Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-07
A Washington Woman in the Land
Of Dykes and Windmills.
ON TIE BEACH OF SCHEVENINGEN
Wheeling Along Canals and Visit
ing Quaint Dutch Towns.
QUEER CLOTHES AND CUSTOMS


safely on board the steamer bound for the
Hook of Holland one night. a little more
than three weeks after arriving in Eng
| land, with the delight be fore us of visiting.
| the land Of dykes and windnIls wooden
| shoes and gutturals.
AFTER our wheels had been safely cared
| Tor, we stood upon deck and watched the
unique way In which the freight was be-
| ing carried on board. AL! the baggage
trunks, boxes and barrels were piled upon
car, and the car, load and ALL lifted bodily
by means of huge crane and deposit ed
IN the hold. Not moment was lost. and
after the last passenger was safely on
board the gang plank was drawn in and the
steamer In motion. On arriving a Delft by
similar crane, the car was lifted and de-
posted on the shore, with its burden in
tact ready to be unloaded by the waiting
Dutchmcn on the dock
In the morning early we sighted the Hol-
land shore. Our wheels had to be paid for
like baggage. 1t is safe to allow half each
individual fare for each wheel for that is
the usual charge made on bicvcIes by rail
and boat, on the continent
rotterdam was more modern than we ex-
pected, and the rarity of wooden shoes and
f1ollahd costumes were quite disappoint-
hleht by searching we found women in
queer caps, and little round faced ,rchins
VINO went Gathering along in their wooden
SHOES, while poor dogs pulling heavy milk
carts, We're quite frequently seen
we only saw one woman who was har-
Eessed up with a dog. She was pulling a
NreEetapie cart, behind which saunteretl
laLily, her husband, smoking his pine
My husbands German is none Of Inc bec+
anu ASIDE from his few Olendorf phrases
ABOUT the brown coat Of my grandfather's
plother, 1t wasn't sufficiently fluent to
meet our present requirements The mute
stare or blank establishment On the face of
'he Dutch townsmen, when he dismounted
ana adore sssed them, was comicaI After
.nlhkihg II great fun d first, l grew sober
Wheh remembered that | was hungry
and that some way must be found 10 mo
cure something to eat. A pantomime many
uhles repeated, at last caused a slow smile
10 come creeping out upon the Dutchman's
solemn lace, and tat finger pointed the
way to the nearest restaurant
onSlysh. he said, nodding his head
wisely. No, Americans | replied. point-
ing proudly to my tiny colors, as mounting
once more, We lost no time in going in the
indicated direction, leaving our new ac-
quaintance behind US, in mute astonisb
ment.
A bob-tail car, filled to OVERLOOKING with
the tourists from our steamer, who had
Just escaped from the clutch of the Gus
tom house officials. was passed en- route
we mad quite satisfied our hunger and
lhlshed our first meal in Dutch restau-
rant, near the railroad depot, when our fell
loW-passengers alighted from the car in
front of the door and came clamorinp in
with hungry faces and evident ill humor
II Is true, when John ordered eggs we
were brought chicken, but We took gladly
Whatever We could get.
The Dutch houses are quantity pictur-
esque, but the few solitary windmils and
rows of old warehouses on the canals did
not satisfy my longing for snap shots with
my camera that was loaded with new
spool of film. and ready for work in Hol-
land. So without tarrying in Rotterdam
far
Hague, about thirty miles away, which we
hcped to reach before dark without hurry
To The Hague by Wheel.
The reads were fairly good, and we
greatly enjoyed the fact that there were
no hills to climb, and nothing to obstruct
our miles of view" The canals along our
way became little shallow brooks that were
here and there obstructed by boards, laid
across, as in our irrigation bitches in Cal
lfornia, by which the water was turned off
al will. AS We came nearer the coast the
roads were heavy, and we had more sand
and found pedalng more laborious in con-
sequence. Tired out from our exertions
We retired at once on reaching the city
and enjoyed our nights rest in a comfort
able bed in well-kept boarding house that
was entirely modern in all its features.
Next morning, after a walk around town.
We decided to take the electric car for Sche-
veningen, the fashionable seaside resort Of
the country. AS it happened to be Sun
day, we would be certain to find a crowd
at the beach enjoying themselves.
On the Beach Mt Scheveningen.
We reached the seashore in about ten
minutes. and at first glimpse Of the beach,
with its children digging and delving in
the sand, with toy pals and little shovels
we rubbed our eyes to make sure we were
not really once more at home. But sec
ond glance was sufficient to dispel the illu-
sion, for the shore was lined with multi
tude of rattan seats, in which the occupants
were almost hidden under the canopy of
their chairs.
The scene before us brought wildly to
mind the painting in the Corcoran Art Gal
lery, "On the Beach at Scheveningen," and
almost unconsciously expected to see
the lady in the lavender dress with volum-
nous fiounces, and the other figures repre-
scented in the picture among the group be-
fore us, sitting in the sand, in their COW
cred chairs, for the scene was indeed an
exact reproduction in every tone and detail
Along the board walk are small booths
that sell high-priced souvenirs and curios.
and at ether stands you may purchase real
"circus lemonade under a high-soundins,
but to us unpronounceable, Dutch name but
which added immensely to its flavor.
A number of pleasure boat were bobbing
about in the surf, but threatening sky
ard cold wind prevented the bathers from
taking dip that afternoon.
The great majority of people seen were
well-to-do Hollanders in most fashionable
attire, but sitting in the Sand-because I'M
able to afford the luxury of hiring chair
were a number of the people whom We had
come so far to see. Three country girls in
their Sunday best, delighted me with their
uuaintness. Their fresh, young faces looked
out demurely from hideous lace caps
starched stiff, and drawn over their hair,
sleeked back from the forehead and wound
in a hard knot behind, dimly seen through
the white cap, while over the forehead
were fastened huge silver ornaments, more
like bed springs than anything else 1 can
think of, that jumped up and down with
every movement of the wearer. They
wore an immense number of full skirts,
gathered round their waists, and the most
comical sight I have ever witnessed was
to see one Of these Dutch maidens prepare
to seat herself. which she did by carefully
lifting each individual black skirt one after
another, throwing it over her back and
then dropping down quickly onto the sand,
looking like a great circle Of black alpaca
with a very small Dutch maiden in the
center or like a cloth penwiper with a
quaint little Holland doll in the middle.
Tourists Awheel.
A number of cyclists were seen at the
beach enjoying themselves among whom
it was easy to pick out the tourists. The
Hollanders ride English wheels as a rule
but many of German make are also seen,