Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-07-25
WONDERFUL BROCK
rHE ORIGINAL sPoTLEss TOWN IA
i IN NORTHERN HOLLAND.

y 1eatness and . Brilliancy That
Are Absolutely Painful pervade the
whole Place-Rules which the In
habitaats Must Observe.
Far up in northern Holland among
he bikes and canals Of the little king.
hom lies Brock, the original Spotless
Town. The palings of the fences of
Brock are sky blue. The 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 gid
ID. For hours you may not see soul
IA the streets or at the windows. The
streets and houses, bridges, windows
and barns show a neatness and bril-
dancy that are absolutely painful. At
every step new effect is disclosed, a
new scene is beheld, as If 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 win
ind big brooms, little brooms, tooth.
brushes, aqua FORTS, 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 splinters of
wood with which to pick out the tiny
bits Of straw in the cracks between the
bricks. Here are some Of the rules of
this wonderful town:
Citizens must leave their shoes at the
door when entering house.
Before or after sunset no one Is allowed
70 smoke excepting with a pipe having a
cover, so that the ashes will not be scat
tered upon the street.
Any one crossing the village on horse
back must get out Of the saddle and lead
the horse.
A cuspidor shall be kept by the front
door Of each house, where 1t may be &C.
eessible from the window.
It is forbidden to cross the village In a
carriage or to drive animals through the
streets.
In addition to these established rules
It is the custom for every citizen who
sees leaf or a bit of straw blown be-
fore his house by the wind to pick 1t
up and throw it into the canal. The
people 60 500 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
30 as not to soil the pavements. At
one time the mania for cleaning In
Brock reached such a point that the
housewives of the village neglected
even their religious duties for scrub
bling and washing. The village pastor,
after trying every sort of persuasion.
preached a long sermon, in which he
declared that every Dutchwoman who
had faithfully fulfilled her duties to-
ward God in this world would find in
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 by
other occupations, she would be able
to brush, wash and polish for all eter-
nifty. The promise Of this sublime
recompense and the thought Of this
extreme happiness filed the women
with such fervor and piety that for
months thereafter the pastor had no
cause for complaint.
Around every house in Brock are
buckets, benches, rakes, hoes and
stakes, all colored red, blue, white or
yellow. The brilliancy and variety of
colors and the cleanliness, brightness
and miniature pomp of the place are
wonderful. At the windows there are
embroidered curtains, with rose col
ored ribbons. The blades, bands and
nails of tue gaylv nainted .windmills