Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-05-06
VISIT TO ATHENS
GREATLY ENJOYED
Mr.. A. G. Baker ad Son Harry En-
joy Their Trip to Athens. See
Many Interesting Sights.
VISIT TO GREECE
PROVES INTERESTING
Visit the Immense Marble Palace
Built by Pericles About B. @.
400 Years.

Does our reader realize the size
of the Mediterranean, the writer did
not. AS we travel over this great
inland sea the reader Will notice
the number of days we are moving
to reach it's limits.
Sunday morning Feb'y 18th, we
are on deck at seven, far to the
south we see the desert of Morocco,
to the north the snow capped Sirreg
in Spain; as the day advances we
pass outside of the African side and
though sighting many vessels see no
islands, only distant Spain.
On the morning of Feb'y 16, We
find on going on deck, that Algiers
is in view. AS we enter the harbor
very pretty picture could be made
as the front of the city is attractive,
being almost entirely French and re-
sem5les Paris, but farther back you
see for the first time the home of
the disZolute freebooter sons Of
Hagar, those terror OF both land
and sea, who up to 1914, had known
no restriction On their piracy and
received their first instruction in
from our own navy, after
having for years defed and pillaged
the vessels of all nations.
Here again we see the diver, for
money thrown over, and a squad Of
peddlers. Soon we are taken ashore
and land among beggars and a filthy
people; we soon get carriages and
are driving up the bay; our horses
small Arabians, lend little esteem
for their kind, in fact l think our
own proud horses would hardly de-
grade themselves by associating with
this runt species. We are drawn
through dirty streets, finally through
what if properly kept, would be q
beautiful tropical park, but badly
neglected. We ascend by degrees;
our little horses not being sufficient
for the load we alight and for per-
haps mile walk, often helping by
pushing; finally we are on the height
above the city. The writer has new
er seen but one view more pleasant
than we now are presented chat
view was from point Lomo Cali Our
carriage is stopped and all surround
ings described. / will not attempt
to describe here as will not squand-
er much space on this African city
only do describe as a city of about
100000 people, the great trading
point for all northern Africa where
the wandering Bedouin brings his
scant products to trade for those
things that enter into his life. 4
We stop at the governors palace,
look over the museum, drive down
through the Bedouin quarter where
one sees all the squalor Of the filthy
sons of Hagar. Here one sees them
in their white covering, or rather
made like our night dresses, they
lie in the dirt and all life is pas
sing pleasure to them from the way
they seem to take TO their filth. n
We will not tire our reader farth-
er with Algiers; there is nothing
here except one looks for degrada-
tion; we make few purchases to re-
member the place by and at P. nj.
are again in motion, this time for
Athens, the city with history.
Three days will land us at Athens;
we pass Mt. Aetna Sicily the 18th.
On the morning of the 18th we are.
rounding Laconia, the souther most
point of Greece, pass by point of
ancient Corinth and steam into the
gulf of Aegina and anchor out in the
harbor near Tiraeus. Athena is tie
largest city<of Greece with about
10000 and Piraeus the second city
with about $4,000. They are about
five miles apart and have fine four
track electric railroad between them
and cars operate every 15 minutes,
very fine train service. ,,4s&
We are soon lightered ashore,
and our teams awaiting we soon aIe
driving towards the Acropolis, seen
about three miles from us. We see
no beggars. Say what you may of
these Greeks, they are high mind
ed people, and though living in one
of the porest countries we have seen
are well dressed and we did not see
any Of those signs of poverty We had
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