Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-02-05
REFUGEES IN HOLLAND
Many Towns Springins Up Through
Settlement Of Belgians.

Many Towns Sprinsins Up Through
| Settlement Of Belsians.
All over southern Holland, says an
Amsterdam letter, new towns are
arising. They are the homes Of the
clusters Of Belgian refugees. The
largest Of these places boasts popu-
lation Of $4,000, while another has TO-
0oe
| I have recently taken a trip to this
refuge village Of $4,000. men, women
and children, and many odd sides OF
life are to be found there.
The new Belgian town is near
Harderwijk, in Gelderland. It is built
on the wind swept, heather grown,
moorland. Every building Is Of wood
and the whole is enclosed by a city
wall of good strong barbed wire-to
make the job of policing 1t easier.
The wooden buildings, which have
been constructed by the hospitable
Dutch government, are little better
than sheds, but they have double walls
covered with a kind Of rainproof as
bestos and are stout and servicable.
Two hundred and fifty persons lodge
in each apartment house, there be-
ing a room to each five residents.
Huge stoves give good heat and keep
them warm and cosy.
The town, for better policing, is di-
vided further by barbed wire into
three parts. Hussar's guard the lines
of wire inside and out. Not all the
fugitives are properly appreciative OF
what Is done for them and disorders
make 1t necessary from time to time
to shut up culprit in one Of the two
prison sheds-"Caledonia," for the
men, or THE Congo for the women
These stand in the middle Of the
town and have an especially formid-
able wall of barbed wire all their own.
There are several dining rooms,
each capable Of seating 1000. Here the
inhabitants without regard to previous
condition of poverty or aft1uence, eat
seated on benches, pulled up to the
long tables. In the kitchen sheds,
nearly ten large stoves cook, cook
cook, all day, for it takes a lot to
feed $4,000.
To guard against fire in this wood
town, no cooking or smoking is al
lowed in the other buildings. The one
luxury is electric lights; which is
plentifully supplied everywhere.
Other buildings include school, a
church, an assembly hall and post
office. In little store the few refu-
gees who have brought money with
them and still have some left, can
make their frugal purchases.
| Many of the inhabitants of this
town were at first lodged in the quar-
ters Of Dutch soldiers at Oldebroek,
which the latter vacated to house the
thousands which came limping over
the border from smoking Belgium
The first refugee camps, 1t is found,
must be vacated for sanitary reasons,
especially those in iceland, Limburg
and North Barbant.
The Dutch government appoints
burgomaster for each Of the refugee
towns, although there is measure OF
home rule" Below the burgomaster
are the parish priests, each at the
head of the flock which he shepherded
| from their sacked homes. The priests
constitute a kind of town council and
choose reliable men, who keep order
| in the various houses and tell the
peoples grievances to the burgo-
master.
The burgomaster also has a quaint
custom Of making the round OF the
town once day, when any one VINO
has something to say can speak 10
| him face to face.