The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-15

than there are boats, and the streets are
crowded with men carrying burdens and
with dogs and women and boys hauling
carts.
Come with me TO Hoogstraat and take q
look at the Broadway of Rotterdam.
This is the chief business street and 1t
goes through the heart of the city. 1t
Is not more than thirty feet wide and Its
tail Tour and five story houses lean across
from side to side as though drunk and about
to embrace.
rake a stand In one of the doorways and
watch the cabs and carriages. the big was-
Ons and the little carts which jam them
selves this way and that. There comes a
hay peddler dressed in u zap. blue smock
ard clogs.
He has a CARLOAD of grass. with two dogs
harnessed In front of the axle. He pushes
and they strain and pull as they run. bark
ing. along.
Behind comes a bareheaded woman with
a green wheelbarrow filed with vegetables,
and a bread peddler 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. ! never knew what The
expression work like a dog meant until l
came here.
Loads big enough for an American horse
ale pulled by Dutch dogs. There comes one
row. dragging a cart full of beer in bott es.
witch rs master IS delivering to his Gus
toners as he passes their doors.
There is another behind pulling a load o;
salt. and others pass every few moments
dragging carloads OF milk.
Now. urn your eyes frCm the dogs to the
people. See how businesslike they ara.
They have a solid lock abort them. The
men are plainly dressed and there are mo-:
workmen than ~loafers.
1t Is rare that We see a tall hat. gloves
o" frock coat. TIE derby. the cap AID bust
iless suits have taken their places.
Many of the common women ara bare
headed. and the ladies ont shopping dress
more plainly than II LonGon. Brussels or
Paris.
OLD-FASHIONED COSTUMES
WORN BY COUNTRY WOMEN.
The typical Dutch costumes are passing
from tbs country.
There are two now who have en- white
caps with gold corkscrews at each SIDE OF
their eyes. With them is a Young Dutch
ran with velvet pantaloons a yard VIDE and
o short velvet coat. in front OF which his
while flannel shirt shows out.
He wears a soft hat with a turnsd-up
b.inn. below which his thick hair has been
cropped of so that 1t hangs dow like a
brush.
Listen 10 the Dutch talking as you stanl
here on Hoosstraat.
What a jarson, 1t is not English: it is not
German nor French, and it seems to be a
mixture OF all. Some Of tbs store signs look
like English on a drunk, and We have TO
study to make out what they mean.
Over there Is a iewe!ry store with the
words: "Nieuw Zilver Mstaalwaren' above
IT. and further on a grocery store with tine
sign. Better en- Kaas." Any one can see
that the first sign means silver. and it is not
hard to translate the second as butt=r and
cheese.
1t is more difficult when you spell drug
store "Droserijen." but any one could tell
that "Schuwaaren' means shoes, "kotfie'
coffse. ard "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 ge.
a man from the MISUNDERSTANDING
chappy-tot-Allgemeene Dienstverrichting." /
was almost stunned when the policeman
ratified out the name. and was surprised to
learn that il meant only Al porter with a
push ear; and that Notwithstanding his title
his charges were but is cents for the serv-
ice.
About an hour later I wanted to GO to
sec a machine factory and was told that
the
acknowledgements" was one of the
largest. employing thousands of workrlt NJ:
and when | asked II | co2id not see the
American Consul General the same day. my
landlord infoTmedIms I could. for he lived
on Van Volienhovenstraat. and ! could
drive there on my return from the factory.
/ can't remember the simplest of these
Dutch directions. and | find the languag,
almost as difficult as the Choctaw or the
Chinese. FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Copyright. 1905, by +. g. Carpenter.