Stories from Deli

Soerabaijasch handelsblad 22-04-1930 Like a grand pleasure yacht, the luxurious passenger ship Op ten Noort lay anchored just a ten-minute walk from the spot where the d’Artagnan had recently departed. The ship’s white color, so fitting for the tropics, evoked a sense of coolness and Dutch cleanliness. Although the Op ten Noort is not a mail ship, it boasts the dimensions…

J. Nienhuijs Jaba Bode 9 & 11 June 1888 THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TOBACCO CULTURE IN DELI. It goes without saying, begins Mr. Nienhuys, that this cannot be a regular account of what I accomplished in Deli 25 years ago, nor a listing of all the encounters and activities there; no, I write these lines solely…

Sumatra Courant 28-04-1869 Deli (East Coast of Sumatra).Regarding the state of this empire we borrow the following particulars from a report of the Resident of Riouw of January last. The present Sultan of Deli is a wise prince; imbued with the superiority of the European institutions in the field of government and administration, he tries…

De Expres 27-09-1912 The less pleasant relationship, which can be observed here and there between the natives and the Cuineezen and which recently led to a fight in Solo, for example, has not been left undiscussed in the native press. Besides the fact that all sorts of strange things were said about the association “Sarikat…

The execution of four Chinese, sentenced to death for the murders committed in Maryland, took place early Thursday morning on the square in front of the prison. Despite the early morning hour, many spectators were present, but very few of them were Chinese. Calmly and apparently calmly, the condemned men ascended the scaffold two by two…

(Written for the Batavia Newspaper 17-06-1893) I. SCHETSEN UIT DELI. Bataviaasch nieuwsblad 17-06-1893 One may have traveled extensively and may even be rightfully honored with the title of “globetrotter,” but until one has visited the East Coast of Sumatra, even if only for a relatively short time, one cannot claim to have seen everything noteworthy…

On December 26, 1900, at 11 p.m., the Chinese Captain of Medan moved into his new house. This festive event was celebrated for days in advance, with a wayang (shadow puppet show) being performed in a roughly built shed in the forecourt, which was transformed into an idyllic backdrop with glittering decorations and phrases. Dressed…

UNDER THE LINE: 250,000 Years Old Algemeen handelsblad voor Nederlandsch-Indië03-11-1924 We held it in our hands on Wednesday morning, the Stone of the Ancients, carefully wrapped in a piece of cloth. We received it with reverence from Dr. Stein, the Inspector of the Archaeological Service, who arrived from Java the day before. And we regarded…

Soerabaijasch handelsblad 22-03-1932 The House of the Dwarfs and the First Paleolithic Tool Halfway between Medan and Brastagi lies the small town of Sibolangit, known, among other things, for its botanical garden established by the Department of Agriculture and the Deli planters. The road there is bordered on the right by a very deep ravine,…