deplorable, • and tbo roads in tho most terrible condition; It .was qiiite a common thing when driving through' the etreoW after rain to" see' thb' horses üb. to their bellies in liquid mud and filth; .arid the floor of tho droshky awash. The street lighting was by ho-means' good, and the polico and defective force, quite inadequate to cope with the number of lawless characters who infested the lower, , portion of. tho .town. Tho following constitutes tho crime list for four days , .— (1) Policeman shot in > tho rariin street in' broad daylight by Hunhutzes (redhaired brigands). ;. •. .-'• ... • . ■ (2) House broken into, ■ tho mistress stAbbcd, and iet thousand roubles carried off. • . . . . ....

(3) Lady rittini? on' a verandah after dinner' talking to friends, suddenly) & report, and tho lady falls to tho ground severely wounded. ■• , ;■ •■'.-<■'. ■■; V-' , • : (!) Chinaman, walking along the street, suddenly seized from behind and strangled.;' • '■-.-:•• '. ■■ •) ' ■ ■: ■ , \ '

■'■■ Adjoining Pricstown to the tast is a large Chinese town, at which every, two Or, three ' days .a. ; ba*aar is held. Amongst this crime Harbin is an- exceedingly.;.gay • place,■ and \ >n the , usual Russian manner night is turned into day. There are.no fewer than five big theatre's, where, the yerr best companies from Moscow and St. Petersburg are to be seen. There is alto a huge , stationary circus arid jnen&gcrie, run by the famons'Baronsky. 'Atone favourite plicie of lfwort, there is'a theatrt 'arid niujii-hill in most beautifully laid out gardens, arid in the summer'time & most sumptuous dinner is served in the op*u air. Just in front of the miisic-hall .staije, snd during tho. intervals at tho'theatre a turn is .put on at the music-hall. Then at About midnight when play at th 4 theatre is finished the people flock ty the tables, and the performance at the miUichall commences and continues-until the first streak */.^Af*Qn<l JRO^ißt.^jtJHrt summer monthiris ■terribly,hot, the'.theS roome'tcr rising. to; 106 dcerees, and, during the winter months falling to 30 arid H belOW Zit&./; . •';■ ; ■>..•-■. ■ - . '- ■ ','■' -