The Lambertville record., 1902-07-23
WONDERFUL BROCK
THE ORIGINAL SPOTLESS TOWN is
IN NORTHERN HOLLAND.

Whote iihce-huies winch the In
habitnnts Must Observe.
Far up In northern Holland among
the dikes and canals of the little king
dom lies Brock, the original Spotless
Town. The palings of the fences of
Brock are sky blue. Tie streets are
paved with shining bricks of many col
ors. The houses are rose colored,
black. gray, purple, light blue or pale
green. The doors are painted and gild-
ed. For hours you may not see a soul
In the streets or at the windows. The
streets and houses, bridges, windows
and barns show Il neatness and bril-
liancy that are absolutely painful. At
every step new effect Is disclosed, Il
new scene is beheld, as IL painted upon
the drop curtain OF stage. Every
thing is minute, compact, painted,
spotless and clean. In the houses of
Brock for cleaning purposes you will
find big brooms, little brooms, tooth
brushes, aqua fortis, whiting for the
window panes. rouge for the forks and
spoons. coal dust for the copper, emery
for the iron utensils, brick powder for
the floors and even small spinters OF
wood with which to pick out the tiny
bricks. Here are some of the rules of
this wonderful town:
Citizens must leave their shoes at the
door when entering n house.
Before or after sunset no one Is allowed
to smoke excepting with a pipe having a
cover, SO that the ashes will not be seat
tered upon the street.
Any one crossing the village on horse
back must get out of the saddle and lead
tho horse.
A cuspidor shall be kept by the front
door of each house. where 1t may be nc
cessible from the window.
II Is forbidden TO cross the village In u
carriage or TO drive animals through the
streets.
In addition to these established rules
Ii Ia the custom for every citizen who
secs Il leaf or bit of straw blown be-
fore his house by the wind to pick 1t
up and throw ii into the canul. The
people go b0o PAGES out of the village
to dust their shoes. Dozens of boys
are paid to blow the dust from be-
tween the bricks In the streets four
times an hour In certain houses the
guests are carried over the threshold
so as not to sell the pavements. At
one time the mania for cleaning in
Broeck reached such point that the
housewives of the village neglected
even their religious duties for scrub
bing and washing, The village pastor,
after trying every sort of persuasion,
preached long sermon. in which he
declared that every Dutchwoman who
had faithfully fulfilled her duties to-
ward God In this world would find III
the next house packed full of furni
ture and stored with the most various
and precious articles of use and orna
ment which, not being distracted b.
other occupations, she would be abl
to brush, wash and polish for all eter
nifty. The promise of this subllm,
recompense and the thought of thi
extreme happiness filled the womeI
with such fcrvor and plety that fol
months thereafter the pastor had NJ
cause for complaint.
Around every house In Brock are
buckets, benches. rakes hoes ant
stakes, all colored rcd. blue, white ol
yellow. The brilliancy and variety OF
colors and the cleanliness, brightness
and miniature pomp of the place are
wonderful. At the windows there aro
embroidered curtains, with rose col
orcd ribbons. The blades, bands and
nails OF the gayly painted wlndmills
shine like silver. The houses are
brightly vanished and surrounded
with red and white ratings and fences.
The panes OF glass IN the windows are
bordcred by many lines of different
hues. The trunks of all the trees are
painted gray from root to branch.
Across the streams are many little
wooden bridges, each painted as white
as snow. The cutters are ornamented
with a sort of wooden festoon, per-
forated like lace. The pointed ia
cades are surmounted with small
weathercock, little lance or some
thing resembling bunch OF flowers.
Nearly every house has two doors,
one In front and one behind, the last
for everyday entrance and exit and
the former opened only Oh great occa-
sions. such ms births. deaths and mar
riages.
The gardens are rs peculiar as the
houses. The paths are hardly wide
enough to walk In. One could put
his arm around the Gowerbeds. The
dainty arbors would barely hold two
persons sitting close together. The lit.
tie myrtle hedges would scarcely reach
to the knees Of four-year-old child
Between the arbors and the flower
beds run little canals which seem made
to float paper boats. They are crossed
by miniature wooden bridges, with
colored pillars and parapets. There
are ponds the size of bath, which
are almost concealed by lllllputlan
boats tied with red cords to blue
stakes, tiny staircases and miniature
kitchen gardens. Everything could be
measured with the hand. crossed at q
leap, demolished by blow. More.
over, there are trees cut In the shape
of fans. plumes and disks. with their
trunks colored white and blue. Al
every step one discovers new effect
q fresh combination of hues. noyel
caprice, some new absurdity.
The rooms are very tiny and resem
BILE so many bazaars. There are porce
lain figures on the cupboard, Chinese
cups and sugar bowls on and under
the tables, plates fastened on the
walls, clocks, ostrich eggs. shells
vases, plates. glasses, placed In every
corner and concealed In every nook
cupboards full OF hundreds OF trifies
and ornaments without name. crowd
ing disorder and utter confusion OF
colors. Public Opinion.
The Same Old Story