The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-13
GREAT ISL Of SBNOS
Never Too Hot Nor Too Cold
in That Country.
UNDER TURKISH RULE
Curtis Says It's the CIeanest
Country in the WorIc.

OOUhi III hilO HOii III
Antioch, Syria, April 1S-wniam z.
Curtis writes as foil oays to the Chicago
Record Herald:
( The island Of Samos is an object Of
| great interest to the. lovers of human
| liberty. and it is famous for other rea-
| sons-for its climate and IT'S natural
| beauties. among other things. 1t is as
! beautiful as Capri in the bay of Naples.
and the inhabitants claim that people
90 there never die. At least we were
not able to find a cemetery. At Ssmos
it is always June, and the veracious ma
I tives viii assure you with sober faces
| that the temperature is never too hot nor
never too cold, but always just exactly as
everybody wants it. The cigarettes of
Samos are the best i'm the world. The
| tobacco is grown on the sunny side, on
| the rocky hills, but the supply is limit
| ed, and most of the cigarettes are sent
| TO special dealers in England and the
European capitals for the consumption of
the royal families, the nobility and the
high class clubs and hotels. The wines
of Samos are also celebrated, but the
area in vineyards is small, and, like the
! tobacco. the entire yield IS sold to special
buyers and never reaches the general
market.
Samos is a small, rocky island, with a
rugged range OF mountains running
through the center, and fertile valleys
and slopes. The population is 5l,O9o-all
| Greeks, with the exception of n Turkish
officials vathy. the capital. and COM
mercial metropolis, of 60OO people.
In the classic times Sarnos was power
in the worId-the seat OF the famous uni
versity, a center of culture, manners, art
and sciences, and the inhabitants were
renowned for their scholarship. vsthy
was the birthplace of Pathasoras, and
the island has produced many other IA
nous men. When Greece was conquered
by the Turks 400 years ago Samos was
forced to accept the authority of the
sultan, but it was always restless, and
revolutions were continuous. Since 1896
the epoch OF Greek liberty, the people
have been serni-independent, paying an
annual tribute Of $4,000 to the sultan and
accepting the authority of a governor gen
eral, or prince regent. as they call him,
of the sultan's selection, although. ac-
cording to the treaty he must be Greek
and q member of the Orthodox Greek
faith.
The present governor. Michele Gregor-
lads. is very unpopular. and his appoint
ment is considered an invasion of the
spirit of the treaty, for. although, he is OF
! Greek ancestry, he was born in the
1 Turkish province of Trebizond, educated
at the court of the sultan at CONSTANT
nople, and consequently is thorough
Turk, with little or no sympathy with
the people of Samos and much more with
! their enemies. The people are now de-
handing a change and the selection of
native of Ssmos. but are not likely
to be gratifed.
This year the sultan has been very gem
erous with them. however. having re-
( turned their annual tribute to be added
to the building fund of the new house Of
parliament. which is in the course of
T construction and nearly completed at a
cost OF S5000o 4 new cathedral of the
Greek church which win cost the same
amount is also building in a lot adjoin-
ing the capitol grounds and is to be
paid for from the public treasury and pri-
vate contribution.
In the legislative chamber are life-size
portraits of the leaders of the revolution /
years and resulted in the present sys-
TEN of autonomy. The people have al |
ways been remarkable for their love of |
liberty. their patriotism and their loyalty |
TO the Orthodox Greek church.
vathy is the cleanest town we have /
seen since we left Norway-so neat that |
you could eat your dinner off the street !
Pavement anywhere and not swallow half /
as much dirt as you would under ordin- |
airy circumstances at the hotels of the |
Turkish towns. The houses are in per-
feet repair and tastefully painted. Over 4
each doorway is a wreath of leaves, /
bunch OF small vegetables or a wisp of /
wheat or oats. a tribute offered to the /
God of Plenty at the beginning of the |
season. The same custom prevails in /
Norway. and it is q very pretty one, an
acknowledgment that the prosperity of /
the people does not depend entirely upon
the fertility OF the soil or their own
efforts. but upon the benevolence of q !
higher power. There are no mosques in /
Vathy. but several neatly kept Greek /
churches. The school houses are large
and airy. An academy. at which the high
er branches are taught with a gymna-
sium beside it. is an object of great
pride among the people. who have also a
public library and a museum, contain
Ing q small collection of antiquities and
objects of natural history. intelligently
classified and we'll kept. Vsthy is al
together a most charming town and a
most beautiful place 10 visit for one
who has been living in filth and the fusion
of Constantnople and other Turkish COM
munities.
About twenty miles away is the island
of Patmos, where John. the beloved apos-
tie. was banished by the Roman Emper-
or Domitian. a. u. S. and where he had
the vision CT the Apocalypse.
i. John who also am your brother
and companion in tributation. and IN the
knowledge and patience OF Jesus Christ
was in The isle that was called Patmos
for the word ~ sod and for the testi-
mony Of Jesus Christ.
II was in ,he spirit Of the Lords dav
ard heard behind me the great voice as
Of a trumpet.
Saying. am Alpha and Omega the
first and the last. and what thou seest
write I'm hook. and send it unto the
seven churches which are in ASIA, unto
Ephesus and unto smyrna etc.
Pathos Is a much smaller island than
Samos only tewent.--eight miles in cir
conference. and having but se9a popula-
tion-au Greeks UNDER Turkish denomiu-
alton & cave $50 which 81 John is said to