The Armenians are a new people in America. Seventeen years ago,
when the writer first came to this country, there were not more than
a hundred in the United States; since then about 10,000 have come,
most of them within ten years. The first ones came about forty-five
years ago, among them Mr. Minasian and Mr. Sahagian,--both poor young
men, now both rich. Mr. Minasian lives at Brooklyn; Mr. Sahagian at
Yonkers, N.Y. Those who have come lately are mostly the poorer class;
they fled from the "order" of the Sultan, and not being allowed to
leave Turkey, bribed the police and ran away. Not knowing the English
language, they work in factories in various States. There are some
well-to-do merchants, however, doing business in New York, Boston,
and elsewhere, handling Oriental rugs, dry-goods, etc. Some of the
New York names are Gulbenkian, Topakian, Tavshandjian, Yardimian,
Chaderdjian, Telfeyian, Kostikian. In Boston are Ateshian, Bogigian,
etc. Mr. Kebabian is in New Haven; Mr. Enfiyedjian in Denver. There
are many others also in other large cities.
Besides merchants, there are many professional men among them, about a
dozen physicians in New York city alone: Dr. Dadirian, Dr. Gabrielian,
Dr. Ayvazian, Dr. Apkarian, Dr. Altarian, Dr. Koutoojian. Some of them
are engravers and photographers. In New York city there are Hagopian,
Kasparian, Matigian, and others, very skillful engravers. In Boston
there is the New England Engraving Co., who are Armenians; the manager
is Mr. G. Papazian.
There are about half a dozen Armenians who are pastors of American
churches in different states. About a dozen are special lecturers
on the Armenian atrocities: Mr. H. Kiretchjian, the secretary of
the American Relief Association, Mr. Samuelian, Rev. A. Bulgurgian,
Rev. S. Deviryian, Mr. S. Yenovkian, etc.
There are hundreds of Armenian students distributed among nearly all
the universities, colleges, and theological seminaries in America,
and most of them are of a superior sort. The greatest physicians
in Turkey are Armenians, who were graduated from different medical
colleges in this country. Some of the leading pastors and professors
in Armenia, who were banished and killed during the recent atrocities,
were graduated in this country.
Of the factory hands mentioned, there are about 1,000 in Worcester,
Mass.; about 800 in New York and Brooklyn; about 400 in Boston, and
the remainder are scattered everywhere from New York to California,
from Maine to Florida.
A number of Armenian young men have married American women; I believe
ninety per cent. are happy. After forty or fifty years, there will
be a large class of American citizens of Armenian blood, and many
millionaires among them. They are gifted in business, and they are
a sober, honest, and faithful people. I do not think that there is
a single criminal among the 10,000 Armenians in this country.
Some of the Armenian daily and weekly newspapers are as follows:
In Constantinople: Arevelk, Avedaper, Puragn, Dyaghig, Hayrenik,
Masis, Pounch.
In Smyrna: Arevlian Mamoul.
In Etchmiazin: Ararat.
In Tiflis: Aghpour, Artzakank, Mishag, Murj, Nor-Tar, Darak.
In Venice: Pazmaveb.
In Vienna: Hantes Arnsoria.
In Marseilles: Armenia.
In London: L'Armenic.
In New York: Haik.
Wherever the Armenians go they carry with themselves the church,
the school, and the press.