Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-04-17

Lowell, Mass, Pittsburg, Philadelphia,
Boston, Baltimore, Savannah and Gal
weston. The majority of the Greeks In
this and other large cities are engaged
in the fruit, flower. and confectionery
business. Next come those employed
In the manufacture OF cigarettes n
the importation of sponges, and most
of them make a comfortable living.
There are a few whose social and COM
mercial standing is equal to that Oh
men OF any nationality. But tae ma
Jority are men OF small meaDs, M
are engaged as flower and fruls ped
dlers, in which capacity they have
largely supplanted the sons OF sunny
Italy.
AS a rule, the Greeks are a prudent,
economical, industrious, and good
hearted lot of people. and. while they
often deprive themselves even OF the
necessaries OF life in order to save a
little money, they neve fail to provide
for the old folks at home with prompt
ness and l~iberality.
In this way hundreds OF mortgages OF
the old people have been PAID of, Sis
tiers and daughters made comfortable
for life, and money in various other
ways has poured into Greek villages
and towns. The same spirit which the
Greek exhibits in the performance OF
his hlial duties he also manifests to-
ward his commonwealth. 1t Is not
strange, therefore. to find that many OF
the churches and schools and other
charitable institutions recently put up
in the towns and villages of Greece
have been paid for by money contrib
uted by the Greeks in America, who,
six or eight years ago. started business
here with a push cart.
The Greeks engaged in the manufac-
ture of Turkish cigarettes, although
hampered by want of capital, have
succeeded fairly well, owing mainly to
the purity Of the article which they put
on the market. 1t has been often said
that the American people like some
times to be humbugged. If that be SO
then the ~frequenters of some fashion
able clubs are never SO much hum
plugged as when they pay a ridicu-
lousy high price for a package of i'm
ported Egyptian cigarettes" making
themselves believe that there is moth
ing like the imported article. 1t is i'm
possible to tell how a Canadian Gig
arctic" would commend itself to the
average American smoker, but an in
wilton to smoke an Egyptian cigar
cite" would bring a smile to the lips
of the natives of the land of the
Pharaohs, because there is M such
thing as Egyptian tobacco. The brand
of tobacco which Egyptians import for
the manufacture of Egyptian cigar
~ettes," generally from certain districts
in Asia Minor and Macedonia, is also
used by the Greeks in New York in
the manufacture of their Turkish
cigarettes the only difference being
hat one has to pay As cents for a
package of imported Egyptian Gig
arettes,' whereas for half that price
one can have the same article and
much fresher as manufactured in this
city. An important advantage enjoy
ed by the Greek cigarette manufactur-
ers is that they are masters Of theiI
trade. They are not novices in the
business. They have pursued this line
Of business since their infancy. With
their friends and relatives In the to-
bacco-raising countries In Turkey they
have all the facilities for supplying
themselves with the best brands of to-
bacco. The same may be said also as
regards the Greeks engaged in the
sponge trade, some Of them being
practical divers who followed the bust
ness at their native islands in the Aeg-
can Sea, and their ~progenitors, for gen.
erations past, were engaged in the
same business.
It'll - l. - --.