Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-02-06
HOLLANDER IN THIS COUNTRY.
Study of His Ways Cleaned From 6
Chicago Dutch Paper.

Inc Dutch are a comparatively in
significant element among the foreign
nationalities of this country, but there
may be found in numbers, and at Chi
cage there is paper published
weekly for their benefit. A New Eng
land woman who numbers know
ledge of the Dutch language among
her linguistic accomplishments is a
regular reader of this paper, and in a
letter to friend gives her impress
sions Of the people as drawn from
the columns of De Nederlander. She
says: | send you a paper containing
cut of Dewey-the only Dewey-like
the cheap Johns soap, "the only pure,
unadulterated, Sancho Panzo" Dewey,
so you may know, that our Knicker-
booker friends are duly patriotic.
They have a method in their patrio-
tism, too,-their old grudge against
their ancient oppressor. [ think the
rafting we have given the Spanish
grandees has been very soothing to the
feelings of every Hollander. I am sor-
formation about their literature. Just
now there is story running in the
paper by Van Lennep, but have not
had time to read it. Most of the
stories are translations. But I
think I have got fairly good idea of
the people in general from the local
items of different plshes. In the first
place, think there are fewer accounts
of crimes and immortality than in
most other papers. If they suppressed
such accounts from principle they
would naturally suppress all, which
they do not do. They occasionally
show up black sheep. They are
very religious, and are much taken up
with their church Work. Sunday
schools, benevolent societies, etc.
Even in Chicago, that wicked city, the
chief event with them this winter has
been the lecturing of some great light
on "Calvinism," and they are as en-
thusiastic over his ability to mail
this doctrine as the rest of the city
would be over some new star on the
stage. They seem terribly oldfash-
Toned and are not much given to
"hustling." They have the old-time
awe and reverence for majesty" I
think the idea of the sacredness of a
sovereign's anatomy has died out
everywhere else, but from the way
they speak of their new ruler you
would think it was the 10th century.
They are decidedly primitive in some
respects.
should judge they were a very
peaceable people from the way they
are always celebrating anniversaries
25th, 50th and sometimes Goth ami
veTsary of minister or public officer,
or business partnership, and even do
nestle servants. There was one ac-
count of woman's celebrating the
50th year of service in one family,
and one the Goth. Think of the aver
9ge ''hired girl" in this country re-
naming in one place any longer than
until she has nicked all the china and
laid in good supply Of perfumery
from the toilet tables!
They show much feeling when a
death occurs, and find time to do lit
tie more than draw down the cur
tains from to A." as our little dailies
announce when a business man dies.
At the grave the friends of the de-
parted make short addresses suitable
to the sad occasion-extol his merits
and express their grief and sym
pathy. | think it is a beautiful GUS
tom. A clergyman is not always
personally acquainted with the one
who has died or with the family, and
what he says is only form to be
used on all occasions, just as our re-
porters write up Gin the morning) the
funeral services which take place in
the afternoon.
| don't see any resemblance between
their language and the French, though
modern writer's use many French
words as their own, just as modern
Germans do; but there are many
words exactly like the English water,
wind, week, bed, consul, credit, con-
traband, contrast, etc., and many
more almost the same, bedstede (bed-
stead), dronkaard (drunkard). dom
think the Dutch are much given to
joking, for the only thing l have seen
in the Nederlander that had any
laugh in it was few weeks ago, when
some one advertised for baker" Ga
nurse). 1t was for a confinement,
for the time was specified when the
baker" would be wanted. A baker
in New York, who knew more about
spelling, answered the ad, thinking
it was a good business opening. A
baker in Dutch is 'bakker," The pa
per thought it was COO good to keep,
and it printed his letter in full.