The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-09-28
WELL u y , i Y /: I E1D \ Il cH b
Who Bid Defiance to the Raging Sea, and
Even Propose to Capture More Sand HI
from It's Depths &'%
a Quser MIXTURE Of the Monotonous and Pic
tufesque in the Scenery and Curl
fous Costumes of the People.

tufesque In the Scenery and Curl
tous Costumes Of tho People. q
Very cody Country. ii the Old Adage Rela..
tive to Cleanliness Hold Il .[
True.
AlrsTERDAar, Holland, Special Correspond
enoe. Sept 1.-This is the only country in the
world where war always prevails. Tho inhab-
iaauts, though they are not warlike In bearing,
nsver know q moment Of real peace. The
stsge is perpetual; the peril imminent and
osnstant The besieged. inheritlng the savage
conflict from generation to generation, have
thrown up huge fortifoations thousand miles
long, and begirt themselves with fortresses
stzonger than those which flank the Thames or.
those which protect the great harbors of
France An army OF observation marches and
oountermarohes, never relaxing vigilance while
the foo, now advancing and now resting, ever
tAunders angrily at the gates. More than 500
years ago the fight began; it will continue, I'M
diminished in ferocty, 500 years hence. The
foe Is the sea; his allies, the rivers and the
lakes Tho Hollander says in the intervals Of
this strange conflict: "God made the sea; we
sees<AS VIZ A0uAs 4Ao 0ppAoC16tob3 DO uOUOuy
else can, the fact that nature is the constant
enemy,of man and that civilization is man.
made-the result of claiming her fierce moods
and refining her coarse methods Holland was
originally sort Of archipelago vast sea
made, shallow by the alluvium washed down
from Central Europe through the changing
channels Of great streams. The area was equal
to that of Massachusetts, and Connecticut Here
and there the sand and mud washed level with
the surface of the water and on this trembling
raft the people clustered, and grew precarious
food, and spawned broods of surprised chill
dren and fought ever for frmer footing. Now
they drove back the ocean; now the ocean
drove them back and drowned them out For
many centuries they have slept on the battle
field with weapon in hand and armor on, never
relaxing effort and never feeling for moment
secure The incesssnt combat has made them
robust, patient, vigorous and overcoming
people. But the victories have not been all on
one side. Every ten years, or co. the savage
sea would storm the Notifications and drown
10000 or 10000 Of the farmers. Then,
when the sand dunes were too low for defense,
they built great system of dykes, reaching
far beneath the tides and Ear below, the won
der of the world. Still the brigand Meuse
would steal through its walls, or the ryder Zee
would burst its prison, or the barbarian sea
would leap its barriers, and there was q de-
struotive inundation about once in seven years
for centuries Once $4,000 people were
drowned. at another time 100, OOO-a slsugh-
ter three times as great Us that at Waterloo.
More than once since that great battle was
fought %, 900 Hollanders have been swept
away on single overflow. But the survivors
were obstinate. They drove back the sea and
rebuilt their villages. They streng thened the
defences along the coast, aud erected wind
mills upon them which necessarily pumped
out the water and poured it into the sea. They
put the rampant rivers in strait aokets of solid
masonry, divided them 80 that they would be
harmless, and taught, them dooility. Then
they constructed walls around the great lakes,
started wind mills on them, and pumped the
water out and poured it into the sea- In this
way they have reclaimed more fertile land
than there is in the State of Rhode
Island. 1t was like draining Lake George.
An enterprise is now on foot to
build dyke across the great inland gulf, the
Znider Zee. pump the lower half dry and ex-
pose to the sun a vast area of alable land. 1t
would be below the level of the sea, of course,
but the Dutch farmers are accustomed to pillow
below the level Of the keels of the ocean
steamers of tho coast Significant indeed,
are the arms Of Hollands lion swimming in
the sea.
NOT VERY PICTURESQUE
rode 100 mills across the country yester-
nay. It is about as monotonous al the Jersey
fats. don't see how on earth it is that Dutch
artists, old and new, have succeeded in OK
pressing 80 much beauty and sentiment III
,pietures Of these level lands, which possess
int1inscary 20 little sentiment or beauty.
Most of our through the polders-land
which was onc5 the bottom of the sea. No
fences anywhere. Along the railroad, on the
..sland side, WAS a broad, deep ditch,
sand. ct right angles with this, other
i Gtches at intervals OF few rods, flowed
level full Of water and disappeared in the
grass far inland. On the ocean side Of the
StzAin' huge embankmenr rose, and sails were
visible above it. and foamy waves leaped up
here and there, and peeped over jealously at
the fertile acres and the ad-backed brindle
COWS grazing. On the embankment windmils,
with enormous wings, like the sails of mer-
chantmau, worked their pumps in sluggish
confidence Of victory. Every fifty rods along
the bitches wooden gates rose, to cover small
bridges set there for COMMUNICATIONS the
only object except the!cows, to break the vision.
Attempts are being made to grow trees, and,
ut rather distant intervals. q little house is set,
and the occupant has carted on enough dry
vegetable mould to make himself garden.
SPECIMENS OF DUTCH NEATNEss.
All that have ever heard about the neat
ness of these Dutch people seems justified.
He who rises early shall see the Inhabitants
swar1ning like bees, armed with the imple-
ments of renovation. Men are on their knees
on the sidewalks; women with scrubbing
hr1o nj no RI 6o xwsr IL
gestures; the knockers shine like gold. At
the church door lies mat OF sewed
rags, and by the side of the mat
stands man, his face furrowed
with anxiety, and when T pass without seeing
it he chatters at me word or two of gutteral
expostu lation, and, pointing to the mat, turns
me back to wipe my feet on it There is not
speck o I mud in the streets, but there is a
little ust, and the care-worn guardian knows
that dust is q subtle enemy that loves to fly
up aud roost on the stained-glass oriols and the
carven pulpit These Dutchmen fear dirt
more than any other invader, In the local
records is the story how Napoleon and Alexan-
der of Russia. forming their brigand partner
ship in 1908, met at Utrecht to sign the
papers. They were about to enter house for
conference. when they were met by woman
who placed herself sternly in the way. "Gen-
tlemen," she said, 'tyou can't come in here
unless you put these stockings on" and she
handed each pair of COARSE stockings to pull
over his boots. They laughed, conceded the
point, and entered thus equipped. have not
seen one Of the wonderful dairies which are
the pride of Holland, but am told Of one by
an acquaintance @ -.
''She took me down to see the dairy" SAYS he.
There were twenty cows. each in a pretty little