Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-05-06
HOLLANDS BIG EVENT
Notable Significance of Birth of
Heir to Dutch Throne.
ROYAL NURSERY REMODELED.

| Queen Wiiheimina Herself Devised the
Plans From American and English
Modeis-How the Event Was ceIs-
brated-Many Gifts For the Beloved
| Girl Sovereign.
The arrival of an heir to the throne
of Holland by the birth the other day
Of a baby girl to Queen Wilhelmina has
brought joy to the heart of every patri-
| otic Dutchman throughout the world
and has laid the ghost that has haunt
ed not only the homes of Holland, but
the chancelleries of Europe-the fear
of the extinction of the house of Or
ange- Nassau. Should this house pass
out of existence it would mean either
the blotting out of the kingdom OF the
Netherlands as a separate entity or
else a return to its seventeenth century
status of commonwealth.
! Ordinarily the Dutch succession is a
| simple enough affair as there are no
pretenders or claimants to the throne
But prior to the birth of the present
heir the question OF whether or not
| Wilhelmlna would leave n successor as
n ruler over the Netherlands was one
of grave concern, as her brothers by
King William MS first marriage all
died childless, and there was no pro-
| spective heir to the throne up to the
time of her birth 10y her fathers sec
ond marriage. That occasion was one
for great rejoicing throughout the king
/ dom.
So all Holland is happy over the
event which is to affect its destinies so
| powerfully. Everything was ready for
the arrival of the expected little stran-
ger at the unpretentious royal palace
at The Hague.
| The nursery occupies part of the sec
ond story of the palace comprising six
wide and spacious apartments, besides
separate rooms for the attendants. The
wing of the castle has been remodeled
in its entirety. The walls and cell
ings of all the rooms were scraped
and new woodwork, as well as new
floors. heating apparatus and hot and
cold water put in under the queens
own supervision. She devised the
plans from English and American
models, ordering that everything old
fashioned about the nursery be abol-
ished and insisting that she would
have none of the old time nursery with
its insanitary surroundings.
The only old fashioned things about
the nursery are the various cradles
heirlooms Of the Nassau roval family
some OF them nearly as large as a
state coach. The queen had them thor
ou-hIy overhauled and only their elab-
orare shells remain.
Throughout Holland Of late there has
been Il brisk trade in orange paint, in
red. white and blue ribbons, in flags
and fagstaffs. In secret many peas
ants painted their best wooden shoes
orange. putting them aside until the
festive moment. Careful housewives
had the flagstaffs of their houses new
ly painted and the flags cleaned so that
eyeFyt hing was in readiness. What
with every house displaying the red.
white and blue with the bells ringing
the old churches playing their CARL
Ions and the crowds singing in tn,
streets, the towns were festive enough
Queen Wilhelmina signified her will.
ingness to accept the suggested work
OF the pupils of a needlework school
at The Hague, who made six sets of
infants clothing, which were present
ed to the women who had the good
fortune to become mothers on the same
day as the queen.
At Winschoten it was decided to
employ all the money collected In es-
tablishIng holiday settlements in three
provinces, TO which poor and weakly
children can be sent TO recuperate. In
every town and village committees
had been formed to allow all the wo-
men in the place to contribute. A cen
tral committee was appointed for ev
cry province to arrange one gift in
the name of the whole province. In
this way enough money was raised
to present the queen with an article
of value, and sufficient was left over
for charity.
The province of iceland, for in.
stance. presented a white perambulator.
The lace sunshade over it for summer
use was made by the famous Sluis
lacemakers. The Hague gave era.
die, the embroidery of which was in.
trusted to the same hands that en-
broidered the queens coronation robes
and her wedding dress. Leeuwarden
gave a silver book on an antique oak
stand, in which the events of baby life
will be noted down-the baby's weight
every week, the date of the first tooth,
of the first step, of little ailments, etc.
Rotterdam gave a silver mug, plate,
spoon and egg cup; Amsterdam wash,
stand with silver ever, basin, etc. A
screen painted by Dutch artists. an an.
tique oak chest for linen, n press for
baby clothes. white lacquered furni.
ture n clock in Hinloper carved wood
and n weighing machine are among
the other gifts.
The larger towns preferred not to
join the provincial committees. The
East and West Indian colonies and the
Dutch people living abroad have fol.
lowed the same course. The Dutch
colony in London hopes to collect
money enough for n free bed in a
London hospital TO be always at the
disposal of Dutch patient.
AS soon as the queen has regained
her strength the royal family will &c
TO the queens country residence of the
Loo. where she spent the greater part