The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1896-05-29
Our Boys In Athens.


The triumphs of the "barbarians" in
lantly recognized by the spectators. At
the entrance of the stadium there is Il
| tlagpole at the foot of which the num-
Der of the victor is recorded ut the close
of each contest, and at the top of which
the flag of his country is raised. This is
an ingenious idea. which clearly marks
In turn the colors of all the great Euro
pean nations have tioated from the high
post of honor; but the flag that has ap>
peared there most frequently is the star
~ banner of the United States. And
this is perfectly natural, because the
Americans were the first to become en-
thusiastic over the Olympic games. and
they were the only people who never had
Il doubt of their success.
The two teams which they sent to
Athens displayed from the very COM
mencement their athletic value, and es-
pecially the superiority of their training.
The astonished Athenians suspected that
they We're professionals. They could not
imagine that the young men with mus
cles so dociie were students, eager to re-
turn to their studies. while moclestly de.
lighted at the thought that they have
heightened the prestige of their universe
ties.
When the American flag is unfurled
III the stadium extraordinary scenes are
enacted. Above, on the highest rows,
sailors. jump up. wave their caps, and
cheer i'll the widest fashion. They are
the crew of the Federal cruiser San
Francisco. And below. near the famous
souterrain where today, as in the days
of old. the athletes enter and come out,
there is group that makes the most un.
earthly noise. This group is made up of
the members of American teams and
their friends of the American school at
Athens, who greet the champion with the
rallying cry of his club or of his college.
Each transatlantic association has a dis
tinctive cry. formed for the most part
by the syllables of it's name or by it's
initials. which are shouted out in meas
ured time. Sailors and students join in
these cries, moved by the same out
burst of enthusiastic patriotism. At
hrst the spectators laugh, but finally they
applaud. because they find that the joy is
sincere, and that the enthusiasm of youth
runs all through these discordant mani
festations.
The Olympic games do not constitute
the first contact between America and
Greece. There are other ties between
them and distant lands besides those of
the Cook tickets and Of the globe trot-
ters. Americans, more perhaps than
Europeans. look upon Il pilgrimage to the
AcrOpOl1S as the supreme satisfaction of
every man of culture, and they regard it
rs the most abundant source of mental
Improvement. They are not imprisoned
like us under the ruins of the Roman
Empire, so heavy and 50 complicated.
They understand more easily the aerial
orga nization of that ancient democracy
with which their own presents more than
one resemblance. Under the impulse of
this impression. they have founded in
Athens a school Of arf.haoOlopv
is thing which is little known outside
of Greece, and even here in Greece they
do not appear to appreciate it's far
reaching Importance. The American
colony established on the slopes of the
Lyka bettos, sustained by the voluntary
contributions of American citizens, and
devoted solely to science. opens up to
the future of the United States infinite
perspectives.-Jour des Debats.