Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28


the packing house city e. good many attend
the Catholic sisters schools and Rev.
James Wise has mlnistered more or less
70 their spiritual needs; but about all of
the colony are members of the orthodox
Greek church and therefore children OF
the patriarch Of Constantinopie. Recently
a movement was started to build in Omaha
"a church where the orthodox Greeks may
worship. The foundation for this church
Is already laid at Sixteenth and Martha
streets, and when completed the ground
and building will represent an outlay Of
$S,ooo, exclusive Of the interior furnishings.
Priest Of Orthodox Religion, :
An orthodox priest Is already here. and
when his church is completed, he will
have q congregation the members of which
will include practically every Greek in Ne
braska, aside from the few who still cling
to the faith OF Rome. Lincoln Greeks will
come here to worship, and from other
points they will also come as often as they
can afford to. At their worship the ortho-
dox Greeks bless themselves. as do the
Roman Catholics, with this difference, that
while the Romanist makes the sign Of the
cross with the open hand or four fingers,
I'm the name of the Father, Son and Holy
SnOSt, amen, lne CTInOOOR oTeek DleSboB
himself with thumb and two front fingers
drawn together, representing the trinity,
and omits the word amen"
Up to this time Greeks who have died
have been buried in Roman Catholic or
Protestant cemeteries. as the spirit moved
their surviving friends. After the dedica-
ton OF their new church the orthodox
worshipers will have a cemetery Of their
own.
Investment IL Large.
A fair figure for the investment made in a
business way by the Greeks OF Omaha and
South Omaha Is 10000. They own and
operate at least twenty-five confectionery,
grocery and bake shops, some of them
quite pretentious and costly. The ices
establishment, for instance, cost about
The clan spirit among present or former
subjects Of King George is strong. They
stick together and mot each by himself
In any sense. The community feeling OF
blood and brotherhood Is probably more
strongly prevalent among the members OF
the Greek colony than 1t Is in any other
allen race. They are slow to adopt the Eng
lish language for daily use, and this fact
often creates strong prejudice against them.
Sometimes Il would appear that they stub
bornly avoid even the seeming OF under
standing in order to dodge answering what
might prove embarrassing questions. This
disagreeable trait has been particularly
noticeable in some cases in juvenile court
and elsewhere.
Records in the office Of the clerk of the
district court Indicate that g fair proper
ton of the men constituting the perma-
nent Greek colony have taken the necessary
steps to become eligible to vote. Up TO this
time the Greeks who have become voters
in Douglas county number about $50. OF
this number nearly fifty took out their
first papers Just prior to the last election.
II is yet too soon to make any estimate of
those who will perfect their American
citizenship by securing final papers. Not
one has done so 20 date.
Greeks I'm other Cities.
Scattered throughout Nebraska are prob
ably 800 Greeks In addition to those In
Omaha and the sister city. In Lincoln, FIRE.
mont, Beatrice, Grand Island and other
cities Of that class some men OF enter
prising spirit nave located and established
themselves In business. They invariably
stick to c~andy-making. confectionery stores,
fruit stands and shining parlors. In LIN
coin, Grand Island and Fremont they have
handsome stores and are doing a thriving
trade. That they make money wherever
they light and open up seems very evident
from the manner in which they branch out
after a short time. The man having q very
modest stand today Is quite likely TO have
q store within q year. and shortly the small
store becomes q larger place, with bright
decorations, fancy soda fountains. mirrors.
marbles. etc. OF keen mentality, as a usual