Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-12-27
PRILEP Is NEXT
SERBIAN OBJECTIVE

O.ssosSobU \
Washington. D. C.-Concerning Pri-
lep, toward which the victorious Serb
ians and their allies are pressing after
having retaf.en Monastir from the Ger
mans and Bulgarians. the National
Geographic Society issues the following
wan geography bulletin:
situated at the head of the pela-
CONAN plain, 25 miles northeast of
Monastir-a long six hours journey
over Il rough road before military ne
cessifies brought about an improve
ment ot the highway Prilep. also
called Perlepe. is an important strategic
point whose capture by the Serbians
would be Il material step in the retak-
ing OF their homeland.
"Circlins the town TO the north and
east are the rocky Babuna hills. and
over these 10 the north lies the city of
GslSip. some 40 miles distant.
"Prilep's value from a military stand
point Is due largely to the fact tina in
this r~ai!roadless country even indiffer-
entity good dirt roads are scarce. and at
this point five highways converge. The
most important of these Of course. leads
to the southwest TO MonaStir. across
the ~Ielagonian plain: another strikes
due west To krashevo. high up among
the NILS 10 miles away: q third follows
n stony n meandeflng northwester1y
course To kostovo, a town situated at
the sourse of the Nardar river; the
fourth mounts the Rabuna range of
hills and leads to koprili, about 80
miles To the northeast. a station on the
Saloniki-uskup railway; the fifth
strikes east and then northeast to
Rosoman. following the bed OF the
Fsajec torrent, Il tributary of the Cerna
river.
"Prilep is lear to the hearts of all
Sayhjnn acnn 4 fn. .o,,a &, 1l,-.--
countless stories of one of the nations
most popular legendary supermen-
Marko kralievitch, otherwise kings
son Marko.
The ruins Of the castle of kings
son Marko overlook the town. and it
the visitor proves 10 be a sympathetic
audllor the guide will no doubt point
out to him. in the slabs OF rock which
strew the approach TO the stronghold.
the indelible footprints of the masters
favorite steed Sharatz. And il you
should happen to be in prilep OH the
anniversary OF Markets festival or
'slava' you can prove to your own sat.
isfaction whether. there is any truth in
the widely credited peasant legend that
at midnight the door of the castle
2haLel burst open and the hero. fully
armed. rides in on his piebald charger.
although III Mako of the flesh las
been dead for 500 Years.
I'm an old Serbian ballad called
'Marko's Judgment there is recited this
prophecy: kral Cking) Vukashine.
Marko's father. whose chief fortified
city was Prilep. speaks first. 'Son Mar
ko. ma God Stay thee. Thou shalt
have neither monument nor posterity;
and ere thy spirit leaves thy body the
Turkish sultan thou shalt serve Then
speaks the ,czar, Stephen Dushan:
Friend Mako. may God help thee!
Bright be thy face in the senate: sharp
thy sword in battle. Never shall hero
sur,ass thee. And thy name shall be
remembered SO long as sun and moon
endure.
And here. according to peasant folk
lore. is how that prophecy was full
filled: Upon the death of Nukashinr,
Lazar Greblanovitch. Count of Sir
MUM, was 'electer car. Bitterly dis
appointed at the failure of his own
candidacy, Mako threatened the life
of Lazar and was forthwith deprived
of his lief. Penniless and disheartened.
Marko turned to the court of the hated
sultan and enlisted in his army to fight
the Moslens of Asia Minor. Ut should
be remembered that it was no disgrace
for a Serbian to fight with the Turks
provided the opposing forces We're
other Turks. for a Turk less. i'm what
ever cause slain. was a blessing in the
eyes of the S%erbians).
I'm time. however, Marko's command
49, ~ - NSNS w Wok SC VI L
the orthodox prince of the Romans.
Loyal to his Mohammedan sovereign
when he came upon the field of battle.
Marko's heart failed him when he saw
the men Of his own faith drawn up
against him. and facing the dilemma of
choosing between proving traitor to his
chief or lifting his sword against those
OF his own faith, he cried out. % God,
do Thou this day destroy all those who
fight against Christendom. and fore
most Marko.' Saying which, he threw
his body on the Christian spears and
died without striking a blow.
"Typifying the love in which Marko
Is still held by the Serbians. it is re-
lated that some years ago a historical
play was announced for production in
a little th6ater in Belgrade. AS upon
all such Occasions, the place was
crowded. The play, widely at variance
with the custom, presented Mako in n
most craven, role. There were no
hisses or boots, but a painful, bitter
silence spread Dyer the audience as the
story progressed, the people evidently
hoping fora turn of events toward the
close. but as the last curtain fell and
Marko had not in the final moment re-
deemed himself with some magnificent
of courage and self sacrifice, the
mighty heart of one OF the adoring
peasant GROUP voicing the emotions Of
all. gave vent to a despairing sob, and
cried nut, 'Marko is not q traitor,
Is the popular idol whose hon.
city the Serbs are striving to re.
gain from The hands of the Bulgars and
the Germans"
QUINlME.