To possess him, the greatest prize is the brand new happiness of the rescued Armenians
Today probably one of the most tangled and you will congested suburbs, it was following as an alternative from the city
Towards the Sept. six, 1919, “Existe Dzayn” (The brand new Armenian Sound), written in Adana, noted: “The nice Desert Son, the amazing Ruben Heryan…it has been currently 6 months you to definitely neglecting in the all else, he has tossed himself having selfless love towards the slaughterhouse so you can assemble the remainder Armenian fragments. The latest leaders out-of Ashirs [Kurdish people] currently accept your as the Mufettish el-Ermen [the Detective of your Armenians]; it’s impossible without bribery, you will find little money, however, the guy seizes people chance to save new Armenian captives.” sixteen
The collaboration of Heryan with the most better activist of the save yourself purpose, Misak Melconyan, this new adopted guy of Karen Jeppe, the fresh new representative of one’s Group out of Regions regarding Near Eastern, is actually of utmost importance
On a single big date, Heryan typed a page 17 to help you his cousin and friend Metaks 18 away from Adana explaining his illness, however, at the same time noting his time and you will love in order to keep helping those individuals he rescued every day, and people who appealed to help you him locate its friends.
It’s such as for example interesting to see their letter, old July 19, 1919, from Der Zor, to Metaks. The fresh letter indicates the problems the guy experienced while swinging the initial caravan regarding 320 individuals to Aleppo and, later on, with keleks (rafts) moving 350 orphans to help you Baghdad; likely to go back to villages and you will using the orphans back with him, together with to get of numerous Armenian ladies using their captors and you can looking for people abducted; and you can, first of all, because of dangers made by new Arabs, convincing the latest enduring Armenians becoming rescued. He plus had written regarding main economic trouble he’d, and you may regarding his https://datingmentor.org/escort/irving/ very own coupons, he got depleted to pay for his operate. “My cardiovascular system bleeds as i remember my personal monetary destroy; We have mature early; and i also cannot arrive at my personal mission,” the guy composed. “Not merely could there be no cash, however, there are not any individuals sometimes.” In the same letter, he composed from the men and women national activists having whom the fresh liberation from this new orphans and you may girls wasn’t a major material, as well as how they were therefore hectic together with other really works. The guy also described the newest people in the brand new “Armenian National Delegation” who participated in brand new Paris tranquility meeting since “patriots inside term.” Considering Heryan, by far the most immediate problem of the afternoon is actually new help save mission. “Is-it you to definitely I’m foolish, or is they you to definitely ‘the new patriots of your own word’ is smart? Regardless, I can not performs up against my principles. The brand new orphans can be this new seeds from tomorrow’s Armenia; per a lot more rescued Armenian is actually an increase; these represent the fragments off my cardiovascular system. When drifting from the deserts, indeed there, under the sun, the new light gleaming skulls and you may bones try sobbing out loud, ‘Set our very own orphans free'; and you may that will become indifferent just after watching all of that? … I can really works up until We perish.” 19
Melconyan spent some time working both that have Armenian and you can Arab lovers, which considerably triggerred the latest rescue procedures. He formed sets of horsemen, who below his command needed and you may rescued Armenian orphans and you may ladies on tents of one’s Bedouins in the wilderness. Both, such organizations crossed over the border to your Turkish front side and you may place free the women and kids abducted by Turks and you can Kurds. 20 This new survivors was indeed stationed inside the Aleppo, throughout the home gardens titled Sheik Daha, found in the north an element of the area, towards the financial of your Queiq Lake. The fresh new camping tents were shelters for the orphans, refugees, and you may widows who’d escaped Chicken or escaped on the Bedouins. All of the survivors had been provided by dinner, health care, and you will clothing; their identities have been appeared, as well as their labels have been delivered to newspapers, church buildings, and you can Armenian teams, in an effort to to acquire the members of the family. There have been most people on urban area who came to look for their siblings one of several newcomers or perhaps to get a hold of facts about new fate of the loved ones. 21