The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1917-01-19
LIGHT ON SAL0N|Ki
Pen Picture of Street Scenes In
the Quaint Greek City.
A MINGLING OF MANY RACES
The Town Has Slight Italian Flavor,
and the Striking Costumes of Its
Varied Peoples Form q Complete Es-
hbition Of Balkan Fashions.

hbition Of Balkan Fashions.
A striking picture Of street life In
SalOniki, Greece, Is given In bulletin
Of the National Geographic society
compiled from communication TO the
society from III. q. Dwight.
Somebody had told me that Saloniki
was rather like Genoa" writes Mr..
Dwight. "My first impression, there
fore, was Of disappointing fatness
not I'm the least comparable to the lofty
air-the piled, Fashioned, heaven seal
ing alr-Of the Italian city. Yet Salo-
niki scales heaven, too. In her more
discreet manner.
And there Is even something family
Italian about her This Is most palpa-
BILE on The broad quay Of the water
front, especially when a veritable row
Of fishermen from the Adriatic are dry
ing nets or sails under the sea wall,
just as they do In Venice. The cres-
cent OF white buildings facing the blue
bay would not look foRlgn In any
Riminl or Spezzia.
"The White tower, which Is the most
conspicuous Of them, might perfectly
have been the work Of an Italian
prince. Indeed, IA dOge Of Venice Is
said to have built the first edition Of It,
and Sulolman the Magnificent employed
Venetlans for his own.
"Look little closer, however, and
this Italian appearing town has unfa-
millar details. The white campanii
that everywhere prick up above the
roofs Of weathered red are too slender
and too pointed for true bell towers.
Then, as you land at the quay you
perceive that the electric cars are la
beled In strange alphabets. The cafes
do not look quite as they should either.
"As for the people I'm them, a good
many would pass without question.
Just such slight and trim young men
in Italy would sit at little tables on
the sidewalk. .Just such young women,
rather pale and powdered as to com
pleXion, rather dusky as to eyes and
hair, would sit beside them. And you
hear n good deal OF Italian. But you
hear more OF other and less familiar
languages. And those red fezzes are
another note.
"a more striking note Is afforded by
numerous dlgni6ed old gentlemen TAX
ing their ease I'm their bathrobes, as II
were, slit little up the side and tied
about the waist with n gay silk girdle.
over tho bathrobe they usually wear a
long. open coat lined with yellow fur,
which guards them from the cold In
winter and I'm the summer from heat.
And none of them Is without n string
Of beads, preferably Of amber, dan
Cling from his hand and giving him
something to play with.
"Such an old gentleman should be ac-
companicd by an old lady, who contrib
utes what is most characteristic to the
local color of Saloniki. The foundation
of her costume is petticoat Of some
dark silk and white bodice crossed
below her throat--a very thin bodice.
cut very low at the neck and unstif-
ened by any such mail as western
women arm themselves with.
cover this superstructure the old
lady wears dark satin bolero lined
with fur and two striped silk aprons.
one before and one behind. The latter
ia caught up on one side. some corner
Of It being apparently tucked into a
mysterious pocket But the crown and
glory of the old lady is her headdress,
sort Of fiat frame tightly wound
about with stamped or embroidered
handkerchief and crowned with an
oval gilt plaque set Off by seed pearls.
Whatever its color. this creation inva-
riably ends in a fringed tail Of dark
green silk. also ornamented by gilt or
gold plaque OF seed pearls banking
halfway down the old lady's back. In
this wonderful tail she keeps her hair,
OF which you see not scrap unless at
the temples. And about her throat she
wears strings and strings Of more seed
pearls.
"She Is, this decorative, this often ex-
tremely handsome old lady, u mother
In Israel. The old gentleman In the
! gaberdine is her legitimate consort,
while many of the modernized young
| DtODlt az lut Nult uiV thNh VIC
| scendants-very many. A dozen differ
ent estimates Of the population are
given, varying according to the race of
the informant. but they all agree on
| the point that Saloniki contains not far
from 10000 people and that more than
| half Of them are Jews.
ITO loiter among the booths Of Sa
louikl's bazaar, to explore the busy
squares and markets beyond II, tC
stroll IN the crowded street OF the Var
dar or to idle among the coffee house:
OF It's western end Is to take In some
tffhg OF the Macedonian question.
Tail Albanisns. variously braided
according 10 their tribes and wearing
white skullcaps on one ear, stall
through the crowd with that lordly
swing OF theirs. Bulgariaps. less lord
", but no less Indifferent TO the opin
ION OF the world at large mind thei
own business I'm brown homespun
Kilted Greek peasants In tight white
trousers tasseled under the knee, boot
cd Montenegrins with hanging sleeves
lend the scene an operate air.
Women In hats, women In kerchiefs
women I'm embroideries that you wan