The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-23

said: II am naturalized American, and
own property in indianapolis, but it has
been fourteen years since was in the United
States My wife is a Greek lady, and l now
consider that Athens is my home. l have
built house there, aud, although | retain
my nationality as an American citizen, | do
not contemplate return to the United
States"
At this point in our conversation the Doc
tor was joined by handsome girl of twelve
or thirteen years, perfect specimen OF the
Greek type of beauty, whom he introduced
as Mile. Andromache.
my other child by my second wife," he
added, sis Il boy whom l have named Aga
memnon. l have two other children by my
first marriage, but they are grown up and
not with ME. My family accompanied me
to the Troad and remained there the whole
time that my explorations continued. l
built half dozen frame houses for myself
and my workmen, for there is no
town or even a village anywhere near
the site of ancient Troy. Our way of
living during this time was not at
all different from our way of living in
Athens and that is the same as everywhere
else in Europe. We did not get fresh beef
every day, as there were no butchers handy.
l had 10 purchase my beef, mutton and veal
alive, and have it slaughtered and dressed by
one of my men. We had, also, and for the
same reason, to bake our own bread but on
the whole our life was a perfectly European
one. | have Just come from England with
my family where I have beer for several
months, experimenting the printing of my
book. l leave here early next week, for
Athens, where | will remain quietly for at
least year to come"
THE HOME OF HOMER
Zone question more before L leave YOU"
said I. ''The Morning News of to-day gives
us the particulars of the terrible earthquake
in the Island of Chios Please tell me what
you think as to the claims of that unlucky
island to be the birthplace of the old Greek
poet whose writings have been your guide
marks IN your most important works."
The Doctor softly quoted
"Ten cities claim great Homer dead
Through which the living Homer begged his
bread"
He reflected for few moments, and then
he said: whether Chios is the birth place
OF Homer or not, it certainly is one of the
loveliest spots on the face of the earth, and
it has had history of misadventure which
is perhaps unparalleled. 1t has been the
fate of the inhabitants of this picturesque
little island never to be left alone in peace to
grow their corn, rear their fruit and pro-
duce unlimited quantities of che wing gum
so dear to the ladies of the eastern harems
Already i'll the days that Homer sang about,
the Greeks used to worry the Chiotes, and
they continued to do so for ages. After the
Greeks the Persians came in hordes to de-
stroy their temples and to carry off into slav-
cry their beautiful women. When the Per-
slams had quite done with them the Mace
domains, Romans and Byzantines in turn sue
ceeded to the filibuStering business of the
Mediterranean, and when the natives disap-
peared from the world, the Republic of &C.
noa revived the trade and again made things
lively for the Chiotes. From the Genoese
the island passed to the Turks, then to the
Venetians. and then back to the Turks again,
who have since remained its masters. Very
hard masters they have proved, too, even
though the island supplied their Sultans
with such delicious chewing gum In 1922 the
Samiotes induced the Chiotes to join them
in the Greek instruction, and then left
them in the lurch whereupon the Turks
proceeded to slaughter them by thousands,
carried away their wives and children as
slaves, and destroyed their CITY, Nature has
been even more unkind to unlucky ana thrifty
Chios than man ever was, and has from time
to time disfigured the face of this fertile gar
den and decmated its inhabitants with some
of it's most terrible convulSlonS The pres
ent earthquake has come upon it before the
ravages of the one of April, 1881, have been
repaired. That one ruined the sea front, de-
stroyed the principal public buildings and
killed over four thousand of the inhabitants.
Those who have travelled in the Levant are
familiar with this classic little island II is
the regular stopping place of all the English,
French and Italian steamers homeward
bound from Constantinople, and low-lying
island whose appearance from the sea is elo-
quent with the disasters that have befallen
it. Great chasms in the cliffs rents in the
coast line and overthrown buildings
speak of the apparently endless series of
earthquakes that have visited the island.
The Ohotes seem to take their misfortunes
with much philosophy, and before the
wheels of the steamer have ceased to revolve
it is surrounded with swarm of small boats
filled with vendors of the famous chewing
gum. This precious gum mastic is accord
ing to the venders infinitely superior to the
| article sold in the bazars OF Coustantnople
They bring it on board tied up in colored
handkerchiefs, and each one has also full
line OF the Darda nells pottery, but the prices
they ask are SIX or seven times those asked
at the place of manufacture. The chewing
! of the gum is supposed to whiten the teeth
and sweeten the breath, and there is no
Turkish lady who does not tighten the mo-
notony of her existence by this practice.
There is hardly more primitive spot on the
face of the globe than Chios, and, with the
exception of the government officials, who
sport the feZ and Turkish uniform, | do not
think the fashions have changed since the
days of Herodotus The Chiotes are ceia-
brated for their courtesy 10 strangers, but
the Turkish officials are sometimes cross and
eXacting enough.
There is wide-spreading tree in the CEN
trail square of the town that casts refreshing
shade Under it you will see on any fine
morning an official in uniform seated in an
arm chair reading his mail and signing bust
ness papers under guard of a few soldiers.
The sight excites the astonishment of newly
arrived Europeans, but the Inhabitants ex-
press no surprise, and it is certainly far
pleasanter to dispatch official business in the
open air than in the confined rooms of the
castle. Presently the'oficer is joined by the
governor of the island, who comes in the most
unconventional fashion, mounted on an aged
white donkey, holding a modern umbrella
over his fez, and adably acknowledging the
bows OF the inhabitants. The Pasha and his
council assemble under the Towering clean