,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 ,text printed in italics and in bold face in the original work are represented here as text and text1 respectively4 ,more ,transcriber's ,notes may be found at the end of this text4 ,,learn ,,one ,,thing ,,every ,,day ,,may #a #aiad ,,serial ,no4 #eh ,,the ,,mentor ,,holland ,by ,,dwight ,l4 ,,elmendorf ,lecturer and ,traveler ,,department ,,of ,,travel ,,volume #b ,,number #f ,,twenty ,,cents ,a ,,copy ,,the ,,mentor ,,association ,,established ,,for ,,the ,,development ,,of ,a ,,popular ,,interest ,,in ,,art1 ,,literature1 ,,science1 ,,history1 ,,nature1 ,,and ,,travel ,,contributors--,,prof4 ,,john ,c4 ,,van ,,dyke1 ,c4 ,f4 ,,talman1 ,,prof4 ,,albert ,,bushnell ,,hart1 ,,rear ,,admiral ,,robert ,e4 ,,peary1 ,,william ,t4 ,,hornaday1 ,,dwight ,l4 ,,elmendorf1 ,,henry ,t4 ,,finck1 ,,william ,,winter1 ,,esther ,,singleton1 ,,prof4 ,g4 ,w4 ,,botsford1 ,,ida ,m4 ,,tarbell1 ,,gustav ,,kobb1 ,,dean ,c4 ,,worcester1 ,,john ,k4 ,,mumford1 ,w4 ,j4 ,,holland1 ,,lorado ,,taft1 ,,kenyon ,,cox1 ,e4 ,h4 ,,forbush1 ,h4 ,e4 ,,krehbiel1 ,,prof4 ,,harold ,,jacoby1 ,,burges ,,johnson1 ,,stephen ,,bonsal1 ,,james ,,huneker1 ,w4 ,j4 ,,henderson1 ,,and ,,others4 ,,the ,,plan ,,of ,,the ,,association ,the purpose of ,the ,mentor ,association is to give its members1 in an interesting and attractive way the information in various fields of knowledge which everybody wants and ought to have4 ,the information is imparted by interesting reading matter1 prepared under the direction of leading authorities1 and by beautiful pictures1 reproduced by the most highly perfected modern processes4 ,the object of ,the ,mentor ,association is to enable people to acquire useful knowledge without effort1 so that they may come easily and agreeably to know the world's great men and women1 the great achievements and the permanently interesting things in art1 literature1 science1 history1 nature and travel4 ,the purpose of the ,association is carried out by means of simple readable text and beautiful illustrations in ,the ,mentor4 ,the annual subscription is ,four ,dollars1 covering ,the ,mentor ,course1 which comprises twenty-four numbers of ,the ,mentor in one year4 ,the ,mentor is published twice a month by ,the ,mentor ,association1 ,inc4 #bbb ,fourth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city ,,subscription1 ,,four ,,dollars ,a ,,year4 ,,foreign ,,postage #ge ,,cents ,,extra4 ,,canadian ,,postage #ej ,,cents ,,extra4 ,,single ,,copies ,,twenty ,,cents4 ,,president1 ,,thomas ,h4 ,,beck2 ,,vice-,,president1 ,,walter ,p4 ,,ten ,,eyck2 ,,secretary1 ,w4 ,d4 ,,moffat2 ,,treasurer1 ,j4 ,s4 ,,campbell2 ,,asst4 ,,treasurer ,,and ,,asst4 ,,secretary1 ,h4 ,a4 ,,crowe4 ,copyright1 #aiad1 by ,the ,mentor ,association1 ,inc4 ,entered as second-class matter ,march #aj1 #aiac1 at the post office at ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y41 under the ,act of ,march #c1 #ahgi4 ,illustration3 ,,montalbans ,,tower1 ,,amsterdam ,,holland ,the ,history of ,holland ,,one ,the history of ,holland is a record of the unexpected4 ,one might think that this flat country would have a story as monotonous as the land on which it is built1 that it would be the last part of the world to be the center of fierce battles and bloody wars4 ,yet there took place in this little country1 formed principally of the mud deposited by three rivers1 the ,rhine1 the ,meuse1 and the ,schelde1 some of the most important deeds in the history of the world4 ,the earliest inhabitants of this part of ,europe are said to have been some of the barbarians that accompanied the ,cimbri and ,teutons in their expedition against ,italy4 ,the ,romans1 however1 held sway over this district until near the end of the fourth century1 when the ,franks took possession and settled there4 ,later the ,holy ,roman ,emperor ,charlemagne extended his supremacy over the whole of the ,netherlands1 and under his successors a system of dividing the land among the vassal princes gradually developed4 ,thus the feudal system grew up4 ,the situation of the country on the ocean and the mouths of three great rivers invited the people to commerce4 ,then1 also1 the big cities grew up and surrounded themselves with strong forts4 ,in #adgg the ,netherlands came into possession of the ,house of ,hapsburg by the marriage of ,mary of ,burgundy1 the daughter of ,charles the ,bold1 with ,maximilian1 afterward emperor of the ,holy ,roman ,empire4 ,their son1 ,philip the ,handsome1 was the father of ,charles ,v1 who subsequently became ,king of ,spain4 ,under his rule the ,netherlands enjoyed a golden era of prosperity2 but during the reign of his bigoted son1 ,philip ,,ii1 there began that apparently hopeless struggle of the weak people of the north against the haughty ,spaniards1 which lasted for eighty years and which ended in the establishment of the powerful ,dutch republic4 ,the great founder of ,dutch liberty was ,william of ,nassau1 the ,silent4 ,today he is revered by the ,dutch as a mighty hero and martyr4 ,it was in #aegi that the ,union of ,utrecht laid the foundation on which the republic of the ,united ,netherlands was to be raised4 ,by the ,peace of ,westphalia in #afdh the independence of the ,united ,provinces was recognized4 ,the prosperity of ,holland was great4 ,its navigators explored the most distant coasts in the world1 and its trading posts in ,east ,india yielded a rich harvest4 ,it had commerce with all nations1 and at the same time its art reached its highest point of excellence4 ,for many years the fortunes of the ,netherlands varied from good to bad4 ,in #agie the ,french ,republicans took possession of the country and founded the ,batavian republic4 ,in #ahjf ,louis ,bonaparte was created king of ,holland by his brother ,napoleon4 ,four years later ,napoleon annexed ,holland to ,france1 giving as the reason his belief that it was formed of the alluvial deposit of ,french rivers4 ,at last1 in ,november1 #ahac1 the ,french were expelled from ,holland2 and in #ahae1 by the ,congress of ,vienna1 the southern or ,belgian province of the ,netherlands was united with the northern into a single kingdom1 and the ,prince of ,orange was created king of the ,netherlands under the title of ,william ,i4 ,this union was severed by the ,belgian revolution of #ahcj4 ,ten years later1 ,william ,i abdicated in favor of his son ,william ,,ii1 who was in turn succeeded by ,william ,,iii4 ,his daughter ,wilhelmina is the present ruler of ,holland4 ,her daughter1 ,princess ,juliana1 was born ,april #cj1 #aiji4 ,,prepared ,,by ,,the ,,editorial ,,staff ,,of ,,the ,,mentor ,,association ,,illustration ,,for ,,the ,,mentor1 ,,vol4 #b4 ,no #f4 ,,serial ,no4 #eh ,,copyright1 #aiad1 ,,by ,,the ,,mentor ,,association1 ,,inc4 ,illustration3 ,,veen ,,kade1 ,,the ,,hague ,,holland ,william the ,silent ,,two ,william the ,silent is to ,holland what ,george ,washington is to the ,united ,states4 ,as the principal opponent of ,philip ,,ii of ,spain he was the very incarnation of the national spirit in the greatest period of ,dutch history4 ,he dared to stand forth as the fearless leader of a persecuted people in opposition to the mightiest monarch then on earth4 ,william1 ,prince of ,orange and ,count of ,nassau1 was surnamed 8,the ,silent0 not because he was gloomy1 but because he was able to hide his plans with wonderful discretion4 ,he was born on ,april #af1 #aecc4 ,he was a great favorite of ,charles ,v of ,spain1 who appointed him1 when he was only twenty-two years old1 governor of the provinces of ,holland1 ,zealand1 and ,utrecht4 ,when the ,low ,countries came into possession of the ,duke of ,alva1 the ,spanish governor1 ,william set out on a short but useless campaign to liberate the southern provinces4 ,four years later he was invited by ,holland and ,zealand to command their troops against the ,spaniards4 ,shortly afterward he captured ,middelburg and succeeded in raising the siege of ,leyden4 ,the ,union of ,utrecht1 the famous defensive league of the ,north ,netherlands1 was formed in #aegi4 ,soon afterward ,william was exiled by ,philip ,,ii2 but the ,states ,general defied his authority1 and in #aeha formally threw off their allegiance to the ,spanish crown4 ,however1 so anxious was ,philip to have ,william out of the way that he offered a reward of #be1jjj crowns and a title of nobility to anyone who would assassinate him4 ,many were the cowardly attacks made against the brave ,dutchman1 eight attempts being made before the one that finally succeeded4 ,on ,july #aj1 #aehd1 ,william1 in company with his beautiful young wife1 was coming to dinner down the stairway of the ,prinsenhof--his house in ,delft4 ,suddenly from the corner of the corridor a man stepped forth holding a petition4 ,the prince asked him to present it later when he was not busy4 ,during the meal ,william was as usual very cheerful2 but his wife seemed to have a premonition of danger4 ,she spoke to him several times of the strange man they had met in the hall1 remarking that she had never seen a more villainous face4 ,this did not disturb ,william in the least1 and at the close of the meal he led the way back along the corridor4 ,as he approached the staircase1 without a moment's warning the assassin sprang forth and shot him in the breast4 ,the prince reeled backward a few steps and fell into the arms of his wife4 ,a few minutes later the founder of ,dutch liberty had passed into history4 ,william the ,silent was the foremost statesman of his time4 ,he gave up great position1 vast wealth1 and at last his life1 to rescue the ,netherlands from the tyrannical power of ,spain2 and he had the satisfaction of knowing before he died that the cause for which he had suffered so much would succeed4 ,his murderer1 ,balthazar ,gerard1 was executed by having the flesh torn from his body with redhot pincers4 ,illustration3 ,,street ,,scene1 ,,amsterdam ,,holland ,amsterdam ,,three ,amsterdam has often been called 8,the ,venice of the ,north40 ,between the two cities there is a resemblance2 but they also differ from each other essentially4 ,venice is golden2 while ,amsterdam is gray4 ,venice inspires romantic memories and poetical associations2 ,amsterdam1 even with its many attractions1 is distinctly practical and commercial4 ,amsterdam is a seaport in the province of ,north ,holland4 ,it is one of the chief commercial cities in ,europe and the largest city in the kingdom of ,holland4 ,it is one of the wealthiest cities in the world4 ,amsterdam stands on flat1 marshy ground into which piles fifty feet long are driven to form the foundations of brick houses1 which are usually six or seven stories high4 ,the form of the city is a crescent1 and the arms of its canals project into the ,y4 ,amsterdam is really a city founded upon islands1 ninety in all4 ,it has miles of liquid streets1 which are spanned by three hundred bridges4 ,all through the city float heavy barges1 many of which are the homes of citizens4 ,among some classes of the ,dutch it is customary1 when a young man has saved or borrowed enough money1 to buy a huge1 broad-shouldered boat and install therein not only his entire family1 but also his poultry1 hogs1 and even cows4 ,from then on he is independent1 and master of his own floating house1 stable1 farmyard1 and express wagon4 ,he transports loads of merchandise from town to town1 and is in a small way even a farmer4 ,when he moors his boat to take his wares from house to house he uses a cart1 and to draw this cart he employs dogs4 ,when the merchandise is sold the driver calmly seats himself in the cart and makes his patient animals pull him home4 ,if he does not own a dog1 he merely puts the yoke upon the shoulders of his wife1 and she acts as a willing steed4 ,the little houses in the vicinity of ,amsterdam are thoroughly characteristic of ,holland4 ,they have sharply pointed roofs of pretty red tiles1 neatly painted walls and blinds1 and a monstrous windmill on one side4 ,within they are scoured and polished so that they almost shine with cleanliness4 ,even among the wealthy citizens of ,amsterdam there is not much display of luxury4 ,the houses are quite plain1 but always brightly clean4 ,to most people who are used to paved streets and plenty of dry land it would not be pleasant to dwell among the watery streets with their narrow sidewalks of ,amsterdam2 but to a ,dutchman it is impossible to have too much water about his house4 ,even with a canal in front and another on each side he will add1 if possible1 an artificial pond in his small garden4 ,illustration3 ,,street ,,scene1 ,,rotterdam ,,holland ,rotterdam ,,four ,rotterdam1 the famous commercial center of ,holland1 lies fourteen miles from the ,north ,sea at the union of two rivers1 one of which is called the ,rotte1 and with the great dam erected on its banks gives to the town its name4 ,to a visitor the most notable feature of this great ,dutch city is its multitude of bridges1 most of which are drawbridges1 continually rising and falling like parts of a huge machine4 ,rotterdam received its first municipal privileges in #acdj4 ,its modern prosperity dates from the separation of ,belgium from the kingdom of the ,netherlands4 ,the largest seagoing ships can now be admitted to the quays of the town4 ,great cargoes of oil1 grain1 coffee1 tobacco1 and coal pass through it1 and its cattle market is the most important in ,holland4 ,it is a remarkable fact that in ,rotterdam almost every man one meets has either a cigar or a pipe in his mouth4 ,the ,dutch are great smokers4 ,it is said that the boatmen measure distances not by miles1 but by pipefuls4 ,many of the natives are believed to sleep at night with their pipes between their teeth1 so that they may have their morning smoke without any delay4 ,the ,hollanders call tobacco smoke their second breath1 and a cigar the sixth finger of their hands4 ,in ,rotterdam is situated the home of the greatest smoker that the world has ever known1 ,meinheer ,van ,klaes4 ,his average consumption was one hundred and fifty grams of tobacco a day4 ,nevertheless he lived to be ninety-eight years old4 ,his directions as to how his funeral should be conducted are interesting3 8,i wish that all my friends who are smokers shall be specially invited to my funeral4 ,each of them shall receive a package of tobacco and two pipes1 and they are requested to smoke uninterruptedly during the funeral ceremonies4 ,my body shall be inclosed in a coffin lined with wood of my old cigar boxes4 ,beside me in the casket shall be laid my favorite meerschaum1 a box of matches1 and a package of tobacco4 ,when my body is lowered into the grave every person present is requested to pass by and cast upon it the ashes from his pipe40 ,it is said that these requests were faithfully complied with4 ,there is also a report which says that at his funeral the smoke was so dense that a horn had to be blown to enable the mourners to find the door4 ,rotterdam suffered from a great fire in #aefc1 and also underwent great loss during the struggle with the ,spaniards who occupied the city in #aegb4 ,since #aegc1 however1 its progress has been remarkable4 ,illustration3 ,,scene ,,in ,,haarlem ,,holland ,tulips and ,windmills ,,five ,spring is the best time to visit ,haarlem in ,holland4 ,the traveler to this city passes through wonderful fields covered with broad sheets of scarlet1 white1 and yellow tulips4 ,it is a sight never to be forgotten4 ,but1 beautiful as the tulips are1 it is not for this that the ,hollanders grow them in such quantities4 ,they grow the bulb not for the flower but for the 8onion10 as it is called4 ,the cultivation of tulips is a great business in ,holland2 but today only a small percentage of the population commercialize the flower1 compared to the number that cultivated it in the seventeenth century4 ,the tulipomania of that time was really a form of gambling1 in which admiration of the flower and interest in its culture were secondary matters4 ,in those days thousands of florins were paid for a single bulb4 ,tulips grow wild along the northern shores of the ,mediterranean1 and in ,africa and the ,far ,east4 ,they were introduced into the ,low ,countries in the sixteenth century from ,constantinople and the ,levant4 ,owing to their great beauty the flowers became immediate favorites in ,european gardens4 ,it was in #afcg that the extraordinary tulipomania first took possession of the ,dutch4 ,not only were flower merchants seized with it1 but almost every citizen took up tulip growing4 ,a single bulb called the 8,semper ,augustus0 was sold for thirteen thousand florins1 and for another of the same variety was traded 8a new carriage1 a pair of gray horses1 and forty-six hundred guilders40 ,a prize of one hundred thousand florins offered by the horticultural society at ,haarlem was won by the black tulip of ,cornelius van ,baerle4 ,but when the government stepped in and enforced a law against gambling the price of tulips fell to nothing4 ,the bubble burst1 and thousands of dealers were beggared in a single night4 ,there is an old ,dutch proverb which says1 8,god made the sea2 but we make the shore40 ,for hundreds of years the ,hollanders have proved this true by literally making the land upon which they live4 ,they must continually fight against the encroachment of the sea1 and a big factor in the work of keeping the ocean out is done by great windmills1 which pump the water from the fields into the rivers and canals1 and thus drain the land4 ,everywhere in ,holland windmills can be seen4 ,besides pumping and draining1 they also saw wood and grind corn4 ,although nowadays steam and gasolene engines can do most of the work formerly performed by windmills1 they still form a picturesque part of the ,dutch landscape4 ,by draining whole marshes they have transformed this waste land into beautiful green and fertile fields4 ,in passing from ,the ,hague to ,haarlem on the train one can see the largest of these 8polders10 as the drained marshes are called4 ,windmills were used as early as the twelfth century4 ,in all the older windmills a shaft called the wind shaft carried four to six arms or whips1 on which long1 narrow sails were spread4 ,the tips of the sails made a circle of sixty to eighty feet in diameter4 ,it is this type of windmill1 with its long arms waving above the landscape1 that is associated so closely with ,holland4 ,illustration3 ,,ryks ,,museum1 ,,amsterdam ,,holland ,art in ,holland ,,six ,many people consider ,dutch art the most interesting in the world4 ,the artists of ,holland did not portray classic gods and prayerful madonnas4 ,they were too practical and matter-of-fact for that4 ,their minds were serious1 and scenes of everyday life attracted them more than they did the artists of ,italy or ,spain4 ,portrait painting began very early among the ,dutch4 ,this was because the ,dutch spirit was essentially commercial4 ,the prosperous burghers liked to have great artists paint them1 and they were usually willing to pay pretty well for the privilege4 ,also the nobility1 due to their love of splendor1 gave abundant employment to the artists4 ,some of the earlier ,dutch artists who achieved fame are the brothers ,van ,eyck1 ,hugo van der ,goes1 ,roger van der ,weyden1 and ,quentin ,massys4 ,but greater than any of these is ,frans ,hals1 who was born in #aehj4 ,he was a great portrait painter4 ,his marvelous capacity for catching an impression on the instant brought him many patrons4 ,he loved to paint people as they were1 and jolly topers and rich burghers were his favorite subjects2 but1 great artist though he was1 he died almost in poverty4 ,rembrandt ,harmanzoon van ,rijn1 who was born in #afjg1 the son of a miller of ,leyden1 has been called the greatest painter of northern ,europe4 ,today his pictures are beyond price4 ,his influence on the ,dutch artists that followed him was very great4 ,but he died at the age of sixty-two1 alone and neglected4 ,paul ,potter1 called the 8,raphael of animal painters10 was born in #afbe1 and died from overwork at the age of twenty-nine4 ,it is said that he painted portraits of animals1 and tried to know the character of every beast that he drew4 ,jan ,steen painted all sorts of subjects1--chemists in their laboratories1 card parties1 marriage feasts1 religious subjects1 and especially children4 ,besides being a successful artist1 he was a brewer at ,delft4 ,he failed in this business and opened a tavern4 ,hence he has often been called 8the jolly landlord of ,leyden40 ,pieter de ,hooch was the most neglected of all ,dutch painters2 yet in #ahgf the ,berlin ,museum paid #bf1jjj for one of his paintings4 ,he was born in ,rotterdam about #afcj1 and became one of the most charming painters of homely subjects that ,holland has produced4 ,he died at ,haarlem about #afha4 ,meyndert ,hobbema was born in ,amsterdam about #afch1 and was buried there in a pauper's grave in #agji4 ,although today he is considered one of the great landscape painters of ,holland1 his work was not appreciated during his lifetime4 ,hobbema liked to paint only landscapes4 ,it is said that when it was necessary for him to get a figure in a picture he had another artist do it4 ,all these men were great artists of ,holland4 ,and it is a peculiar thing that most of them lived in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries4 ,since then ,holland has done comparatively little in art4 ,illustration3 ,the ,mint ,tower1 ,amsterdam ,,holland ,by ,,dwight ,l4 ,,elmendorf ,lecturer and ,traveler ,,the ,,mentor ,,department ,,of ,,travel ,,may #a1 #aiad ,,mentor ,,gravures ,,the ,,ryks ,,museum1 ,,amsterdam ,,veen ,,kade1 ,,the ,,hague ,,street ,,scene1 ,,rotterdam ,,street ,,scene1 ,,amsterdam ,,montalbans ,,tower1 ,,amsterdam ,,scene ,,in ,,haarlem ,holland has been described as a 8country of unpainted pictures40 ,that is the artist's point of view2 for his eye takes in the picturesque possibilities of the subject4 ,to us it seems as if ,holland is of all countries the one most often seen in pictures4 ,while1 no doubt1 there are many 8untouched pictures0 in the miles of level ,dutch landscape1 art has surely shown a generous recognition of ,holland's attractive scenery1 and has celebrated its picturesqueness to all the rest of the world4 ,holland is a country of dikes and level meadow lands1 of windmills and canals4 ,from the point of view of an aronaut the ,dutch cities look like a map of ,mars4 ,this is especially true of ,amsterdam1 which1 viewed from above1 appears to be a network of canals4 ,these canals are an attractive feature of the cities4 ,in some cases the whole street is canal2 in other cases the street is both 8wet and dry0--a canal flanked by a street4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 ,american ,press ,association 8,,the ,,house ,,in ,,the ,,wood10 ,,the ,,hague ,this is ,queen ,wilhelmina's favorite place of residence4 ,it is located in the forest park about one and a half miles from ,the ,hague1 and was the meeting place of the first ,international ,peace ,conference1 held in #ahii ,imagine a country1 in some spots lower than the sea1 maintaining its existence only by constant vigilance and industry1 fighting for its very life through the changing seasons against the one great enemy1 water4 ,the dunes or sand hills which line the coast serve as a barrier against the sea4 ,these are reinforced by coarse grass1 which holds the sand together4 ,in some places the dikes are made of earth1 sand1 and clay1 held together by willows1 which are carefully planted so as to form a binder4 ,in other places dikes are built of stone4 ,the dikes are the fortifications against the inroads of the ocean1 and also the floods in the rivers that flow through ,holland to the sea4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 ,american ,press ,association ,,houses ,,of ,,parliament1 ,,the ,,hague ,with the ,queen's ,fish ,pond in the foreground ,when there are heavy rains in ,germany the ,rhine brings down a great additional volume of water1 which has to be checked by the dikes and led away by the canals4 ,holland's fight against water has been a warfare of varying fortunes4 ,at times in the past dikes have been broken1 great tracts of land have been inundated1 and thousands of people drowned4 ,the ,dutch are a careful1 plodding1 and industrious people1 and they have profited by experience4 ,as a result they are now not only holding their water enemy in check1 but they have actually advanced upon the sea1 and have taken from it sufficient territory to add materially to their cultivated lands4 ,but the contest with the rivers and the sea has to be constant4 ,a special body of engineers is appointed to look after the work1 and the ,dutch government spends annually several million dollars to keep the dikes in order and hold the ground4 ,water is confined in canals and in large basins2 and the ever-faithful windmill1 when not otherwise engaged1 is employed to pump the water from the lowlands4 ,,dikes ,,and ,,windmills ,the dikes and the windmills are the two great factors of physical and commercial life in ,holland4 ,the dike safeguards the land2 the windmill fans the currents of trade4 ,whether corn is to be ground1 timber sawed1 tobacco cut1 paper manufactured1 or water pumped1 the long arms of the mill perform a willing and efficient service while the wind blows4 ,the importance of the dike is reflected in the names of many ,dutch towns4 ,the word dam or dike is to be found almost everywhere4 ,amsterdam is the 8dike0 of the ,river ,amstel 7ahm-stel72 ,rotterdam1 the 8dike0 of the ,river ,rotte2 ,zaandam 7zahn-dahm71 the 8dike0 of the ,river ,zaan--and so on4 ,the thought of the protecting dike was generally in mind when a town was founded4 ,the windmill is not only an untiring servant of industry1 but is a sign of ,dutch prosperity as well4 ,you may hear it said of a ,hollander1 8,he is worth ten millions40 ,you are quite as likely to hear it said1 8,he is worth ten windmills40 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,royal ,,palace1 ,,amsterdam ,the palace1 formerly the town hall1 was begun in #afdh1 finished in #afee1 and cost #h1jjj1jjj florins4 ,it rests on a foundation of #ac1fei piles1 and its tower is #afg feet high4 ,the weather vane on the tower represents a merchant vessel1 formerly the crest of the city ,it required dogged determination and persevering energy to make the history of ,holland4 ,the ,dutch people successfully resisted ,spanish domination at a time when ,spain was a supreme world power1 and then they built up a government of their own in a country where they had to fight for the very existence of the land4 ,in government administration1 in thrift and commercial enterprise1 in exploration and colonization1 in literature1 and in arts1 ,holland has proved herself to be a wonderful little country4 ,she has had much to say in the ,congress of ,nations4 ,one of her chief cities1 ,the ,hague1 is identified in everyone's mind with one of the most important world movements of modern times1--the ,international ,peace ,conference4 ,the population of ,holland does not exceed #f1jjj1jjj1 and there are only four towns having a population exceeding #ajj1jjj1--;,amsterdam1 ,the ,hague1 ,rotterdam 7rot-er-dam2 ,dutch1 rot-ter-dahm71 and ,utrecht 7u-trekt2 ,dutch1 oo-trekt74 ,,amsterdam ,this most interesting city is situated where the ,river ,amstel enters the ,zuyder ,zee 7zy-der zee2 ,danish1 zoi-der zay74 ,just where the city lies there is an arm of the sea which goes by the odd name of ,y or ,ij 7pronounced eye74 ,amsterdam is the chief commercial city of ,holland2 though in some branches of business ,rotterdam disputes its supremacy4 ,the city is of odd1 semicircular shape1 and is intersected by canals1 which run in curves like the rows of seats in an amphitheater4 ,each of these semicircular canals marks the line of the city walls and moat at different times4 ,other canals cross these in such a manner as to cut the city up into a number of islands4 ,the old part of the city lies in the very center1 inclosed by the inner semicircular canal4 ,at one end of this canal is the 8,weepers' ,tower10 which takes its name from the fact that it stands at the head of what was the old harbor1 and was the scene1 therefore1 in ancient times1 of many sad leavetakings4 ,there wives and sweethearts said goodby to the men who went 8down to the sea in ships40 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,gate ,,of ,,the ,,stadtholder1 ,,the ,,hague ,illustration3 ,,the ,,new ,,theater1 ,,amsterdam ,amsterdam is supposed to have originated about #abjd1 when ,gysbrecht ,,ii1 ,lord of ,amstel1 built a castle there4 ,it came to be really important about the end of the sixteenth century1 when the wars with ,spain had ruined ,antwerp1 and many merchants1 manufacturers1 and artists left there and settled in ,amsterdam4 ,the population of the city today is close to #fjj1jjj1 and it is one of the busiest markets in ,europe1 doing a large business in imports1 especially in the products of the ,dutch colonies4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 ,american ,press ,association ,,palace ,,of ,,peace1 ,,the ,,hague ,the city1 moreover1 is very beautiful4 ,the main canals are lined with avenues of elms1 and they offer a picturesque appearance and a pleasant shade4 ,the streets are full of life1 and their interest is enhanced by the varied activities of those who walk and ride on the paved roads and others who ply oddly constructed boats through the waterways4 ,a ,,city ,,built ,,on ,,piles ,the costumes1 while not so picturesque as those to be found in the country districts1 are interesting to the traveler from other lands4 ,the houses are built on piles driven into the soft soil--a fact that the witty old ,erasmus of ,rotterdam turned to jest by saying that he knew a city whose inhabitants dwelt in the tops of trees like rooks4 ,there are so many things in ,amsterdam of historic1 literary1 and art interest that no one can expect to 8do the city0 and do it thoroughly in the brief time usually allotted by the ordinary tourist4 ,for the student of art there is enough to fill a month's time4 ,the home city of ,rembrandt naturally holds the interest of an artist1 and the ,ryks ,museum contains a wonderful collection of ,dutch art and ,historic relics4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 ,american ,press ,association ,,the ,,ridderzaal1 ,,the ,,hague ,the old ,ridderzaal on the ,brennenhof is the ancient castle of the counts of ,holland4 ,the most modern improvements1 such as electricity and telephones1 have been installed in this ancient structure4 ,the grand assembly hall seats two hundred and eighty1 and is lighted by eight immense chandeliers of antique style1 containing fifty-four lights each ,,ryks ,,museum ,this museum is an impressive stone and brick building1 constructed in #ahgg-ahhe1 and filling nearly three acres of ground4 ,it holds a place among the greatest museums of the world1 and in its devotion to its own particular subject--,dutch art and history--it is unique4 ,it is not the lover of art alone who will find the place fascinating3 the historian will be held by the military1 naval1 and colonial collection2 the antiquarian will linger over the old works in gold and silver1 the models of ships of different periods1 antique books and furniture1 textiles and stained glass2 while the artist will regard the picture galleries as a treasure house4 ,for the artist1 if interested in the ,dutch masters of art1 the museum is the one particular place in ,europe4 ,there about him he will find some of the most celebrated works of ,rembrandt1 ,franz ,hals1 ,paul ,potter1 ,jan ,steen 7stane71 ,hobbema 7hob-be-mah71 and other ,dutch painters4 ,the picturesque old buildings of ,amsterdam1 especially those in the inner city1 will delight the visitor4 ,many of these have great historic interest--notable among them ,admiral de ,ruyter's 7ry-ter2 ,dutch1 roi-ter7 house1 bearing his portrait in relief on its front1 and a little beyond that the old ,montalbans ,tower4 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 ,underwood ,underwood ,a ,,street ,,in ,,amsterdam ,the ,royal ,palace is a solid building which was begun in #afdh1 just after the ,peace of ,westphalia1 and was finished in the course of seven years at a cost of #h1jjj1jjj florins 7#c1baf1jjj74 ,it is not a beautiful building2 but in its structure and its inner equipments it is interesting as showing the character of ,dutch life and government4 ,you bring from a visit to the palace an impression of the solidity1 power1 and the enduring virtues that are the ancestral inheritance of the ,hollander4 ,no visit to ,amsterdam is complete without a sight of the ,zological ,garden1 which is one of the best in ,europe1 and a trip out to the unique little ,island of ,marken4 ,there in that odd spot you will find all the picturesqueness of ,holland in solid deposit4 ,gaily colored costumes are everywhere2 houses are queer in structure and in furnishing2 and manners and habits of life are peculiar and interesting4 ,but let the visitor be cautious in ,marken4 ,it has of recent years come to be a show place1 stocked with all sorts of ,dutch articles of no special value1 most of which are manufactured solely to catch the fancy of the unwary tourist4 ,,haarlem ,on returning from ,marken the traveler will find it worth his while to run west to the quaint old town of ,haarlem 7hahr-lem74 ,this is the city of the governor of the province of ,north ,holland1 and is one of the cleanest and neatest towns in the ,netherlands4 ,its population is something over #gj1jjj1 and it has the appearance of prosperity and welfare4 ,during the ,middle ,ages1 ,haarlem was the residence of the counts of ,holland1 and was the scene of several important military engagements between the ,dutch and the ,spaniards4 ,it is famous for its horticulture1 and furnishes bulbs to every country in ,europe and ,north ,america4 ,along about the middle of spring a wonderful sight may be seen in the lands surrounding ,haarlem4 ,whole fields of hyacinths1 crocuses1 anemones1 tulips1 lilies1 etc41 offer a brilliant variety of color and fill the air with delicious perfume4 ,it is a feast for the senses indeed6 ,illustration3 ,copyright1 ,american ,press ,association ,,saint ,,nicholas ,,church1 ,,amsterdam ,,rotterdam ,situated about thirty miles south of ,amsterdam and ,haarlem is ,rotterdam1 the second largest town in the ,netherlands1 which has a population of about #cgj1jjj4 ,to some it is known chiefly as the home of the illustrious ,erasmus1 who was born there in #adfe4 ,in the great marketplace of ,rotterdam there stands a fine bronze statue of ,erasmus4 ,to merchants ,rotterdam is known as one of the busiest import cities on the ,continent2 as in its import trade it is exceeded only by ,hamburg and ,antwerp1 while its cattle market is the most important in ,holland4 ,there is much life in ,rotterdam1 and plenty of entertainment to enliven the visitor who goes there for other purposes than those of trade4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,postoffice1 ,,rotterdam ,boyman's ,museum contains a most valuable collection of ,dutch art1 and the churches1 parks1 and public ways are attractive and interesting4 ,down at the large docks you will find busy scenes2 at the ,wilhelmina ,kade especially1 where the great passenger steamers lie4 ,you will meet that name ,kade wherever you go in the towns of ,holland4 ,it means quay1 and the different thoroughfares distinguished by the name are either quays or else have been quays in times past1 and in the course of the city's growth have become streets with waterways in them4 ,you will be impressed with the vast multitude of bridges in ,rotterdam4 ,i do not know that they actually exceed in number the bridges of ,amsterdam2 but they appear to1 for many can be seen from almost every point of view4 ,the service of the canal to ,holland is manifold1 and this is true in winter as well as in summer4 ,over the frozen surface of the canal children skate to school1 women skate to their shopping1 and those who have time for recreation skim the icy surfaces from town to town in skating trips4 ,,the ,,hague ,there are many towns in ,holland to invite the traveler1 and most of them will delight him as well4 ,this is especially true of ,utrecht1 ,dordrecht1 and ,delft1 the last famous the world over for its pottery4 ,it is well1 however1 when making a visit to ,holland1 to save ,the ,hague until the last4 ,the ,hague is the political capital of ,holland1 and in some ways the most beautiful and interesting of all ,dutch cities4 ,it is a most cosmopolitan town1 and its population includes many distinguished people4 ,among the cities of ,holland1 ,the ,hague leads in culture and refinement1 as ,amsterdam and ,rotterdam do in commerce4 ,it is1 moreover1 the most attractive city4 ,in neatness and in cleanliness it is claimed that ,the ,hague cannot be excelled by any city in the world4 ,you are willing to believe that when you are there4 ,,the ,,house ,,in ,,the ,,wood ,the full ,dutch name of this city of royalty is 's ,graven ,hage 7's grah-fen hah-ge71 which means 8the count's inclosure40 ,the name was given to it originally when it was a richly wooded plain and a hunting resort of the counts of ,holland4 ,it is now the residence of the queen of ,holland and the seat of government1 where most of the important national transactions of the last three hundred years have taken place4 ,there is no great amount of business at ,the ,hague4 ,it is a place of important political affairs and of social life and enjoyment4 ,the life there is distinguished for its gaiety1 and the society for its distinction4 ,great interest naturally centers in 8,the ,house in the ,wood10 a most picturesque chteau erected in #afde for ,princess ,amalia1 consort of ,prince ,frederick ,henry1 son of ,henry the ,silent4 ,this is the favorite home of royalty4 ,the most interesting apartment in the palace is the ,orange ,room1 which was prepared by the princess as a memorial to her husband1 and has been the scene of many important diplomatic and social events4 ,the first ,international ,peace ,conference1 at which twenty-six powers were represented1 met in this room in the summer of #ahii4 ,the ,house in the ,wood is beautifully furnished and decorated1 and1 more than the usual royal residence1 it realizes the meaning of the word 8home40 ,illustration3 ,,groote ,,kerk1 ,,dordrecht ,this church dates from the fourteenth century4 ,its tower is two hundred and thirty feet high ,,attractions ,,of ,,the ,,hague ,the population of ,the ,hague is more than #bdj1jjj1 and it has1 besides ,the ,house in the ,wood1 a number of notable features4 ,there is the celebrated picture gallery called the ,mauritshuis1 the ,municipal ,museum which1 next to the ,ryks1 is the finest in ,holland1 the ,mesdag ,museum1 which contains among other art treasures a fine collection of pictures by the ,barbizon painters1 and the ,steengracht ,gallery1 which is rich in modern ,french and ,dutch paintings4 ,the quaint old ,hall of the ,knights will attract attention for its historic interest1 and so will the beautiful and imposing national monument1 which was set up in #ahfi to commemorate the restoration of ,dutch independence and to honor ,prince ,william ,frederick of ,orange4 ,altogether ,the ,hague is a delight to the traveler4 ,thackeray exclaimed over it1 8,the brightest little brick city1 with the pleasantest park to ride in1 the neatest1 comfortable people walking about1 the canals not unsweet1 and busy and picturesque with life60 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,cathedral1 ,,utrecht ,the cathedral was erected in #abed-fg4 ,at the time it was one of the finest and largest churches in ,holland ,,scheveningen ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,beach1 ,,scheveningen ,it might be ,brighton or ,margate1 and1 except for the swarm of hooded beach chairs1 it might be ,coney ,island1 this popular seaside resort of ,holland4 ,most of the features familiar to those who frequent the sea coast resorts of other lands are to be found at ,scheveningen4 ,there is the wide1 gradually shelving beach1 ceaselessly washed by the rolling surf1 crowded with people of all ages and stations1 bobbing in the water1 frolicking on the beach1 or sedately seated in the shaded chairs4 ,back on the beach runs the long line of hotels and cottages that we find at all great ocean resorts4 ,the pleasure of playing on the seashore is much the same wherever humanity is found1 and no matter what the locality may be the pleasure in all places finds pretty much the same forms of expression4 ,scheveningen 7shay-ven-ing-en7 began its life as a fishing village away back in #adjj4 ,it is situated about three miles from ,the ,hague1 and has been a bathing resort since #ahae1 growing in popularity and population until now the annual number of visitors is about #dj1jjj1 chiefly ,dutch and ,german1 but including also many ,britons and ,americans4 ,the season runs from the first of ,june to the end of ,september1 and1 just as in the case of other summer resorts1 its activities are at their height about the first of ,august4 ,aside from its many attractions as a summer resort1 ,scheveningen has some historic interest4 ,it was from there that ,charles ,,ii set sail when he returned to ,england to assume the crown at the time of the ,restoration4 ,this was in #affj4 ,thirteen years later that sturdy naval hero ,admiral de ,ruyter engaged in a sea battle off ,scheveningen1 and there defeated the combined forces of ,france and ,england4 ,,dutch ,,country ,,life ,,and ,,people ,for those who would know ,holland and the people1 no trip would be complete that merely included a few of the prominent cities4 ,take your pack if you care for tramping1 or engage a car if you prefer to ride3 you will find the roads good4 ,then go through the country and meet the people in their simplest condition4 ,the ,dutch farmer has not changed in several hundred years4 ,he is a thrifty1 contented individual1 and his life will interest you4 ,you will find the country families hospitable1 and you will learn much from them that the city ,hollanders have not told you4 ,as you go through the farm districts you will be impressed with the varied color and the picturesque qualities of everything4 ,and though you may not be an artist you must1 in the course of a sojourn in ,holland1 feel the stir of art consciousness4 ,aptly indeed has ,holland been called 8a land of untouched pictures40 ,,supplementary ,,reading ,,the ,,rise ,,of ,,the ,,dutch ,,republic ,j4 ,l4 ,motley4 ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,netherlands ,j4 ,l4 ,motley4 ,two justly famous and comprehensive historical works4 ,,motley',s ,,dutch ,,nation ,w4 ,e4 ,griffis4 ,a condensation of ,motley's works brought down to #aijh4 ,,dutch ,,life ,,in ,,town ,,and ,,country ,p4 ,m4 ,hough4 ,a well written and authoritative book4 ,,the ,,american ,,in ,,holland ,w4 ,e4 ,griffis4 ,a book that cannot fail to interest4 ,,holland ,george ,wharton ,edwards4 ,a book delightfully written1 and artistically illustrated by a well known painter4 ,,the ,,open ,,letter ,the travel impressions of an artist are always interesting4 ,mr4 ,george ,wharton ,edwards in his book1 8,holland of ,today10 presents with brush and pencil a vivid and attractive picture of life and natural conditions in the ,netherlands3 99 99 99 99 99 8,the first impression that the traveler in ,holland gets is in one respect similar to that given by the far western prairie regions1 and the broad1 wind-swept flat country with comparatively few trees1 and lying open to the gales of the ,north ,sea1 has a little of the same bare aspect4 ,but with this is mingled a most decided aspect of novelty4 ,here the fields are cultivated with the care of suburban market gardens1 and are separated by long ,v-shaped ditches1 through which the water runs sluggishly some feet below the surface of the ground4 ,looking across them1 one sees broad1 brown1 velvety-hued sails moving in various directions among the growing crops2 the roadway is on an embankment1 running high above the land1 frequently crossing canals lying far enough below for the brightly painted barges with lowered masts to pass freely1 generally without the need of drawbridges4 99 99 99 99 99 8,the passenger boats1 once so common in the canals1 are fast disappearing2 like the diligences1 they have been replaced by the system of tram-cars which now cross the country1 but here and there this old-fashioned means of communication between the towns and villages still survives1 and it is certainly a delightful experience to make a journey on market day in one of these arks4 ,it is generally a long and rather narrow boat1 low in the water1 and usually painted green and white1 with a low-roofed deck cabin divided into two compartments running the entire length1 with clean board seats1 and tiny lace-curtained windows1 the floor scrubbed with sand until it is almost as white as snow4 ,the roof is covered with a mixture of sand and pulverized shells1 on a foundation of bitumen to hold it4 ,it is most delightful to sail or be pulled along by #8boy power' through the country between the #8pollarded green banks' and look upon the changing landscape and the brown-armed mills in legions engaged in battle against the water enemy4 99 99 99 99 99 8,the very laws of nature have here been reversed1 for disregarding the injunction1 every house is builded upon the sand1 and the whole coast is held together practically by straws4 ,there being little or no wood in the country whole forests have been brought hither in ships and buried as pile foundations for the cities4 ,save in the ,island of ,urk in the ,zyder ,zee there is not a stone to be found anywhere4 ,yet artificial mountains 7almost7 have been brought in vessels from ,sweden and ,norway and in masterful and ingenious manner erected as barriers against the sea40 99 99 99 99 99 ,concerning the people of ,holland1 ,mr4 ,edwards has this to say3 8,the superficial observer will perhaps find that the people move more slowly and deliberately than his standard demands2 that there are not enough of the quaint costumes1 of which he has read so much1 to be seen in the large centers1 to satisfy his sense of the picturesque2 but for him whose eyes are open to the glory of attainment and the greatness of art1 whose mind is attuned to effects of environment upon the development of character1 who can appreciate the brave and successful attempts of a people grown out of the very soil to ameliorate sorrow1 poverty1 and suffering1 and who have succeeded in spite of adverse conditions and climate in establishing an almost ideal form of civilization and government1 ,i say no land has so much to offer as little ,holland4 ,as the poet says3 8#8,what land is this that seems to be ,a mingling of the land and sea8 ,this land of sluices1 dykes1 and dunes8 ,this water-net that tesselates ,the landscape8 ,this unending maze ,of gardens1 through whose latticed gates ,the imprisoned pinks and tulips gaze2 ,where in long summer afternoons ,the sunshine1 softened by the haze1 ,comes streaming down as through a screen ,where over fields and pastures green ,the painted ships float high in air1 ,and over all and everywhere ,the sails of windmills sink and soar1 ,like wings of sea-gulls on the shore8'0 ,let ,your ,friends ,share the ,privilege of ,membership in ,the ,mentor ,association ,the ,course for ,one ,year ,provides3 #a--;,a growing library of the world's knowledge--twenty-four numbers a year4 #b--;,a beautiful art collection for the home--one hundred and forty-four art prints in sepia gravure and color4 #c--,one hundred and forty-four crisp monographs--one to accompany each ,mentor ,gravure4 #d--;,a reading course throughout the year4 #e--;,an education for all the family1 under the direction of the foremost educators in this country--in art1 literature1 science1 history1 nature1 and travel4 ,send the names of three friends whom you wish to nominate for membership1 and to whom you would like to have us send presentation copies of ,the ,mentor4 ,,the ,,mentor ,the ,mentor ,service ,,this ,,service ,,covers ,,the needs of those who want to gain knowledge by an easy and agreeable method4 ,send for our booklet descriptive of ,the ,mentor ,club ,service4 ,it presents many varied ,mentor courses specially planned for the use of reading-clubs4 ,the ,mentor ,association will supply to its members supplementary reading courses dealing with any or all of the subjects in ,the ,mentor ,courses4 ,these courses of reading are prepared under the direction of the ,advisory ,board of ,the ,mentor--all of them prominent educators4 ,the ,mentor ,association will also secure books for members1 supplying them postpaid at publishers' prices4 ,the ,mentor ,inquiry ,department gives to its members a full and intelligent service in answering inquiries concerning books1 reading1 and all matters of general information having a bearing on ,the ,mentor ,courses4 ,,many ,,readers ,,have ,,come ,,to ,,know ,,the ,,value ,,of ,,the ,,mentor ,,service4 ,,in ,,the ,,fullest ,,sense ,,it ,,supplements ,,and ,,rounds ,,out ,,the ,,plan ,,of ,,the ,,mentor4 ,,all ,,members ,,of ,,the ,,association ,,are ,,invited ,,to ,,take ,,advantage ,,of ,,this ,,service ,,the ,,mentor ,,binder ,every page of ,the ,mentor1 cover included1 contains matter that readers want to keep4 ,the ,mentor ,association is now supplying to its members a binder which holds twelve or thirteen ,mentors and has proved satisfactory in every way4 ,this binder has been arranged so as to hold ,the ,mentor complete and it has tapes to which the pictures are attached1 so that they swing freely in their place and the pictures can be enjoyed as well as the text on the back4 ,the price of these binders is ,one ,dollar each4 ,,make ,,the ,,spare ,,moment ,,count ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 ,the spelling of the original work has been retained4 ,section ,amsterdam1 pronunciation of ,zuyder ,zee3 ,danish should probably be ,dutch4 ,the poem at the end of the ,open ,letter is part of ,longfellow's ,kramos4 ,following are the correct spellings of the ,dutch names given by the authors3 ,brennenhof3 ,binnenhof ,ryks ,museum3 ,rijksmuseum ,ryks3 ,rijks ,harmanzoon3 ,harmenszoon ,veen ,kade3 ,veenkade ,montalbans ,tower3 ,montelbaans ,zuyder ,zee1 ,zyder ,zee3 ,zuiderzee ,meinheer3 ,mijnheer ,zealand3 ,zeeland ,franz ,hals3 ,frans ,hals ,y1 ,ij3 ,,ij 7occasioanlly ,y7 's ,graven ,hage3 's ,gravenhage4