Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-15

1t has not a COW nor 8 horse in Il. Rctter-
dam is filled with wagons, carts and draws
Of all kinds. There are street cars and
carriages.
The canals have big drawbridges and
swinging bridges, and when you are walking
or driving along you frequently find your
self suddenly in front Of a blank wall of
boards twenty feet high. The whole street,
car track and all, has noiselessly risen in
mont OF you to let a string of boats or
barges pass through the canal over which
you are going. Some of the bridges swine
upon pivots, others divide in the middle
and rise upward; others are stationary or
suspension bridges, in passing which the
smokestacks, masts and spars Of the barges
swing back upon hinges as they go through.
The traffic is by NO means confined to the
water. There are more carts and drays
than there are boats, and the streets are
crowded with men carrying burdens. aud
With dogs and women and boys hauling
carts. Come with me to Hoogstraat and
take a look at the Broadway of Rotterdam.
This is the chief busines street and II goes
through the heart of the city. 1t is not
more thar thirty feet wide and its tall
four and fve-story houses lean across from
to side as though drunk and about to
embrace.
Take a stand In enc Of the doorways and
watch the cabs and carriages. the big
wagons and the little carts, which jam
themselves this way and that. There comes
a hay peddler dressed in a cap, blue smock
and clogs. He has a CARLOAD of grass. with
two dogs harnessed in front of the axle.
He pushes and they strain ard pull as they
run, barking, along. Behind comes a bare
headed woman with a green wheelbarrow
RIn1 NTH xyaoofabIag and n hroa1 naAAIaH
follows, dragging a long box upon wheels.
Further up the street are more dog carts,
and at every cart the dog does all or half
the work. Indeed. l never knew v at the
expression work like a dog meant until
l came here. Loads big enough for an
American horse are pulled by Dutch dogs.
There comes one now, dragging a cart full
of beer in bottles, which It's master is de-
livering to his customers as he passes their
doors. There is another behind pulling a
load of SAL, and others pass every few
moments dragging cartloads Of milk.
Now turn your eyes from the dogs to the
people. See how business-like they are.
They have a solid look about them. The
men are plainly dressed and there are more
than ~loafers. 1t is rare that we
see a tall hat, gloves or frock coat. The
derby, the cap and business suits have
taken their places. Many of the common
women are bareheaded and the ladies out
shopping dress more plainly than in Lon
don, Brussels or Paris.
The typical Dutch costumes are passing
and are only worn by the women from
the country. There are two now who have
white caps, with gold cOrkscrews at
each side of their eyes. With them is a
young Dutchman with velvet pantaloons a
yard wide and a short velvet coat, in front
of which his white flannel shirt shows out.
He wears a soft hat with a turned-up brim.
below which his thick hair has been
cropped of so that it hangs down like a
brush.
Listen TO the Dutch talking as you stand
here on Hoogstraat. What a jargon! 1t Is
English, it is not German nor French,
and il seems to be a mixture of all. Some
of the store signs look like English on a
drunk, and we have to study to make out
what they mean. Over there Is a iewelry
store with the words, "Nieuw Zilver
MetaaIwaren" above it, and further on a
grocery store with the sign "Boter On
Kaas." Any one can see that the first sign
means silver and it is not hard to translate
the second as butter and cheese. 1t Is
more difficult when you spell drug store
"DFogerijen." but any one could tell that
'SchuWaaren' means shoes, "KOfie" coffee
and "sigaren" cigars.
What bothers me most is the jaw-break-
ing titles which the people use here for all
sorts Of firms. For instance. when l ar
rived in Rotterdam and wanted my trunks
brought to the hotel / was advised to get
a man from the "Nederlandsche-Maat
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