At this time the husband of my sister Evangeline came to me, and then he went to Alaska but returned soon after and told me he wanted to go home. I sent him home, and he came back with John, his son, whose fare I paid to come to San Francisco. When he came, I put him to work in my restaurant. I had also, in my store, a Samian who used to be cook for the Russians and for the Russian bishop Nicholas, who loved all the Greeks. At that time we ourselves had no church.

I took this Samian and told him I wanted him to be manager of the store until I came back from the old country. No one was to be paid until that time, to which all of them agreed. I told the woman who kept the rooms upstairs clean to care of John, my nephew, because she had a daughter. I got ready and bought three tickets. I had with me about $6,000.00, not including much jewelry. At that time I was like a prince: one diamond costing $1,500.00, a pin, and another diamond of $1,000.00 on my hand. A man, a countryman, asked me to bring his wife, whom he had left after marrying her and leaving her pregnant. He gave me an extra $50.00. I went to church, told everybody good-by, and they told me what whatever I had done good to them God would more than repay me.

When I reached home, my home was not large enough to celebrate with my relatives. I then bought a new one and large one, got married, took my wife to Athens and bought her silk clothes, gave her all my diamonds. Then I dress myself in the height of fashion and then go back to my home town, where all might see that I take excellent care of my wife, and then they said I was a millionaire. I got letters every day from America and also the San Francisco Examiner, to read the news. One day an Austrian came back home with his wife, and we began to speak in English, much to all the astonishment of my countrymen.

I received news that the restaurant was about to fall into ruins and so I prepared for another journey, with my wife. Also the wife of a friend, with her child. We left and went for Marseilles. Then we went to Paris, where we spent two days until the time should come for New York.

On the ship there were all kinds of folks, Russians, mostly Italians, and all kept jabbering together, so that there was a sea of talking, and you could not even hear yourself talk, even. Then I got the wife of my friend to play the mandolin, and we all danced, until the policeman came. Whereupon I gave each one $1.00 and a little wine, and they went and left us alone.

After five days we reached New York. We put up at an Italian hotel and the next day started for New Orleans. After that we went to Sacramento, where we spent a very nice time at a koumbaros of mine. Then I lose no time but telegraph to the restaurant, tell the Samian that I will be down in a week. But, on the contrary, I go down right away and find him drinking and eating with some Mexicans! I told them good day, but he, the brute, was astonished and thought I was a ghost. I asked him to show me the bank book, to see if he had put any money in the bank, and he had not. I asked him why, and he said that he had the money in his pocket, which was $1,300.00. I gave him $300.00 for three months that he had worked and made away with him. Then I saw that there were bills unpaid for $2,500.00. The very same day I went to the bank and drew out $3,000.00 and paid every penny and began my work with a clean slate again.

I brought my wife down, we bought a house, where after seven months, Chrissie, a girl, was born to us. I gave her my mother's name. After one year, we had another girl, Adamantia. We had her baptized in the Russian church. Then I thought about our having a church. But, before I tell you this, let me relate the doings of the community before this happened. I myself was a member of Seal Rock and also the Eagles Order and I used to see how they went about helping their order progress. So I did likewise among the Greeks, so that in a little time I had more than doubled the members of the society. One time we went to the Russian church all dressed in evzonic dress, and everybody marveled. And after that the Russian priest gave a huge dinner in our honor, after which we repaired to our hall and, at the end of the meeting, we deposited $1,000.00 in the bank.

One of the members, a fisherman, quarreled with another man, and this other man killed him. Whereupon we were obliged to bury our brother. But there was no Greek priest at that time, so we paid the Russian bishop $10.00 and his fare going and coming from his house, and he came and read the mass over the deceased. We buried him in the Serbian cemetery, at the Cliff House.

Then, there were only 500 Greeks here. Now there are 12,000 and there are 12,000 quarrels. But then we were few and loving toward one another.

Now I shall relate to you the troubles of the beginning of the Hagia Trais church. There was nobody who asked that we might have a church, except myself. I was the least among the others in wealth but the one born to do good deeds. We engaged a small hall on Sutter St., and the first two meetings we did nothing. At the third meeting, I became angry and told all of them that I was able to build the church all by myself but I didn't want to shame any one present. I told them to take paper and write each what his idea was and what we intended to do and I would write my name last of all, that this paper we would send to the Bishop of over home, and he would send us leave to build a church. Then we would take up a subscription to do the act of all good Christians. Then, I said, when we have all things ready, we should give a big dinner and invite some of the big heads, to make a good impression and bring some good luck: let us invite the consul, the secretary of the mayor, Julius Kahn, and Professor Putzker, who loves anything Greek and speaks the Greek language well.

That night of the dinner, I put on all my diamonds and received the strangers at the door and showed them to their seats. Then, my countrymen, seeing me in this splendor of dress, told me that I should be the president of the affair if I wanted success. I asked them if they were satisfied for me to be, and they said, yes. Then I took the president's chair and spoke to my countrymen to be very respectful to the strangers, because it would be a great shame if we showed ourselves disrespectful or arrogant in any way. Then I introduced first off Julius Kahn, because he was a big man, who stood up and said,

"My Greek brethren, it seems that I see before me tonight all the Greek geniuses, Pericles, Plato, and many other Greek names that all of you know that I have no time to bring before you. As I look upon you tonight, it seems that I am in the company of the Athenian philosphers, and you know that the world is safe today because such men lived. All the universities of the world are teaching their sayings and their ways. Oh, thank you for your love, and I want to tell you that you will succeed and are lucky to have such a leader as Alex Kosta. And I am glad to do all I can to help you in this your cause." And thus ended his speech.

Next, the secretary of the mayor spoke and said that, as long as they had Alexander Kosta, they would surely succeed. He would do all he could to help us, too, he said. Then Martin, the Greek consul, spoke and said that, as long as they had me as leader, there was no doubt about their succeeding. Then Professor Putzker spoke. He stood and said that the great joy of his heart was to see so many Greeks there that night, and the tears came down his eyes. He said that he felt as if he were in Athens, amid the wealth of civilization and its great men and that, if he had a wish, it was that he might die in Athens. He said that the only Greek he knew was myself, and that God wished us to do some good and that one good would be to build a church unto Him.

Then there was silence. Then it was my turn to speak, and God gave me courage, and my whole body burned with a fire of courage, from head to foot, and, excusing myself first to the Americans, said, "Greeks, fellow men, friends, and brothers, and Christians. We have only one language, one religion, one flag. Let us try and decide to build a church, because it is a bad thing for us not have a church. I am sure that we shall succeed and I myself first of all put $100.00 down." Then I sat down. Then you should have seen all the Greeks who were present throwing their hats up in the air and saying, "Zito Hellas!"

And then we began in order and that night we got together $750.00. Then I thanked everyone, and thus ended the first meeting of our club. Then they said, "What shall we do?" And I said, "Don't be afraid, now that we have begun our work. Let us go to all our countrymen and strangers and ask them to give whatever they can, and then we talk things over better." In three days we had collected $2,500.00. Then they say to me, "Brother Kosta, we have enough money to rent a hall, get a priest, and a chanter, and in this way we'll begin our church." Then I tell them that we mustn't have a hall where we shall have night owls over our heads, dancing and carrying on scandalously. I tell then, "The club of the community has already $2,500.00. I double the amount, and let us buy a lot." Then we engaged Dimitrakopoulos to find a proper place for a lot, near the Greeks. He found a place near Montgomery Street, and they asked $5,500.00.

The next day we went to put the deposit down, and the man wanted $6,000.00 instead. I told the community that we would not find a better place than that, and we gave $500.00 deposit. In a week the papers would be ready, and, on the following Monday, we should all of us be at the place of deposit at 10 o'clock. On that day, three of us came only, and Vamvalis, who had the $2,000.00 was gone! I asked where he was and found out that he had beat it to Fresno. Now we would lose the deposit if we did not pay down some more money. Then I went to the bank and drew $6,000.00 and bought the place in my own name, since nobody else would advance any penny more.

After a while Vamvalis came and gave me the $2,000.00 church money. But there was not enough money to build yet. And the Greeks told me they had to wait to make money before they could give more. Then I tought of a plan: the next meeting, I called one of the men and said, "Do you know any Greek who has money?" And he said, "Yes, I do." "All right. Tonight you tell them that I am not a good president and that I must resign and leave the rest to me." Whereupon, he did, and I said then, "All right, I resign, and you find me a right to take my place and I kiss him on the cheek." He said, "All right, I choose Mr. Kapsimalis." (See Kapsimalis news article) And he went out among the workers on his place and in a week he brought back $3,000.00. Then we began to build the Hagia Trais church. Then I got a contractor for $5,000.00, and the building began.

End of Part 7 --> Go to Part 8