Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-03-04
4 PEEP AT HOLLAND
MANNERS, CUSTOMS AND CHARAC-
TERiSTiCS OF Tti5 PEOPLE.

arrests the attention of foreigner Wis
itins Holland for the first time" says q
traveller who has recently returned
from tour OF Europe and who records
his impressions of Holland ana its in
hdpitants lii New York paper. lis the
IdCt that large portion of the country
Is from eight 10 twenty feet below tie
high wnter mark at Amsterdam. lii
deed its name. Holland on Hollow
lanu,' is derived from its peculiar topu.
graphical cohHguration. But for the
expenditure OF vast sums 81 money and
unceaSing watchfuness and tireleSs
Industry III maintaining the barriers
against the encrnuchments of the sea
much OF Tie country would be sub
merged Nearly SI0,U0u.UUu has been
expended iii constructing the ! 600
miles OF defensive bikes. which seem 10
say 10 the waves. rs did King Canute,
linus far shalt thou come. but no tar
IhsT
lie Dutch people are generally be
low Tie middle stature. inclined to cor
puleiVH ANA remarkable for Il heavy,
AWKWARD hiicn. The women have eA-
reedihglI beautiful compilations. Their
Skis are OF Il pure white. but generally
they rail III expression aud resemble
Lille WdHWofk. II is not n little re
mdrkable that they retain their ex-
Qulslte cuinpieNionS even beyond three
score anu ten. And Yet you would not
Call the Dutch women Observation-Disclosures
persons are too short and robust Your
&ohiration of Them would be much the
same as suggested by the representa-
lions al Nine. TusSaud 5 or the Eden
AiuSee.
lie fashionable ladies OF Holland
dress like those or England ana Amer.
lea, but aSh,on has little IL do Ia the
rural districts of Holland The peasant
women wear caps of immaculate
whitenesS, resembling somewhat the
White portion OF The headdrcss OF our
Sisters OF Charity. fitting closely to the
Aeau anu shrlnounted 10y an outer hood
or wool or silk this when visiting or
travelling. When at home their head
dress is hn Immense hat of straw ncnr
~ as large as an umbrella. adorned
Win representations Of stars. birds.
beasts etc. Their waists are Of eStray.
ueaht itiiSths. and The other portions Of
their dress are stuffed and padded To a
degree that Knocks proportion and sym-
merry This distinctive and never
Changing fashion Is handed down from
mother TO daughter and is substantially
Just MS II was lii the days OF the Duke
or ANa.
The most striking feature OF the
Dutch character is ant .gtnism to dirt
and NTH. the extrava Qtut efforts 10
insure cleanliness IN same Instances
amounting almost to Insanity. Ii is
scrub, scrub. scrub. even when the for.
eien eye fails to detect anything oblec
tlohable. The Dutch housewife sets
apart certain day for the cleansing
OF the bedroom. and upon that day The
bedroom must be cleaned. Even il no
dirt be oiscernl1le. sufficient time has
elapsed for its accumulation she rea-
sons 1t is the bedrooms day, and IL
must pass the ordeal.
Inc lower parts Of many OF the
north Holland houses are lined with
White Dutch tiles, and some of the
rooms are aved with small square
Iiiss. put together without cement.
Ii.
pewter ana iron-affords striking
proof or the mistress regard for neal.
ness lii arrangement and cleanliness In
appearance. The beds and tables are
covered with liie fiHest linen, and the
rooms are adorned with pictures and
Tie yards ana gardens with flowers.
lhe houses in almost every portion OF
Tie province of north Holland present
d gay appearance. The windows and
doors are generally painted green. aud
TIE most lavish use OF water is indulr.
Ell III, not only the windows. but the
entire fronts OF the houses, being wash
ed two or three times each week. The
same care is extended To the streets in
Which the more opulent Inhabitants re-
side.
The traveller is Impressed with the
ract that Holland is emDhatically u
country of large towns. The larger
towns are surrounded by market gar.
dens, many of which are small, every
inch or land being cultivated 10 the
highest possibility or productiyeness.
These small gardeners do not keen
horses rs beasts Of burden since their
maintenance would involve Il too con
S'uerable expense. They employ dogs.
Which are rs much members of the
family az the sons or daughters. These
dogs are powerful brutes. capable of
drawing loads out of all proportion to
their size
The custom OF smoking is SO preya-
lent lii Holland that genuine Dutch
boor, Instead Of describing distances
between places by miles or hours, will
say a town Or house is so many pipes
away. Thus man may reach Delft
from Rotterdam I'm four pines. bur If