The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-03-10
HOLLAND GREAT
SKATING RINK
nv Assoclatsd Praan.l

III Icy Associated PresB.l
The Hague, Netherlands. March 1O.-
Holland is at the moment one big skat-
ing rink. From sovereign to humblest
peasant. from aged grandmother and
grandfather to the tiniest toddlers. the
nation Is gliding serenely, merrily
along on skates.
In striking contract, with the last
three or four mild winters, a most in
tense and continuous cold spell has set
In, and despite brilliant sunshine from
a clear sky every lake and canal in the
land Of canals is now frozen as hard as
the cobbled streets. Even the big North
Sea canal leading from the sea to the
open by icebreakers Many OF the
islands are islands no longer, and trav-
i elers passing to and fro, instead OF
booking oltln their heir steamboat passages;
even being conveyed to the famous
island of Marker, on the Zuyder Zee.
by the same means. One can go from
The Hague to Amsterdam, to Rotter-
dam, to practically any part OF the
country, on skates. The countryside,
ordinarily so deserted and quiet, on the
Sabbath IN particular. is dotted every,
ages; and in the towns themselves he
who will need go no farther than the
canal just outside his door to indulge
in the pastime.
The lakes outside the royal house in
the wood at The Hague resemble moth
ing so much as a fair, with their stalls
and seats and barrows and endless
kaleidoscope crowd whirling up and
down and in and out. in ones. twos,
threes and fours. sometimes with Joined
hands, sometimes in chain fashion. On
the big rink of the Ice club nearby may
be occasionally seen the queen herself,
on skates among the throng, for skat-
ing is decidedly democratic sport.
Private brushes shoulders with officer;
indeed. Tristan soldier was Mortified
a day or two ago to recognize general
in the skater he had accidentally over
/ turned.
Down in the children's corner at the
Ice club ring is the little 7-year-old
| Princess Juliana. Mounted on Tristan
skates, she glides and shuffles and slips
among the other small "krabbelaars"
ginners are dubbed. Glowing with
health and laughing heartily at her
own and her companions comical eff
forts. the little heiress goes up and
| sionally coming to watch her progress.
A day or two ago the royal family went
up to see and join in the skating in
the northern province of Friesland, so
| famed for the sport, the little princess
helping to present the prizes awarded
at Leeuwarden and being the recipient
| of a bouquet when she went to join the
Tristan children on the ice.
1t is in the Friesland that the famous
eleven towns tour and race has just
| taken place-one of innumerable races
tions of all kinds that are taking place
| in every part Of the country. The tour
dates back to antiquity. That the Fris-
| ians used to take 125-nile skating trips
| in the dim past when ox-ribs served
them as skates, seems a little improb-
| able, but the eleven towns tour is Ger
| tainly very, very old. and has become
Tristan institution that is the subject
of innumerable family traditions. One
| countryman proudly related that he had
done the tour four times-twice as
young fellow with couple or triends.
then as a young married man with his
wife, who was likewise fleet on skates,
and next in the company of grandson.
This time forty-six actually took part
Leeuwarden before o'clock in the
morning, and 108 others participated in
the tour, including six women. The
winner proved to be sturdy fellow
small place called Leur near Breda. |
The same man won the last such race
in the winter of 1912. but in more ia
vorable conditions he now beat his own
record by nearly two hours, covering
the whole 1875 miles in eight hours. hf- |
ty-three minutes, two-f1fths seconds. |
fresh and fit. His closest rival. Swier-
stra of Offingawier. was nearly half an |
hour behind him. Yet another we'll
known tour is the fifteen villages trip
persons, including thirty-three women, |
this year participated. The champion
ship of Holland. which was decided at |
Veendam, fell to J. ID. BAKER: VINO won
varying distances. He covered 5000 |
meters in ten minutes, thirty-four sec |
onds. and 10000 meters in twenty-five |
minutes. nine and one-fifth seconds.
The modified troops of Holland have
been carrying out various exercises
and competitions on skates. for the
army authorities CONSIDER II IN h tnH
be thoroughly at home on the ice. Tne
problem of Hollands defense--normaliy
based, as 1t is. on the method of food
as the new water line-would, be en-
tirely transformed should invasion oc-
cur during such a frost spell as the
present The Netherlands have to this
may when their water gates were IN
the year 1875 thrown open to the IN
vading French army by just such an
other frost. which enabled the enemy TO
easily cross the rivers and other water
barriers on which Holland had been
counting. Hence the present exercises
there under the eye of the queen her
self (also mounted on skates). and for
which her majesty has offered medals
and prizes. In one composition, for IN
Grenadiers and Chasseurs brigade
started off at fixed intervals from a
point Just outside The Hague. They
had first to skate about fifteen miles,
then proceed on foot for four miles, and
give evidence on arrival at their des-
tination of complete marching and
fighting fitness. In another case eigNt
natrol parties of ten men, each led by |
an officer, had to cover a distance of |
twenty-seven miles, including about a
mile and half on foot. The winning |
natroI did the latter trip in three hours,
six minutes. The queen has furtAer
provided medals for public competition