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SUMMER
2012
5
Smyrna
(Part II)
modern school desks, and a few small maps.
Next, MacLachlan put up flyers around
the town and along the two railway lines
near the school announcing the opening of
the “American Boys’ School”. Aware that
Turkish law forbade Turkish children from
entering foreign schools, MacLachlan was
hoping to attract Armenians and Greeks and
so stated very clearly on the flyers – against
the Board’s instruction to include the word
“Protestant” - he added: “This school is
Christian but non-Sectarian”.This statement
would remain on all the school’s catalogs and
publications for many years to come.
On 15 October 1891, the school opened
its doors and five students were registered.
All were Armenians, including a boy
called Hadji Nourian. It would be years
before MacLachlan discovered that the
boy was actually a Turk and his parents
cleverly added the Armenian patronymic
‘ian’ to his surname.
MacLachlan also cleverly managed to find
a way to evade the strong scrutiny of the
“Karakol” – Turkish police station– direct-
ly opposite the school.The school could
be accessed by a back alley which allowed
MacLachlan to turn a blind eye to Turkish
boys wishing to attend the school.
Despite his arduous attempts, MacLachlan
could solicit little, if any, help from the US
Board. His little school, he realized, was
effectively on its own. But the Canadian
farmer was not one to succumb to failure.
He believed too much in his mission.
“To stunt our growth at this point would
mean stagnation and failure,” he wrote
in a 1937 self-published autobiography
Potpourri of Sidelights and Shadows
from Turkey, of which only a handful of
copies are currently in existence. “We had
no alternative but to allow the school to
continue to develop on its merits, as it
already had demonstrated its right to exist
and capacity of self-reliance.”
Meanwhile, the student body was grow-
ing steadily as the school gained a favor-
able reputation in town. Its success even
surprised MacLachlan himself. But there
was talk that the owner was willing to sell
the place to the first buyer that showed up
at his doorstep.The MacLachlans would
essentially lose their school if that were to
happen.There was only one thing to do:
buy it themselves. But the asking price
of £3000 was well beyond the school’s
meager financial capacity. In a goodwill
gesture, the owner offered the school a
deduction of £1000 if MacLachlan pur-
chased it immediately.
By pure coincidence, on that very evening,
another Reverend and his wife were
invited to the MacLachlan’s home for
dinner. By way of conversation, the guests
told them that the “London Jewish Mis-
sion” was getting ready to buy the school
and convert it into a hospital. Shocked,
MacLachlan realized he was about to lose
his school. Suddenly, the guests excused
themselves to another room. When
they returned, they gave MacLachlan
a startling proposition: they would be
prepared to give him £2000 immediately
to purchase the building.
“Praise the Lord, the building is ours,”
cried out MacLachlan when he received
the approval of the proposal from the US
Board.The minister rushed to the owner
and made the offer.The Armenian owner,
Takvor Spartali, honored his promise and
deducted the remaining £1000.
On impulse, MacLachlan delivered a
speech about the need to make more
space for his students. Other than general
repairs, the long stable extension and the
carriage building containing the servants’
quarters would have to be converted into
large classrooms. So would Mr Spartali
kindly donate £200?
Spartali did not seem too happy. “Surely hav-
ing presented you with £1000 to make pos-
sible your purchase of the property, you are
not serious in asking me to make a further
gift?” he said. “If you really mean it seriously,
I will refuse to talk further with you.”
But MacLachlan only laughed and as-
sured him that yes that was exactly what
he was doing. After all, MacLachlan
argued, the school was serving the Greek
community in Smyrna was it not?
Spartali eyed him curiously for a little
while. “I’ll give you another £100,” he fi-
nally said and wrote MacLachlan a check.
MacLachlan walked away on top of the
world.The school was finally theirs.
To be continued…
‘The Adventures of Alexander MacLach-
lan: Part III’ in the Winter Newsletter.
Historical information based on: an interview
with Dr. Howard Reed (summer 2011);
Potpourri of Sidelights and Shadows from
Turkey, by Alexander MacLachlan, 1937.
The Turkish quarter of Smyrna with the castle of Mt. Pagus in the background
Dining room 1896