The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-13
WHERE THE GREEKS MEET.
THEIR CARTS ON THE EAST SIDE
DIRTY BUT PICTURESQUE.

Tammany'-An smoke InceSsnntiy
These hot summer evenings are producing
in the Greek restaurants Of the Fourth
Ward something OF the hustle and excite
ment, and a little Of the suspicion. that at
taches TO an alien Invasion. The New
Yorker, confined to town. while his wife and
babies are breathing the breeZes OF seaside
and mountain slope, spends his evenings
now and then In exploring the foreign quar-
tsrs, and a thin stream OF invaders trckles
into the guest houses" that the Dimitris
and Themistocles keep in town for the
benefit OF their fellow countrymen. 1t is not
a very large quarter. this corner Of New
York in which the Greek has installed him
self. He is packed very tight. Roosevelt
Street, Madison Street, James Street. Oliver
Street, and Catherine Street make up the
Mecca OF the New York Greek. towards
which he turns. Just as soon as his work up
town or down town. or In the unknown dis
trict on the wrong side OF the bridge sets
him free to pursue his pleasure
The New Yorker, lounging round In search
Of foreign novelty. has in other seasons
some dificulty in finding the Greek places
and some timidity in entering them, when
found. They either don't look Greek or
else they look forbiddingly exclusive. In
these summer evenings you see the dark
proved, bright-eyed. quicktal children
OF Greece. sitting, smoking and reading and
gesticulatng and declaimlng. on the stills OF
the open cafes. There is evident to the least
observant passer that curious absence OF all
formality or ceremony which is the most
striking, because the most unexpected. trait
In the modern Greek. That observation
gives courage; and every now and then a
New Yorker. after passing and repassing a
door several times. will finally step in and
seat himself at one of the numerous dirty
little tables - wait with possibly some in
ward treSidation. to see what will happen.
No one. apparently. takes any notice OF
the newcomer. From all that appears he
could sit there an hour at a time-as any
stranger can In any cafe in the length and
breadth OF Greece-without being once APP
preached. The couple OF swarthy. unclean
walters will deliberately turn their eyes
away from the stranger as they pass by.
Their philosophy is very simple. II the
stranger wants to order anything he knows
enough to knock on the table or clap his
hands. to call attention. II he wants only
TO rest he is welcome, though certainly
rather nuisance. seeing how limited is the
space. So reasoning. they carefully refrain
from embarrassing him
When the stranger does call them. he is
entering upon his troubles. 1t is hundred
TO one that the waiter knows scarcely five
words of English. The proprietor or mas
tori Is probably In just the same plight.
Most OF the restaurants are kept by men
only Just arrived from Greece or Turkey or
Crete or The Islands," They live a very
hard life for while. wringng very few
dollars a week out OF their countrymen,
saving every cent that is possible. until they
have enough laid by to open an American
restaurant" on Third Avenue, or to enter
the fruit or flower business. So the Keno
docbsia" or guest hauses" are constantly
changing hands. A few months spent in
amassing enough money and enough Eng
lish, and then the "mastori' sells his place
to new immigrant. and sets out into the
great American world "a couple OF blocks
away to make his fortune.
That is why the stranger will not get his
order attended to at once. The "paidl' will
call the "mastori and the "mastori" will
discuss the matter with his boy, and the
stranger will feel very much embarrassed,
through nobodys fault before he arrives at
spending some money to atone to his own
conscience for his presence. Hewill. ofcourse.
always find among the native customers any
number of willing interpreters. some OF
whom will speak very good English. to say
nothing Of their knowledge OF Greek French,
Turkish, Armenian, and Arabic and their
amattering Of italian. For your Greek of
education is Polyglot of the first water.
Helped. then. with a charming courtesy
out OF his difficulty, the stranger Is seated
in q far corner on observation bent. There
Is no use pretending that his surroundings
are wholly pleasant. Interesting they are,
but dirty. Enthusiastically dirty. These are
old houses. and they swarm with insect life
The visitor finds It best to keep his hat
on. lest It should be adopted as comfort
able quarters by a drove of cockroaches
And "paidea' and "mastori" alike seem
careless OF the use OF the broom. The ma
lives get accustomed to the dirt, accent
ing It as an inevitable consequence Of the
poverty with which the proprietor strug-
giles. To the stranger they will apologize
but for themselves. they do not mind the
condition Of things. Incidentally. 1t ma,
be said that the Greeks are not naturally
dirty people. That charge iB a travellers
lie Travellers quarters in Greece are as
clean as in any country Of the world But
among the Greeks here there are PRACTICAL,
no women. and where there are no womer
you don't find that the broom and dustel
flourish.
So the restaurants are dirty. There will
come day when New Workers will discover
Greece in their city as they have discovered
Hungary. and then the restaurants will be
cleaned. But then. also, they will cease tc
be picturesque. Your foreigner. Frightening
up his place to increase American custom
always drives out, unnecessarily, what ha
made it's charm.
The air is dense with tobacco smoke
every one smokes necessarily. Before tn,
groups at every table are the oper
cigarette boxes or tobacco pouches of ever,