The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-10-29
HARD WORKING HOLLAND DOGS.

houses are all on wheels, and each bather has
a house to himself. The bathing cabs each
consist of a little, oblong, box-like room with
a set of steps leading up into it. This room is
about four feet wide by six high. It has
seat, a lookng-glass and some towels inside OF
it, and it rests upon two wheels When one
wants to take bath he pays the keeper from
twenty to thirty cents, climbs in and shuts
the door, a horse is then attached to it and it
is dragged out into the shallow water at the
edge of the beach. The bather undresses at
his leisure, and putting on his bathing dress
walks Gown the steps into the water, or If
he wishes, dives off into it, At Scheveningen
the women's cabs were stationed at the north
end of the beach, and those of the men per-
haps 600 feet away, at the south end. In
some cases they bathed together. There is
not, however, the lying about in the sand in
bathing clothing as in America, and there
seemed to me rather more of spirit of pro-
priety about the crowd than about that of an
American seaside resort
Instead of sitting and lying on the sand as
we do, these people have great basket chairs,
which are carried to the beach and rented.
There were, perhaps, 1000 of these sitting
facing the sea while l was at Scheveningen
one afternoon, and curious sight they made.
Each chair is about four feet high, and two
or three wide. The wicker of which they
are made is closely woven, and they look,
when on the beach, like so many giant bon
nets. There are seats inside of them, and
the occupants are shielded from the wind at
the sides and from the sun overhead. They
face them toward the sea, and the sitter can
loll back and enjoy his case more comfort
ably than by our method These chairs were
scattered over the sands in all sorts of posi-
tions. Here two were close together, their
faces looking almost into one another, and
when walked by them found them inhab-
tied by a pair of apparent lovers, who were
flirting here, as they do at all watering
places the world over. At another place
there would be a half dozen of these chairs in
a group, and half dozen men and women,
social party, would be Gossiping in them. In
another there would be an old man, and in
third a mother or nurse, with her little
Dutch children playing in the sandIbout her,
digging wells with their little spades, and
covering each other up, as they do at New
port, Atlantic City and Asbury Park. The
crowd here, however. was by no means all
Dutch. 1t was made up of nearly every
nation of Europe, and heard the chatter of
dozen different languages as l walked along
the beach.
Back of these stairs, just under the road
way. there was line of little square tents,
which were also inhabited, and away up on
the hill were hundreds of villas and many
fine hotels. l took dinner at one of the best
of them, and found it cheaper than that of
our American watering places My dinner,
with wine, cost me only about $l.25, and it
was table d'hote, at which some of the
mobiles of Europe were dining. Rooms cost
from 81 day and upward, and the total cost
of living ought not to be here more than "a
per day.
There must be great deal of wealth in
Holland. All Of the cities have many fine
residences, and although the wooden clogged
element is undoubtedly very poor, the middle
and upper classes spend a great deal OF
money. They dress as do, indeed, the same
classes all over Europe, just as we do. Their
homes are elegantly furnished, and their
stores are full Of fine goods and jewels,
which, to afford to buy, one must be very
well off. There are plenty of fine equipages
with good horses upon the roadways, and the
parks are full of well dressed promenaders.
At Scheveningen 20, 900 visitors spend the sum-
mer by the seaside. And at public concert in
the forest park of The Hague saw an audience
of several thousand as intelligent, well dressed
and well behaved people as you will find at
high priced opera in New York city. The
Hollanders seem to lead more home like life
than the French. They are as a rule well
educated, and they seem to appreciate the
good things of this life as well as any people,
have seen. FRANK GEORGE CARPENTER