"They call themselves Macedonians"

[vicsinad]

From the "Red Cross Bulletin" Volume 3, 1918.

Macedonians, Turks, Armenians,
Greeks and Bulgarians joined hands in
mighty processions of thanks for the
deliverance of the country from the
scourge, bearing banners and sacred
religious relics.

...

In many towns throughout Serbia
there is a mixed population of
Serbians, Bulgarians, Macedonians,
Turks, Albanians, Spanish, Jews and
Greeks, but the American Red Cross
in its relief work among the poor has
known neither race, religion nor
color.

[vicsinad]

From the Canadian Club Yearbook by the Canadian Club of Ottawa, 1920, Pg. 163. Article is called "Some Experiences in Serbia" by Miss Florence Harvey

I went forward next day beyond Koumanova over country that was new
to me. The road was pretty bad. We crossed the border into what was "Old
Serbia" near Vranje. Up to then we had been living in a country where there
were some Serbs, Macedonians, Turks and various other peoples, but now
we had got into what was the real old Serbia, and we began to feel the differ
ence at once.

[vicsinad]

From "A League of Nations: Volume One", 1918, Pg. 76, 77.

From Asia especially the inflow has been heavy
through the passing of the Danube valley into that of the Pruth.
Away from the lanes of travel a life of isolation would be the rule.
Communities like those of the Rumanians of the Pindus mountains
or the Macedonians thus preserved their identity to this very day.
The first of these remnants owes its existence to its mountain
homeland where a language closely akin to the Roman of the early
Christian era is still spoken by its members. The Macedonians
however living in less isolated areas are bordermen in whom neither
Serbian nor Bulgarian customs definitely asserted themselves. Only
by language does their affinity with Bulgaria present a stronger tie.
In every other phase of their life the misfortune of position is apparent
Their land is the time-old cockpit of Serbian and Bulgarian struggles.

[vicsinad]

From "Historical Tales: Greek" by Charles Morris, 1908, Pg. 292:

Macedonia lay north of Greece. Its people were not Greeks, nor like Greeks in their customs. They lived in the country, not in cities, and had little or none of the culture of Greece.

[vicsinad]

From "Charities and the Commons: A Weekly Journal of Philanthropy." Article called: Some Greek Children, by Arthur Edward Hyde, Department of Commerce and Labor. Nov. 9, 1908. Pg. 1028:

What between roving Greeks, pillaging Bulgarians, and oppressive Turkish taskmasters, he explained, poor Macedonia was in a sorry plight, and the terrorized peasants were one day swearing allegiance to Greece, the next to Bulgaria, and the third thrown into a Turkish prison. Then he took us over his school. The boys were at work in the class-rooms,— boys of all tongues and nationalities, few English and French pupils mixed in with Macedonians, Greeks and Jews.

[vicsinad]

He also published something in 1895, called МитингитЬ въ княжеството за Македония. Отъ Единъ Македонец ъ. София. Кнйтопечлтница „Просвещение". In it he talks about how Macedonians like to accept help from Bulgarians regarding sending money, but not armed bands and etc.

Perhaps it's an IMRO member/founder.

[vicsinad]

Anyone know who wrote this book or if there is an actual copy anywhere? I found it referenced on page 216 of Misul: Volume 12, from 1902.

Единъ Македонец ъ. Българската пропаганда въ Маке дония и Одринъ. стр. 32. Цъна 30 ст. София, 1902 год.

The author is listed as "A Macedonian" and the title is Bulgarian propaganda in Macedonia and Adrianople . Published in Sofia, 1902.

The title alone suggests the Macedonian point of view being opposed to the Bulgarian propaganda, which is great. I'm just wondering if there is something else out there on it!

[vicsinad]

From a 1921 Indiana University Study of crime and nationality in the US. Pg 71 and 72 of Indiana University Studies, Volume VIII, Nos. 48-51, 1921:

A study of these cases arranged according to specific kinds of
offense and single race or nationality unit is extremely interesting.
Only in the following specific kinds of offenses were there sufficient
numbers and sufficient definiteness in the charge for profitable
comparison: assault and battery, drunkenness, vagrancy, lar
ceny, gambling, prostitution, running house of ill fame, adultery,
associating, and fornication.

In assault and battery cases the Servians show the highest
relative proportions, followed in order by the Greeks, Russians,
Roumanians, Slavs, Lithuanians, Austrians, Poles, Croatians.
Macedonians, Hungarians, Italians, Bohemians, English, Ger
mans, Horoats, Colored, Jews, Americans, Irish, and Scotch.

In the cases of drunkenness the Swedes show the highest
proportional numbers, followed in order by Scotch, Irish, Amer
icans, English, Slavish, Russians, Lithuanians, Hungarians, Polish,
German, Horoats, Austrians, Croatians, French, Greek, Servians,
Roumanians, Italians, and Colored.

In the cases of vagrancy the Austrians show the highest pro
portional numbers, followed in order by the French, Croatians,
Scotch, Irish, Americans, English, Germans, Jews, Colored,
Greeks, Hungarians, Polish, Swedes, Russians, Italians, Lithu
anians, and Servians.

In the cases of larceny the Macedonians show the highest proportional numbers, followed in order by the Roumanians, Lithuanians, Austrians, Poles, Colored, Greeks, Hungarians, Russians,
Servians, Slavs, Italians, Germans, Horoats, Jews, English,
French, Bohemians, Americans, Scotch, Irish, and Swedish.

In the cases of gambling the Colored shows the greatest pro
portional number, followed in order by the Jews, Servians,
Austrians, Poles, Hungarians, Russians, Americans, Slavs, and
Irish.

In the cases of prostitution the French show the greatest
proportional numbers, followed in order by the Germans, Colored,
Jews, Italians, Bohemians, Americans, Horoats, English, Irish,
Hungarians, Russians, Servians, Austrians, Polish, and Rou
manians.

In the cases of running houses of ill fame, the Bohemians show
the highest proportional numbers, followed in order by the Jews,
English, Irish, Colored, Germans, Greeks, Hungarians, Americans,
Russians, and Poles.

In cases of adultery, the Horoats show the highest proportional
number, followed in order by the Roumanians, Italians, Colored,
Americans, Servians, Croatians and Jews the same, Greeks,
Austrians, Germans, and Macedonians.

In the cases of associating or frequenting houses of ill fame,
the Greeks show the highest proportional numbers, followed in
order by Colored, Americans, Roumanians, Lithuanians, Poles,
Germans, Hungarians, Slavs, Servians, Austrians, Italians, Rus
sians, and Irish.

Aside from larceny / theft (why am I not surprised?), it seems like Macedonians were not known for committing many crimes, especially the "moral" crimes, such as prostitution, drunkenness, adultery, gambling and frequenting / running houses of ill fame.

[vicsinad]

From Saint Paul, Volume 2, 1869, Pg. 111:

Gloomy and grave, the Macedonian peasant has none of the braggadocio and trifling spirit of the Hellenic peasant. The women, beautiful and chaste, work in the fields like the men...They are a good, strong race, laborious, sedentary, loving their country, and full of promise for their future.

[vicsinad]

From Allen Upward's "The East End of Europe" published in 1908. I've read the book before, but somehow missed this. Apologies if I'm repeating this.

"But there was one man present who spoke excellent Greek, and who told us that he hailed from a village in the neighborhood named Klabasnitza. It contains 64 houses, not one of them Bulgarian, and the Bulgarians have announced their intention to destroy it. The people speak Macedonian among themselves, but understand Greek as well."

[Stevce]

Chapter 10 mentions This country and land of Jerusalem hath been in many divers nations' hands, and often, therefore, hath the country suffered much tribulation for the sin of the people that dwell there. For that country hath been in the hands of all nations; that is to say, of Jews, of Canaanites, Assyrians, Persians, Medes, Macedonians, of Greeks, Romans, of Christian men, of Saracens, Barbarians, Turks, Tartars, and of many other divers nations; for God will not that it be long in the hands of traitors ne of sinners, be they Christian or other. And now have the heathen men held that land in their hands forty year and more; but they shall not hold it long, if God will.

[Stevce]

Travels of Sir John Mandeville in chapter 3 OF THE CITY OF CONSTANTINOPLE, AND OF THE FAITH OF GREEKS, mentions the following About Greece there be many isles, as Calliste, Calcas, Oertige, Tesbria, Mynia, Flaxon, Melo, Carpate, and Lemnos. And in this isle is the mount Athos, that passeth the clouds. And there be many diverse languages and many countries, that be obedient to the emperor; that is to say, Turcople, Pyncynard, Comange, and many other, as Thrace and Macedonia, of the which Alexander was king. In this country was Aristotle born, in a city that men clepe Stagyra, a little from the city of Thrace. And at Stagyra lieth Aristotle; and there is an altar upon his tomb. And there make men great feasts for him every year, as though he were a saint. And at his altar they holden their great councils and their assemblies, and they hope, that through inspiration of God and of him, they shall have the better council.

In this country be right high hills, toward the end of Macedonia. And there is a great hill, that men clepe Olympus, that departeth Macedonia and Thrace. And it is so high, that it passeth the clouds. And there is another hill, that is clept Athos, that is so high, that the shadow of him reacheth to Lemne, that is an isle; and it is seventy-six mile between. And above at the cop of the hill is the air so clear, that men may find no wind there, and therefore may no beast live there, so is the air dry.

[Statitsa]

People self identifying as Macedonians and setting themselves apart. Nice to see.

[vicsinad]

The Literary Digest, Volume 11, 1895, Pg. 594

On the other hand, the Macedonians do not think that the rule of the Bulgarian policemen will be much better than that of the Turkish zaptieh, and they will not fight together unless their independence is guaranteed.

[vicsinad]

Proceedings of the Second Annual Convention of the Industrial Workers of the World, 1906

Whereas, There are wage slaves of Macedonian descent in goodly numbers throughout Canada...Resolved: That the organization of the IWW takes steps as soon as possible to provide literature in the Macedonian language.