Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-07
THE GREEKS OF TO DAY.
How They Live on the shores of
the Black sea.

Aho hlACA bSbs
Colonel James Bakers Book on Turkey.l
There is a vulgar saying that
either in bargain or intrigue, one
Armenian can outwit two Jews,
and one Greek two Armenians,
and the unenviable talent of the
Greek is left to the Imagination.
My own experience of the Greeks
in Turkey is that thay are a most
industrious, energetic, and hospita-
bic race, and just as truthful as
other Christians in that country.
They are now suffering from an
epidemic of education, and if they
are not careful, too much learning
will make them mad. If a respec-
table country farmer has sod, he
is not brought up to look after his
business, but is packed off to Ath-
ems to be educated out of it. He is
naturally clever (all Greeks are),
takes fair degree at the university,
and then aims at being either a
doctor, a lawyer, or politician.
Now the demand for doctors and
lawyers is limited, that for politi-
clans is rot; so the consequence is
that Athens is flooded with set Of
young aspirants, each of whom
thinks he is destined to be prime
minister, and so re-establish the
Byzantine empire. This would be
a laudable ambition, and do no
harm, if it were not for the extra
ordinary amount of energy in the
Greek character. Each young
aspirant Immediately sets vigorously
to work to satisfy his ambition but
unfortunately each wishes to do it
precisely in his own way and no
other. The consequence is that
there are almost as many political
parties in the State as there are
politicians, and the work of an en-
ergetic government is hampered as
much as it can possibly be. BY and
by the peasant farmer will die, and
the country farm will be uncultiva-
ted and unproductive, while the son
is making speeches and losing time.
The Greeks on the Black sea
coast are certainly the most dirty
people it has been my lot to meet,
and the town Of Sisopolis, at the
entrance of the bay Of Burgas,
stands preeminent in that respect.
If any Of my readers think of visit
ing it, | should advise them to con-
struct seme sort of "patent water
proof-and-sewage umbrella" with a
receptacle for eau dc Cologne in
the handle-ior the streets are so
narrow that the houses nearly meet
across them, and all sewage and
ordure falls into the street from
the projecting first floors. had
so many narrow escapes from these
sewage shower baths, that out of
respect to my nervous system !
left the town. The people seem to
live well, for in front Of about every
third or fourth house a sheep was
being slaughtered; but this does not
add to the cleanliness Of the town,
for all the blood and refuse is left
to pollute pollution.
| have seen much Of the Greeks
in Turkey since that time, and
there is no doubt that they are con.
tent to live in absence of not only
luxury, but ordinary comfort, viii h
is astonishing, and would be lauda-
BILE il it were accompanied by clean
illness.
There is no want Of ventilation
in their houses, for the wind means
aud whistles through them in a
melancholy chorus. But cold and
wet as are the winters, the Greek
will come into the house and COM
placently sit down in the dwet
4 olothes in a draft nntil ha drias