Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-06-11
ANCIENT ATHENS.
REV. c. c. HAYS WRITES OF THE BOOM IN THE
OLD GREEK CITY.
The Customs and Costumes Graphically Described.
Views Of the AerJpOls and Parthenon
Pen Pictures VI Some Historical
Scenes Full Of Interest.

Pen Pictures VI Some Historical
Scenes Full Of Interest.
Special Foreiga Correspondence oftte Register.
ATHENS, May 2lSt. 1890. 1t is about
an eighteen hours sail from Smyrna
to PiraenS, the seaport of Athens. The
steamer is due to arrive early in the
morning, and we are on deck in good
time TO get the first glimpSeS of historic
Greece. Already the port is in sight,
and the main land promentories and ad-
jacent islands are closing in upon us.
some one discovers the AcropoliS of
Athens away TO the north. BY the aid
of glasses the ruins of the ParthenOn
are distinctly seen. In an hour more
We round an abrupt promemtory and
ENTER THE HARBoR
of Piraeus. Gaze's Agent boards the
vessel with our mail, and with letters
half read i'm one hand and luggage in
the other. we climb down the ships side
into small boats which soon have us in
the Custom House. That little matter
attended %, we are seated i'm carriages
and rapidly driven through PiraeuS and
by good macadamiZed road up to
Athens drive of SiX miles. a rail
way connects the two places with a
train every half hour, but the carriage
ride is considered preferable. 1t must
Dee a very enjoyable ride ordinarily, but
AT present il is too dusty To be agreed
bile. They say that they have
not had more than three rains
here in fourteen months. You can i'm
agine how thick the dust lies in the
roads aud how parched everything must
be- Many of the farmers are turning
their stock into the grain, considering
10 not worth cutting.
PiracuS is a prosperous city of 10000.
and Athens. We were surprised to learn,
has nearly 10000 inhabitants. Both
places have been having remarkable
growth in recent years, and look like
some of
OUR WESTERN CITIES
i'm the midsttof healthy boom. In
PiraeuS are iron and cotton and
other manufactures, and these
with the excellent harbor make
the city of great Importance, not
only to Greece but 10 the commercial
world. After weeks spent in the half
civilized Orient il is refreshing to come
into TIE broad, well-pavcd streets OF
Athens. with evidence of culture and
refinement all around. | am surprised
and delighted with Athens. | expected
10 find il a duh. thriftleSS place living
mainly OIL its ruins and a mere shadow
of its former self. Instead it is a large.
busy and energetic metropolis, with
handsome buildings of stone and marble
and a fne-looking. intelligent popula-
tion.
Paul told the AthcnianS that they
were always after some new thing, and
the modern AthenianS, although they
have mo- longer their passion for heather
gods. are still after new things.
They have daily newspapers. gas, water
works. electric lights, street cars and
railways. and are fast taking up the
ways OF the new world
They have for the most part aban-
doncd the ancient style of dress and
adopted the later European style. The
old Greek costume j. still, however,
quite common. aud looks odd 10 Stran-
ger. although 10
ATTRACTS LITTLE ATTENTION
ON the street. one of our party COM
parcs IL 10 the dress of ballet dancer.
In consists of white tights. and a very
short nuted skirt. or ''fuStanellc.' gath
cred about the waist. \ shirt with
wide flowing sleeves and richly cm-
broidercd sack cover the upper part OF
the body. and the head dress is red
turban with long blue taSScl. On the
feet are pointed slippers OF red leather
with black roScttcS on the toe. This
CAV costume. strange To say, is worn
chiefly los the middle aged and old men
from the country and villages-the city
folks and the young mon cSpc-
ciallv have all abandoned il for
the western style. | am told
that the King retains il Is the uniform
for the soldiers of his Guard, and that
ne himself appears in it ON occasions.
The ladies and gentlemen of the wealth
Ter classes. as We see them in the shops
and on the streets. are quite stylish
looking aud copy the Partisan fashions.
In Athens scarcely any business is
done iu the middle of the day-the bust
ness houses are closed from - o'clock
ulI 3 and the people stay in doors. In
the evening everything is hustle and ac-
tiyitY and the principal streets are
ruEoNGEn WITH CARRIAGES.
Itis very noticeable that the Athe-
uiau gentry all carry canes. 1t
is very old custom. IN ancient times
in Athcmsa cane was the mark OF a
gentleman. aud any found on the street
without cane was considered dis
orderly and imprisoned for the night.
To guard against any misapprchcnSion
on that point the gentlemen Of our
party never appear on the street with
out one stick.
The Acropolis, with the Parthenon
and numerous other heather temples
erected upon it was the chief glory OF
old Athens. and the city was huili
around il. Modern Athens lies
more 10 the north and east. bu: the
Acropolis rising go feet above the city
is still conspicuous and impressive, and
is the first place sought by NlSltorS
From among its ruins one gets grand
view of the city and surrounding coun
try.
\ well paved and PARTIALLY shaded
Bonlevardl cncircleS the city, and Is The
popular drive. The leading hotels ahC
public buildings are gathered around Two
large squares.
HALF 4 NILE APART,
and connected by wide business streets
our hotel IS on the south side Of one Of
these squares. the Place de- In ConStitu
tion: and the large private residence ~
the same block is the palace OF The
Crown Prince. who was married las
October to the sister Of the present En-
pcror of Germany. The handsome
Young couple are out riding every even
Ing and are evidently very popular witt
the crowd.