New-York tribune., 1903-03-29
DUTCH SKATING.
THs Pleasure of a IYiater Trip tn
Holland

A1OtOEGus
Ehes tire weather cannot make up its mind in
Enesand. and when hunting men and skaters
eozIsy enraged, II is bad plan to give it up for
3 couple OF days and 60 to the country where
theze is mistake about the frost. The journey
from Liverpool-st-, by way OF the Hook OF HoI-
land to Rotterdam. Is easy one, which permits
you to start after dinner in the evening and reach
completely novel surroundings In time for break
fsSS. says special correspondent in The London
Telegraph" Arrival at Rotterdam. the dark,
before winters dawn, is not without Its romantic
elements. and the pleasant results OF those pre-
mature building opera tions Babel. long ago. be-
come evident you hand your dressing
hag to g porter o. the Nederiandsche Maatscharpy
tot AIlegemeene DienstverTichting. Under his
CHEEKY Euidsnce-for the Dutch are CHEEKY, though
short OF speech and somewhat dour OF asPect-you
march hopefully through clean, deserted streets of
neat red paving stones toward the Boompjes. The
very Destinations name Is m!Tthfuiiy suggestive,
but the early Sabbath light only reveals mixed
impression Of clustered mssts, squat barges and
enormous iron bridge that seems to permeate
the town. To meet windmill comfortably set
tied down upon the pavement, and locking very
much at home. a RELIEF. To wstch its
sinevy sails float upward in the heavy air Is
almost q consolation. You order breakfast with
lighter heart the struggles south OF the
cast. beyond tire Konigshaven lights up the Noord-
ereiIGnd and finally touches all the steamers fun
nels sIons the quay. from Williamsburg 10 West
trhavsn That same Williamsburg is worth walk
ing Il only to realize the harbor Of the Mas
and the rising Of the tide some fifteen miles from
the North Sea you have just crossed. As you watch
the river. Its broken fragments OF half frozen snow
slip down the north side OF the stream with soft
simmer Of white upon the gray current working
westward. and whispering hiss comes up from
the troubled surface OF the swell II you look long
enough over the bridge side this produces strange
Effect upon the brain IL you stood beside the
bUfNarks of a liner ard looked out upon
the rnotionIess your vessel passed. But
4 glance backward corrects imagination maze
Of iron girders trnade in Paris rises. stolid and
strong. above the heads OF the pedestrians; close
beyond il the long OF yet another bridge
their webs Of steel from bank 10 bank and
ever the sibIIaat rustic of the snowy ice beneath
flows onward 10 the restless sea
Man made the land the Dutch will tell you,
but God made the sea" and has the
struggle OF the elements been so patent to the
view. Rotterdam itself is but network of dikes
The sea and the canals the main things IN It.
Small wonder that this is the country of Tasman
and the explorers. of the East Indian Trading
COMPANY that hiied The Hague with the treasures
of an unspoilt Ea of fighters like Van Tronlp'
De Ruyter ard De Witt ''Je Maintienorai Is the
nations motto: and IL has upheld many things
besides its dikes. Freedom. above ALL in that
seventeenth century. which saw the height OF HoI-
;snd,s greatness the struggle against Slidlh' Inc
strength of William the Silent the sulien cohtro-
x.rsi-s OF Arnninians and Gomarists the paintings
ot Rembrandt Of Gerard Dore- of Van der Heist,
Of Ruysdael of Jan Steen So seen so eathereo
fnro few lines these manifestations or ma
lions genius seem varied enough; Dur theF are
really similar: they born Of the sea uoes anu
the dikes. SO your first walk must De along lae
north side Of the Mas while its current points
,-op to the sea until you reach Lahnhaven. on
the west side OF the town, across neS PrJSg 6nte1
where the seaGus YAK 10 ahp sreI r10 STaTes straw
packinTs paper Innings and worse refuse thaf T1Ip
doxn fse left side of the river arm called Leuven
raven. sheet CT freezing water eraHIaTe 1es and
szes with oackgroune OF rec houses any SfftIe
:urtseI 70 biTs ,ne ss the Bowman. Museum and the
woSder1uT when you think OF the best Dutch col
snq5 s 2Is6t But spTf 1he 70 enyo the town at The
q Rn .8sss ySF OF saoon ta1 Ronack and
hess ere the flowers of Van AeIst the w9naerIbu 1bs
wan. OF Jan WeeIsix the cocks and hens Of Hon.
o The PSrFgs1t % g tRf 6f FUN Tphat aetc BY
Rembrandt fer his aIlegory Of Nestp5aLsn peace: p:
In cae corner is a brilliant. spirited canvas caHS bs
Hendrisk Van Aye9camp . w69 vas ;yci etTetch Of
Dg5 Nan o. Rampsn STered u ifh fes ali skating
happily. and thoI cughly enjo!iHg an ll?SSl5 EN- ss
westvard and north 10 the suburb Oh hraiInstn, IN TO-
you may see eassy It me af shne ' the ssne irInocg-
Gus vvIlirIing and round the same reg Gee,s @
e. sSFf m ayins oent no a how 5T eF ~ better the Dutch
rsge their skating Than ne 90 pstine ~ festiva for
Asys under sixteen By 70 o'clock that oward
K1.,t59sSi and every man woman child had
w skates sTnsipS s % % II 6sti6nS 5ae5 d64 showed
& 1ill - s. Ta,nS zere to be held and beneath the
IL ,ng folds Of rnio9 lack aed nre Ieo Of the
uEettiest imaginable from i l!tuc Ir
It D4oIe TS Uha9e affair Was spParerty under
4he ms ma cement o. al 'ljscluh "Il2h cIldi Su
r-'seior exarted a visiting card. and made every
~uftable arrangement down to i ie 4e, Inder
nm INK ,rmesiate control Of the authorities fenced
c1 from. tie vague distance beyond NJ iihes So, o.
Zooden buildings. and occasional narheo WIZ
nast have becn very nearly sEs5 Gqs55'e7 here t
"';ie iSsre in queer hat inteILigible Iangnage
ToeSane voor Hoatganeers DE schaatsenri5ders
zp eHeh5 IS or Gp If Dc WHICH RSnfs is easy enough
y hea EoH pronounce it in kind OF Entturai N"D an
fjE French, however weird the sPens Ia r5T con-
ssnf-nce for large number OF hohosE < a. r.
-sf4eshent rooms OF different sISe5 e ah@ sbore big
% room stood at each end for coats a.o
"a o.e corner little S9uaFe 4bar Kindred bicycles;
. = may be noted as curious nat we saG oriy
~ Isnfor car in the rest Of Holland. The bnlk
oF the rrarfc evidently went on by water. an4' 4
wasn n fnat va tbe sEatns Speed skating was the
only form Of graceful art 20 be seen III pr nHt
81 :. To5id 40 freouSnty be the case with us
fst scr combined figures under me cohIt9i a pa a
s!1r ais " eiehts around orange.
spite Of there being so niucn .5 rehf IN one
ed roncenfric crcIe and the left on the cir
Gle Just within IT, The central spsee tb rscinS
~ Sovs under sixteen. which was TIE main p4si- ;.
OF he day and i9Ud we5e rns after another
faoed The starter line cut in the ICE %aTo ib
while the boy with inside station ION nae e5ed of as
tEs ,,.Se sstd .'CIe,'' in the long swinging strloe
T,b Tpaa csnsfs Though it vas freezing hard while
we're skating. the tracks OF every iISIi ,,,+Ie
ouIIsTies To1n of sWeepers here and there had al
fhsIr time cut keep the surface clear WIN p
ienE sqaeesees faced with hardened rubber o-6sn BS
ord the surrounding dyke few young NoIeLd5 aaed