Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-31
HOLLANDS PASTURES
Experiences of an American
Painter Among the Cattle.
WILHELMIN AS LAND
WATER-STAAT IS THE POWER BE-
HIND THE THRONE.
Cows, Milkmaids, Dogs, Birds and the
Rest in Relation to Sky
Effects.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
PARIS. May -, 1902.
In the land of Wilhelmina,'' 1 said to Mr..
Henry S. Bisbng, as 1 gazed on one of his
Holland cattle pieces, hung on the line in
the just opened salon of the Champs Ely
sees He is one of the best-known Ameri-
can artists in Paris and one of the best
known cattle painters in the world, the pos
SCISSOR of numerous medals, ''hors con-
cours" al the salon and chevalier of the
Legion of Honor, with pictures hung in
the museums of dozen European cities.
Il should call 1t the land of bitches and
wIndmills,'' he replied, because on them
rests an occult power behind the throne in
Holland greater than that of the young
queen or her ministers. This power is the
Water-Staat and it guards the existence Of
the country and its people"
Mr.. Bisbing has been spending half his
life in Holland during the past twenty
years. He has always lived among the peo-
pie. in all kinds of out-of-the-way places
lar from great towns and railways; he has
seen, therefore, countless examples of the
workings of the patient power that keeps
the low-lying land won from the sea from
being overwhelmed again by it.
The whole country is one network Of
bitches and watercourses,'' he said, the
Iower-lying being pumped into the higher
and so on until they reach rivers and flow
to the sea: and the work is done by wind
mills Now, there is not a Water-pumpinp
windmill, not ditch or hedge or row of
trees or plot of ground in all the land that
is not looked after for the Water-Staat by
Its innumerable agents. The young queen
and her ministers rule gloriously at The
hague; without them and apart from them
and almost silently the Water-Staat rules
every acre, every square foot of the terri
tory No one may plant tree or cut a
hedge or build house or barn or take
down an old building without it's permis-
sion 1t watches every bit of ground to see
that 1t is not raised too high for the water
to flow Off
Too low. you mean?' 1 interrupted.
which 1 stayed last year desired to make a
skating ground. They found a field that
was Hooded in the winter admirably fitted
for the purpose But to make sure to keep
the water in it they would have to build
a little dyke around it not a foot high 1t
was shown by experts that no harm could
result from it. This the Water-Staat itself
Acknowledged. yet in spite of it and the de-
mand of the whole town it refused the per-
mission.
Why"
"On principle! Another case was that of
a large meadow which In summer pastures
800 cows Now, in spite of great need. this
meadow has shade. nor NAV have. be-
cause trees are forbidden to be planted In it
by the Water-Staat"
Why
Because when the river breaks I'D in the
spring the Ice would lodge against such
ed"
DO these minute rulings apply to fence
building as well?' l asked
No Fences to Care For.
There are no fences" replied the Ameri-
toll he .
fences. and the cows of Holland, In long
years of training. have come to respect a
ditch as though it were fence. Only now
and then does particularly adventurous
bull swim them on his way to fight a neigh
bor and this is a rare occurrence. because
Holland cattle are extremely well brought
up. The calves are born In the stables In
the dead of winter. Now, as the stable al
ways forms part of the farm or village
mouse, the adolescence of these calves be-
tween the months of January and Nav.
when they go out to the fields for the first
time, Is passed In the civilizing family cir
Gle. Children play with them; they take
their lessons In behavior, so to speak to-
gether: they eat out of the same dish. and
even sleep together. So they grow I'D with
a taste for human companionship-gen
and companionable-ail of which is good
for the cattle painter"
They pose willingly?''
Willingly and intelligently, They seem
TO take real interest in art. and my great
est trouble is to moderate that interest. If
j leave things lying about-a straw hat or
lot of brushes, or a palette or a canvas
they Will lick and chew them Once n he
calf ate up a small canvas for me-the Dor
trait of one of his female cousins Had 1t
not been for his tender age | should have
suspected sentimental motives l have said
that there was no shade In the meadow
One hot afternoon. sitting under my UNI
brella-quite large one-I felt something
rubbing up against my back. 1t was the
calf OF the cow l was painting. 1t lay In
the shade of the umbrella with me- looking
on its mothers growing portrait with a
placid. well-bred interest Presently an
other calf came and lay beside IT. Then
came another and another, until there were
-FOUR of Them one each side of me one
In front and one behind me-"
And the mother of the first one held the
pose?"
Educated Cows.
I'm perfection. Why, have known cows
70 resume a difficult pose the next day
when they saw l had not finished! This is
how 1t would happen. The first day would
pay a man to hold the COW in the desired
pose The next morning when I came with
my paint box. easel and umbrella, and the
COW would see me go to the spot where i
sat the day before, she, too. would go and
take the old position.
do you attribute such intelligent docil-
fly to the cows love of the fine arts?' !
asked, "Or TO her feminine vanity?
In small degree to BOTH" replied the
painter. We must not forget that the ed
ucation Of these cows has been exceptional;
but more particularly would say she per-
Aaps remembered that while posing the day
previous a small boy had been employed to
switch the tormenting flies from her with a
cool, breeze-stirring bunch Of Willows
Are the flies. then. SO bad?'
Yes, in hot weather they torment the
cows as much as possible The birds know
eAis. In particular the starlings which are
0ofy much like crows, bUe 0maHgF and