Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1912-11-01
For Geueral Relief

its object the alienation Of the suffer
ing incident to the warfare now waging
in the Balkans, movement has been
started in Worcester TO raise funds to
be placed in the hands of the Red
Cross society, TO be expended by them
at their discretion.
:. Nikoloti, Bulgarian business
man connected with W. IL. Leland 4
Co., is the instigator of the movement,
which does not have as its object the
henetiting of any particular faction or
side among the combatants in the near
East, but is purely humanitarian in
design.
MIR. Nikoloti says his idea is 30 have
some Worcester bank act ms depository
for the contributions as they come in,
and when, say, in two or three weeks
time, an appreeiaole sum has been
realized. the fund will be forwarded to
the American Red Cross society, to be
sent by them To that branch of the Red
Cross operating in the spot in sorest
need.
Mr.. Nikoloff came to this country
and TO Worcester in 1887, putting him
self through Worcester academy and
later through Worcester polytechnic
institute, from which he graduated in
1897, Since that time he has been
identified with different business firms
in the city and is well.known figure
among the. business men, He mar
is well known here.
Interest is growing rapidly in the
movement in Worcester To raise funds
for the work of the Red Cross society
in the Balkan war. The Merchants
National Bank of Worcester and the
First National Bank of Putnam are
acting as tressurers for the fund and
contributions are being sent to the
banks TO oe devoted TO relieving suffer
ings of those who are experiencing the
| horrors of war in the East
Mr.. Nikolofi says the urgency of the
need is emphasized daily by the re-
ports from the seat of war which say
| that the wounded are suffering terri
bly, owing to lack of surgical spplian-
ces and the incomplete equipment of
the field hospital. Mr., Nikolofi re-
ceived letter Tuesday from his moth
er, who is in Tatar- Pazardjic, Bulgaria,
| which WAS written September %. The
letter says in part:
81 am altogether unable to give you
| an idea of the condition prevailing i'm
mediately following the order of mo-
| bilization. Within five hours after
| the order had been given 5000 reserves
had been uniformed and equipped in
| this city and had left for the frontier
Since then, day and night, soldiers
have been pouring into the city from
all sides. Every neutrality-suspicious.,
churches, hotels-is crowded with men
who usually make stay of II hours
in the city and then move onto the
frontier Every little while trains
pass through here loaded with troops,
some of them drawn by two locomo-
tives aud numbering 10 cars, others
numbering 30 cars with but one en-
CINE.
Immediately following the starting
of the mobilization every store, Office
and factory was closed, and all aVaila-
BILE food material of every description
was seized from the merchants, while
in the outlying districts the peasants
were deprived OF all but bare susten-
anee.
Yonr cousin marched the 81 miles
from his home to this place and his
feet were so swollen that he was una
bile to 20 farther, having TO go To hos
pital.
The government seized all horses
and carriages, oxen and wagons, and,
the young men being in the army, the
highways lhrong with old men drlv-
ing before them fiocks of sheep and
goats and herds of swine ali headed
for the railroad stations To supply food
for the army. Bodies of infantry are
advancing toward the railroad where
they are taking trains to the frontier.
The city is so full Of soldiers that our
house was used as quarters for 20 men |
who came in at 3 O'Clock one afternoon
and stayed until O'Clock the follow
ing morning"
"One may see from this, says Mr..
Nikolofi ,s'something Of conditions, and |
when one considers that this letter |
was written month ago, before the |
actual fighting began, ii does not re- |
qnire a robust imagination TO see the |
great need which now prevails In that |
country for food, and medical and sur
gical supplies and appliances such as
the nurses of the Red Cross carry with |
them wherever they are sent. Surely |
this is aieause which must appeal TO !
every one with spark Of human sym
patty in his breast and can but hope |
that the contributions will continue TO |
come in at the banks In a correspond
ing ratio, as the knowledge of the |
movement spreads, to the way In |
which they have come in during the |
first few days"
Teachers Institute
A teachers institute will be held In !!
the Norwieh Free Academy building,