The state herald., 1913-01-24

For thirty years Bulgaria
has sung these words OF
her national hymn, embodying the
temperamental Slavic melancholy
which permeates her literature and
music. But now the wall OF centuries
deepens into a paeah of victory; the
children and the soldiers are now
singing this new version Of the old
melody:
The blood-red Martha is foaming.
Mortaly wounded Turkey lies groaning:
On. on, Zarigrad (Constantinople) Is
ours
One. two. three. march the Infantry.
During all my twenty-five years
here" writes Russian exile, civil
engineer in southern Bulgaria, In a
personal letter to a friend In New
York. Il have never seen the Bull
garian people so deeply reused. The
women are organizing committees to
raise funds for the Red Cross work
and for the relief OF the families suf.
fering because all their male mem
bers have gone to the front. For
several days after hostilities broke out
It was impossible to buy bread. The
bakers were working night and day.
but they would not sell to the civil
ians; all was for the soldiers.
Young Boys Volunteer.
Our arsenal Is three kilometers
from the barracks. and the authorities
were puzzled how to transport the
Mannlicher rifles for the new recruits
over to the barracks. The soldiers
were all on duty or drilling. and every
wagon in town was In use for carry
Ing supplies. Help came to them
from an unexpected quarter. A com.
mittee OF three boys appeared and
asked that they be allowed to solve
the problem. All the small boys OF
the town-they ran In age from eight
to fourteen-marched out to the ar.
senal. organized Into large companies.
and. each company under the direc
tion OF an old man. the little fellows
solemnly shouldered the guns and
trudged those three kilometers over
plowed fields TO the barracks. re.
tracing their steps many times until
every Mannlicher had been carried
over to the barracks"
This Is a war that the people have
wanted and have been expecting for
many years. so they gladly have come
TO the financial assistance OF the gov.
ernment In Every town citizens
formed committees to raise the nee.
essary funds. In Lom. one OF the
smaller provincial towns. such a com.
mittee collected 400 francs the f,rS,
day the subscription was opened. 500
francs on the second day. and at the
end OF the fourth day II had $1,000
francs In nand. In this particular
case the money vas used to eau,p
volunteer companies which were %.
cortcd TO the trains by all the city
ofllclnls and the citizens who had no,
yet been called to the colorS.
Each small town IN the market cen.
ter OF its surrounding district. and IL
II In them that the commissary de.
partment OF the army has established
depots for gathering In supplies for
troops, Every day the peasants come
driving In their cattle and sheen and
pigs, and compete with each other In
giving Many old pehRanta. who
fought in the Ruaso. Turkish war. o,
In the war with seryla. are trying tc
have themselves enlisted hgain. on,
old man from Boyana drove into towr
in wagon drawn by two bunaloc,
and sought out the recruiting onioer
diving Of Slender Store.
II know ! am too old to hght." h,
said. but you need men to drive IN,
supply wagons Can't you make us
OF mo and my wagon and my burh
loos7"
In tho towns tho very poorest poe
pIe arc giving all tho clothes the
can spare for the use OF the soldier,
Those families which have been ioi
without means OF livelihood, bccaua
the men have gone to the front. ar
being amply provided for by commit
toes OF women and the Weather cit