The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-30
An AMERICAN IN EUROPE.
Observations Upon the Life and Politics
Of Twenty-Five Years Ago,
BT THE LATE
JAMES SHEPH ERD PIKE.
Holland AZ IL IL.

hhohbbo Ab AZ
The brief survey OF q country which has
passed through the bloody pages Of its history
and now quietly reposes on peaceful flelds and
enjoys a placid existence. virtuous, intelligent.
wealthy, and hourishinR. may deserve atten-
ton even from the people OF nation Just
entered upon the great features OF its national
life. Impatient OF repose, and regarding all
tranquility as an evidence OF decline or the
existing life OF Continental nations We know
little in America. and We perhaps too often
think they are as far behind us in all things
rs they are In their systems OF government.
tits not a wholly useless task to correct this
Impression. for, II 1t is true that they have
much to learn from us. 1t is equally true that
we have something to learn from them.
Perhaps there is no nation that offers o
greater apparent contrast to our own
than the Dutch Extremely circumscribed
In territory cautious. imaginative, DELHI
crate to slowness. attentive to minute details.
every inch Of their territory cultivated. and
every main road paved and all Of their re-
sources developed-they certainly offer great
contrast to a people energetic. pushing. enter
prising. impossible and rapid, full OF schemes
that are always beginning and never ending,
and possessing an almost untouched terrific
rial empire, with resources yet UNEMPLOYED.
And yet, with all this vast difference. there
Is much in common between the Dutch and
the Americans. There is the Same general
probity the same general truthfulness. the
same good sense. the Same unrevolutionary
habit OF mind. The Dutchman Ia simply q very
slow. very careful. a very solid. o very In
domitabie, and an uncommonly tidy American.
or all the people on the face OF the earth. the
Dutchman Is tho most inveterate in his habits
OF external cleanliness
speak particularly Of his rruthfulness. for
among some principal European nations the
exhibition OF candor Is esteemed weakness
and the practice Of falsehooi Is deemed vr-
tue. II / had never lived In Europe. it would
never have occurred to me 10 characterize my
countrymen as a truth-telling people. Yet as
compared with the rest, I am persuaded they
are eminenty entitled to this distinction.
Three things are generally believed about
Holland. mono Of which Is true. And yet they
are the three things which lie at tho bot
tom OF all estimates Of the Dutch, and without
which there is in the popular estimation.
hardly anything left OF tho genuine Dutch
man. These are. that the Hollander is fat and
heavy. that his country Is walled in from the
sea by bikes, and that he is oppressed by
heavy taxation. l have observed always In
arope that on the ordinary routes Of travel
r,~tional peculiarities Of costume have disap-
peared. The long prosecuted children Of
Israel have levelled this distinction by the
universal clothing shop. whose articles OF
wear are identical In fabric and in cut at
Trebizond on the Black and Archangel on the
White Sea. at the Texe. and in New York and
St Louis. The contents OF this Same clothing
shop clothes the Dutchman as 1t does the ma
tives OF every other country. and with an
equally good 1T. know Of but one fat man In
Holland and he 10 q Frenohman. have some
times thought that tho Jew has taken a sort Of
revenge for the denial OF his rights by the men
OF European nations BY making the everyday
costume of all Of Thorn symbol Of that uni
formity for which he himself has SO long strug-
gled. Happily that struggle has passed. the
GENTLE has clothed with his rights the Jew.
and now the Jew clothes the Gentile.'
Tho second misapprehe nsion is that the dikes
OF Holland are sea dkes which for unnumbered
miles breast the waves OF the Atlantic. There
are but two sea dikes In Holland. The coasts
OF Holland are protected by natural barriers
OF sand hills called dunes These run along
the sea In bolt from less than half mile to
more than mile In width. and are some forty
or fifty feet in height The whole seacoast OF
Holland fronting the German Ocean Is thus
protected. At two points only OF this
sea front has this natural barrier OF
sand hills been broken through and tho
gap filed with an artificial substitute.
These points are at West Keppel. near tho
mouth of the Scheldt. on the island OF Wal
cheren in the southern part of the country. and
at Camperdown in the north. on the main coast,
Just above Amsterdam. At these points there
is u break in tho coast OF q mile or two in
length at EACH where sea bikes OF remarka-
BILE construction have been built But the |
great system Of dikes in Holland is inland.
and wall the rivers and Innumerable inlets Of |
the sea. and thus prevent the tides OF tho ocean
and the freshets OF the rivers from overlooking |
the lowands on their borders This system Of |
dikes Is OF vast extent and has been con-
structed from age to age and Is kent in repair |
at an immense cost. The care Of 1t is connded |
to special department o: the Government.
whose charge Is characterized by sleeple-s
vigilance. Bya series Of water levels and reg
listers rendered more complete by the modern
invention OF the telegraph. the whole system
is managed so as to guard against possible
overflow. The expense is q charge upon the
land thus rendered secure against inundation
These inland bikes are mostly earth mounds.
protected against the currents and the rapid
tides by being faced In exposed situations with
perpendicular banks OF twigs about the
size OF walking stick. laid endwlse
10 the water, secured by stakes driven
through them into the mud-tho stakes being
used to secure an nterlacing OF smaller twigs
which conhne the whole body OF fagots In
their place. 1t is surprising to see what
complete protection this simple and fragile
pile OF rods is against tho most violent rush
and agitation OF the waters. This is the key
to the whole system OF inland dikine In Hol-
land The rods are readily grown on the low
and being everywhere access lble ara
OF course. CHEAP. They are at once economi-
cal. and at the same time the most efrectual
protection possible against the wasting OF the
earth OF the dikes. full account Of tho
dikes In this place Is impossible. as tho sub
lect would all book. l will content myself
by observing that the great danger OF inunda-
ton to which the country is exposed I, not to
The gales OF the ocean. but to tho fresbets In
The rivers In the sprngtime after cold winter.
The especial danger comes Of having tho
rivors clogged with Ice. which forms dams of
'ast proportions. and behind these the water
rises until 1t flows over and sometimes bursts
he artificial mounds which bank the river.
1t 10 tho distinction OF tho present King that