The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-09-15

OF all towns in Holland. / tfina
latter seeing shout fifty Middelturg
about the most peculiarly represents,
tive aud Dutch. 1t has in it the most
charming examples of architecture and
costume that one could wish to see. Ii
is quaint and original, clean to q de,
gree, and not too dead and gone; in
facl. on a market-day, it rs for the time
being about as lively and stirring q
place as one could happen ON; and they
do say that on the occasion of the an
nual kermeSse, which lasts about q
week, the great market-place at night.
when the fun is widest, is no faint hint
of those far more ancient and more
neither regions en- Pete. So much Of an
affair is it here that they talk of the
past one for six months, and prepare
for the next one the rest of the year.
In passing along some of the silent,
well-swept 9uays under the tall trees,
Que is struck by the number of well
do and even stately residences. SEEM
ingly the homes of the descendants of
the merchant princes" who made their
fortunes here when N1iddelburg had
q commerce TO boast of. There were
no finer docks and waterways in
all the country; but, alas, tickle
Commerce one fine day found other har-
bors. The biz ships sailed away one by
one into the Eternal Whittier" and
came back no more. The docks and
basins took on the scum of idleness,
busy ship-yards grew silent, and the
half-tiniShed hunks rotted where they
stood. lis the fate of many once thriv-
ing towns. But Middelburg was only
sleeping-it was a very long Rip Van
Wrinkle drOwse-there was still strong
life somewhere dormant. 1t woke 10
energy and action again some fifteen
years ago. When its old neighbor and
rival, Flushing, began its splendid new
harbors and docks and station, high
hopes were held that the new life-blood
let into Flushing would revive the en-
tire island of Walcheren. Middelburg
''ShOok itself together" for the long
looked-for return of prosperity. New
docks, canals and basins were made,
big enough TO float the vast commerce
she wished TO see again bustlin@ about
her long-deserted quavs.
But, sad To say, after much OUTLAY of
thchNt s'hu lhOOl- tl4tCA eIsiIl Opellu1,
ceremonies and much kermesSine-, Gov
commerce came not. To a:y great ex-
tent TO gladden. the souls of the good
burgherS either of Flushing or M:ddrl-
burg. Letu say, rather, that for many
years il did not come. Lately there is
better show of shipping at both places.
Time was" when this same Middel-
burg was the richest, proudest and
most powerful city in the Netherlands.
Its most prosperous times were during
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.
when all the wines of France and
Spain that came. not only for the en-
tire country, but for towns along the
Rhine far into Germany, had first 10
pay duty here. There exist still many
relies OF this powerful ''octroi." There
is still the ''Rouenische Ksdc," where
the wine ga!leonS of Rouen diseorycd
their cargoes and their heavy customs
duties. The wool-staplers of England
and Scotland had also rich and rower-
full houses here. and at We're, near by.
under tie protection of the Duke OF
Burgundy, who married a daughter of
James /. of Scotland. George II.
Boughton, ial Hdrper'S Ua9dzine-