The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-10-04

Amsterdam is the neatest city in the
world. 1t is kept in this condition sys-
tematically, aud undsrsoss rigid purti-
cation every Saturday. Every house then
presents scene of unexampled activity,
both inside and out. Then are pat into
operation all the moppng, and sweeping
aud brushing, and scrubblng, aud busting,
that the housewives of the old school
knew so we'll how TO make use OF in the
practice of their profession. This process
is not confined to the threshold and mar
bic steps. flight of which is soon rubbed
full of holes; the pavement, walls, win
dows, and each individual brick in front
OF the building are all ciesnsed in the same
thorough manner. Spots cut OF reach OF
the hand are visited BY well aimed stream
from small engiae Kept by every family
for that purpose.
The results Of al this weekly expurga-
ton are sometimes disastrous to The I'M
sophisticated stranger. On emerging
from his hotel fvr the first time early on
Saturday morning. lie medilates in phi
losophlcsl way ON the prospect Of i deli
cious walk before breakfast. He walks
on in sort of delicious dreamy a bstrac.
ton. thinking OF the solsnn and impress
siye appearance of great city in its sum-
bers. the entire deseyiion # streets lately
SO crowded, and the absence OF that busy
hum of industry which, he siys to
himself, zone short hour will call into
fresh lie and action, how short" when
he is startled from his revery by an ava
isnche Of water OF his hat.
Taking it for granted that water.
spout has burst forth from the nearest
canal lie takes refuge under The next
porch, aud, after recovering from his
fright, looks forth to see nothing bat aa
ambitious servant girl, sort of ws,er-
nymph, who. having pursued an indis-
Greet spider, the last of his race, to the
top Of the spout. is throwing bowlsfull Of
water at him TO bring him to terms. Aft
ter repairing damages, he again ventures
forth, only to receive on his shoulders
two or three blows from muddy broom,
intended for d mosquito that had been so
foolish as to rise from the canal where he
belonged. He progresses still further,
when stream propelled from small
hand-engine With more than the vigor of
Coehituate, demolishes entirely The elabo-
rate efforts of his laundress. At length.
becoming bewildered and unable. rom
the quantity of water with which the
streets are flooded, to distinguish them
from the canals, he completes his philo
sophical tour by wslking into one of the
latter and taking delicious bath before
breakfast Being thence fshed GU. by
the nearest domestic, the helpless saraat
is conveyed into his hotel in state Of
lmbecility. Flies in Amsterdam would
enjoy life less than anywhere else in the
world. Their race has long since died out.
aud, were one to make his appearance in
the street, he would be mobbed. Mud is
Kept down with strong arm, and the
rising of cloud of dust is instantly re-
pressed with the most stringent rigors of
the law. Dirt has been aptly termed
nothing but a thing in the wrong place,
and, AS tbr Hollanders have long nrac-
ticed on this definition. and have place
Tor everything and everything in its place, |
there Is hardly any substance in their
country thai comes under the name Of
dirt Boston Herald.