Documents of Macedonian Immigration

[vicsinad]

James Dimitre, Tetovo:

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Gabriel Christy, Tetovo:

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George Atanos Thomas, Skopje:

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Christ Pit, Salonika, Macedonia:



Blago Lazaff, Zarvn, Salonika:

[vicsinad]

Originally Posted by Philosopher

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear...

Nice collections of findings Vic.

Here's a more detailed account of this from Western Christian Advocate - Volume 77 - Page 22, 1911 :

The Man From Macedonia
Emma Trescott

Three years ago a band of ten Macedonians
landed in Philadelphia. They were young
men with but little education, and unskilled
laborers. With but a small amount of
money they left Philadelphia for Berwick, a
small manufacturing town in Northeastern
Pennsylvania. Work with the American Car
and Foundry Company could not be obtained.
But they took up their abode in a small room,
with nothing but a stove and their steamer
blankets for furnishings. With now and then
a day’s work they bought food, which was
cooked in an old tin can gathered from the
refuse near by. They could not speak Eng
lish, and no one understood their dialect to
interpret.

They lost their positions. With
nothing to do and no money they went forag
ing for apples and potatoes which the farmers
near by were throwing from the pits, as they
were opening these to supply the markets.
It was a case of the survival of the fittest.
One could not survive, but died of starvation.
A grocer passing the house found the body
of the dead young man. This he reported to
the Slovak Methodist missionary in the place.
He quickly sought them, and found he could
speak their dialect. Yes, God moves in a
mysterious way.

The missionary could not
secure employment for them, but sent them
to Hazleton, a near-by town, larger and more
industrious. He gave them a note of intro
duction to the superintendent of the Anthra
cite Mission, the Rev. V. J. Louzecky. He
welcomed them. found them employment, and
brought them into the Sunday services. The
services were then held in a class room in
the Methodist Church. What Methodist
congregation ever saw such a sight? Men
from Macedonia, peasant boys. in their blue
jeans and plowshoes.

The little mission was
well supplied the next week by men of the
Brotherhood with new and second-hand cloth
ing. “Maly" (little) George could wear the
pastor’s own suit, and as he was being fitted
out with his new suit by the missionary and
deaconess. they said, “Who know but ‘Maly’
George may be a preacher himself some day?"
He was a meek, simple-minded youth. He
was placed in a good Methodist Slovak home
to board. He was converted, and developed
wonderfully.

This is his testimony:
had no father or mother. and no home.
“In Macedonia I would play with other boys, and when night
would come and they would go home. I had
no home to go to, and I would say, ‘O God,
why You not make me a stone? why You not
make me a tree?‘ And I said, ‘These Turks
are so bad; I will go to America and earn
money. I will buy the longest and sharpest
knife, then I will come home and kill all
the Turks!’ One Jew took mortgage on my
little farm. He gave me money to come to
America. My farm worth more than that
Jew gave me, but I no care. I just praise
God he had that Jew tell me about America.
for I come here, and, praise the Lord! I
found Jesus Christ, my Savior. Now I have
father, and brothers and sisters, for in Christ
all you are my brothers. my sisters. Now I
have the longest and sharpest knife in all
the world. I go out and stab men in the
heart, for I sell the Holy Bible, the sword of
the Spirit, to my countrymen. and it takes
their hearts and saves them.”

The deaconess of the mission asked George.
"Do you want to study English? w0lll(i you
like to go to school some day?" He said:
“Yes, with God's help I want to learn Eng
lish, for some day I want to go out tell my
people about Jesus. And you have so many
good things in English, and I want ro tell
everything in just the best way, so I must
study English."

“Maly” George is the most recent pupil
admitted into the English class of Miss
Emma Trescott. deaconess of the Anthracite
Mission, 344 West First Street. Hazleton,
Pa. One good woman says, “When you have
Maly George ready for the seminary I will
have fifty dollars for him.“

Who wants to prove that they are brothers
and sisters to this orphan boy from Mace
donia, and send more for his education? He
is one of many whom the deaconess is trying
to educate for missionaries among the foreign
immigrants in America.

[Karposh]

The registration cards you priovided Vic are doing my head in. I just don't get it. These were the late 1800's and Macedonia didn't exist as a country. Nor did Tito or Communism. So why did all these confused Bulgarians from such far flung regions as Tetovo to Salonika, all put down that they were citizens of Macedonia? If anything, shouldn't they have put down Bulgaria as their country of origin. Afterall, that's what all the statistics of the time say they were. Oh, wait a minute...Of course! They were really Bulgarians but with a strong sense of regional Macedonian patriotism. Either that or the Commintern invented a time machine, went back in time, and passed a resolution to invent Macedonia and the Macedonians before it even came into existence itself as the sinister ideological political movement it was to become.

[vicsinad]

Originally Posted by Karposh

The registration cards you priovided Vic are doing my head in. I just don't get it. These were the late 1800's and Macedonia didn't exist as a country. Nor did Tito or Communism. So why did all these confused Bulgarians from such far flung regions as Tetovo to Salonika, all put down that they were citizens of Macedonia? If anything, shouldn't they have put down Bulgaria as their country of origin. Afterall, that's what all the statistics of the time say they were. Oh, wait a minute...Of course! They were really Bulgarians but with a strong sense of regional Macedonian patriotism. Either that or the Commintern invented a time machine, went back in time, and passed a resolution to invent Macedonia and the Macedonians before it even came into existence itself as the sinister ideological political movement it was to become.

Exactly. Most Macedonians weren't fooled like the rest of the world in thinking that affiliation to a church meant affiliation to an ethno-national group.

[VMRO]

Great stuff Vic, awesome stuff.

[Risto the Great]

Really great stuff Vic.
The surnames are often Anglicised. Not a hint of "ski" though. Interesting.

[vicsinad]

Thanks guys. I have plenty more.

Risto: there are some -skis. Very few, but there are some. I'll try to dig them up.