Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-10-19
DUTCH CHEESE MART
QUAINT ALkmAAR AND IT'S ANCIENT
WEIGH HOUSE SCALES.
a Town I'm Northern Holland which
For Over Two Hundred Years Has
Had the "Rights to weigh" Every
Cheese Made In the Realm.

A Town I'm Northern Holland which
For Over Two Hundred Years Has
Had the "Rights to weigh" Every
Cheese Made In the Realm.
Though Eidam. on the Zuyder Zee.
gives its name TO those rose red spheres
we know as Dutch cheeses." which
are instinctively associated with in
/ digestion. yet Il is Aikmaar, in north
ern Holland. that conduces TO the week.
~ Importance OF this edible of COM
merce, as any one who has ever stood
II the quaint old market place upon a
Friday. and about the hour OF noon.
will have speedily come to understand
For the Dutch cheese producer. in
deed. "au roads" may be said 70 lead
TO Alkmaar. likewise all waterways
and there are many OF them. Thither
come the eheeses by rail. by cart and
by boat: you stumble over them inside
the station as you alight from the
train; they dispute the right OF way be-
tween the rows OF narrow, many col
ored and curiOusly gabled houses; they
stand In solid stacks upon the landing
stages-heaped up ike cannon balls in
readiness for an immediate lombard
ment and. IL 'twere not libelous to
breathe aught savOring OF disrespect 70
n friendly cOuntrys national cOmesti-
bic. as deadly, possibly. also TO an un-
accustomed stomach as their leaden
prototypes.
But. be that as it may. the cheese
market is rare good sight in quaint
Alkmaar when the peasant proprietor
and his yrOuw come in 20 drive their
bargain at the weigh hOouse with the
wholesale agents from far and near.
and every hOstelry does its own brisk
trade with both parties. Across those
rounded bridges peculiar 10 Holland
come shoals OF peasant folk i'm pic
turesque attire. Who does not know
by now the dress with its glorious cap
and golden ''cOrkScrew'' ornaments. the
pride OF many a generation. making
pretty faces doubly bewitchin- and
lending some subtle attraction To- even
the hardest featured dame well up in
years? On they cOme-clattcr clatter.
clatter. vOluble with their cultural flu
ency we somehow feel we ought 20 uu-
| derstand because Of its confusinCly
/ familiar sound. bat its very kiuship 10
| German sends US astray. ami we listen
and listen till the jarson about the
weigh hoOuse becomes a more hope
| less tumble Of sounds than ever TO our
ears. and we content ourselves with
/ turning our attention 10 the building
/ itself II stands where its richly paint
| ell facade can be seen clearly reflected
I In the cool. smooth waters OF the neigh
/ boring canal. a dignitied old pile built
| IN lGJ1. with an especial eve 10 the
/ growing Importance OF Dutch cheeses.
/ Alkmaar having On that year received
\ its right 10 weigh" from William OF
/ Orange. and thus every cheese chang
\ ing hands from that date onward hav-
/ Ing passed from the producer 10 the
dealer across the Alkmaar scales. The
/ present ones. 10y the way. which have
hung in their place since 1882. were
made IN Amsterdam at cost OF 80
l Euilders and. having cOnscientiouSlv
performed their duties without hitch
ever since. certainly speak volumes FOR
the workmanship OF 200 and odd years
ago.
Though the little town IS thronged
from earliest morn with orderly
crowds OF heavy Hollanders. il * not
until the musical chimes within the
all important weigh hooUse turret have
signifed the hour OF noon by breaking
forth I'm melody. generally from some
well known comic opera. that the &C
tual business Of the day begins. al
though, "unofhcially." both parties 10
the coming transactions have probably
already taken time by the forelock
over n glass OF hollands in some inn
! OILS -.
cumbersome ware is carried within
doors. the time honored ceremony IS
gone through and the ticket stating
the correct weight OF each given. after
which act the money changes hands
Ii IS study IN temperament this
weigh hooUSe scene in the little Dutch
town. No hurry skurry" mars the
calm OF the place or diSturbs the phleC-
matte. pipe sucking individuals pri-
marily interested in the transactions
, here going forward. The cheese alone
seems riotOus and inclined 10 wholesale
b INSTRUMENTATION. with a mind 10 roll
hither and thither. possibly resultinG
from some "subcOnsCicus" memory OF
COWS. green meadows and buttercups
and a Discrimination 10 coming bondage
upon the prosaic shelves Of some pro
vision dealer.
II so. we honor the last kicks" IN
tile though they be. for accustomed
hands soon pounce upon and gather
up the stock. Of which each single
cheese weighs from two 10 six kiloS
and they are swiftly carried out u
make way for the next lot. And - on
all through the day. does the trade pro.
coed until the last "Eidamer'' has been
disposed OF, but the extent Of the bust
ness done IN 80 quiet and orderly q
fashion on cheese market days" may
TO some extent be gagged from the
fact that no less than 100000 pounds
: weight Of Eidam chceSeS are computed
TO pass through the Alkmaar weigh
hoOuse annually before proceeding "a
Amsterdam and Rotterdam. where
each is duly invested with it familiar
red coat prior 10 more extended tray
els, 10y land and 10y sea. often into The
heart OF the unknown. travels. how
ever. which almost invariably END
within the interior OF man.-PaH Nal
: Gazette
{ Blamed IL on the Mountain Air.
\ new guest arrived al New H0mp
r shire farmhouse where Boston gentle
man happened 10 be holding forth OF
the piazza. The newcomer was mucl
e impressed 10y the speakers huency
l Il declare" lie remarked 10 the land
! | lop1 chat man has nm extensive IN