The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-03-30

Not long ago in Denver there occurred
a reunion of two brothers separated
twelve years ago under circumstances
that were such as to make each of the
brothers almost positive that the other
was dead. One of these brothers is Ha-
Cop KhOumrian, a prosperous Turkish rug
dealer in Denver, and the other IS Kerop
khOumrian of Salt Lake. They were sep
Grated at the time of the Armenian mas
sacre in COnstantinOple in 1896 and from
the manner in which each escaped it was
natural for him to suppose that the other
had been murdered by the Turks.
kerOp KhoumTian, OF Joe Khumrian as
he prefers to be called, is we'll known in
Salt Lake musical circles. He is pos
seSsed of an excellent tenor voice and
made a decided hit in the Elks' show, "A
Night in Bohemia given recently at the
Salt Lake theatre, in which he sang
when the Right Little Girl Comes
Along" Mr.. Khoumrian has the distinc-
ton of being the only native of Armenia
IN the world who is a member of the
Elks Until the recent strike he was en-
ployed as roundhOuse foreman in the Rio
Grande shops.
In an Armenian massacle in which
thousands of that hapless peo-
pie were butchered by the Turks khOum-
from the remainder of his family. es
Gaping after a series of thrilling adven-
lures. Into a few years of his life were
crowded such sorrow and such misfOf
tune that his intense hatred for the
Turks. which he still bears. can easily
be pardoned.
OF Royal Family.
Joe Khoumrian was born in Bitlis. Ar
menia, Sept. Is. 1852. The khOumrian has
been for centuries the royal family Of
Armenia and if the Turks had not con-
quered the lair but unfortunate land one
of the khoumrians would now be king.
The last king of the Khoumrian dynasty.
who was overthrown and murdered by the
Turks, was the great great-gr andfather
of the Salt Lake singer. He was fondly
called King HAZE by his subjects.
In Armenia, as in ether countries of
the old world. the ancestry of each arts
tOcratic family is carefully traced back
as far possible. and the family rec
ords carefully preserved. In Armenia,
however. the records are Kept for "A much
longer period than is attempted in any
other country. Not long ago in Armenia
a man was found whose family record
showed that he was direct descendant
of Anna. the sister of the Virgin Mary.
The royal family of Armenia, however,
traces its ancestry back much further.
Earliest Historic Civilization.
Archaeologists and historians have
agreed that Armenia was probably the
seat of the earliest historic civilization.
The people of Armenia dwell on the
slopes of Mount Ararat, on which Noah s
ERIK is believed to have rested after the
flood Rawlinson in his origin of Ma
tons says that Armenia was the cradle
of the world and that ali the peoples
of today are descendants of the tribes
that dispersed from Armenia after the
flood. The Armenians alone remained on
their ancient soil. They are non-migra-
tory and have retained through centuries
their national characteristics
According to the traditional history of
the Armenians their first King HAZE
a name that was applied to popular rul-
eTs of that country as long as Armenia
was an Independent natiOn-was the son
of TOgarmah. grandson of Japhet son
of Noah. The throne of Armenia with
the exception of the times when il was
subject to the various conquests of the
I different world powers, has always been
occupied by some descendant of the orig
inal .4aje. In their own tongue they are
still Hajians or Haikans Subjects Of
HAZE. Thus il IS that the Khoumrian
family may easily lay claim to being one
of the oldest if not the oldest family in
the world.
rian'S life the government of the Turks
was not oppressive The Armenians were
allowed to tend their flOcks and gather
! their crops in peace. The Khoumrians re-
tanned much of the hereditary possessions
that had belonged to the royal family.
These included thousands of acres of
grazing land. immense herds of cattle and
hundreds of beautiful Arabian horses and
a palace at Bitlis The elder Khounlrian
was worth what in America would prob
ably be the equivalent of 100000
In the early sos the Mohammedan
Turks under Sultan Abdul Hamid de-
cided upon a forcible conversion of the
| Christian Armenans. The Khoumrians
| in common with other wealthy families
were able for several months to purchase
peace with large brides to the Turkish
officials The territory in the vicinity
of Bitlis was constantly beset with out
| laws protected by the Turkish govern
ment and it was unsafe TO travel far aWav
| from the city.