The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-01
Of GREAT ANTIQUITY.
lily of Sal0nica Recently Occupied
BY American Board.
Recalls the History Of the Apostle
Paul and the Christian Church.

Boston. May I. l.--Salonica, recently oc
cupied by the American Board as a cen
Ter for work among the Bulgarians of
macedonia, is the IhesSalonica oi the
Acts of the APOSTLES. it ~ n city of
great antiquity and is interesting alike
for tho memories which Ii awakens of
ancient Greece ana Rome. and FOR what
il recalls of the history of the Apostle
Paul and the Christian church since ms
Gny. Salonica Is still called Thessalonica
tv the Greeks. Its history, which is Of
snrr assing interest 20 the scholar and the
Christian, seems 20 reach back into the
dim ages of mythology Opposite the
civ and across its beautiful bay, rises
the c.otids. the msjestic Olympus, the
failed home OF the gods Nerxes encamped
mere with his great army ON his way 10
greece The great orator Cicero spent
some time in banishment here and some
of his letters were dated from this place.
Here, too. the great missionary, Paul,
walked. preached and founded a Chris
tian Gnu rCh.
From a missionary point of view TIE
city is of special interest in work for tho
BulQurians, in that ~ was the birth
place Of the two great Slavic missionaries
Cyril aud Methodius. These gifted brothers
rave up their lives TO missionary work
among the Bulgarians and other Slavs.
especially the Moravians They were the
authors of the Slavic translation Of the
Scriptures and Cyril gave his name TO
the alnhabet which is now used by the
Russians Servians and Bhlgarians,
which il called the Cyrillic. These two
brothers are to-day the patron saints OF
literature aud education among the Bull
, garians.-
Salonica was visited by DIR. William G.
Echauf1ier from Constantinoplc in 1917
ard IL became n station OF the American
Boards mission To the Jews in 1Si9
SIessrs. Maynnrd and Dotd, with thoir
wives, landed April OF that year. The
Yation was reinforced Ivy Mr.. aud Mrs.
Parsons I'm 1890, aud by Mr.. ard Mrs.
Morgan in 1862. The missionaries met
Nithsa great deal of encouragement not
only among the Jews hut also among
che Greeks and BulRarians TIE death,
however, OF Mr.. Maynard soon after his
arrival in September. l8l9 and OF Mrs.
Morgan in q eptemher, 1852 and The pros
sratiOn OF McSsrs. Parsons ard Morgan
hy intcrmittent fever. prevented thc
vigorous prosecution of the work In
1886 the station was given up snd the
work transformed 10 other boards. IL was
reoccupied 10y the American Board ms q
station of the European Turkey mission
October a. 1891 Tho reason Of Occul Nlng
the city "a a center fer bulgarian work Is
the fact tllat Salonica Is the govern
u.ental center for very large Bulgarian
hpulntion, which can bo morv easily
cached from this city than from any
1tuer Here three railways branch out
cue toward Monrar and the west, ant
second towards Skopia and the north
third toward Seres and the east, ant
ie latter Is expected soon 10 connec
this city with Constnntinople. The mis-
sionaries M this station are Rev. Edward
Is. Haskell. OF Ohcrlin. Ohio, and hii
wife, Mrs. Martha ". Haskell, of Cednl
Falls, Iowa; and Rev. j. Henry House
y. d.. of painesville, Ohio. and his wife
sirs. Abbic B. House, Of New York city.