New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-12
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THE GUIDE-BooK Observation-Disclosures HAND,
~ Bo0K-METAMoRPHosI OF A DUTCH CITY, IL,
| j T9I IRON OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT go.
Amsterdam, July 28.-It happened that came to
Amsterdam by way of Antwerp. On reaching Am
sterdam. it happened that took mp copy Of
Harper's Hand book for Travellers in Europe, and
with curiosity natural to travellers, turned to see
what this authority had to say Of the city had just
seem Its information is so novel and curious that 1,
seems to deserve circulation wider than that of the
Handbook itself Some Of it IS not to be found in
any other book Some of it iscontradicted by other
books and good deal more by the evidence OF ones
eyes but that only makes it the more interesting to
the wearied pleasureseeker, who Graves nothing SO
much as new sensations. OF the Handbook, as a
whole may have something to say hereafter.
have heard of it, and Of its author in good many
places In Europe and the anecdotes have favornOt
without piquancy to those who fond Of scandal.
have heard travellers complain of its Ignorance, its
venalty its impOstions its impertinet intrusion Of
odious opinions, and its funkeysm On all these
points something might be said, perhaps but the
Antwerp chapter will fill as much space as can
spare to-day. Let the critics find what fault they
may. feel sensation of pride in finding how high
the American genius has been able to soar above the
region of facts and how superior is this great
work to the trashy compilations of such mere tyros
and sclolists as Murray and Baedeker. Listen, and
you shall learn something you win not find else
where. .- '' '--'-' .'
Antwerp, we are told at Che beginning Of the chap
ter contains So 900 inhabitants-a statement lncon
testably true but not quite the whole truth. Baede
ker-of whose guide to Belgium and Holland fifth
Crench) edition appeared fortnight since-reckons
the population at ll7y34; Murray more loosely at
125 00O The principal hotel, says Harper, Is St. An
tome most admirably conducted IL Is one of the
principal hotels doubt, but the Hotel dc PEuFoR
is better known and - at least the equal OF
the St. AntOinea and there. are halt
dozen others which Murray and Baedekel
think worthy Of notice. Here, as elsewhere Mr.
Fetridge--whose name may mention as it figures
on the title page and in gilt letters the back of the
Hand book. and it would be cruel to deny him the
credit of his wOrk-registers his opinion as final Ii
does not seem to occur to HIM that all purses may
not be equally long, that all travellers do not ENJOY
those peculiar advantages conceded by some Land
lords to one who announces himself as the editor OF
Hand book Of European Travel. 1t must be adj
mitted however. that Mr.. Fetridge allows bis fol-
lowers good deal of variety in different citiesi
taking them sometimes TO hotel of high class,
sometimes to one which every old traveller knows te
be second or thrd-rate. In the of Antwerp the
pupii Va ~ , os 11y ss1As.y away IRON Uity
the general aspect of whichThe will learn With,
surprise" is that Of decay" With touching pathot
our author adds THE numerous line buildings
which it contains bespeak rather the opuienee Oh i
| merchants in by-gone times than the present
day. The Scheldt is now comparatively, denpded
of shipping, and the passing traveller may notice
only a few barges passing slowly ND and down
river which was once the highway of European COM
mercep rubbed my eyes on reading this, and
read it again. / have no Doubt Mr.. Fetridges
| description is perfectly accurate for the nme
when he wrote. The date of his book is
could cSSIi be- be- found ' of the niTacalo{is energy
| of people who. in a single year, have trans
! formed this decaying city into great emporium
alive with enterprise, and made this deserted rVer
| once more the highway of European commerce
THE enlargement of the city, says the Baedeker OF
I 1S69-ony year after Mr.. Fetridge saw the melan-
choly spectacle of decay makes gigantic progress
above an toward the South and East The Old Lortt
fcatiOns, to-day included IN the city liselt, baVs
been converted into bouleyards with adjacent parks;
That the statement Of Baedeker is true now myself
saw Streets and squares are multiplying and long
rows of dwellIng-hOuSes are rising. lhey seem To
indicate the Opuence OF merchants Of the present
rather than of bygone times aud are doubtless the
work of the 81 S94 inhabitants who have been added
! to the population of the city since Mr. tetrldge
wrote in 1863 BY their efforts, also, the few barges,
passing slowly up and down the Seheldt IN 1868 have
been replaced in 1862 by fleets OF steamers and sea-
going ships, which lsaw as assembled mat stream n
| on Sunday morning. Indeed 1883 must have been q
snRuarly unlucky year. for 1t appears that IN 1867
293 vessels entered the docks, which would not IN
cude the numerous passenger steamers plying d;Ily
| between Antwerp ana the ports OF ISnglaEu' iiol-
There is scarcely anything for. which Antwerp is
| more remarkable than for ITS fortlhcatlons. us
recent military history is at least as interesting as
| its older experience, but Mr. Fetridge must be IN
conspiracy with the Peace Society 10 bring all tins
! into dsrepute. The student may read hun from END
| 10 end without discovering that Antwerp has lott
or gun. Murray tells us that the old ramparts nave
| been removed and that Notifications on wider
circle perhaps the most scientific in Europe have
converted Antwerp into an lntrenched camp. lnley
| are visible from within and from without frownlng
on YOU rs you ascend the Scheidt. One might sup
pose these too had all been bull tsince Mr. Fetndges
visit in 1868 but the volume OF Murray when aes %
them has. oddly enough, the same year on us ltle
page. Eqhally might the traveller who trusts Harper
leave Antwerp ignorant of the existence OF the new
basins and docks lately built and still building ON
| scale which few works of the kind IN Europe sur
! pass III he goes to the Cathedral under the same
guidance he VIII try to believe that ~ Is oVO IecO
long and fatigue his Imagination IN the enuea,oIh
Its frne length il $50 feot Considering how much
Fetridge copies from Murray, he might az least GlAo
the trouble to copy correctly: lie lnlght also, V,o
would think have allowed his reader TO know OF te
existence Of the Hotel de Vile though It Is clearly
unreasonable 10 expect writer ot tins hlgh Oiuef 20
give us information about such proSac maJtels rs
shops restaurants, pOstOice, tetegraps, ana CABS
Yet there are moments when the traveller W0ulu DO
almost as grateful for such knowledge rs for Mr. Ell
ridges personal opinions on the Mary OF kuDens OF
for his wholesale puff of retail sir merchants SHOP
But what he does give IN the way Oh ~ not az
teIuptiuQ more At the beginning OF the cnapteL no
| brings his traveller from Mechln lMalnesl 10 Aht-
werp stating the distance at II miles iare TWO lnes
80 cents; time - minutes. About the distance ne Is
not far wrong; it is "a Kilometres. 10y ordinary tram
the frstc class fare is TWO francs; the time Al minutes,
By express the fare is two trancs oO cents Ihe lo
* minutes AT the end. he takes us TO Rotterdam,
giving the distance 80 miles, fare 10 francs lho
| three hours Is minutes. BY which routet IL W
steamer distance. time, and fare are all wrong II