The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-04-24
BACHELORS PARADISE,
A Community of Monks Who Allow Nc
Women Within Their Territory.

A Community of Monks Who Allow No
Women Within Their Territory.
81 know city in the United States
of over thirty thousand population
where not one vote was cast for Grover
Cleveland.
"Where was that?''
SIN Washington.
81 know stranger place than that
have been to town where there have
been no births nor marriages in hun
dreds of years, yet people live there
and die" The Captain of the bark
Malta crossed his legs, opened and shut
the blade of penknife with his thumb
and forefnger and complacently
chewed tobacco. The Malta arrived at
New York from the Mediterranean re-
Gently with figs and Egyptian onions.
yes" said Captain Baldwin, ''we
ran up the west shore of the Egean
Sea to Haggion Oros, meaning to the
Greeks holy mountain. 1t is a grand
pile of rocks rising six thousand
two hundred feet straight out of
the water, from the end of u
narrow peninsula. What Gibraltar is
to the Mediterranean Haggion Oros is
to the Dardanelles. This peninsula
runs back from the mountain about
forty miles-grand coast-and averages
six miles wide. 1t is joined to the
larger Chalcedonian peninsula by a
narrow neck of sand. They told me
there that XerXes, the fellow who led
the million of heather soldiers, cut
canal through the sand at that point
for his vessels to sail through. There is
another mountain on the peninsula
Mount Athos. We had an Ohio preach
er and his daughter, passengers from
Alexandra, on board, and the preacher
told us about the peninsula and town
of Athos.
"'Before Christendom, said he, re
cluses used to live at Mount Athos in
holes in the ground. The solemnity in
spired by the bare peak. of the mount
ain harmonized well with their minds,
bent on wild and mystic thoughts. So,
said he, after the new religion came
the place got to be a popular resort for
monks, who didn't want to live with
the rest of mankind; and Greek monks
have been going to that peninsula ever
since, until now, after 1,600 or 800
years, they have formed an ecclesiasti-
cal self-government. Under the By
zantine Emperors the monks were I'M
der no secular control whatever; but
now the Turkish Government keeps a
Caimakan there. He has no power,
however. His duty is only to observe
the monks. The Caimakan has two
zaptieths or soldiers, for body guard,
but they represent the honor of his
Office more than the power. The COM
munity has its own police in the shape
of squad of Albanians. The monks
govern themselves by council of rep
resentatives over which the proteros,
or president, rules. He is called the
First Man of Athos. The proteros can
only be boss for three months at time.
He then resigns to the next eminent
citizen until the honor is shared by
every man in the council.
''They wouldn't let the preachers
daughter land. No woman is allowed,
on any pretense whatever, to set foot
in the territory. No female creature
of any kind-cow, she-goat, or mare
is found there. Not even hens are
permitted in Athos. So there have
been no births, no marriages, no love-
makings nor scandals there. just about
as many Greek monks get sick of the
world and go to Athos as there are
those who die. But what sanctimo-
NOUS funeral monk must have there
priests for mourners, hack drivers,
pall-bearers, grave-diggers andlookers-
=, NJ U o.