Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1868-01-08
have an outline view of this hollow
THE COUNTRY.

We sVEieIlure polue VIZ" y w. ~ -
progress of New England, with her two
natural productions, granite and ice.
Holland has ice enough in winter, but she
has not a block Of granite Her natural
productions were Wild grasses and water
fowl. OF all countries in Europe, outside
of the frigid zones, Holland was the most
unpromsing for agriculture, but Dutch
. perseverance and industry has made it
: the greatest butter and cheese producing
country ia the world. 1t is q country Of
: thrift Every other Europan nation ia
7 either running behind hand in its yearly
accounts, or barely meeting expenses; but
Holland keeps her Treasury full without
; recourse ~ loans except lor extraordinary
J expenses. The national debt is nearly
four hundred million dolars, which is be,
! ing reduced each year Since 1913, the
, year Of revolution, more Than one hundred
million dollars Of the debt has been paid
, of.
The people of the United States hear
very little about Holland. We think of
it as having played a glorious part in the
18th century, when Admiral Won Iromp
carried broom at his mast head, to let
the world know that he swept the ocean !;
we thiuk of it as a nation that has had
It's day and as now playing all insignificant
part in European affairs. 1t is over
shadowcd by England, France, Prussia,
Russia, Austria and Italy. 1t is a small
pation--four millions Of people--but it Is
a mistake to think Of then as eiictc, as
sinking down into old age rich, coutcntcd
with their guider9, smoking their pipes,
raising cabbagcs, aud content with what
thcy have. In fact Holland is keeping
pace with the age Amsterdam was once
the g,eat commcrcial centre of Europe,
but the grand canal by which vessels
came to her wharves is totally
inadequate to the necessities OF
modern commerce, and Holland
has lost much Of the carrying trade
which she once possessed. but the bu:gh-
er5 are not asleep. They have now in
process Of construction new canal shorter
than The old. wide, deep. and capacioas
enough for the largest steamship They are
dc,crullucl to recover what they have lost,
) hy making Amslerdan the entrepou for
central Europe a.
The mercantile marine Of Holland is
about 100000 tons. This little State,
one third the size of New York in area,
maintains navy Of between SO and 80
vessels, carrying nearly 1000 guns. II
has an annual revenue Of more than so,
900, 900 Besides cayiyiDg on the gov.
ernmeut, paying the interest on the debt,
, it manages to put about S5,000000 into
the sitking fund for the cxtinguishment
of the debt, and to carry Oh besides the
pu5lc improvements Thrift, industry
ard progress are distinctly visible to the
most casual observer .......
, VISIT TO A DUTCH DAIRY.
Taking a Commjssionoire from An
steldam, went into the country to visit
. farm and dairy. A boatman took us
across an arm of the Zuyder Zee, landing
us at an ale house whore a half dozen old
fishermen were summing themselves, snoli-
ing their pipes, squat on the ground. 1t
was picture for painter. lnever shall
forget the imperturbable gravity of the
old codgers in their baggy breeches, c0ps-
cioas enough for corn sacks, reminding us
of the breeches worn by the Ten Brooks Of
New Amsterdam, as described by Died,
rich Knickbocker. Ienicrs has painted
just such pictures men in sloucby hats,
weather beaten countcnances, smoking
pipes around the fire of village ale
houqc--slow Of speech. silent by the
hour. a .l
, While the horses were being harnessed
J we warmed ourselves by the fire in the
: ale house, aud had the privilege Of enjoy
ing the smiles of two buxom Dutch dam
sells with eyes as bright and checks as
/ fresh as those which were 80 charming to
the eyes of Ichabod Crane in the village
of Sleepy Hollow. Not understanding
, Dutch, our conversation WAS limited to
smiles. mods. winks and pautomime The
floor was spriDkled with clean white sand,
: wrought into fauciful igures by broom,
, bringing to remembrance New England
kitchens of my childhood, in the lopg
, sultry 'sunmer days. swept and sanded
, after the work of the mornings was over.
; An old Dutch clock tickel in one corner,
and with each tick a fleet of ships rocked
, to and fro on stormy ocean above the
: dial plate. There were shelves filled
! with delft ware. covered with quaint old
fgures--such tea cups. saucers and dinner
. plates as were in use two centuries ago,
, If YOU want to be carried back to the
/ good old times. just enter Dutch dwell