The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1890-02-08
THE NATIONAL. ttoWeR.
Bob Burdette Casts His Vote in Favor O
the Humble Plantain.

the Humble Plantain.
| am going to record my vote for
the National flower, and | am not 60
ing to pay Messrs. Whang & Co. twen-
ty-five cents for the privilege either
Talk about corruption in our National
elections. there has been more money
spent in this flower campaign, right at
the polls, and openly, too, than would
elect councilman. Fellow citizens,
Indians not taxed, Cinnamon and
women, l give my hand and my
vote to the humble and obtru-
sive plantain. She needs no en-
comium from me. There she stands,
or rather squats. Where? Right
there, right where you are looking at
this minute if there is spot of ground
six inches square within half a mile
of you. In the velvet lawn that cost
you four dollars a square foot; in the
pansy bed; in the tub wherein grows
the accursed oleander, breaker of hui
man backs; in the garden of roses; in
the toothsome bed where the south
wind loiters amid the loud breathed
onion, stealing and giving odor;
wherever you have planted any thing;
wherever you haven't; on the hill
sides of New England, on the
bleak and rocky coast of Maine,
in the orange groves of Florida,
on the great alkali deserts of the wild
and woolly West, where Shasta's hoary
head lifts itself to the clouds, crowned
with eternal grandeur, and where the
gibbering tourist cackles and chatters
through th glor1es OF Mount Wash 4
lngton; wh-lever the foot of man has 4
trod, and everywhere that it hasn't,
there springs this radiant weed of
hope, eternal on the mundane breast;
there strikes its ell long root,
Ihls herb OF truth, though ofttimes
crushed to earth, rising again
stronger than ever, and spreading
tself over the adjacent grass, like
rue born American hogging four
'eats In railway car. Oh, citizens,
DO bespeak your ''most sweet
'oices" for the plantain. 1t knows
10 East, no South, no North, no West;
I has no sectional prejudices, no
ocal pride or limitation; just wher-
'ver the soil is fertile or barren it
ays hold on life; it comes to stay, it
'ets there, Eli. Where nothing else
Viii grow it tiourishes like the grass
topper; where smartweed perishes
because it has no root the plantain
makes crop. A few short weeks in
'lushy spring the Mayhower hides its
pretty bloom in mountain slopes and
EASTERN hills, transient guest of
ocal fame and briefest life. When
autumn filings her gorgeous ban
ners to the ! skies, the golden
roa' for a few passing weeks,
makes radiant the meadow, glen
'na hill' and then departs to hide
way the year; but thou, oh! plantain
y !, 'he sandy craw, thou hast the grip;
"ou art slayer, thou; thou art a
as.er from Wayback; thou art the
,rst 10 come, the last to go. Thee.
area ne all oeholding sun upon his annual
mo- a,sd sii lou Tour sees all the time, maxi
nd s, "o ''ie door ward of the poor.
oan,a ayihg merry Cain upoa. the rich
aan aa,,.s lawn. Thou thrivest upon pe,
sou'ion; so thou turnest not Back from
ronr mnn. ior or the grasshook, and sayest.
.ina 'no iawn mower, ha, ha! The
ro,'' s nourlsh thee; the sun-burned
,os4 s .; ~ maketh thee strong; u black
,Ds1 :, tlngeth thy leaves with luste
20 20 ana a six foot freeze that kills ~
'anta; on nitching posts is pie for Il
n'a,n' 'a !. 1t is American !. cid
asn, bas tais fresh and cheeky weed. |
,an nas an imported name-plantag-
ace@' and is proud of it. as anv
-. merican when she has invented n
Nv y VI nv arms and married an ances-
an. a. mat is its family name; the +,
antain which claims the honor Of
ing the national flower has q nama
r.. perery American as the continent
) e,.-rlantago major. Long live
: major! Forever float that stand.
= weed, where-Ehp What's tbatp |
= , Ism t an American plant at all: i It q
inhnn al over the inhabited and q