The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-03-31
QUAINT PEOPLE.
Turks in Public, But Followers
of Abraham in Private.
Customs OF the 10000 True
Hebrews In SalOnika.

TO find anywhere peculiar people who
urc not public property; about the Nor
mons Of America and the savaScs Of Con-
trail Africa We know rs much, II not
more. than VIC know about ourselves;
so that it was with considerable satisfac-
ton that came across peculiar people
who in many respects out Mormon Nor
mons, and have customs AZ quaint as any
to be found in Central Africa. More
over they live IL Europe in the ancient
city of Salonika and conc OF the most
ancient stock in the world, namely, the
Hebrew; they arc bouHd together by
ties that none dare break, they are
'ioublc-l faced race, race with two
distinct religions, race which leads
:wo distinct lives. prof Tossing openly to
be followers Of Mahomcd, while in pri-
vate they profess a religion of their own
accepting the cd Hebrew traditions,
vet believing in the frs. a,lv.nt of their
own McSsi,h, and living in daily ex-
pcctalion of hi5 second ccmin%.
Tho Turks call them "Dunmchs," or
''rcncsaIcs," their jewish brethren call
themselves Mamccni II, or 'tru, be-
LEVERS" For the sake Of simplicity we
will call them Dirmchs and we may
like it for granted TINT t,cy arc disliked
~ both their would co-religionists.
md in consequence they have been com
pcllcd to exercise a secrecy in their acts
and deeds, a fast which has rendered
thom mysterious people in this busy
mercantile world. During recent stay
at Salonica set myself the task of in
vcstigating this people.
Salorka may be termed New Jcru-
salem, rs there arc no less than seventy
thousand of the descendants of Abra-
ham within its walls; almost all the
business of the place ia carried on by
them; the Iuays are gag with them in
their quaiat costumes, the men with
their long robes Incl with fur over a
tunc of stripped cotton or silk, while
the women are dcckcd in the Caycst
color possible, and adorn their heads
with caps Of green or red. closely over
their forchcad,, and hanging down be-
hind in thick trail embroidered with
gold thread and terminating in a fringe
of gold, while around their nccks hang
strings of pearls and other jewels. These
Jews Of Salonika arc perhaps the most
fcrvi sdhcrcnts of the quaint RI blinical
doctrines t. lie found somewhere nova
days. D,Ii1: The days before the PISS
over yen my see Jewish women
at the to!nbs on. idc the walls, in their
long rcd c,oaks aad white mantlcs round
their shoulders wailiny over their dead
turi,ancd rabbi; stand at the gate OF
karamilia 10 corduct families, for a con-
.ileration, to The graves ofthcir relatives,
there TO excite them to frenzy by read
ing portions OF scripture. and finally tC
drive them home again like sheep, whcr
the ceremony is over, with laccratcd
arms and faces, uttcriny bitter walls
Their cemetery the Jews call "tbt
house of tn, living for the dead they
look upon as alive, and passing the frs,
eleven months after their departure i.
Gchcnna, where thy can intcrccdc fo
the living; consequently during thi,
period the death walls arc continued
which arc in point of fact in many case
more microscopy thaa the outcome o
genuine grief.
II rabl i Of distinction dies, you Sc
Jcwi II women rush forward to thrus
letters into his hand for delivery TO dc
parted friends as h, i, carried on til
Eicr to "thc house of the living"
On the Sabbath day no jew of Salon
ika may carry any burden in his pocke
no money, no tobacco, no scrip
80 that Jew with cold has to wear
handkerchief around his waist. At
spot where the walls have been pullc
down. of late years tho rabbis Ia,
stretched wire, so that tho idea of III
city being surrounded by walls may
kept UP, and the computation of Sal
bath days journey not interfere
with. Such are among tho doctrines {
the orthodox Jews; from these the
| renegade brethren are exempt; an
though dcspisins them as they do. 1
, orthodox Jew will no. scruplc to NAL