Verhovayak Lapja, 1940. január-június (23. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)
1940-03-14 / 11. szám
Page 2 March 14, 1940 Travels Abroad the Verhovay Tlie Big Apple and a Philosophic Interlude (EDITOR’S NOTE: The reflections, particularly the Biblical interpretations of Mr. Chontos, philosopher-poet, may not quite tie with the opinions of some of our readers. In publishing this article the Journal is following its policy of impartial liberalism and the recognition of the right of every one to his or her opinion.) Verhovayak Lapja My with i. We were startled when suddenly out of nowhere, as it were, a station appeared. It was the railroad station of Lawocsne, the frontier town between Poland and Hungary. Here for the first time we set eyes on real Hungarian police and railroad officials, At this station the Polish officials turned the entire train over to the Hungarian customs men and passport officials. “What a difference,” we thought to ourselves. These men were genuine Hungarians polite, good looking, full of life and eager to make a good impression. At last we were in Hungary. Many of us were thirsty. A glass of cold water? Why certainly! Huge water buckets and drinking glasses were at once furnished and we had our fill of water, which had been scarce in Poland. A curious throng of spectators looked on with wide eyes. Our caps, having the American flag cleverly displayed on one side, seemed to be the center of attraction. Here and there we caught the remark, “Amerikából jöttek!” “Is there anyone here from Pittsburgh or McKeesport?” “Why certainly, I’m from McKeesport!” “Give my regards and warmest greetings to Reverend Joseph Urbán and his family, won’t you?” “With pleasure.” I was indeed thrilled. I knew the people well. Thousands of miles from home I was asked to convey a message to people in my own home town, and whom I know. From Voloc we continued to Munkács. Here we received the first official Hungarian welcome. The mayor of the city welcomed us with a truly patriotic speech. There wasn’t a dry eye when Mr Bartholomew Kun acknowledged the warm welcome of the city, which so recently came back to the Hungarian fold. In closing his speech Mr. Kun dramatically kissed the soil of this thousand year old land. We had to leave Munkács hurriedly for the interior of Hungary. It was a shame that our stay was cut short, as the city turned out in full dress to welcome us. Members of the Municipal Band, Fire Department, Men’s Choir and Gypsy orchestras were there to honor By Alexander J. Goydan us. The local police stood at attention while our train slowly pulled out of -the station, amidst the singing of “Szép vagy, gyönyörű vagy, Magyarország! ” We were the first American group to visit Munkács since its restoration to millennial Hungary. Hungary is beautiful and lived up to our expectations. The rolling country and the large level fields of wheat swaying in the mid-summer breeze are incomparable. Hardly had we time to finish our free meal in the dining car of the train when we were told that we were in Csap. For the first time since leaving Hungary 33 years ago Mr. Kun met his mother here. The joy supreme on their faces war drowned in a deluge of tears of happiness. Csap is a busy city and a center for dispatching of trains to various parts of Hungary. The loud clear voice of the dispatcher could be heard announcing that the train for Budapest on tiack 4 was leaving at once. As not all of the group were Contest winners we lost some at every station. On our way to Budapest we passed thru larger cities, such as Sátoraljaújhely and Miskolc, and smaller villages. Our train was an hour late. Soon the outskirts of Budapest loomed into sight. We traveled along a lighted highway for an entire hour. We asked Marie Gallovich, who had been to Hungary two years previous, how much longer we had to travel. She had little to say. The conductor informed us that in fifteen minutes we’d be there. We hurriedly began to gather our belongings. Slowly we steamed into the Keleti Pályaudvar station. We stayed on the train until all the other passengers left. Then six horses couldn’t have held us back. Names were called. Before long I was in the arms of my grandfather, my aunt and my other relatives. I had never seen them before, except thru the medium of photographs which were rather old. It’s a queer world but one feels the presence of kinship. I feel that if I had never seen a picture of my relatives I should have recognized them in the crowd. Who has not, at one time or another, remarked, “If only Adam and Eve had not eaten that apple! We would not have to wear clothes today, or work, or anything.” This would be a sure cue for indulging in some heavy day-dreaming, wherein the speaker would reconstruct in his mind’s eye a picture of that hypothetical life, a life of uninterrupted and endless lolling and wandering about the corot-like landscape, drinking in the beauties of the scene pastoral and being blithely happy at not having anything more to do than doing nothing and being happy. Waste not your time with such visionary wool-gathering, my mundane brethren, for I shall presently show Those whose relatives, could not be present were also gay and happy. Mary Szabó of South Bend, Indiana and Marie Gallovich of Detroit, Michigan carried the American and Hungarian banners, while Supreme Treasurer Michael J. Varga gave a speech of thanksgiving in the spacious waiting room. Here the official representatives of the City of Budapest and representatives of the World Congress for Hungarians (Magyarok Világszövetsége) welcomed us. The band struck up a rousing march tune as we proceeded to waiting taxies bearing the title “Metropole Hotel.” One by one the taxies pulled up to the doors of the Metropole which was a beehive of activity thenceforward. After being assigned to our rooms (Alexander Debreczeni and I in one room), we had our first meal in teal Hungarian atmosphere for which we had been so eagerly waiting. In the open air gardens of the hotel we dined till we felt we could eat no more. The Hungarian music of a Gypsy orchestra helped us digest our food and more than an hour passed when we decided to see a little of the city. We were really tired and it wasn’t long before we returned to the hotel to get a good night’s rest in preparation for a day of sightseeing on the morrow. (To Be Continued.) 'you why such wishful thinking is vain and also wherein lies the fallacy of your fuzzy cerebral processes. Let us suppose, for the sake of my thesis, that our two illustrious forbears did not transgress the edict of God, but that they simply continued living on thus into eternity, just the two of them in their placid way. If that had been the case the rest of us would not be here at all to speculate about the matter, nor could we be conscious of being behind the eight-ball as we are. Let us now take the alternative. Suppose that this time, even though Adam and Eve still did not eat of the forbidden fruit, but that the Lord saw fit to create in His image, more of His children, friends for the first two. Suppose that He continued to do thus, peopling His Paradise until there were a great many, say two billion, as there are today. Now can you imagine this vast multitude living on and on; every one remaining simon-pure? People being what they are, that is, composed of all kinds and being equipped with different characters and passions, it would be the veriest chimera to assume that it could have been otherwise, particularly when the original two and only two could not resist the wiles of the serpent. We would have been eventually banished from Heaven anyway. It just had to happen that way. This does not mean that 1 give any credence to that school of thought which holds that a so-called Fate has pre-ordained a destined path for everything and everybody. I mean that this turn of events was predetermined by the fallible nature of Man. To that extent it was in the cards for us to live in this Vale of Tears, to settle and till the land, to establish governments, wage wars, establish empires, to make discoveries and inventions, and to develop into our modern complex machine-age civilization. But it seems very easy to me to make the best of our lot. There is so much to do and so many things in which to find happiness that I might say I am almost glad Adam and Eve reneged. Imagine a life that knew no perversity, one that was devoid of such things as reading books, smoking pipes, going to concerts and technicolor talkies, dancing in. night clubs and drinking highballs, no Christmas and Easter, no ice or rollerskating or bike riding, no golf or tennis, no popular recordings, no owning an automobile, no visits to art galleries, no school days, no world travel or fine clothes or politics, no striving for recognition and success, or none of the myriad other things that make life the thrilling adventure that it is. Whether the high-strung type of the man of today who is living at the rate of two hundred miles an hour would have been happy in Adam’s shoes (had he had shoes) is problematical. Whether he (Adam) was contented because his temperament so admirably suited his untrammeled mode of living or whether it was because he had no conception of Twentieth Century life is also conjectural. But be that as it may, I only hope that when I eventually get “up there” (inveterate optimist that I am) I will be able to recall all of this life “down here” and view in retrospect all these worldly pleasures, for then I will be really satisfied and ready to meander serenely through the dells and glades and the woodlands, to linger by and listen to the sweet music of the brooklet, to marvel at the loveliness of the incomparably beautiful countryside and, doing so, do nothing more forever and ever. ARPAD CHONTOS Branch 430, Homestead, Pa.--------------O--------------Salt is a very common product of Mother Nature, and very necessary to make things taste worthwhile. And a product that’s just as common to us humans is thinking. But you have to sprinkle it properly. Think right, and you’ll do right. If you are going to do something that’s bad, THINK, and you. won’t, do it. If you’re going to do something that’s good, THINK, and you’ll do it much better. * * * There is no substitution for the GENUINE in anything—sincerity, kindness, understanding or love. The genuine never changes regardless of the climate, conditions or times.
