The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-08-14
LIFE IN MODERN ATHENS.
SOME OF ITS LITELIER AS-
 PECTS.
Curious Street Scenes-Ths Greek at n
 Fire, Funeral and Wedding.

The Athens of to-day is new. Like so many parts of Greece. it has been so often swept by the bosom of war and destruction that the wonder is that anything of the past remains. Wave after wave of conquest has gone over it. The stranger has desolated it, but not so persistently and ruthlessly as has it's own race. But it has now be- come quite the fad for rich Greeks to do some noble deed in building for Athens. And many Of these fine structures, ed- ucational, national or municipal, are worthy of the fame of the past. The business streets, through skilful stuc- co, appear ornate and attractive. But the macadam patements render them in wet weather. the muddiest, and in dry weather the dustiest of any city in Eu- rope.
 Here if anywhere in the world, the
 small trader has his paradise. The
 huckster makes the air hideous with his
 loud vociferations as he drives his laden
 donkey or van or carries his wares in
 simpler style. And every handy arti- cle of wear or use or food comes herold-
 ed before your door. even the turkey
 drove, from which you can pick your
 bird, or the goat which will stop to be milked for your table, On the side
 walks business has the right of way
 The butchers beef bleeds upon it; the vari-sized kid carcasses hang over it; the fruit stand bulges out into it; the money changers table encumbers it, and the Greek himself has no idea of keeping to the right" so you haye-if you do not understand the language both jar and jargon all your patience will bear. It may be said in .extenua- tion that the newness of the streets and the oriental tinge of the people account in part for the dust and din. The means of locomotion are of the most primitive and uncomfortable sort.
 The Creeks motto is do every man as much as you can.' The phrase here is "a Greek is equal to two Jews" And at, the bank-at the railroad sta- tion, at the postoffice, on the cars, in the stores; at the hotels, with the guides, even Cooks banded agent, all '.do' the traveller if they find chance. They say the only honest person is the book black. And he is peculiar institution here. He is a main reliance in political processions-he can ''whoop it up" so we'll He throngs the main street cor ners and public squares. His kit-box is a curiosity, made of wood and orna- menttl brasswork with an aside box, glass covered, containing sometimes seventy-two bottles of vari-colored un- guents for the shoe. Then the order of the situation is reversed here. The man stands. the operator sits. It is as amusing as it is odd to see a whole row of men thus standing to have their shoes polished.
 The street scenes are fine. coarse, cu- rious, grotesque, according to the part of the city you visit Near the palace the smart set' show themselves aping the French, especially the corseted mill ftary officers, the society man, the stu dents and the well-dressed ladies. On the business streets we meet the quaintly garbed Greek peasant from the islands or the country, with his ballet girl array, of short skirts and spider legs. Also, a curious specimen of a man with a string of big beads astonishes you He carries and funbles those beads everywhere. They are his indis- nensable amusement. To one who meets the custom for the first time 1t makes the man who fingers them seem like the king of dolts. Then the house. hold pets are of wider range than with us. It is not uncommon to see in the same home with the children not only the dog and cat and bird, but also the lamb and kid and goat and rooster, and even duck. Here on the street you meet tame sea-gull. In that restau- rant you find couple of partridges. The Greek is cheerful person, and like child, easily amused. He is quick in temper and vociferous, but be- comes as suddenly calm. He has a con- spicuous nose, so that it Is not difficult physically ito count noses" here. At election time he is blatant. He makes night hideous. He gloats in noises. The whiz and the boom of the rocket delight him, and the mighty detona- tions become terror. In the carnival he revels. With fantastic dress the May-po1e dance gathers the crowd, or the wagon bearing the quaintly masked men who make speeches and the don- key wearing the high hat, who appears the most sensible of them all. But of all the delusions, the Greek thinks he con sing, and like his donkey, he mis- takes noise for music. The night is the time for this caterwauling., Every street seems to have It's maestroes. Cracked voices, screeching at the loud- est lung power, tire and weary and disgust.
 The Greek at fire is a sight. He runs about like mad. He splutters like a tea-kettle. He has the old hand en- zines, small at that, and out of order at the very moment they are wanted. It takes him twenty minutes after he gets to the fire to get the tongue out of the machine so it can be worked. Then when he stretches the hose it is too short, and it takes time to get more. There are no hydrants for water, and it must all be drawn in carts that hold a barrel or two and let out by faucet into the canvas reservoir four feet across and three feet deep. So cart af- ter cart backs up with shouts to the crowd of bystanders whom the police do not keep out of the way. Fire lines are formed. Then when suction is ta- rI