The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-28
PLFAsAsTRfEs AT THE BIG FAIR.


man with snox-xhite. long, flowing
beard and silver bowed eyeglasses ana
humble. home-like clothes, is Mr.. e M.
Birch. Of Coifax, one of the most useful
men in the Washington agricultural de-
partment. Amy one would Recognize all
these facts aud qualities after very short
acquaintance with the old gentleman at
his regular and painssaking work here
All this only tends 10 sharpen the edges OF
. gross indignity heaped UPON him last
night lie and his room-mate and con-
slant companion, Prof. John Hudson, the
taxidermist. we're putting in the evening
sightseeing. When down near the Co
lumbian fountain they got into jam OF
people all. except one, bent on doing just
exactly what our pair of Wasaingtonians
wished to do. namely, to get down TO the
lake front TO see the brilliant show OF IRE
works. The one exceptional man who
didn't want to go With the crowd was an
old. odd-looking citizen, who would be
ciassed Jay" in any community. He
was bent over. gesticulating and expostu-
lating to q weak, heipiess-looking little
companion. when old gentleman Birch
was showed by the crowd up against HIM.
Here. what do you mean. sir. by put
ting your hand in my pocket exclaimed
the jay Aforesaid.
ANY one could have knocked poor old
Mr.. Birch down with . feather, he was so
dunabfounded. He said nothing. but not
80 with the taxidermist, who enjoys q
reputation at his home in Pacific county
for being able to take care OF himself, even
in personal encounters. He jumped to
the rescue of his companion and would
very soon have had the accuser dumped
among the dolphins in the fountain basin
if some outsiders had not taken the crusty
offender to one side and showed him how
he must have been mistaken in the man.
Now the word ''pickpocket" makes Mr..
Birch look suddenly over the top OF his
spectacles TO see If the speaker has any
reference to the only time in his life when
his candid honesty was ever called in
question.
met an enthusiastic Greek the other
day who seemed remarkably well-informed
on matters pertaining to his race. His
name is Constantine Kamiks, and be is
native Of Constantinople. He once made
a trip to Alaska. by way of Puget sound.
and is thoroughly familiar with Seattle,
Tacoma and Port Townsend. Speaking of
the Greeks OF the present day. he said:
There are about 9.0e0, COO Greeks in Tur-
key, and about 100000 independent
and better schools for Greeks in Turkey
than we have in Greece, and gradually
the Greeks in Turkey are acquiring recog-
milton, and more and more are their free
dom and privileges being extended. Much
of the most important business is already
in their hands. As soon as could talk and
read knew was Greek under Turkish
as soon as | could l came away from
there. In Greece every man with from
500 to $500 or more will never be found
worksng for others. They all manage to
establish themselves in some line OF busi-
ness, and thus become their own masters.
notice it is very different here. Some
times l see Americans worth several thou
nd dollars still working for salaries.
can't understand that
What 10 the principal business Of mod.
ern Greece?"
"The main export Is dried currants,
which yield an annual income of about
81, 000, 900 francs, and the other exports
consist mostly of olive oil and figs, which
bring in about smother 6o.000.000 francs.
To produce these furnishes the principal
occupation of the Greeks"
city of learning. but tell you the city is
in hard p ace now. King George is not
popular, and he is not q good monarch.
The country Is depressed and the people
are dissatisfied. You know the last mem
Der Of our royal family died about 500
years ago. and MANY of our best people
were killed by the Turks. King George
came from Denmark. and is maintained
on his throne by the powers OF Europe,
but some day believe that Greece will be
restored to position Of national power. y
Mr.. Kamiks. with two Spartan partners,
Is keeping successful Worlds fair res
taurant near the Fifty-seventh street en-
trance, and not far from the Washington
state building.
Joe Foster, the old Democratic wheel
horse, who has lived forty-one years on his
White river farm in the vicinity of Seattle,
has been doing the fair with his wife and
two sons. He ran "smuck up agin"
banker in Indianapolis on his way here,
after a visit among relatives. He had a
draft on New York bank which he tried
TO cash. The polite bank man refused to
pay il, offering TO send 1t on, and in due
time he could call and get the money. The
banker explained this by saying that the
banks out west were going to pieces.
"You De Observation-Disclosures" ex-
claimed the irate rancher. what kind OF
a crowd are you here, 10 talk that way?
Look at your own institutions a-tumblin',
will YOU" The day before the famous
indianapolis bank had gone to smither-
Gems. Joe took his drafts and mosied on.
When he arrived here he cashed one OF
them, $500. on which the banker charged
h i'm aavSf, "a OH
banks were uncertain.
THAT was all right" said Joe. HE
could talk all he wanted to about the New
let them gingerbread clerks say anything
mean about our banks I'll lick the
skunks first. and then hoof II homo II
can't get any money on my drafts. Why.
If the banks amt good for them drafts. l
guess I'm good for EN- myself, ain't ]? 7"
Joe Foster enjoys the distinction of hav-
ing served more terms in the Washington
legislature than any other man. He
served in the old territorial legislature for
eleven terms. He was never beaten but
once. and thar was the first state election !,
when the party lines were drawn too
closely TO let the old and honored Demo-
crat win in his senatorial district
There is a modest. unlabeled exhibit in
the agricultural department Of the Wash
ington state building. IT. an old, diiap-
idated plowshare. All could find out
about il is that 1t came from Pacific county
and vas the first piow made In Washing
ton. IL Is made of fragments OF sheet iron.
rndely fastened together. and as visitor
remarked yesterday. IL looks rs though the
ground il was made for must be mighty