River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-09-06
The Ornamental and the Useless.

lit NEUROLOGICAL anu tuO C5tAOobs
The first impulse of human indus
try is directed to utility. Necessity
compels TO the quest of food, prep
aration for the prolongation OF exist
ence, contriyances for agreeable en-
durance. Its secondary consideration
is employed in pursuit OF the accesso-
ries that add TO the conveniences of
living; the afterthought for luxuries.
Leisure entices to the contemplation
OF that which pleases the eye and the
ear-the study of aesthetics, the phi
losophy of beauty. There are thin gs
useful; ornamental; and neither.
Some say there S nothing made in vain
While others the reverse maintain,
And prove it very handy,
BY citing materials like these;
Musketoes, bedbugs, weeds and fleas;
And worst of ALA dandy"
But there is difference in tastes
In the sense OF beauty. What seems
good to one another repudiates. To
one certain perfume is agreeable;
to another it is a sickening odor. The
fragrant onion is utilitarian prod
uct but its aesthetic value is not en-
HANGED by its secondhand perfume.
Some people consider the skunk a
prettier animal than the poodle dog
but folks of refined sensibilities pre-
fer the altar of roses to the redolence
Of the polecat.
This is beautiful little city squat
like toad'' in pleasant hole In the
ground, by the slopes Of leaning hills;
along the banks of babbling brooks.
Pretty residences, withdrawn from
the dust behind green lawns, stand
EN- powered amidst forest Of orna-
mental trees; and verdant foliage,
profuse and beautiful, adorns It's thor
oughfares; the sloping hills beyond;
and afar the vistas OF the billowy
woodlands arise like 1.-THE draperies
of awakened mountains" Flowers,
radiant and rafnbow-hued, expand
their light and soul-like wings" in
respondent profusion on the emerald
landscape.
Gorgeous fiowrets in the sunlight shining;
Blossoms Haunting in the eye of day;
Tremulous leaves with soft and silver lining;
Buds that open only to decay"
So redundant is this response to
our loyalty to aesthetics that Nature,
unassisted except by neglect, comes
to the rescue to satisfy this ardent
longing for the beautiful and thickly
bestuds the waste places with wild
flowers-thistles, briars, sand burrs,
prickly lettuce, burdocks, skunk's
cabbage, ragweed and nameless eject
era. These are not the flowers that
are "born to blush unseen" They
grow without the blush Of shame or
fear or favor and bloom to hold and
extend their Iesolute dominion. They
can hardly be said to be born, they
are aggressive and persistent. They
are perennial and eternal. They are
wildly ornamental, but ostracised.
The streets and alleys and lanes and
walks and front lawns and backyards
are invaded by these interdicted
denominations. You are respectfully
requested to ''get hump" scythe,
an ak, hoe, "bolo," "machete," "
or any other implement of destruc-
tion and proceed TO their extermina-
ton. They have cast their flowers,
outlived their excuse for impunity,
and are recognized as cumberers of
the ground. And next year instead
of Sowing wild oats" raising SOW
thistles, ragweeds and ragged ur-
chins, plant roses, bachelors buttons,
sweet Susans, ice cream and punkin
ME