Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-30

state word, but IL applies. She was en-
and the view from the marble-columned
balcony out to Hymettus and the sea.
The Greeks are not over-fond Of kings.
and there is usually little or no on
thusiasm whom King George. drives
through the streets although personally
he Is liked very well. But when he
and Queen Alexandra passed down the
middle of the big stadium the other
day To open the games, followed by
King Edward and Queen Olga and all
the princes and princesses, the crowd
looked like crowd I'm our American
stadium at q Harvard-Yale game. when
the team comes on the fieid-cheering
clapping and waving their hats while
the band played alternately the
Greek national air and "God Save the
King"
If you have never seen the Athens
stadium II is hard to realize it's size:
it holds twice as many people as the one
at Harvard, and the soldiers around the
top look like n row Of black hea ded
pins against the sky. The bright pluues
Of the officers among the crowd and
few brilliant costumes from the country
made almost the only apparent differ
ence from any similar crowd at home,
though one missed the pretty girls who
IL
How Winners Were Indicated
About the most picturesque featu
Of the games was the way the win
ners were indicated. Above score.
board somewhat like the boards used
at home were three tall flagstaffs.
for first, second and third place i'm each
event. sailor wig-wagged with two
red flags from the center Of the sta
dium to the men stationed at the flag
stairs, who ran un the three flags,
while a bugle played-it was very sell
dom that the American colors were not
on at least one of the poles, and some
times they were on all three.
1t is needless to tell what good
showing the American team made in all
their events; they also did a service to
good sportsmanship by starting the
applause for an Austrian who was en-
tered in the weight-liftng. There had
been rumor, sprung by two Greeks,
that this Austrian had lifted weights
for money in Constantinople, and
though it was not true, the crowd on
the first day hooted and Kissed In a
most disgracefu manner when the
man appeared for the two-hand lift
ing. 1t made him very nervous and ex-
cited and he was beaten by a Greek
After the result was announced the
Austrian lifted the same weight five
times, to show that he had not really
been beaten. The next day when he
came on again for the one-hand lift
ing there was a strong feeling that he
had not been fairly treated and he got
a tremendous ovation started by the
American team. The Austrian won
easily.
They had been illuminating the Acrop-
oils at night. An irregular line of fire.
marking the top Of the great rock, is
for half an hour the only thing that
shows above the lights of the city.
This turns yellow, green, violet and
red. and then the Parthenon flashes out
above in the searchlights, as if made
of white-hot metal One feels that 1t
is a pity to play the limelight on the
Parthenon, of all things-it is best
seen either glorious and golden-yellow
against the deep Greek sky, or cold in
the moonlight-it is hard to say when
it is the finest. Natures own limelights
are so wonderful in Athens-the violet
light she throws on Hymettus at sun
set, or the roSe-color which tints the
snowy marble of the stadium just after
ward-that there is no need to help
with artificial means. But the crowd
who have come for the games do not
see these things, and will go away
happy in knowing that Archie Hahn
won the hundred, never realizing that
for two weeks. they have been in the
most beautiful land in the world.
GORDON ALLEN.