Nebraska Newspapers

    THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA.
DUTCA
Towns
U
OLLAND In Its quaint way Is a land
of rofiinnco, but or a burgherlBh
solid 'sort, tho vory antipodes of
tho romnnco of tlio sunny East.
Dutch romanco Is tho child or In
dustry, enterprise, doggod courage,
fogs and waterways, and Its great
days foil within tho limits of tho
nMfnti nnntti nntlhlPV Thntl nlllnS
of Holland sailed all tho seven seas and brought
homo wealth and tales of advonturo. Then Its
Bailors hammered at tho arctic Ico-pack and
pushed tholr trado among tropical splco Islands.
Then It was that Do Iltiytor sailed up tho Thames
with a broom at his masthead; then, too, that
Hcmbrandt painted and Vondol rhymed. That
also for Holland was a great building ago, when
prosperity caused cities to grow, canals to bo
.1ug, ports to bo built, and tho multiplex activity
of Dutchmen to manifest Itself In all kinds of
makings and shapings upon tho surfaco of tholr
nmphlblous land half earth, half water. Thus
It lo tho Holland of Rembrandt's day and thoro
nbout that remains most Interesting to tho trav
eler, and it is the buildings then erected that are
most worthy of study and presentation within
tier towns,
Amstordam, when Itenibrandt went to sottlo
thcro about 1(131, was passing architecturally
through a period of transition. Tho small coro
Df tho city, whoro everything was on a small
peale, still retained many remnants of tho mo
Jlloval ago. Tho canal's In It wore narrow, tho
accommodation for ships was oxlguous. A grow
ing population and expanding trado woro finding
thomsolvoa horribly crampod.
Amsterdam grow like an onion, by layers sur
founding layora nbout a center. From tlmo to
lima now rings of canals wero added, with radial
connections, and then moro rings .outsldo them.
Of courso fortified wnlls woro erected round tho
wholo at different dates, but thoy never lnsted for
long and had to bo roplnced by now circuits as
tho city expanded. Tho moat of each now circuit
bocamo a canal within tho next. TIiobo who wero
responsible for tho Important changes made at
the beginning of tho seventeenth century had tho
Rood sonso not to destroy overy memorial of
tnodloval days. In particular thoy spnrcd some
of tho old fortification towers, applying them to a
ow purposo and refitting them accordingly. Thus
Iho towor called Montolbaansloron, which still
atands by tho old Schans, ono of the largest
basins of tho carllor canal system, was a part of
tho modioval fortifications. Thoy turnod It Into
n plcturcsquo boll towor by tho nddltlon of n
miporstructuro sot up In tho yoar ICOfl. Though
this waB dono boforo Rembrandt's day, ho omitted
tho steeple In an admlrablo drawing ho mado ot
It, thus giving ono among countless instances
that might bo cited, of his attachment rnthor to
tho past than to tho coming- tasto or tho pcoplo
or his day. Tho only othor high towor at Am
ntordam drawn by him was--tho Wostortorcu or
towor of tho Wcstorkork on tho PrliiBcngracht,
which unfortunately, wo cannot produco In this
jplaco. That towor was a favorite with tho folk
of Amstordam, and I havo moro than onco found
Jt referred to, In narrntlvos of Dutch exploration,
las a measuro of height, as, for Instanco, when a
Kinder cliff Is said to havo stood out of tho sea
hbout as high as tho Wcstortoron. It Is a storied
lower, composed of four retreating i octangular
utagoa, each with columns at tho anglos, not
tmllko somo of Wron's towers In tho city of Lon
don. Tho Wcstortoron, howovor, carries us down
J-athor too lato, when Palladlan Ideas woro af
footing Dutch architects. This was a foaturo of
tho chan go of taste, which made tho art of Rom
fcrandl old fashioned and terminated his pros
perity. Tho Mint towor ot 1G40, and tho others
Bliown in our Illustrations, aro oxamplos of Am
Btordam stoeplo architecture of Rotubrandt's own
eonoratlon. If thoy must bo called fantastic thoy
aro cortnlnly picturesque, and admirably suited
to enliven a canal vista or to poko up out ot a
foreground of crow-stopped gables.
Thoso aro tho typically Dutch towers, thoao
buildings of tho groat days of Dutch romanco.
Earlier towers wo can And In Hollund, but thoy
aro Gothic, and ro-ocho tho stylo elaborated In
Franco. Franco also sot tho key of architectural
Btylo in tho oightoonth century. In tho bovoii
teonth century Holland Btood on her own feet,
and othor folk imitated tho work of hor nrtlsts.
Tho Dutch stylo affected England; It was tail'
tatod In tho roiflarkablo buildings orocted In Don
mark for Christian IV. It ponotratod to tho ends
of tho oarth. It went with Dutch adventurers to
Now York, to Coylon, to tho Capo of Good Hopo,
whoro oxamrilos of it may still bo hunted out by
patient searching.
Our illustrations Include a few of tho earlier
towers ot Holland, about which n word or two
must bo said. Hero, for instanco, aro tho Catho
dral and ono ot tho modlovnl gates of Maastricht
neither of them In any sonso characteristically
Butch, for tho Holland that tho world admires
was croatod In tho flro or tho Reformation wars
Tho cathedral church ot St. Sorvatlus at Maas
tricht Is or early Christian foundation, and It Is
cvon clalmod that portions of tho existing walls
dato back .to tho sixth century. Tho building as
wo soo it, howover, is a groat romancsquo
church of Rhonlsh stylo, with restored olovonth
century towers at tho anglos of Its apso and a
later Gothic boll towor adjacent to a sldo aisle
.Utroeht and Dolft havo boll towers of a Hko kind!
tho upper story bolng uiany-sldod and many
eablod, Anothor such towor Is In Paradiso itself,
If wo nro to beliovo Hubert Van Eyck'H plcturo ot
that dolectablo land, tho famous nltarploco still
at Ghent, unless tho Gormnns havo carried it off
Medieval Maastricht was not a largo place.
Tho Cathedral was In tho center or Jt; not moro
than five hundred yards away nro tlm romalno of
tho city walls of 1290. Tho exigencies of war
mako tho military architecture of a given dato
everywhere much tho same. Thus tho tower
flanked south gato of Maastricht Is not dlfforont
In design from many another that can bo found
In tho old cities of Europe. Uut though it had
llttlo Individuality to start with, tho adventures
and patchings or time havo enduod It with a
pIcturesquenoBs ot its own. Tho builders gave
It practically no decoration, but such solid works
receive all thoy nocd from tho hand of time,
which adds detail with unerring tasto. Tho
plainer an odlflco may havo been to start with,
tho bettor tlmo adorns It, provldod It has boon
built with sound materials, good workmanship
and In good proportions. Most of England's noblest
castles must havo looked gaunt and oven (to
contemporary oyes) ugly. To tho Saxon citizens
of London tho Whlto (doubtless whitewashed)
towor can hardly hnvo convoyed esthetic pleoB
uro. Dut tlmo has oven decorated Norman cas
tles, so that not tho baldost modern sky-scraper
need despair of futuro admiration It it can hold
Itsoir end up long onough.
Amorsfoort tower Is anything rathor than plain.
On tho contrary, It Is In tho Gothic stylo tending
towards flamboyant, whllo Its general design Is
of tho typo of tho towor nt Utrecht, which, Indeed,
bolng only fourteon miles away, doubtless Bug
gestod It. That was built during tho mlddlo halt
of tho fourteenth century; Amorsfoort at tho
very end of tho flftoonth. Both havo tho open
octagonal top story already doscrlbed. Utrecht la
338 root high, Amorsfoort 312 rooL Tho lattor Is
considered to bo tho finest Gothic towor in Hoi
land. I supposo it to havo boon Burraountod or
Intondod to bo surmounted by a plain splro, but
tho prosont bulbous top and opon-work crown
woro put on In 1C5R. Whero did Holland got Its
taBto ror thoso bulbs? Sho did not havo a mo
nopoly or them, for thoy aro numerous onough in
Germany and oven in Switzerland. An oriontal
original probably suggested them. Tho Amors
foort church was built in tho fourtoonth century,
and tho towor may woll havo boon projected trom
tho first. An explosion dnmagod tho building, but
iho damago was mado good and tho towor for
tuuatoly escaped.
Fow tourists stop at Amcrsfoort, but plenty ot
them can soo tho towor from tho train on tholr
way onstward from Amstordam. Tho summit of
it looks northward far away over tho Zuydcr Zeo,
and in ovory othor direction over a country as
flat as wator. Thoro was aomo fun in building
high toworB In Holland, thoy could bo seen from
so rnr away. Amorsroort can hall Utrecht on any
clear day, and both or thorn Rhoncn (I imaglno).
which Rembrandt sketched.
Anyone who has landod at Flushing, and pro
coodod thonpo nnywhlthor by train, has boon
carried for tho first fow miles ovor tho am
Phlblous region of tho Island or Walchoron. Ho
has passod Mlddolburg and prosontly, ir ho lookod
away oft to tho loft, ho wilt havo soon, at a dis
tanco of two or throo mllos, tho llttlo town of
ooro. Doth nro old towns and highly plctur
esque. So indeed Duror rocordod thorn to be
iftn" ?.M?Ud t,U3m ,n th0 coI1 December of
in. ' i M,?dolb,urg" said, "is a good town, a
flno place for sketching. It has a boautltul town
hall with a lino towor. Thoro is much art shown
n a t things bore." All ho has to say nbout Vooro
Is that It Is a flno llttlo town whero lie ships
from all lands." Tho object or Duror's untor
tunnto winter Journoy to tho islands or Zooland
was not, howovor, to soo towers and town halls,
but to satisfy his Insatiable curiosity about
natural history. Ho wanted to mako a drawing
-o a whalo that had been strandod In thoso
parts. Such curiosity in tho caso of mon liko
Durer and Leonardo Is tho first Indication wo
possess of tho approach of tho ago of ncienco
Tho whalo had boon washed away boforo Duror'a
arrival, so tho drawing was never made, but a
chill that ho caught on this Journoy laid tho foun
dations of tho illness which eventually carried
him off. The town hall of Mlddolburg and Its
flno tower woro now buildings when ho saw them.
Tho town hall and towor ot Veoro wero some
forty years older, having been built about 1470
by A. Kcldormans the elder, though tho statues
on tho facado wero not added till after Durer's
visit. Unfortunately tho surviving pages of his
sketch-book contain no drawings of these places.
Thoro Is, Indeed, on ono page tho complicated
top of somo tower, unnamed, tho highest member
of which is liko that of Vooro, but tho rest is
different. Durer was evidently entertained by
thoso fantastic stoeples and sovoral ot them ap
pear In his sketches. In tho naturo ot things,
howovor, such light wooden structures as
crownod the towers ot tho low countries wero
not so durablo as tho jitono substructures. Somo
havo perished by fire, othors havo lost their open
work decorations, othors havo had to bo repaired
in various dogroos, and repair has generally
meant simplification. Tho tower of Veoro, how
ovor, was apparently novor vory elaborate, and
probably remains much as It was originally built.
Four-square and plain below, the atono portion is
completed with a clock chnmbor, strengthened
at tho corners. Thon comes a balustradod boll
chamber, with a bulbed spire tor roor to It, ot
unsually slondor and gracotul proportions. Little
Imitation dormer windows wero a common deco
ratlvo detail on thoso bulbs, but on Veoro splro
thoy aro reduced to the roots or ttiom only. Theso
and tho Gothic crochets hlghor up aro tho only
modioval olomonts surviving In this tower.
Tho town hall bolow contnlns a treastiro cor
talnly worth Booing, for lovers of flno goldsmith's
work worth going to soe-nii admlrablo classl
flcatlon of "slghtH" which wo owe to tho common
sonso or Doctor Johnson. How usotul n guide
book to Europo, confined to tho things "worth
going to seo," would bo when peaco returns
though a real peace In a onco more friondly world
s hardly to bo looked tor In tho days ot any but
tho young. Tho treasure at Vnero is a magulfl
cont goblot, richly enameled an.l chased, which
tho townsfolk causod to bo mado tor, and pre
sented to, tho Emperor Maximilian
How thoy managed to have both tho prestlgo
or giving It and tho solid satisfaction of keeping
It is not rocordod in any books to which I havo
access. At all ovonts, thero it romalna-a very
handsome oxamplo of a flno period of art in tho
low countries. Vooro also possesses a fourteenth
century churchonco In ruins but now repaired
also somo romarkablo old houses, a fountain of
1551 and othor ngroeablo roraalns. On tho wholo
a traveler on landing In Holland might woll spend
a night at Mlddolburg, whoro bo can biro cyclo
or motor and make In a slnlo day a circuit or
ontortalnlng llttlo placos, which prosorvo tho
charms or old Holland moro completely than tho
argor and moro famoUa cities whoroln modern
llfo has compollod much external modernization
ELABORATE EVASION.
"Aro tho fish biting now?" asked (ho stranger
"Yes," repl ed tho boy. "Dut you ain't attawed
to catch "om."
"Do you moan to say you don't fish?'
"I don't exactly sh. But If a-fish comes along
and bites at mo I do my bost to defend- niysoli."
umaMuM. warn
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PORTUGAL'S NEW PRESIDENT
Bornardlno Machado, tho recently
elected president of Portugal, has
been prominent for years In public
life, having served his country as pro
mior, provisional minister of foreign
uffairs, minister of tho Interior and
minister to Brnz"Il. Ho has been con
sidered tho foremost man in tho re
publican party, and boforo tho over
throw of tho monarchy was regarded
as tho logical choico of that party for
tho presidency. In January, 1908, ho
was accused of conspiracy ugalnst tho
crown, but tho charges novor woro
proved.
Sonhor Machado, who is Bixty-flvo
years old, formerly was professor of
philosophy In Colmbra univorslty, but
was ousted from his chair because ho
Joined tho anticlerical movoment. Ho
is an oxccllent speaker, and during
his public career has been regarded
as strongly pro-British.
One of tho Interesting stories ro-
irnPfllncv RnnVlni- Hfnntirw1 la 4f.nt l. n
sorved ns Portuguese minister to Washington In 1900 and 1901 under tho
name of Marquis do Santo Thyrso, but was recalled because ho mado a pre
mature announcement to his country of Presldont McKinley'B death, wh!6h
resulted in Lisbon sending messages of condolenco four or flvo days boforo
tho president died. After his recall, according to tho Btory, ho dropped tho
title, which was of papal origin, and resumed his family name.
Tho president of tho Itnmihlle of Pnrtntmi ,n nintn.i . nin
- - ---tj.-.. w v.Mti. IJ J J Willi , uiu VJ L
both chambers of parliament for a term of four years, and cannot bo ro-
uiucieu.
PLEASANT TOM TAGGART
Tho power of personality never
was bettor Illustrated than In tho ca
reer of Thomas Taggnrt, tho Indi
anaand national political leader.
Irish by birth, Taggart must havo
caressed tho blarney stone from the
earliest days of his infancy to tho day
of his departure for American shores.
This Is not to say that ho Is an orator.
Ho is nothing ot tho sort. On tho con
trary, ho is no spoechmaker at all.
But when it comesto saying quickly,
in private conversation, or in passing
groeting, tho right thing in tho right
way at tho right moment, Taggart is
without a superior in tho wholo coun
try. Not ovon his bitterest enemy will
find tho slightest fault with Taggart's
ovor-brllllant, ever-pleasant smllo.
That was tho gift with which he
began lite. That was his talont and
his capital. A cheory amllo, a firm,
friendly hand-clasp, a ready sympa
thythese went -with it. And the com
bination elevated Thomas Taccart
from a clerk's position behind a depot lunch counter and a aalary of eight
dollarB a week to tho highest position ot political bossism in Btato and nation
and to tho millionaire's status in point ot fortune.
Taggart's intimate friends aro agreed that Taggart's political leadership
has cost him, In money, far moro than it has ovor put in his pocket. His
hands, they say, are clean. His fortuno was mado when lio gained control
of tho company that operates tho Fronch Lick Springs hotel.
GUARDS PRECIOUS DOCUMENTS
Woman's sphero In affairs of state
extends Into ono ot tho most Impor
tant ofllces of tho government. Espe
cially important at tho prosont day is
tho library of tho state department,
whoro aro kept tho treaties, recordB
and valuablo data that determine tho
American policy In world affairs.
Miss Lucy Stuart FItzhugh, who
has catalogued and classified tho
library, Is tho export clerk of tho
library, and caros for Its precious doc
uments. Sho takes tho placo of tho
honored "keeper of the rolls," who
ranks as a high dignitary in foreign
governments.
"Wo havo horo a great many pub
lications and documents that are to
bo found nowhere else in tho world,"
she says. "Among our most precious,
documents aro tho Declaration of In
dependence and tho Constitution of
tho United States in tho originals,
with tho articles ot confederation, tho
emancipation proclamation and other
papers vital to our country's history."
Miss FItzhugh is a Kentucky girl. Sho taught school In Pennsylvania,
Georgia and Michigan, and won hor present offlco through tho civil Borvlco.
Dr. Eugono Wambaugh of Harvard, who was a special counsol for tho state
department when tho European war broke out, remArked that tho govern
ment had at least ono cmployeo well placed. Sho translates foreign lan
guages, and knows the contents of treatloa Hko a book.
-' 5-..- ., - 'J
' v. - f
'Wy ...';:-: :.: .
CHIEF JUSTICE WHITE'S JOKE
Although ponderous and learned
and dignified, Chief Justice Whlto of
tho Supremo court cracks an occa
sional Joko.
"Whlto buys cigars at a certain
drug storo in Washington, and tho
man behind tho cigar countor has
como to know him woll onough to talk
to him rather freely.
Ono day as bo handed the chief
Justlco his changu tho cigar salesman
Inqulrod breezily, by way of small
talk:
"Well, Mr. Chlor Justice, how's
tho Supremo court going to decido
thoso antitrust cases noxt week?"
"It Isn't a niattor that we're sup
posed to talk much about," ropllod
Whlto, pleasantly. "Still I don't mind
tolling you, provided you'll givo mo
your assuranco that It will go no fur
ther." "Oh, I shan't tell a bouI," declared
tho cigar man, earnestly. "Not a
word."
Whlto lcanod ovor tho counter and whispered:
"We'ro going to dccldo thorn right."
'''''