The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-05

was spent III our DertnS III the stats
room although 1t was very interesting
on deck until nearly midnight, watch-.
Ing the waves in the uooufight and tbs.
lanterns On the lighthouses and passanA
ships.
Early the next morning we were in
broad river, water craft of all kinds
about US. The landscape along this
shore was spotted by the old fashioned
windmills. We knew we were in HeI-
land. This was the river Rotter and
the city, which WIS the nearing port,
was appropriately called Rotterdam,
for the construction of the last syllable
was quite necessary to keep townsites
IN that country from being perpetually
IN the predicament which North To-
peha. once found itself, last June.
There were two customs officers on
deck to bid us good morning. They
We're just as pleasant and courteous in
their examination of our luggage as
they were iTs wishing US the compli-
n1ents of the day. Our gtips, which We
had opened for inspection, were only
glanced into, a pager tag was pasted
across the top where the two sides
come together. In crossing the gang
plank an officer merely looked to see
that this tag was fixed and unbreken-
That was all there was to the customs
incident this time.
We boarded a street car at the dock
It was somewhat different from any
car we had eyer seen. 1t was propelled
by the power which was used in Topeka
before the, days of the Rapid Transit,
the same OLD mule. There were no
seats on tops but instead q place for
luggage. Wa were going to the Hotel
Weiuaar for breakfast. / tried several
Dutch COINS on the conductor, who
was also the driver, until he called
enough. I DID not recognize the word,
but understood when I had given him
sufficient m0ney for the three of US.
He gave US each a little icket contain
ing words in an unknown tongue but
the figures for seven 9nd one-half
cents This struck me at first as being
rather stiff for a car ride until figured
it out and found that seven and one
half cents in Dutch money was
only equal to three cents in ours We
had this same sort of feeling that ex-
tortion was being practfced when on
another occasion, for another longer
trip, sthirty-seven and one-half cents
were demanded for three tickets, but
the charge seemed entirely satisfactory
when computed to be equal to just
three of our uichels.
Rotterdam is wonderfully interest
ing city, nothing like it ever before COM
ing within our range It IS the metrop-
opliS of Holland, numbering Within Ills
bikes and bitches three-quarters OF
million inhabitants. The people and the
place are quaint in ever.' respect. me
streets are canals with wide paths on
either side as roadways for trukes,
wagons and dwellings,, as we'll as for the
men or beasts who towe.d the vessels.
Sometimes there was a eanal not ex-
actIy a street. and again street with
no place for boats. but that sort of
street generally faced the river, or was
a thoroughfares to another canal. The
canals and borders of the river were
chohed with boats of all descriptions.
telling of the wonderful commerce of
the Dutch
There were beautiful perks, statuary,
and residences equal to the best in chi
cago. Women and children in wooden
shoes battered uD and dawn the side
walks. IN the. streets most of the We
hicles were carts. and aside from the
cabs and a few drays, al in the main,
were pulled by men and dogs, the dogs
generally doing most of the pulling, the
men holding the handles to steer Occa-
siona.ly. but rarely there was woman
in the shafts. The dog trotted along IN
derneath straining at his harness whlcn
was attached to the axle tree.
To Americans who SEEM to look upon
the use made of dogs in Holland as
species of cruelty. the putchman re
plies. II sec nothing wFong with IT,
/ work and my wife works. Why
shouldn't our dog do his sfare?"
Does the reader now wonder why
there. are SO nsany dogs in this coun-
try This climate and our customs
agree with hirl. A real estate mans
circular setting forth our advantages.
in the language of the bow-wow,
would certainly throw Rotterdam into
a panic and deprive it of its most con-
spicuous beasts of burden. They would
get over here, pr strike. f. P. NJ.