The San Francisco call (San Francisco, Calif.) 1899-02-05 [p 23] · 2017-12-18 · Iris...

1
Isaac rode Flrenzl all over the track, and finally fell off the mare, after passing the wire several lengths behind Tea Tray, th« winner. He admitted having drunk a glass of milk punch just before the race began. When the great. Domino finished abso- lutely last in the American Derby at EXPERTS MY THIS CALIFORNIA CARNATION SURPASSES THE FAMOUS $30,000 LAWSON It Is Called the .Hannah. Jlobert and J.as Been Sent East to Contest Jlgainst the Cham- pions at the Philadelphia o c OOO 00 00 0 oo 0 00 00 0 o 000 o . -O. o Fancy a Flower Worth $30,000. J 5 Yet Tiiat-- Is What the. Fa- o ° moukte. Thomas Lawson g o Carnation Recently Sold for, o o and Experts Say That the © o Purchaser Will Double .His 2 o o o Money. o o o 000 J O OO OO OOO OO C 000000000 BOSTON. Jan. 19.—The far-famed' Lawson carnation has been sold for $30,000. The purchaser is Thomas F. Lawson, a financier well known in this city and New York, and in honor of whose wife the wonderful plant was named. \u25a0\u25a0 . _ : _•_ ».- :* - '. . Mr. Galvin, who bred the flower,, announces that he has accepted the offer made by -Mr. Lawson, and that in future the flower will blossom solely for the public gardens of .the city of Boston, that be- ing one of the conditions of the' sale. '• '.-.,''\u25a0_'\u25a0:\u25a0" \u25a0*, j When the beauty of the carnation first became known Harlow N. Higginbotham, the Chicago millionaire,' offered $6, 000 for the plant, and a little later a New York florist offered $15,000 for the flayer. BOSTON has her Lawson carna- tion which sold for $30,000 very recently, but San Francisco has a carnation, almost ready for the market, whicl the owner declares he would not exchange for $30,000. He says confidently that he expects to get a great deal more for It. It's a very beautiful flower, and will be exhibited for the flrst time next month at the National Carnation Society's Exhibition in Phlla" lphia. yy- Several specimens of this flower were sent on to Chicago last year and placed in the Carnation Society's Exhibition. just to give them an ' idea what the flower w-- like. Of course the flowers could not be shown to the best advant- age on account ' the distance and the difference in cllmr.te. Here is what the Carnation Society, In its . report, said about the flt 3r: \u25a0.'. yy Perhaps the most * extraordinary feature of this exhibition was the arrival of a large case of blooms in excellent condition from John H. Sievers of San Francisco. Not only did the flowers arrive in excel- lent condition for' the opening day (the fourth after picking), but some samples of Hannah Hobert among v the dozen others represented in the collection, had flowers of a deep pink shade and larger and finer than anything we remember to have seen in the way of carna- The Boston carnation measured three and one-half inches and the San Fran- cisco carnation measured four and one- half inches. Why, then, did not the San Francisco carnation receive the first place? Mr. Sievers exp'.a' ed it t.iis way: "It Is because the Istance from San Francisco to where the exhibition was held made it impossible for us to enter the competition and comply with the rules of the society. Our flowers had to be cut before maturity to travel the four and one-half days. It is. impos- sible to carry blooming. plants such a distance and keep them in good con- dition. The rules of the society re- quire fifty flower cut and blooming plants. We could not do it. "But we shall be in the coming ex- hibition in Philadelphia next . month. The secretary liked, the looks of our flowers which I nt to Chicago last year. He has taken our cuttings of ten varieties and grown them for us in the East." \ - y;; ;'!\u25a0/\u25a0.'\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0. \u25a0 New York prices, nor one-third of New York prices, either. "We cannot supply the demand for the Hannah Hobert here in San Fran- cisco at $2 a dozen. The Mrs. Lawson is having a boom. It Is a fad, and fad- dists must have it at any price. The Hannah Hobert nor the Ethel Crocker nor any of our carnations have been boomed yet." ' ''How can a' flow— any flower—be worth $30,000?" : : :y.y:.y "Jitst the same as real estate may be worth $1000 a foot—because it will bring it. Carnations and roses are staples in flowers. Every rose-grower is trying to grow a certain red rose. Whoever succeeds will make a fortune. The "Thomas Lawson" was a good Invest- ment and will pay, because •. the stock more than doubles every year, and it is a thoroughbred flower." .; -V "A thoroughbred?": '-.-• .- "Yes. Fine flowers are not flne flow- ers by chance. : It all depends upon the parents we choose. - , '•• "Any one can hybridize flowers i and get new species. To get fine results it Carnation Exhibit This \Month. •-'\u25a0'\u25a0 "'."- \u25a0 .. .' .. . .— r- " .•:';..:\u25a0.:- \u25a0 SCIENTIFIC FLOWER-BREEDING THOT IS BEATING SCIENTIFIC HORSE- ; BREEDING IN PROFITS. marry them to get the good qualities of both..; -yyy. "Itake this one and take away all the pollen and, destroy the anthers. Then ..' I - replace the pollen with that from the other flower. That makes two distinct '. parents for the . seeds : which form. s -When these seeds . grow they make the new seedlings." - .> "But suppose the seedlings get the bad instead of the good qualities of their parents?" "Throw them away." "Many?" - "No. We know the breed of every flower we have, and keep Its pedigree, so know what to expect when we marry certain families." '\u25a0' * "How do you know which to choose?" "Ah, that is the whole secret. It is all in the choosing." "Sort of Vicar of Wakefield mar- riages." "Never take two out of the same fam- ilyor of near kin. It always degener- ates the flowers. "I have been working specially with carnations for thirty years, and this greenhouse of seedlings and cuttings is the result. All this time I have been working for a definite object, and at last I have it this rose-pink carnation; the Hannah Hobert. Itis a fine bearer, its color is perfect,' the leaves are well set, it is as large if not .larger than any other carnation. You can see it has a perfume of its own." It is a beauty, a deep, clean rose pink. 0000000000 00000000000000 © - .- \u25a0\u25a0••. -• \u25a0 > \ j-- >yyQj. J Two Carnations, the Hannah Ho- o o bert and the Ethel Crocker, © g Have dust Been -Bred in San 0 Francisco, and the Producer o 5 Says He Would .Not Take, J o $30,000 for Either of " o 6 Them. i\ W £ o " 000000000000000000000030 ing; some of the colors, again, .like the opaque effects from an ' amateur's palette. y ..'->:-" For color, here Is the oddest; .Did; you ever see a purple cow? The flower Mr. Severs held, up was a perfect mauve, and most extraordinary. After the novelty wore off it might be felt to be beautiful. "It Is a seedling, and so may not be of value. The cuttings may bloom quite differently." : \u0084 \u25a0 \u25a0>'\u25a0.\u25a0\u25a0 "Then you cannot depend : upon seed- lings?" ''.\u25a0-"-'\u25a0 .;'-; .:\u25a0_- y. "Seedlings are 'sports*. and may turn out badly. Only a cutting of a cutting can show a fixed species.*: It -; cannot change and remains the same size and color within slight variations." "But you know the 'Mrs. Lawson* measured three and a half inches-last year. Now it is said *. to be up to six and a half inches." V..;V:.y "Did you ever roll a snowball?"' Mr. Jhe Ethel : Grocker, the Beautiful NeW Carnation NoW Being Raised in San Francisco. Comparison Between Boston's Brize Carnation, the Mrs. Thomas Lawson and the New San Franoisco Carnation, tne Hanna Hobert, Which Will Be Sent \u25a0 East This Month to Compete "With It in the Philadelphia Carnation Exhi- bition. "And will you ask $30,000 for your Hannah Hobert?" "It is not in the market." "Would you not take $30,000 for it?" "It is worth more •to us than to . any one else, and we will control it our- selves." . . ' . "And the j Ethel Crocker carnation "Our agent in New York has it for sale now, and says it will bring more than the Mrs. Thomas Lawson." "But you cannot get the prices in San Francisco. that they do in New York?" "No; San -Franciscans, will not pay takes study and experience to . choose the right flowers for marriage." "Even California flowers cannot stand divorce, then?" . ,*.- / .^ "Yes, they can, for you might say it is the divorce which makes the new species. . That is just what we do—di-" vorce a flower from itself and marry it to another." -. y. ••> "For instance." iy-vi'yi', "Here is a pink carnation which has good strong stems. There is a red one which is a good bloomer but bobs about and cannot hold up its head. And we holding its head up as a queen should. But itis only one. There is the Ethel Crocker, quite as flne, though a trifle smaller, and a light pink; the Helen Dean, a light pink; the John Carbone, a voluptuous old gold, with vermillion; the Dr. Tevis, a . flaming scarlet; the Iris Paul, .a - perfectly pure white, be- sides enough samples of others to make an armful. . yjyyyyy Such blooms and such a study to get lost in! , y : Some of the flowers with a "clean" color," as the : artists say, a color which shines as a Rubens paint- Washington Park. Chicago, In 1894, the surprise at his inglorious defeat was not so great as the hollow victory of Rey el Santa Anita. There were a few, however, who were confident that he would win, and, acting under the advice of Trainer Harry McDonald, a party of Cincinnati plungers. including Johnny Payne and "Kid" Shaw, placed $1500 on the horse at odds ranging "from 40 to 60 to 1. The California' horse made a show of his field and was running away at the finish six lengths to the good. On 'the same day old Pey tonia won at _ odds of 250 to 1, but carried only a few pikers' bets. * - v •'•;\u25a0', -y> : .The Mrs, Thomas Lawson- Carnation. The Hannah Hobert Carnation. \u25a0 Jhe Jflrs. Thomas baWson Carna- tion, Recently Sold in Boston for $30,000. , From a Photograph. ' LIVE IN A MONASTERY HIGH IN THE AIR This monastery, one of several, is on the apex of an impregnable rock, 170 feet above the ground. All that is' known about them is that-- the monks . and wandering friars ' of the middle ages found sanctuary here when first the crescent and the scimitar ran red with Christian blood. The monastery of St. Stephano is the largest of the seven blocks which now remain of twenty of the rarest monuments of 'human in- genuity, and ,- entrance to » it . is gained ,by a steep and winding path among , the , rocks. All the rest are absolutely devoid of access save by the net or rope or \u25a0 a swinging ladder. With the exception of St. Stephano. ladles are rigorously excluded from moantlng to the monaster- ies. Visitors to the monks' abode announce their presence by shouting until some one far above looks out, and lets the net, which is worked by a windlass, come down. \u25a0\u25a0;'\u25a0> •— THE ', village - of Kalambaka— ' which formed - practically the starting point of the lateGraeco- jf Turkish war— lies nestled among -. the wilderness rof *\u25a0 ! rocks ; .and stones which \u25a0> lie: at the feet of Meteora, the most wonderful cliffs in the world. : They are * conglomerate in formation and : rise in \u25a0 detached masses sheer :up - from the Plain of Thessalv. In* appearance they suggest the col- umns of some gigantic : temple, which has long since tumbled into ruins, . and the wonderful handiwork 1 of nature here set forth haf been crowned by the no less wonderful work of man. By what strange means the, first cun- nlnf ; archl' --cts of these airy perches succeeded in reaching the scene of their labors is a matter wreathed in mystery. The cliffs are far too smooth and per- pendicular for any man to- climb by hand and foot,, and history guards jealously tha secret of the monasteries. All that is known about . them ' is that the monks and wanderln friars of the Middle Ages found ; sanctuary : here when flrst the crescent and the scimitar ran red with Christian blood. ' The monastery of St. Stephano is the largest of the seven blocks which now remain of twenty of the rarest monu- ments of human ingenuity, and en- trance >to it is .gained by .a " steep and winding path among the rocks. All the rest .;are absolutely devoid 'of access save by the net and rope or a swinging ladder. With the exception of St. Stephano ladies are rigorously excluded from mounting to the monasteries. Vis- itors, to the > monks' abode announce their presence by shouting until some- one far above looks - out. and * lets the net, which \u25a0is worked by a windlass, come down, y -' The ; sensation of the ascent I found on visiting the place myself (writes a special . ; artist-correspondent . of . the Dally Graphic) was distinctly novel. Seated on the ground in the } center of the \ net the meshes were, one by one looped on to a large Iron hood. As the rope became taut,. the cords pressed uncomfortably hard upon , various points of one's body, and .s there was a strong wind blowing, it swung to and fro and bumped * its human . appendage against the cliff. The rope, as it slowly wound on. the drum !up in the monas- tery, kinked occasionally, and : the Jerk gave one the impression that the rick- ety concern war giving way. * The journey through the air ended safely, however, on a platform 170 feet above * the ground, . and the ; monks promptly extricated their , visitor - from the entangling mesh. The place was dlstlnctl. dark and draughty, and there were iaany winding passages and steps to stumble over before the room was reached in which the Abbot sat. and waited the arrival of his visitor. His delicately cut features, his gentle voice and stately bearing were only what one would expect of a man whose life had been spent in a place so far above the ' world, amid such . lofty . surroundings. ' .' v Vy y . A young monk, with bare feet, en- tered the room noiselessly and handed round small cups of Turkish coffee and a cigarette, and seated with these, beside one on the divan beneath the window, one could en- Joy, to the i full the glorious view of the plain spread out like a map be- low,, with the gleaming snow peaks of the Pindos Mountains In the dis- tance. Then followed a long ramble* , .'through the wainscoted dormitories of _. the monks the rock-floored re- , fectory, the richly decorated chapel, -. and the little graveyard which sloped away from it. down to,the, very edge . of the precipice. It was with many a pleasant 1 recollection of the monks .of Meteora .- .that we finally bade them good-by ere they pushed us off from their landing-stage and launched us once more into s ace. \u25a0:'\u25a0> Long hair on a man is very apt to cover a multitude of cranky ideas. . ' THE SAW FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1899. Continued on Page \u25a0 Thirty-two. '"' TURF WINNINGS. Continued from Page Twenty-two. 23

Transcript of The San Francisco call (San Francisco, Calif.) 1899-02-05 [p 23] · 2017-12-18 · Iris...

Page 1: The San Francisco call (San Francisco, Calif.) 1899-02-05 [p 23] · 2017-12-18 · Iris Paul,.a-perfectly pure white, be-sides enough samples ofothers to make an armful.. yjyyyyy

Isaac rode Flrenzl all over the track, andfinallyfell off the mare, after passing thewire several lengths behind Tea Tray, th«winner. He admitted having drunk aglass of milk punch just before the racebegan.

When the great. Domino finished abso-lutely last in the American Derby at

EXPERTS MY THIS CALIFORNIA CARNATIONSURPASSES THE FAMOUS$30,000 LAWSON

It Is Called the .Hannah. Jlobert and J.as Been Sent East to Contest Jlgainst the Cham-pions at the Philadelphiao c OOO 00 00 0 o o 0 00 00 0o000

o . -O.o Fancy a Flower Worth $30,000. J5 Yet Tiiat-- Is What the. Fa- o°

moukte. Thomas Lawson go Carnation Recently Sold for, oo and Experts Say That the ©o Purchaser Will Double .His 2o „ oo Money. oo o000 J O OO OO OOO OO C 000000000

BOSTON. Jan. 19.—The far-famed' Lawson carnation has beensold for $30,000. The purchaser is Thomas F. Lawson, a financierwell known in this city and New York, and in honor of whose wifethe wonderful plant was named. \u25a0\u25a0 . _:_•_ ».- :*-

'. .Mr. Galvin, who bred the flower,, announces that he has accepted

the offer made by -Mr. Lawson, and that in future the flower willblossom solely for the public gardens of.the city of Boston, that be-ing one of the conditions of the' sale.

'•'.-.,''\u25a0_'\u25a0:\u25a0" \u25a0*, j

When the beauty of the carnation first became known Harlow

N. Higginbotham, the Chicago millionaire,' offered $6,000 for the plant,

and a little later a New York florist offered $15,000 for the flayer.

BOSTONhas her Lawson carna-

tion which sold for $30,000 very

recently, but San Francisco hasa carnation, almost ready forthe market, whicl the ownerdeclares he would not exchange

for $30,000. He says confidently that heexpects to get a great deal more for It.It's a very beautiful flower, and will beexhibited for the flrst time next monthat the National Carnation Society's

Exhibition in Phlla" lphia. yy-Several specimens of this flower were

sent on to Chicago last year and placed

in the Carnation Society's Exhibition.just to give them an

'

idea what theflower w-- like. Of course the flowers

could not be shown to the best advant-age on account

' the distance and thedifference in cllmr.te. Here is what theCarnation Society, In its.report, saidabout the flt 3r: \u25a0.'. yy

Perhaps the most * extraordinaryfeature of this exhibition was thearrival of a large case of bloomsin excellent condition from JohnH. Sievers of San Francisco. Notonly did the flowers arrive inexcel-lent condition for' the opening day(the fourth after picking), but somesamples of Hannah Hobert among vthe dozen others represented in thecollection, had flowers of a deeppink shade and larger and finerthan anything we remember tohave seen in the way of carna-

The Boston carnation measured threeand one-half inches and the San Fran-cisco carnation measured four and one-half inches.

Why, then, did not the San Franciscocarnation receive the first place?

Mr. Sievers exp'.a' ed it t.iis way:"ItIs because the Istance from SanFrancisco to where the exhibition washeld made it impossible for us to enterthe competition and comply with therules of the society. Our flowers hadto be cut before maturity to travel thefour and one-half days. It is. impos-sible to carry blooming.plants such adistance and keep them in good con-dition. The rules of the society re-quire fifty flower cut and bloomingplants. We could not do it.

"But we shall be in the coming ex-hibition in Philadelphia next . month.The secretary liked, the looks of ourflowers which I nt to Chicago lastyear. He has taken our cuttings often varieties and grown them for us inthe East." \ -y;;;'!\u25a0/\u25a0.'\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0. \u25a0

New York prices, nor one-third of NewYork prices, either.

"We cannot supply the demand forthe Hannah Hobert here in San Fran-cisco at $2 a dozen. The Mrs. Lawsonis having a boom. ItIs a fad, and fad-dists must have it at any price. TheHannah Hobert nor the Ethel Crockernor any of our carnations have beenboomed yet."'''How can a' flow—any flower—be

worth $30,000?" :::y.y:.y"Jitst the same as real estate may be

worth $1000 a foot—because itwillbringit. Carnations and roses are staples inflowers. Every rose-grower is tryingto grow a certain red rose. Whoeversucceeds will make a fortune. The"Thomas Lawson" was a good Invest-ment and will pay, because •. the stockmore than doubles every year, and it isa thoroughbred flower." .; -V

"A thoroughbred?": '-.-• .-"Yes.

•Fine flowers are not flne flow-

ers by chance. :It all depends upon theparents we choose.

-, '••"Anyone can hybridize flowers i and

get new species. To get fine results it

Carnation ExhibitThis \Month.

•-'\u25a0'\u25a0 "'."- \u25a0 .. .' .. •

. .———

r-"

.•:';..:\u25a0.:-•

\u25a0

SCIENTIFIC FLOWER-BREEDING THOTIS BEATING SCIENTIFIC HORSE-; BREEDING IN PROFITS.

marry them to get the good qualitiesof both..; -yyy."Itake this one and take away all

the pollen and, destroy the anthers.Then ..'I

- replace the pollen with thatfrom the other flower. That makes twodistinct '.parents for the . seeds :whichform. s -When these seeds . grow theymake the new seedlings."

-.>

"But suppose the seedlings get the

bad instead of the good qualities oftheir parents?"

"Throw them away.""Many?"

-"No. We know the breed of every

flower we have, and keep Its pedigree,so know what to expect when we marry

certain families." '\u25a0'*

"How do you know which to choose?""Ah, that is the whole secret. Itis

all in the choosing.""Sort of Vicar of Wakefield mar-

riages.""Never take two out of the same fam-

ilyor of near kin. Italways degener-ates the flowers."Ihave been working specially with

carnations for thirty years, and thisgreenhouse of seedlings and cuttings isthe result. All this time Ihave beenworking for a definite object, and atlast Ihave it this rose-pink carnation;the Hannah Hobert. Itis a fine bearer,its color is perfect,' the leaves are wellset, it is as large if not .larger thanany other carnation. You can see ithas a perfume of its own."It is a beauty, a deep, clean rose pink.

0000000000 00000000000000© -

.- • \u25a0\u25a0••. -• \u25a0>\ j-- >yyQj.

J Two Carnations, the Hannah Ho- oo bert and the Ethel Crocker, ©

g Have dust Been -Bred in San•

0 Francisco, and the Producer o

5 Says He Would .Not Take, Jo $30,000 for Either of"

o6 Them. i\W £o

"000000000000000000000030

ing; some of the colors, again, .like theopaque effects from an

'amateur's

palette. y ..'->:-"For color, here Is the oddest; .Did;

you ever see a purple cow? The flowerMr. Severs held, up was a perfectmauve, and most extraordinary. Afterthe novelty wore off it might be feltto be beautiful. "ItIs a seedling, andso may not be of value. The cuttingsmay bloom quite differently." : \u0084 \u25a0 \u25a0>'\u25a0.\u25a0\u25a0

"Then you cannot depend :upon seed-lings?" ''.\u25a0-"-'\u25a0 .;'-; .:\u25a0_- y.

"Seedlings are 'sports*. and may turnout badly. Only a cutting of a cuttingcan show a fixed species.*: It-;cannotchange and remains the same size andcolor within slight variations."

"But you know the 'Mrs. Lawson*measured three and a half inches-lastyear. Now it is said *. to be up to sixand a half inches." V..;V:.y

"Did you ever roll a snowball?"' Mr.

Jhe Ethel : Grocker, the Beautiful NeW Carnation NoW Being Raisedin San Francisco.

Comparison Between Boston's Brize Carnation, the Mrs. Thomas Lawson andthe New San Franoisco Carnation, tne Hanna Hobert, Which WillBe Sent

\u25a0 East This Month to Compete "With Itin the Philadelphia Carnation Exhi-bition.

"And will you ask $30,000 for yourHannah Hobert?"

"Itis not in the market.""Would you not take $30,000 for it?""Itis worth more •to us than to. any

one else, and we will control it our-selves." . . '

. "And the jEthel Crocker carnation"Our agent in New York has it for

sale now, and says it will bring morethan the Mrs. Thomas Lawson."

"But you cannot get the prices inSanFrancisco. that they do in New York?"

"No; San -Franciscans, will not pay

takes study and experience to .choosethe right flowers for marriage."

"Even California flowers cannotstand divorce, then?" . ,*.-/.^

"Yes, they can, for you might say itis the divorce which makes the newspecies. .That is just what we do—di-"vorce a flower from itself and marry itto another." -. y. ••> •

"For instance." iy-vi'yi',"Here is a pink carnation which has

good strong stems. There is a red onewhich is a good bloomer but bobs aboutand cannot hold up its head. And we

holding its head up as a queen should.But itis only one. There is the Ethel

Crocker, quite as flne, though a triflesmaller, and a light pink; the HelenDean, a light pink; the John Carbone,a voluptuous old gold, with vermillion;the •Dr. Tevis, a . flaming scarlet; theIris Paul, .a

- perfectly pure white, be-sides enough samples of others to makean armful. . yjyyyyy

Such blooms and such a study to getlost in!,y:Some of the flowers with a"clean" color," as the :artists say, acolor which shines as a Rubens paint-

Washington Park. Chicago, In 1894, thesurprise at his inglorious defeat was notso great as the hollow victory of Rey elSanta Anita. There were a few, however,who were confident that he would win,and, acting under the advice of TrainerHarry McDonald, a party of Cincinnatiplungers. including Johnny Payne and"Kid" Shaw, placed $1500 on the horseat odds ranging"from 40 to 60 to 1. TheCalifornia' horse made a show of his fieldand was running away at the finish sixlengths to the good.

On 'the same day old Peytonia won at_

odds of 250 to 1, but carried only a fewpikers' bets. * - v •'•;\u25a0', -y>:

.The Mrs, Thomas Lawson- Carnation. The Hannah Hobert Carnation.

\u25a0Jhe Jflrs. Thomas baWson Carna-

tion, Recently Sold in Bostonfor $30,000.

, From a Photograph.'

LIVE IN AMONASTERY HIGHIN THE AIRThis monastery, one of several, is on the apex of an impregnable rock,

170 feet above the ground. All that is' known about them is that-- themonks .and wandering friars

'of the middle ages found sanctuary here

when first the crescent and the scimitar ran red with Christian blood.The monastery of St. Stephano is the largest of the seven blocks

which now remain of twenty of the rarest monuments of 'human in-genuity, and ,-entrance to» it.is gained ,by a steep and winding pathamong ,the ,rocks. All the rest are absolutely devoid of access save bythe net or rope or \u25a0 a swinging ladder. With the exception of St.Stephano. ladles are rigorously excluded from moantlng to the monaster-ies. Visitors to the monks' abode announce their presence by shoutinguntil some one far above looks out, and lets the net, which is worked by awindlass, come down. • • \u25a0\u25a0;'\u25a0> •—

THE', village - of Kalambaka—'

which formed-

practically thestarting point of the lateGraeco-

jfTurkish war—lies nestled among

-. the wilderness rof *\u25a0!rocks;.andstones which \u25a0>lie:at the feet of

Meteora, the most wonderful cliffs in

the world. :They are * conglomerate in

formation and :rise in \u25a0 detached massessheer :up - from the Plain of Thessalv.In*appearance they suggest the col-umns of some gigantic : temple, whichhas long since tumbled into ruins, . andthe wonderful handiwork 1 of naturehere set forth haf been crowned by theno less wonderful work of man.

By what strange means the, first cun-

nlnf;archl' --cts of these airy perchessucceeded in reaching the scene of theirlabors is a matter wreathed in mystery.The cliffs are far too smooth and • per-

pendicular for any man to- climb byhand and foot,, and history guardsjealously tha •secret of the monasteries.All that is known about . them

'is that

the monks and wanderln friars of theMiddle Ages found; sanctuary :herewhen flrst the crescent and the scimitarran red with Christian blood.

'

The monastery of St. Stephano is thelargest of the seven blocks which nowremain of twenty of the rarest monu-ments of human ingenuity, and en-trance >to it is .gained by.a

"steep and

winding path among the rocks. Alltherest .;are absolutely devoid 'of access

save by the net and rope or a swingingladder. With the exception of St.Stephano ladies are rigorously excludedfrom mounting to the monasteries. Vis-itors, to the >monks' abode announcetheir presence by shouting until some-one far above looks

-out. and

*lets the

net, which \u25a0is worked by a windlass,come down, y -'

The;

sensation of the ascent Ifoundon visiting the place myself (writes aspecial .; artist-correspondent .

of . theDally Graphic) was distinctly novel.Seated on the ground in the }center ofthe \net the meshes „were, one by onelooped on to a large Iron hood. Asthe rope became taut,. the cords presseduncomfortably hard upon ,variouspoints of one's body, and .s there wasa strong wind blowing, itswung to andfro and bumped *its human .appendageagainst the cliff. The rope, as it slowly

wound on. the drum !up in the monas-tery, kinked occasionally, and :the Jerkgave one the impression that the rick-ety concern war giving way. *

The journey through the air endedsafely, however, on a platform 170 feetabove *the ground, . and the •;

monkspromptly extricated • their ,visitor

-from

the entangling mesh. The place wasdlstlnctl. dark and draughty, and therewere iaany winding passages and steps

to stumble over before the room wasreached in which the Abbot sat. andwaited the arrival of his visitor. Hisdelicately cut features, his gentle voiceand stately bearing were only whatone would expect of a man whoselife had been spent in a place so farabove the

'world, amid such .lofty .

surroundings.'

.' v Vy y

. A young monk, with bare feet, en-tered the room noiselessly andhanded round small cups of Turkishcoffee and a cigarette, and seatedwith these, beside one on the divanbeneath the window, one could en-Joy, to the ifull the glorious view ofthe plain spread out like a map be-low,, with the gleaming snow peaksof the Pindos Mountains In the dis-tance. Then followed a long ramble* ,

.'through the wainscoted dormitoriesof _. the monks the rock-floored re- ,fectory, the richly decorated chapel, -.and the little graveyard which slopedaway from it.down to,the,very edge .of the precipice. Itwas with many apleasant 1recollection of the monks .ofMeteora .- .that we finally bade themgood-by ere they pushed us off fromtheir landing-stage and launched usonce more into s ace. \u25a0:'\u25a0>

Long hair on a man is very apt to covera multitude of cranky ideas. .'

THE SAW FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1899.

Continued on Page \u25a0 Thirty-two.'"'

TURF WINNINGS.

Continued from Page Twenty-two.

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