Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-14
OLDER THAN HISTORY
SaIoniki the Most Ancient
City in Europe.
FIRST KNOWN AS THERMA
Name Changed to Thessalonica in
Fourth Century.
NEED OF BETTER RULE
Improvement of Conditions Since
Overthrow of Abdul Hamid-Pic-
turesque Location of Place.
Ri WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Speciai Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

Ri WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
SALONIkI. Macedonia, May II, 1910
Saloniki. the capital Of Macedonia the
headquarters of the Turkish administra-
ton of the Balkan provinces, the second
city OF Importance to Constantinope in
the Ottoman empire, is the outlet of the
commerce of Macedonia and Bulgaria. It
is located at the head of the Aegean sea,
not far from the northern boundary of
Greece and near. the, base Of Olympus,
the most famous of all mountains. the
Anrone of Zeus and the residence of the
gods of Grecian mythology.
Saloniki is the key to the Balkan pen
lnsula, the most important city between
vienna and Constantinople, admirably
situated for commercial enterprises and
already the center of large and pros
porous trade. which, however, is only a
trifie Of what it might be if properly
developed 1t is the terminus of three
railway lines, one connecting with Bel
grade. the capital of Servia. which is in
a northWesteriy direction, and from there
by the main trunk line with Vienna, Ber-
iln and Paris. The second is a local line
running to Monistar. in the interior of
Macedonia, and the third direct to Con-
stantinople. connecting with the main
trunk line at point near the city of
AdrianOple. Sofia, the capital of Bull
CARA, is reached by the train to Belgrade,
changing cars at station called Nisch,
where through trains can be taken both
ways.
The time by rail to Constantinople is
tWenty-four hours, 10 Vienna thirty six
hours, to Belgrade eighteen hours The
cars are comfortable and on the principal
express trains are sleeping and restaurant
cars of the Wagon-Lits Company, which
Is the Pullman company of Europe, and
furnishes dining cars and sleepers for all
the railways on the continent.
Antiquity of saloniki.
Salonih is not SO old as Damascus or
some OF the cities of Egypt, but it is
older than London or Paris, and is I'M
doubtedly the oldest city in Europe
older than history. 1t was an important
city before ROmulus and Remus were
porn and was a commercial metropolis
De1ore Athens became the center Of learn
ing. 1T has no association with the Old
testament. like Jerusalem, Damascus and
the ruined cities of the Valley of the
Euphrates and the Nile, but it's people
are the Thessalonians of the New Tesla
ment, to whom Paul wrote the epistles,
and his visits to Saloniki are mentioned
In the Acts of the Apostles From this
city he heard the cry from Macedonia to
time here, where the new faith founded
by the carpenter Of Nazareth was we'll
received by the people and grew and
prospered.
Saloniki was first known in history as
Iherma, because OF some hot springs,
which were sought by invalids. 1t was
also called Halia and Emathia, and about
the end Of the fourth century, b. G.,
Cassander changed its name to Thes-
saionlea, In honor Of his wife, who was
q sister Of Alexander the Great, and
that Grecian prince did much to build up
the trade and make known the fame of
his favorite city. From the time of st.
Paups visit until Constantine the Great
located the city of his name on the banks
of the Bosphorus Thessalonica was the
capital of the Macedonian empire, which
extended from the Adriatic sea to the
Caucasus mountains. 1t has continued
to be the capital Of Macedonia until to-
day, although the territory known by
that name has been reduced to a narrow
strip of land lying between Bulgaria and
Greece on the south and between Albania
and eastern Rumalia on the east
Macedonia Is now one of the feeblest,
although it is one of the richest provinces
of the Ottoman empire, a land literally
flowing with milk and honey, which
needs only peace and protection for life
and property I'm order to recover its an
Gent prosperity, although it is too much
to expect that it should ever resume it's
former influence.
The commerce of Saloniki is mostly in
the hands of Jews, who constitute at
least two-thirds Of the population. They
are the descendants of fugitives from
the Spanish inquisition in the fifteenth
century, and settled here with the con-
fidence that the Jew has always shown
In Turk. There is a mysterious tie
between the two races There never
seems to be friction among them as
there is between the Greeks and the
Armenians and the representatives of
both the other races.
Distinctive Dress Worn.
The Jewish population of Saloniki may
be promptly identified by their dress,
which is unlike that worn by the race
in any other country. The men wear
long surtouts of different colored wooden
cloth, reaching to their heels. lined and
faced with fur for the winter, and with
collars of the same material. The sum-
mer dress is a similar garment of black