Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-09-10
ALOST NATION
A maine WOMAN
VISITS OZARK PEOPLE"

Welchville, Maine. Sept. 9.-That
the gorges of the Russian Caucasus
hide lost nation" which claims
descent from Jason. wears chain
armor like the ancients. and still
performs. sacrifices and worships
trees, is the strange tale brought
back to America by Mrs. Karl
Rankin, who has just returned from
five years as Near East Relief
worker in Armenia. Mrs. Rankin is
the first foreign woman and the
first American to venture into this
hazardous and hidden land.
Mrs. Rankin, a native of WEIGH
vile, is back in her old home on
her honeymoon. 1t was as Miss
Pauline Jordan that she spent five
years In Armenia, after two years of
study with Madame Curie in Paris.
On her arrival in New York she
married Karl Rankin. another re-
turned Near East Relief worker.
Her family were pioneers in Maine
coming here in 1910 and continuing
prominent ever since in the upbuild-
ing of the state.
Mrs. Rankin's story Of her visit to
the lost nation" of the Saventians,
as told to an interviewer here, is as
follows:
II was stationed at Alexandropol,
in Russian Armenia, where $4,000
refugee orphans are being educated
by the Near East Relief. 1 found
that group of these children were
OF Saventian race, and it became
necessary for somebody to visit
their mysterious mountain home
land. in an effort to trace their rela-
tives and if possible to repatriate
the children in homes among their
own people.
Perhaps it was a foolhardy and
venturesome trip for a woman, but
still feel the thrill of having accom-
plished 1t. | was told in Tifis that
l would not come back alive, but my
mission was important.
From the railroad I travelled
three days on horseback to a village
where l obtained local guides to ac-
company me through the mountains.
For five days our horses climbed
steadily, twelve hours a day. The,
trails often lay along the edge of ter
rife chasms, where a misstep meant
DEATH Then we reached lofty
plateau, more than 5000 feet above
sea level, where we began to en-
counter scattered cottages and tiny
hamlets. 1t was noticeable that my
Georgian guides had a terror of the
natives, for they would often
humble to themselves in Russian, "A
dark peoplei A dark people!'
The country is accessible through
a labyrinth of mountain passes for
only a few weeks, each year. l was
the first American woman who had
ever visited it. This people may
truly be called a lost nation, because
it is akin to no other people on earth
today. Even the flora Of their land
seems strange. The natives are
white. with fahAskins and blue eyes,
and they talk language unknown
outside their boundaries. Though
they call themselves Christians,
their religion is different from any
other sect. They still perform
sacrifices and there are remnants of
ancient tree worship in their rites.
Russian scholars say that these peo-
pie are the descendants of Jason
and the Argonauts. One of their
priced relics is an anchor which they
claim came from Jason's ship. 1t is
preserved in a temple on the slopes
of that great mountain upon which
Prometheus is said to have been
bound.
During our trip we were COM
PEELED to seek nightly refuge in the
homes of. the people. They live IN
wooden huts of two stories. the
lower floor sheltering their animals,
while the upper floor is single
huge room where the whole family
lives and sleeps. Their food con-
sists mainly of hatcha-puri an odd
mixture of corn meal ana goats
cheese.
my mission among the Savent-
ians was entirely successful After
a few DAYS. they were no longer sus-
picious of me. and within a week
they were quite friendly. They