Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-12-10
HOLLAND
INTEREST ADDRESS BY PROF.
4 RsT ON THE NEITHER
LANDS Z.
GREAT SEA WALL AND CANALS
WITH AUTOMATIC GATES
sS SO FEET. APR IT

-
President Worst delivered most ex-
cellent address on Holland. He at
| once gained tbs attention Of his au-:
dience by saying God created the,
earth where people should dwell, but
the Dutch had to make their own
country. The president said that
had it not been for the industry of
| this people their country would still
/ be in the bed of the ocean. Their
country has a greater history than
| Greece or Rome. In order to build
/ their own fertile land, thsy had to en-
dure great privations, It is not known
just when this country rose from the
I.sea, but the Dutch have been working
for many generations to reclaim it. n
Two Thousand years ago, when the
Romans first discovered this land, they
called 1t Netherlands. because, as
| they said, it was neither sea nor
4 land. When the tide was out, marshy
bottom was visible, but as soon as it
returned. the land was covered with.
water to such a depth that an i'm
portant naval battle, empl oying large
ships, was fought where now may be
seen most beautiful and productive
stretch of land
1 Deposits of mud We're lsft from the
rivers which empty into the ocean at
this place, forming deltas much like
the one at the mouth Of the Mississip-
pi. This delta formation soon rose
4 above the water, and by throwing up
4 dikes. the Dutch were able to keep
4 the water out SO that the land could
be drained by large canals. The sea
Gibbs and flows twice every twenty
four hours and at high tide rises some
4 rs feet, although on an average it
rises only 5 feet. 1t ds impossible to
4 build dykes high enough to keep out
the highest tides, so that farmers
i have to build mounds to live on with
4 their focks and herds. Sometimes
when they take their position on
J these mounds, they are driven further
4 and further back as the water rises
higher and higher. "
The bikes built to keep the water
Z out ara about SO feet high and is feet
q wide. The canals which drain the
{ land and empty into the ocean when
the tide is out are large enough te
l. admit boats for traffic. and about
thre stfourths Of the freightage is car
!, rfed on boats. These canals and ditch
I es are located about every 60 feel
throughout the entire country. They
all lead to the sea and have automat
ically regulated gates which oper
!. when the tide is out, letting the wat
er out Of the canals. but the gates
close when the tides come In anG
keep the water OF the land. Not only
do these canals drain the land, blu,
4 the gates are so arranged that the
!, water can be retained in the bitches /
! there is lack of rain. Thus they have
the moisture perfectly under contro
and are able to- grow very heay.
crops. The dairy business is thei
chief occupation and it, is estonish
ing to see the number. OF cows tina
Z are. kept on small amount of land.
3 Holland Isl a little larger thai
Barnes and Cass counties, but SUP
ports a population Of 5000, 900 people
There are about 500 people living OF
\ every square mile. Those countie
J have about $4,000 population Ii th
5 Dutch had possession Of the Red Riy
er valley they would drain IT an
: make It support q population a1mos
v beyond comprehensio.
To William the Silent is due muc
credit for teaching this people how t
i able Of lookingg5zf
reclaim the land. He was worship
q ped as a hero by his people much a
I we worship Lincoln, and strangel
r enough, met the same fate.
: The Dutch are SO patriotic that the
q have at times turned the sea Ioos
Il over their fair land to fight battle
4 for right and liberty.
r viii Speak On Trees
Through the influence Of DR. Eat
7 of the department Of modern Ian,
2 uages Enos A. Mills Will address
y meeting at the Grand on Dec. stl
2 Mr.. Mills subject Our Friends til
2 Trees. will be Of great interest, e
q pecialIy as one Of the most impor
e. ant means to the further dmproyemer
= Iof the state Of North Dakota is til
e growing OF timber The citizens /
3 Fargo are 10 be congratulated In ge
e ting such an able speaker as Lon
Y Peake Guide. E The department
y forestry has been doing & large amour
g Of work ii an educational way wit
4 the hope Of stimulating a deeper ii
n terest In tree growing ff9rn11gflai,f II,