The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-02
THE EAST.
LIFE rN EzODERN ATHENs-THE HO-
TEas, SHOPS AND CAFES.
The Interest Felt by the Greeks in the
Turkish War-THle Government Afraid
to Go into the War.


to 60 Into the War.
ATHENS, Greece, August II, 1877.
Editor Democrat-Tt is an expectation
formed without reflection, but frequently In
dulged in, that one should find 81 placealik
Athens, for instance, just as he has been
accustomed to fancy 1t existing several
thousand years ago. The old city may not
be intact from the assaults of time. But 1t
never occurs to me that the surroundings
of the nineteenth century will so jar upon
the sacredness Of the past as to leave nothing
of it's distinctive character. Alas there Is
nothing stable under the stars. And there i5
no association, however revered, that Is not
subject to be mutilated by the obtruson of
some commonplace object or vulgar incident
or suggestion.
/ shall never forget the shock received one
bright morning before sunrise, August 1871,
when, just entering the Joppa gate Of Jerll-
salem, on being encountered by runner and
solicited to stop at the Mediterranean Hotel,
q capital house, it was urged, kept by Mr..
Brown and with good view from Mount
Zion, on which it was placed. Last year, In
Japan, | was o guest of q hotel kept by Mr..
Smith.
Now, here in Athens in sight of the Acropo-
lis, / am staying in
THE NEW YORK HOTEL
There is no reason why this hotel should be
named New York, for there is not the faintest
possible suggestion Of that city in anything
about the establishment. On the contrary,
the fUtei 10 ttoau, 7sttf ntanagea and Honestly
conducted.
The other hotels here are equally solici-
tous of a recognition Of their familiarity with
foreign countries We have the Great Britain
Hotel France Hotel, and Strangers Hotel, In
general. The shops, too, OF Athens are so
very modern In the display Of English and
French goods in their windows; the dwelling
houses are so neatly built of stone with in-
closures OF flowers and shade trees; the
streets are 80 ingeniously paved with cobbIe
stones, that rattle with rapid cabs and car
riages, and at night sparkle with gas; the
men and women are so elaborately clad In
cassimeres and lawns and capped, by such
enormous silk hats and chip bonnets; the
children by the waysde are SO earnestly en-
gagged in constructing mud pies or frighten-
ing horses by unexpected kites; that 1t re-
duires O. painful search to discover anything
that smacks Of antiquity, or even, indeed, Of
ones preconceiyed notion Of
THE PRESENT GREEK
The signs over the shop doors are In the
Greek character. This is great comfort to
lonely traveller. Reading signs over doors
| is an unfailing entertainment to the philoso-
phic mind in all ages and countries. But
when the sign is in Greek, the intensity
and purity Of the delight can hardly be esti-
mated; and days may be spent In getting
from one end of a street to another.
We will admit propriety in the fruits and
vegetables and fish in the market being
modern It were to expect too much to look
for the ancient among these, though it Is fre-
quently found in the last.
But
which is drunk asserts itself, and establishes
it's connection with the classic era. Forall
the wine in Greece has resin put In it, as ii
had in the days OF Homer. You cannot get q
mouthful of wine in Athens without an ae-
! comDanying dose of tar. When you ask why
this inhuman custom Is kept up you are told
it Is done for medicinal purposes; that it pre-
vents the rheumatism. You naturally reply,
you have not tho rheumatism and do not want
! 1t, but would rather have it than drink such
stuff. With 5upereilioas smile, that pities
your Ignorance and want of cultivation, your
! interlocutor turns off his wine and makes be-
| lieve he likes it, This method Of making
! liquor medicinal Is commended to the teetO-
taIers as o sure cure Of intemperanee. How
ever, such as it Is, everybody takes It With
out coaxing, and If one is to Judge by the
number of the cafes there is q good deal of it y
taken. 8
THE CAFE
is the agora OF the modern Greek. In It he I
finds scope for his mental activities Here
every one comes to discuss the news Of tho
| day. Any time, morning or evening, you
may see the Athenians, in groups OF four or
five, seated at table on which there are pots
of beer or glasses Of the resinous wine OF the
country haloes OF tobacco smoke encircling
their brows, settling the affairs OF the nation,
with equal violence and as little result as In
similar assemblages Of other countries One
is not reminded OF the ancient Greek chorus
in the strophe and anti-strophe OF the
conversation Everybody talks at once,
which is very comfortable and satisfactory,
as it prevents occasions for dispute by any
discoveries ;. Of differences reno Of opinion.
tious of distinction, will emerge from the
clouds Of a cafe and soar to the height of an
| improvised Postrum In the street. AS the
other day, in front Of the Kings palace, Ia
the intervals Of the performance OF a military
band, a swarthy orator seized the occasion to
deliver himself OF an oration on
THE TURKISH WAR,
for this is the burden Of every song. 1t Is i'm
possible to overestimate the interest taken
by the Greeks in the present struggle be-
| tween turkey ana RUSSIA inougn HIIy
years have elapsed since Greece has been
emancipated from the Ottoman power, the
animosties born of that revolution have been
kept perfectly fresh and vigorous by the con-
slant irritants OF conflicting religious and
rival border interests
But it is not merely from sympathy with
Russia, protesting the same religion with the
Greek, that makes the present war Of so abb
sorbing an interest to the people Of Athens.
The idea has taken possession Of the Greek
mind until it has rfpened to conviction
nothing can ever disturb, that
THESSALY AND CRETE
properly belong to the Greek kingdom, and In
the fitness Of things must be annexed to that
power. And there is no question the REGULAR
! ity Of the map does require the incorporafion