The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-20
Search of An Armenian For
An Education.
FOUND ONE IN AMERICA
Left the Land Where Trades Are at
the Notwithstanding Talk of a
Foreigner at Grace NJ. +. Church.
His Great Desire


left Ills home in Armenia in search Of an
education. The speaker left Antioch four
teen years ago, and today is clergyman,
well educated and speaks excellent Eng
lish.
DR.. Leech, the .pastor Of the church.
opened the services, and Mr.. TOmOnosia
read the second psalm, after which Mrs.
d. DIN Leech rendered a vocal solo. In
his opening remarks Mr.. Tomonosia said:
II will preach no sermon, neither will
deliver lecture, but will speak OF the
blessing which God has bestowed upon
me. ! was born in Antioch. of parents who
lad been wellto-do. You should know
that after the prosecutions in Jerusalem
the disciples scattered around and some
went to Antioch and Barnabas came from
Jerusalem. Later Paul came and the
Christian Church flourished with lOtUOO
members. When famine came in Judea the
elders OF the Armenian church sent relief
from Antioch; now relief is being sent
them.
Il will tell you that at Antioch the people
name their children differently from in
America. In English you would say my
name is Thomas, but in Armenian 1t is
Tomonosia. Where 1 lived n Massa-
chusetts for Zone time my friends called
me ia u.-o'-sh anter. To return to my
parents. They We're Christians and their
ancestors as far lack as the third century
were Christians At eight years of age
was put in shop to learn trade. My
father had met with reverses in business
and was unable to give me what most
coveted, an education. ] chose the trade
of shoemaker.
PROFESSIONALS ARE POOR.
1T Is far more fashionable to be a
in Antioch than a doctor or
lawyer. Those who follow professions in
Antioch are very poor and barely make
a living, while the shoemaker lives in good
style. 1 wanted an education, and did not
want to be shoemaker, but as in oriental
all children do, l was obedient
to my parents. l left Antioch for Jerusalem
to study. This was after I had learned
my trade and saved a little money. /
wandered around Jerusalem, but there
was no place for an education except for
orphans, and / had parents. 1 went from
there to Joppa, and almost heartbroken
sailed for Tarsus, and from thence to SIN yTna
and next to ConstaDtiDople. / returned to
Smyrna, and as my money had given out
L spent six weeks there engaged in my
trade. One day I heard gentleman On
the street say he wanted some one to
go to Africa to translate Arabic for him.
II could speak the Arabic and offered
my services. which were accepted, and We
set sail for Africa and landed upon the
sandy shore and went into the interior on
canels. On our return / stopped off at
the Island OF Malta, where / became
stranded. / heard OF a captain who
wanted someone to go to Liverpool to
paint his boat in payment for passage.
offered to do the work, and in addition to
my passage and board he gave me. when
we reached England, enc pound. about
five dollars. / knew not enc word OF
English and had little money and still
wanted an education. j wandered around
and the advice OF my parents came to ne,
viz; pay your debts, do not tell stories.
and pray TO God for his blessing. ! fol-
lowed them diligently, and one day in a
railway station overheard someone talking
Greek.
II tad been unable TO say a word of
English and this was the opportunity for
told him OF my condi-
ton, and he In return said the opportunity
TO get an education was greater in America
than in England. The question OF my
passage was botbering me considerably.
but again God interposed his hand and
directed me to another sea captain. This
how to cook q little felt sufficient con-
to say could cook. He accepted
me, and crossed the ocean and landed
at Castle Garden with Just S12. / felt
that surely God was guiding me. I
earned the words bread and water
and could say yes and no, but did not
know what they meant and frequently
said one when I should have said the
other. Another Coupiet I learned was
all right One day a man asked ME If
was hungry and I answered all right.
After that I learned L guess so,' and
WI hen asked one time Where are you
going?'I replied Il guess so.'
SEARCHING FOR WORK.
'T went to New Haven, Conn. in search
Of work, and for time worked in a rubber
but the Armenians who lived in
the town would Come around me and
always talk Syrian SO that 1t interfered
with my progress In English, and left
New Haven and went to Hartford, from
thence to Springfield, where, when asked
for work and refused to accept aims, a
man took me, saying will give You work.
He took me to Ia rye place where I thought
sure it must be a factory. 1t proved to be
the county poorhouse, and / refused to
stay there, but went to PUston and met
a gentleman who took an interest In me
and proved lifelong friend. He found
work for nee ut Liberty, Mass, and after
worked there for some time my friends
found school for me in Kentucky, and
fhither went. I was now on the road
to an education.
AFTER finishing at the Kentucky school
went further south to the Vanderbilt Uni
versity, always working my way through
the school. and after some time there went
Eva mr. N still WING
preached in ncighboring towns on Sunday.
began to accumulate some money and
then desired to Eelp the poor students
around me. In one year / was able to
keep myself going and at tie same time
10 help 200 needy students. After finish
Dg at Evanston my first thought was for
A ptioch. the city which has now become
he seat of Mohammedism and feathenish-
ness. was about to go home to A rmenia
when I received letter saying. DO not
come: Christians are in danger I did not
go. but I promised DR.. Fuller to bclp the
school at Antioch and aided in having
teacher sent there. where already seventy
eight boys and girls have been taught to
read and write.
''Since the prosecutions my own dear
brother has been killed. From one source
was told he was cut IN four pieces, and
rom another 1 was informed that he had
,een cut into fragments. Today in that
country there are four hundred thousand
PERSONS starving and 100000 have died
because they will no. deny their Saviour"
The speaker then told of his efforts to
collect money for the relief OF those at
lome He spends his time in raising funds
Ind sending them to friends in Armenia
Ind every week sends a check for the
purchase Of food for distribution. At the
ne L. o<.f~
who desired to contribute something toward
he relief Of the sufferers. and accordingly
| collection was taken for that purpose.
Carpet and Plush Factory Stops.