Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-28

pressing business on hand, but the sole occu-
patton Of the small--and what they lasK in size
they mere than make mp In qusntity-sesms 70
be to rush frsntieally cut and bark and snaP
at everything passing, especially eyclists. Sc
troublesome are these pests in this dog
country-snd Germany is included under this
hsad-that resident cyclists made good stout
whips as much part Of their equipment a.
their riding bresches, and touring cyclists
would do well to follow suit Occasionally Q
large dog took hand in the sport, and then
we can assure you Ii was no easy Dsttsr 70
maintain that far-of unmindful-ef-immsda te-
surroundings look that marks the thoroug hbred
eyclist with Towser bounding alongside and
Barking great big explosive barks within two or
three inches Of wsli-fsd calves.
HOLLAND CANALS.
It seemed q little strange to see vessels sail
ing In the canals, and We could net but remark
what an admirable place Holland must be in
which to go to sea- Mothers there can with
safety crafty the wishes of thein sealsving oif-
spring, for should storms arise the ship
wrecked mariner can climb ashore unharmsd
70 MS waiting parents arms. The canals are
undoubtedly great service TO the country and
the frequent pools OF water may be very neces-
sary 70 the drainage Of the low fat surface Of
the land, but from the testimony of our noses
we SHOULD prefer not to live surrounded by ILL.,
smelling frsg-ponds-only there appear to be
no frogs In them. Deep, wide Sitehss, filed
with water, serve as fences, not only between
nsighbors but between the highway and abut-
ting property. little bridge or an ''isthmus"
giving necessary ingress and egress. Little
packet-steamboat lines run on some Of the
priaelpai canals, but the most usual canal YES
sci Il the tow boat, of various sizes and shapes,
propsasc by horse or mule pswer, and some
times by man-power or by polling.
There is nothing especially to be said about
ROTTERDAM. 1t is said to be typical Dutch
city, which statement we will let stand. Per-
maps the only fact worthy Of recording in con-
nsction with this city is that we there found n
skeptical young lady with some English attain
ments, who declined tobelieve that il takes a
week to travel by rail from New York to San
francisco. We have doomed" America at
every opportunity and we're very much grisvsd
that this nice young lady-she was our land
lords daughtsr-should think We were guilty
OF sxaggeration. From Rotterdam We went to
Dordrseht, II miles up the river by steamer
the principal passenger besides ourselves being
donkey, who, with q presidency which has
made his race notorious If not immortal, abso-
lutely refused to stand upon a tarpaulin laid
especially TO secure him better footing upon
the slippery deck. The helmsman Of these river
craft sits up on an elevated seat in the stern
and guides the vessel through the medium OF q
wheel similar to that used ON hook-and-laddsr
truck.
WHEELING ON A DYKE.
Crossing the river at Dordrecht we rode for
nearly 30 miles on a dyke on the right bank OF
what In Germany becomes the Rhine, but il
here called the WAL. One can scarcely appre-
clate ths lowness and fairness of the general
surface of Holland and the magnitude and
strength OF Its dyke until he mounts to the
top OF one Of the latter and surveys the sur
rounding country with its innumerable wind
mills, INCREASINGLY pumping the water out of
the iowlands into the canals, and sees trees
and villages beneath him, while the river.
with Its heavy fringe of water willow and
sedge, rolls along near At hand, high above the
level it would find but for the dykes. Seat
tered along, built either on the broad crest or
on the landward slope of the dyke, were VIII
Lagos, composed largely Of brick houses with
matched roofs, generally neat aud having an
ar OF thrift and comfort pleasing to the eve.
Many OF the houses had neat fences-some OF
iron-enslosing little garden or grass plot in
front On the slopes Of the dyke, in the out
skirts OF the village, were pastured numerous
goats, some Of which had whiskers and some
hadn't, but had little COATES frisking about.
One OF the most pleasing features Of the dyke
TO Us was the fine read, fer the most part nearly
rs hard and smooth as q floor. Swimming
along We left village after village behind
neither inquiring nsr caring for names. Chill
dren were numerous and as troublesome as
they were numerous. 1t is wonder that we
did not run down and main several dozen OF
the little scamps; as 1t was, all escaped save
one girl, who, trying to be smart" by running
in our way, was cspsized by c.. and giri
machine and rider, in the order named. all fell
in heap. The glrl was rescued from the bot.
tom more scared than hurt. and a bent peda
was the only damage to the machine. Til,
mishap ''queered" Us for the remainder of the
day, and our next victim was q chicken, fine
young pullet which, with that strange chicken
panic, scuttled right under G-'s wheel, ant
in the twinkling Of an eye was fattened in th.
dust. Having Q delicacy about remaining Il
witness the fowls last moments we did not lin
ger in the vicinity. 1t might be said tina,
we even fastened from the spot. II
would be announcement to be held up for
such trifing matter as chicken
We thought, and we were soon far enough
away to take time to laugh over the incident
the hubbub created in the village. the cries OF
the children, the shrill voices of the womsu
and the bellewings of several men who shoute d
something after III in Dutch as we disappeared
We thought We had about enough excitement
for enc day, but IL must have his innings
SO he started on . mad career down the land
ward slope of the dyke, aiming for solid
brick house at the foot. One common ruin of
man and machine was the inevitable result il
he came In contact with the house and we
began to think up q suitable ePitaph for him.
But H changed his mind about going to
destruction and by quick turn Of his machine
cut short his tsur, and from spitaph writing
the rest of rs turned our attention to advising
him with reference to the most presentable
method Of repairing his torn brooches.
evKR TEE oK1MAN TRoSTIER.
Late in the afternesa Of the Sd instant we
crossed the German frontier and everything
imms diately became very German. We rode
until after IL that night with German cyclist.
finishing mp at Huels, our new-found friends
home village. and making our longest DAYS
run-ssventy-sightmils s-in nine hours riding.
The whole village was asleep when we arrived.
but it wasnt after We had pounded on the CAST
haus door and rang our cycle bells for while,
trying to wake up the landlord Mein Herr
seemed to DO the sounaest sleeper in that re-
gion. but we brought him at last The next
afternoon We rsjeinsd Won at Gladkooh. fifteen
miles distant, aud upon comparing notes found
that while We had been running down childre n,
chickens and embankments. he had been hav.
ing his share Of the fun. having run into one
child and had his maehine badly damaged BY
another poking q stick into the chain and
spokes Of his drive-wheel
We thought that the noisy, meddlesome
Dutch children were about as annoying az
children could be, but the German Children
"beat the Dutsh" literally. Fully up to the
Duteh in noise, their tendency to NEEDLE, and,
what Is more serious, to throw sticks and stones
at Us or At our wheels, Ii even more strongly
developed Unless there 10 change for the
assume Q parents duty of spanking better
manners into q few Of them. The Germans
have great deal yet to learn about America;
first and foremost Of which Is that Americans
speak English as regular every day business
Strange as IL may seem, We have found several
who, upon learning that We were not English,
remarked, But you speak English" in tone