Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1921-07-07

l
now, at various points In the kingdom
where research is going on, smaller
museums devoted to the preservation
| of the treasures of the locality.
Growing the city of Athens stands
the sheer and mighty rock of the
Acropolis, dominated by the Parthe-
non, matchless even In its ruins, which
projects the changeless purity of Its
lines against the background of the
changing centuries, which have made
Of 1t In turn the shrine of the yes; al,
the church of the Christian, the
mosque of the Moslem, and now and
ever the ideal of all lovers OF the
beautiful.
Near at hand cluster the chief REM
nants of the glory that was Greece |;
on the one side the tiny gem Of the
Temple of the Wingless Victory, so
chaste and delicate In its proportions
and outline, and on the other the
Erechtheum. with Its unique porch Of
the Caryatides.
Hard by the stairs Of the imposing
Propylaea rises the sturdy rock OF
the Hill Of Mars, whence st. Paul
declared the unknown God and Incl
dentally took the AthenIan measure
for all intervening time. At little
distance stands the rOugh-hewn Bema,
where Demosthenes and Ctesiphon
stroye In matchless phrase, while just
below rise the ivory-tinted columns Of
the Temple Of Theseus, best preserved
Of all the classic remains.
Against such a background II ia
easy to project the ties of sentiment
which bind the life of the Greek Of
today to that Of the classic worthless
from whom he claims direct descent.
With only slight shock one will
learn that the man who gives him
his morning coffee bears the tremen-
dous name Of Themistocles. And yet
1t is difficult to visualize the modern
Athenian with those who once walked
his streets.
1t is only In the islands or deep In
the country, where the Albanian food
which swept across the Attic plain
has never reached, that one finds the
facial lineaments and the bodily grace
which the ancient sculptor has taught
the modern world as being common
to all Greeks OF classic time.
Its Agriculture Backward.
Greece is essentially a land of agrl-
culture, pre-eminently intended to be
such; but, owing to the tremendous
drain by emigration from the rural
districts, the progress of agriculture
has been painfully deficient. In many
places the land is TILED only by wom-
en- and girls. Many of the men have
gone off to America.
Many find the Athenian climate
agreeable. Cold winds there are. TO
be sure, In winter, blowing down from
he snow-capped hills above the town
pr blowing up from the sea at Phal-
eron; but there are no frosts: the
'oses bloom during every month Of
he year; oranges ripen In the open
iir, one may pick his breakfast fruit
rom the trees outside his window.
rhe summer heat Is easily endurable.
he absence of rain removing the hui
nidity which makes American mid
summer so Intolerable One cannot
say that midsummer nights
n Athens are really cool, but there
8 sensible difference from the heat
4 the day and freshness which al
Vays makes sleep possible.
At the beginning of the hot season.
here Is usually an exodus of the
curt, the diplomats and the wealthy
rom Athens To take their places
here flock to Athens and to the sea-
ide hotels at Phaleron and to villas
nd resorts at = Kephisla -in-the hills
umbers OF rich Greeks from Asia
linor and from Egypt; and the whole
Ity reverses the order of Its winter
fe, turning night Into day and spend
'g most of the hours between sunset
nd sunrise out Of doors. Everywhere
bout the town, on the roofs of clubs
hotels, In the gardens or on the
'rraces Of res aurants, beneath the
epper trees OF the parks, and even
the streets, tables are spread. and
robably as many as 100000 people
ne In the open air each night Of an
thenian summer.
Throughout Greece--apd indeed
roughout the entire Balkan region
nglish Is much heard. because of the
eat numbers of Greeks who have
turned home from America; and
W travellers In the Peloponnesus win
II to recall at almost every railroad
alton the eager face thrust In at
e carriage window and quvering
tn the demand. You felIers from
nenca7"