Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-10

| that brought us out upon back street.
On one side was a canal, on the other
a row of low stone houses, with no
| more than two rooms in any of them.
At that time the Dutch were at din
| ner, others in their doorway or on
| the door steps, while invariably a
sleek looking cat was stationed as SEN
| tinel before the house.
Just down the street a short distance
| was the great Peters workshop. Our
guide summoned the custodian for us.
and then we stood in the neat garden,
| surrounding this precious relic. The
wooden building itself is SO old and de-
crepit, tina. It has been propped up
| by an outer building of brick, which
makes one think of a jewel set in a
I case.
There are only two rooms, the kitch-
en-. with a closet built in one side of it
| that was used as a bed, and living
room with a tile Fireplace. Now there
are pictures of Peter and his wife
there, doubtless his second wife, the
Empress katherine. the one person it
| seems who could calm the car. in his
violent outbursts of passion, which
were of such frequent occurrence.
| Here in their little house at Zaan-
| dam away from the Russian embassy,
| he enrolled as a ships carpenter under
| the name of Peter Michaelhoff and re-
manned three months, learning all that
! he could which would be of benefit to
| him in creating a navy for his own
| country. We were told that Holland
| has given this building to the Russians,
so that it is now the property Of the
Gar.
The custodian took us through her
neat little rooms, where she exhibited
! to us with much pride two beautiful
cats. Outside our little old man was
still waiting for us with some post
cards for us to buy. l purchased
| few and as l had no change, gave him
| the equivalent of one dollar. Pointing
| to the carriage which was waiting for
| US, he hobbled quickly off without CIV
| ing us cent of change.
The principal street was small and
paved In brick. AS we drove along we
saw the wooden shoes left ON the door
steps, on one step there were several
pairs. Passing from Zaandam into
Zaandike and Koog. the streets be-
come even queerer. On one side of the
street was a sluggish canal spanned
| by many arched wooden bridges, which
lead directly into the gardens before
| the different houses.
On we went until we came to large
| windmill, which might have been the
inspiration of the following words of
Longfellow:
Behold! a giant am 1!
AlOft here in tower,
With my granite jaws | devour
| The maize and the wheat, and the rye.
And grind them into flour.
At last we were able to enter a
Dutch windmill and climb UP to the
platform. We had to ascend three
| flights of steep stairs all covered with
flour, so that when we stood on the
outside of the windmill, we looked as
| if we had been caught in a snow-storm.
| Those huge arms have sails which
catch the wind and make them go
| faster. Then there is a wheel which
| regulates their direction. The miller
| told us. that they made flour there
| from corn. the most of which came
from America. The mller's family
| live in the lower part of the windmill.
| Their rooms were as neat as wax, with
a fine Delft tile fireplace in the liv-
| ing-room, and of course a cat to make
! the place look home-like.
| We passed little old church stu
ated on slight elevation. This, so
| our guide told us, was called the Cat
tic Church." for one time when the
| place was flooded, the only building
which stood high and dry was this
church, SO into the church the people
drove their cattle, and since that day
it has kept this name.
| Coming back by different way we
passed windmill upon windmill some
in groups others isolated, nothing but
| windmils with their great creaking
arms. We were almost happy because
we had missed the boat to Maarken
as we had had such novel day, and
had seen that part of Holland some
what apart from the paths usually fol-
lowed by tourists.
In Amsterdam a ride around the city
sufficed us, then a good dinner to help
us on our journey to Cologne, and
strange to say we had our first cup Of
poor cocoa in that city which is sup
posed to make the best cocoa in the
world.
MABEL FRANCES KNIGHT.
| (No. Cologne: the Children's Para
dise).
L wi ~