Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-03-15
ANIMALS Abroad,

ByH. NJ. B.
Holland is a veritable paradise for
animals. Hundreds of cows dot the
Landscape IN every direction, and with
the wind-mills for background they
make very pretty pictures.
In Switzerland they shut many of the
COWS up in dark, sitting little stables q
great part Of the time. One reason for
1t, they say, is that COWS kept in this
way give richer milk; but 1t Ger
tainly cannot be as wholesome. Another
reason is that in Switzerland there are
no fences, or very few, and somebody
must watch the animals when they are
out, or perhaps they would jump over
the mountsinsl Here in HOLLAND, !, on
the contrary, not even the pigs are shut
up In stys and compelled to be filthy.
They have as much freedom as the
cows, and roam about with them and
the sheep and the horses In the same
pastures, bounded by canals which they
do not venture to cross. In describing
Dutch farm in Gronlngen, writer
says. "when the weather demands that
they tthe animals) shall be brought be-
meath shelter, the pigs are washed, the
COWS are cprried and blanketed, and
their tails are suspended to wire (a).
The flooring of the sty and stable is
made of brick and slightly inclined, and
they are a. thoroughly scrubbed as a
floor in house. The pigs in Holland
at least, are kept fairly clean.
The happiest dogs 1 have ever seen,
in any such numbers, are at the Hague.
The muzzle is not used here, OF only on
rare OCCASIONS. Everybody seems to
take his dog for an airing whenever he
himself goes out for walk. The
beautiful forest on the edge of the city,
Of which the people are Justly proud
and Of which they make good use, af-
fords any amount of space for the dega
to take exercise,
A touching story connected with the
history OF William the Silent, Prince of
Orange, may have had an influence in
disposing the Dutch people to a general
regard and love for dogs. On the
monument Of this prince in q church at
Delft Is an inscription referring to a
favorite dog Of his. On one occasion
when he was In great danger from
Spanish sssassins who were about to
enter the tent where he lay asleep, the
dog jumped on his bed, and by barking
loudly awoke him in time to make his
escape. Afterward, when he was assas.
stnsted, the sane dog Ia said to have
pined away and died Of grief. The fine
statue of William at The Hague also
has the dog at his feet looking affec.
tionstely up to the face of his master.
Horses, too, are treated yeEy humane
ly IN Holland. I do not think 1t would
be possible to find an overhead or
jackson -Kimble check-rein in the coun-
try. In fact, it is difficult to find that
kind Of check-rein in any part OF
Europe. I have been ON the lookout
TOT this most ungraceful and unnatural
coRtrivance during the entire summer
and while travelling in seven countries,
have seen only two. One of them
was in Hyde Park, London, at the time
| at the jubilee, and it ls not at allimprob
able that 1t belonged to an American
as there were SO many oyer here at that
time. The other I saw at hsden Baden
on the first day Of the summer races
Neither in Paris, London, Rome, Berlin,
Brussels or the Hague, and certainly in
no city in Switzerland, will one see a
horse tortured by straight jerking line
which interferes with every natura
actiQR Of the Aeck-the chief point of
beauty in many horses.
Europe understands far better
America that straight line is not y I
line of beauty, and scorns to compel q
horse to hold its head in any such
forced, unnatural manner. Side check
rains are used, of course. but very
rarely to an extent irksome to the horse,
and never on cab horses.
! In American cities and towns many