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Show HOLLAND'S OLD CITY Dutch Metropolis One of the Most IntcrcMing Spots of the Old World Indisputably the Greatest Diamond Market on Earth, (Special CorrespondciT ) When a woman looks lovingly upon tho diamond that sparkles upon the third digit of the left hand, ton to one sho only thinks of tho one who placed It there, and of the nenrlng day when that hnnd shall bo given trustingly to him. ns they start on their Journey. Small wonder Is It sho thinks of nothing noth-ing else, or tli- she has no particular Independently of any special attractions, attrac-tions, the Dutch metropolis Is a curious curi-ous and Intensely Interesting plnce. A fosso surrounds tho wnll of the city and girdles It, In the shape of a tlghtl strung bow, from end to end, with tho Y ns Uie string. In this watery limit, on either side, Amsterdam Is built In tho shapo of a half-moon. Circle within clrclo follow tho four main canals of tho city, tho Prlnzon Gracht, Kebnra Gracht, Heoren Gracht and Slngel, all following tho course of the outer fosse. Llko lines In a spider's web run Innumerable In-numerable other canals, splitting this city of silent highways Into Itdnnds connected by drawbridges and giving It tho well deserved tltlo of the "Venlco of the North." Stately trees lino tho cnnnls, whose calm waters never rlpplo save In the wake of some canal boat. Two centurlos ago theso es, exchanges and edifices of evory scut, all resting upon piles. Tho houses, which havo curloiiBly caned gables projecting,' for somo good architectural reason, out Into tho streets, the cranes hanging from them for tho conveyance of articles from tho boats direct to tho storerooms store-rooms In tho housetops; tho little 1 ft The "Neue Kerk." interest In tho history of tho wonderful won-derful shining stone that sends forth a hundred rays. Hut if she should stop to think of what this llttlo atom of carbon vent through before It blossomed out In n setting of pure gold, sho would probably prob-ably find that it had Its glimpse of tho outside world In Africa, whero somo swarthy son of the mines discovered dis-covered it and added It with great joy to tho llttlo collection in tho chamois skin bnc around his neck. Then It was handed to tho overseer of tho mines, who sent It to Cape Town with hundreds of others, and, alter being properly weighed and registered and what not, It was sent to tho greatest diamond market In tho world. Amsterdam, Amster-dam, to bo split and cut and polished. In Amsterdnm there aro fiver seventy diamond cutting establishments establish-ments at tho present time, and their number Is constantly Increasing. Amsterdam Am-sterdam has a very largo Jewish population, and the greater part of tho diamond cutting and selling industry Is in their hands. Six thousand persons nro employed In cutting diamonds, and In twenty-lour cutting establishments there aro over 4,000 facing lathes. Four thousand moro employes aro kept busy In other branches of tho business of preparing tho diamonds for the market. signs of flowers or flaps nnnounalng tho nrrhal of boats loaded with herrings, her-rings, the strange costumes in tho streets, tho queer sl'ns of tho llttlo apothecary shops, of Moorish beads, w 1th open mouths and protruding tongues; the carrlllos. chimed from the steeples evory hour all theso sights and sounds associated only with Amsterdnm animate the still llfo of the old town and make tho eyes of tho tourist fnlily bulge from his head with so much looking. Tho Jewish quarter Is, In all Its filth and poverty, a great contrast to tho rest of tho city, clean and prosperous, ivlth evidences of wealth and thrift on every side. The narrow streets, with dirty, unkempt children playing before the drors nnd swarthy dames with sharp tongues holding arguments from window to window over their heads, havo slums that would put those of Whltcchapol to shamo. "Jordan" suggests anything but tho "I.nnd of Jordan," with Us narrow byways, by-ways, alleys and slums, tho dirty ditches nnd filthy streets along tho cannl wherein tho entire population Bceni to live In ono tanglo of pushcarts push-carts and stnlls reeking with decayed fruit and fish that havo seen better days, nnd overhead, flapping In tho languorous breezes, aro fcstoDns of underclothing, un-derclothing, tho fnmlly warfi hung up to dry. During tho first Napoleon's reign tho government wns driven from Its seat In the lordly palace In the Dam, which Is the center of tho town. Tho ex-chnngo ex-chnngo and the "Neue Kerk," tho principal cathedral, where, according to constitutional law, tho sovereign Is crowned, mo also hero. This, as the homo of tho "llttlo queen" during ono week of tho year, makes It of sufficient suf-ficient Interest for n visit, which will be pleasant, even If ono docs nothing but stroll through the quaint old halls. Tho costumes of tho people aro odd, their eccentricities of dress truly mar-vcIoub, mar-vcIoub, especially the femnle garb for festive occasions, when from all tha country round even from tho Islo of Mnarken flock tho peasadts In holiday holi-day attire. The women of Maarkcn, who hav not changed their stylo of dress In centuries, wear groat pads on their i King's Palace. samo canals, with their row-B of brick houses and gllmpsos Into narrow streets, their plcturesqtio bildges an-quaint an-quaint vlows, gavo to Jan Van de Hoyden Inspiration for tho brllllni ennvnssos that aro forevor famous. Long paved promonndes btr'etch or to tho Zuydor Zoo, rcachod by pede trlans only across a swinging networ of drnwbrldg'os and water gates. One I In a whllo ono comes upon a ston oasis In all this, wnjery dosort, upoi I which Is built banks, markets, church hips, and sovoral thick woolen petti-lats, petti-lats, wh '' tho wooden shoes nro seen every turn. Tho wooden shoes and Edam wises nro tho "trado mnrks" ofHol-'.ml, ofHol-'.ml, and, whllo tho one Is plctuflHio i look upon, the other Is snjHRloua tho tseto that ono whojHrokcu 'io rind of ono of theso luscious rod lobes noor will forget the flavor. Thirteen now thentors, to cost $8 in oon ar? building in New York olty, |