The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-05-15
GREEKS In AMERICA.
There Are at Present 10000 In
tho United Statea
l1cFeasiAg In Number Very Rapidly
-They and the Italians De
Not Get Along Well To.
gctheP.

were only 1887 natives Of Greece in the
United StAteA There were fewer
Greeks than men Of any other nation
ality of which computation was made,
fewer even than Turks or Sandwich
islanders. OF the Greeks returned by
the federal census, 413 were in New
York, 259 in California, 254 in Illinois,
las in Texas - Insignificant figures
when compared with the fact that in
California alone there were by the same
census $3.50 natives of Portugal, and
there were in one state, Iowa, 953 ma
tives of the little Duchy of Luxem-
burg. Under these circumstances the
proposed enlistment Of $50 Greeks in
Chicago to aid their compatriots on the
Mediterranean In the warfare in Crete
Chicago which had by the last census
only 254 Greek residents, men. women
and children! )might appear to be, to
say the least, q somewhat surprising
evidence of fervent patriotism, to be ex-
plained, perhaps. by the tendency to
verbal exaggeration found by some dis
interested and unsympathetic tourist
to be general in the countries of the
orient. In Pittsburgh, too, where six
and half years ago there were only IL
Greeks Of both sexes and of all ages,
there were $50 Greek volunteers for
Crete
The explanation of this is as follows:
There are now not 1,S0O Greeks in the
United States, but $4,000. They have
increased in numbers by immigration
1000 per cent. in less than seven years,
and there are now 4,SOO in New York
city alone, $500 in Chicago, 900 in Bos-
ton, and SO on. Greece is tcrritorially
just two-thirds the size of Scotland.
The population of the country is about
the same as the present population of
the city of New York, 100000. The
Greeks are farmers, fishermen and
fruit-raisers, and material prosperity
is not pervasive in the little kingdom of
King George. The Greeks are not, ac-
cording to the American standard, in
telligent and progressive husbandmen
Oh fruit-raisers. They have few local
manufactures. The debt of the coun-
try is heavy, its credit fair, and its re-
sources not abundant or increasing.
With the increase in the American fruit
business the enormous development of
the fruit products of California and
Florida and the relative decline in the
fruit importations from the West
Indies, the Greeks have found market
for their kno Wedge, skill and industry
in the United States, and they have
been coming across the ocean in great
numbers and establishing themselves
in the great cities Of the country. They
are peddlers, fruit dealers and retail
venders, and possess many advantages.
They are quick-witted. They learn
English readily. They have natural
aptitude for trade, for negotiation and
for bargaining-so much so that the
Greeks have come to be known as the
Jews of the Mediterranean" They are
the mouey-cliangers, bankers, factors
and traders OF all Egypt. They are to
be found in all the large cities of Tur-
key, both in Europe and in Asia, and in
southern France, particularly in and
about the city of Marseilles, they are
very numerous and influential.
But the Greeks and the Italians in the
big cities in the United States are al
ways quarreling. They are business
rivals. They do not dwell together in
harmony. The ardent temperament
of the men and women of both ma
tions, neighbors abroad, but of differ
ent races; the difference in religion
and the jealousy of centuries-all these
things have the effect of fostering their
lack of friendliness for each other.
More than 20 centuries ago Greece and
Isome were rivals for the political mas
terry OF the civilized world. To-day
dozen Greeks and a dozen Italians. II
residents Of one house, will wrangle and
dispute with each other over anything
from a masquerade ball ticket to the
location of fruit or peanut stand.
Oddly enough, as has been observed,
the Greeks in New York and elsewhere
dwell in harmony with other for
eigners, except the Italians, and the
Italians with other foreigners except
the Greeks. The adoption of the read
ing and writing test for immigrants
will have the effect hereafter of ex-
eluding relatively more Italians than
Greeks, for the ratio of illiteracy is
"a