Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-05-29

Holland Has a CO mi Fer
Torrance n CLAIMING.
IT'S STREETS WASHED DAILY.
a Land Where the Pumps and the
sesoms Never Get Rsst-Drinkirs
Ia the Only Purpose For Which Sim
pie Water Ia Never Used.

cosoms NeNcr Get Rest-DriHkirg
Is the Only Purpose For Which Sim
pie Water Ia Never Used.
Life In Holland Is one eternal spring
housecleaning. Dirt Is discouraged In
the very germ, ana cleanliness IS the
patron saint OF the country. Scrub
blnS brushes are exhausted by the mil
lion. and water is ). listed by the seas
ful In the everlasting crusade against
the unseen enemy. A writer. from
Utrecht. describing her experiences for
the New York Sun. says:
am alone. for my husband Is hus-
Ting somewhere 10 Germany. but
10 not scream. DO not feel the slight
est alarm or resentment, for I have
learned In three months residence IN
Holland thnt such face is not likely
To be that OF burglar or n rufian or
iunatic. but OF window washer.
whose occupation never ceases-not
that he is engaged at the top OF Il step
ladder cleaning windows every minute
OF the day. but when the already i'm
peccable panes have been .ouscd and
rubbed and polished there is something
else for him to scrub, be it floors, door
handles. the front OF the house the
sidewalk or the stones OF the street
Scrubbing Is incessaut in Holland.
When this man falls down from sheer
fatigue. another will take his place
and scrub spots whereon dust has had
no time TO gather since the last scrub
bing
1t Is mania for duStlessness that
possesses the country. which is so
damp in winter that dust cannot form,
and n result Is the daily realization OF
legendary SDotless Town. This Is no
fsnclful flight Of an irresponsible pen.
IL fills New Workers. heart with envy
and despair TO see the way these peo-
pie tako care OF their streets.
At o'clock every night twenty-forir
men assemble IN front or the hotel.
which Is near tho corner OF the Vrv-
burg. each In pTepostcrOus wooden
shoes and armed with q huge bosom of
tough twigs with n long handle They
stand In line At the curb and talk
and laugh uproariously like a lot OF
srownup children just out OF school.
Meantime an immense barrel on
wheels drawn by n horse rolls along
the very middle OF the street. pouring
out generous food OF water. Imme-
diately behind II come two revolving
brushes. also horse drawn. that con
vert the dirt into fine mud and push
VI in n general way toward the gut
ters
Then comes the second water wagon.
no mere overgrown barrel. but an i'm
mense tank. from which water spurts
in compelling foods toward each curb
and such Hoods. The pioneer barrel
made an American street sprinkler
seem Ike toy. and the second water
wagon equally outdoes the first in the
toTential volume OF its deluge.
All this is but preliminary. for when
the second water wagon has passed the
twcnty-four men get busy, and the real
work or cleaning the street begins
They form In V, the apex Just behind
the water wagon, the arms extending
to the curbs. ana they operate their
besoms with appalling viGor. Scraplng
up every minute particle OF dirt that
escaped the revolving brushes and
sweeping It Into the cutters.
With every stroke 1T least one In the
brigade gets n drenchlng from his
neicaSor's bosom. but they are indlf-
fere@t 10 that-it's all In the nights
WORK apparcntly-and rs they hasten
onward there Is Il rhythmlcal clump-
clamp OF the wooden shoes and a
swiSh-swish of the bcsomS positively
iasplrlting.
Last OF all comes the commander OF
the brigade. He marches well within
the arms oc the Y, Unprovlded with
Bosom. clapping his hands 10 establish
the rhythm of the sweeping and en-
hancing the hand claps with stentorlan
shouts OF command that surely could
be heard 2 mile away.
Thus lie drives the wedge forward.
keeping the brigade UP to It's work.
never letting II get so far behind the
water wagon that the food viii have
lost its fc-ce to carry OF the refuse.
for there Is no following scavenger
wagon. The dirt. coming TO the gut
tiers while the food Is at It's height. Is
carried away and lost somewhere in n
canal
This is only one Of several similar
night until every street In the city has
been flooded and scrubbed. and when
morning comes the highways and by
wars are cleaner than pebble strewn
beach at low tide.
This iacessant cleaning in Holland
gets on the nerves ana becomes 4
nuisance. Think of walking apprecia-
lively along one OF those spicl and
span sidewalks and suddenly having
10 hold up your skirts and wade
through running water. al because 4
man or woman has begun to deluge
the front Of n house from hose at
tached to a hydrant.
Once past the food. ycu may be
startled until you get used 10 IL by an
extraordinary biped. headless and arm
less. emerging backward from an open
door. 1t wears q skirt from which legs
protrude ending in wooden shoes. and
II swsys In portentous rhythm rs it
advances If may SO put IL. recedes
toward you.
III You have the courage ana curfos-
ity 10 watch this strange creature. II
resolves itself presently Into - woman
She bends over. feet wide apart. until
her hands touch the floor. She Is pro-
vided with a bowl Of ammoniated wa
ter and piece of channels skin.
Having Startel Of tho farfha~ a,,.S -