The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1917-03-01


followed by others and that the cigar
business may yet rival the sponge
business.
Tarpon Springs has not been special
ly noted as a tourist resort, although
there are quite number of them here,
and many return year after year. I'm
like St. Petersburg is is a business
town and the citizens have other
things than the entertainment of tour
lists to engage their attention, and
consequently haven't made the prepa-
ration lit that many resort towns
have. However, they are waking up
to the Importance of this and the ma
tural attractions they have to offer
and are beginning OF talk of making
preparations for the entertainment of
visitors. Already they have made a
beginning in the erection of shelters
and seats and are talking of building
rogue courts.
It's probable that the large Greek
population here has been fact mill
tating against the tourist patronage.
for in many minds there is often I'M
consciously prejudice against for
eigners, especially those with which
one is not familiar. Other resort
towns use this as an influence to di-
vert tourists from here and to them
selves. AS for me, after two expe
riences, | have not found the Greeks
Objectionable, but rather a .pictur-
esque and interesting feature. While
it is true they give the town quite a
foreign favor, yet they are an intel
ligent, peaceable and law abiding
people, give the officers of the law
no trouble and many of them are well
to do and among the most respected
and influential citizens. Many of them
become naturaGged and the stars and
stripes is always prominent in the
decorations which are used at their
church festivals. They are devoutly
religious, their church here, the Greek
orthodox, having membership of 1900,
l am told. Their Christmas and Eas-
ter services always attract great
crowds, and even their ordinary ev-
cry Sunday services, which | have at
tended a couple of times, are novel
and interesting, though, of course,
could not understand a word. There
are a few seats in the church for the
women. but everybody stands up
throughout the dvotional services,
which last probably an hour. They
make much of candles or tapers, o
large number of which are always
burning during the services. They
send their children to school and
they constitute probably thirty per
cent Of the total enrolment. The
superintendent. who, by the way, is
an Ohio man, a graduate of o. S. T.,
told me, in response to my inQuirv,
that the Greek, children are eager t9
learn. are ant pupiIs and fully eduaf
and. in many cases, superior to the
American children of the same age
as students. 7 have yet to see an
intoxicated Greek or one engaged in
an alteration. A large percentage of
them, those engaged in the fishery
end of the sponge business, are in
town only for brief periods at long
Intervals, as they spend practically
all their time out on the gulf in pur-
suit of their calling.
In addition to the Greek church al
ready mentioned, other religious de-
nominations are represented by the
Methodist, Southern Methodist, Epis-
teopaf, Presbyterian, Universalist, Bap-
fist and Roman Catholic.
! have had the pleasure of visiting
the schools several times, and l must
say that they looked pretty good to
me. They are -up-to-date in the mat
ter of manual training and domestic
science. as now seems to be required
of the modern school, and instruction
is given from the beginning of the
seventh grade N household arts anil
cooking and IN manual training. The
high school is on the accredited list
to meet the college entrance require
ments.
have nevn~ seen elsewhere so many
beautiful building sites as are found
on the high shores of the bays on the
rolling lands about Torpon Springs.