Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-19

so strong in these cities as to make a
very disagreeable atmos phero for people
who value the higher things in life more
than money and what money only will
procure, and display which is always
more or less vulgar. But it is necessary
TO get closer TO the facts than this state
ment.
The materialistic spirit is very strong
IN the West: of necessity it is, in the
struggle tor existence and position going
on there, and IN the unprecedented op-
portunltles for making fortunes. And
hence arises prevailing notion that any
ecucaton IL of little value that does not
pear directly upon material success. I
should say that the p 'essions, including
DIVINITY and the work OF the scholar and
me man of letters, do not have the weight
there that they do in other places. The
professional man, either in the college or
the pulpit, Is expected to look alive and
keep up WITH the procession. Tradition
Is weak; 1t Is no objsction to thing that
10 Is new, and IN the general strain 'sen-
satlons are welcome. The general mot
TO Is, BE alive; be practical" Naturally.
also, wealth recently came by desires To
assert itself little in display, in ostenta-
tious houses, luxurious living. dress. lew
elry, even to the frank delight in the dia-
mond shirt stud.
But we are writing about Americans.
and the Americans are the Quickest neo
pie in the world to adapt themselves to
new situations. The Western people tray-
ell much, at hone and abroad, and they do
not require very long experience to
know what is in bad taste. They are as
quick as anybody believe they gave us
the phrase-to 'catch on" to quietness
and low tone. Indeed, don't know but
they would boast that if it Is a question of
subdued style, they can beat tbs world.
The revolution which has gore III over
the country since the Exposition of
1876 IN house furnishing and decora-
ton IS quite as apparent at the West as
IN the East. The West has not suffered
more than the East from eccentricities of
architecture IN the past twenty years Vio-
iatlons OF good taste are pretty well dis
turbed, but of new houses the proportion
of handsome, solid, good structures is as
large IN the West as in the East, and in
the cities think the West has the advan-
tage in variety. 1t must be frankly said
that If the Easteruer is surprised at the
size, cost, and palatial character of many
of their residences, he is not less surpris-
ed by the refinement and good taste of
their interiors. There are cases where
money is too evident, where the splendor
has been ordered, but there are plenty of
other cases where individual taste is APP
parent, and love of harmony and beauty.
What am trying to say is that the East
UNDERWRITERS the real refinement OF living
going along with the admitted cost and
luxury IN the West. The art of dining is
said to be a best of civihzation-on a GER
tain plane. Well, dining in good houses
Il believe that is the phrase) is much the
same East and West as to appointments,
service cuisine, and talk, with tride
more freedom and sense of newness in
the West. No doubt there is a difference
IL tone, apPreciable but lot easy to define.
1t relates less to the things than the way
the things are considered. Where a
family has had "things" for two or three
generations they are less an object than
an unregaried matter of course; where
things and mannar of living are newly
acquired, they have more i'm portance in
themselves. An old community, if it is
really civilized U mean a state in which
intellectual concerns are paramOunt),
values less and less, as an ond, merely
material refinement. The tendency all
over the United States is for wealth to
run ntO yuiparity