The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-07-12
VANDALISM
AND BEAUTY
NIGHT BLOOMING CEREUs HEDGE
ROBBED OF ITS
FLOWERS.
FROM MANY WHO
WE'RE PRESENT.
Benson Smith & Co. Arouse Indigna-
ton by Stripping the Hedge, 1t Is
Alleged For Commercial Purposes.

AlleSeut II OT commercial Purposes
Great indignation Is expressed at
what is called the vandalism" of
stripping the night blooming cereus
hedge al Oahu College of its magnifi-
cent flowers last night at a time when
/ large numbers of people were out
viewing the beautiful sight. The hedge
up to the time the alleged vandalism
took place, was in brilliant flower for
the first time for quite a while. 1t had
begun to attract sightseers as the fact
that it was in bloom began to be
| known. There were a good many peo-
| pie out there last night to see it.
Among them was Theodore Wores the
! painter, who had planned a large
painting portraying it's beauties, and
had already secured a number of pho
| tCgraphs of it in the early morning
when there was plenty of light for pho
| tographing, and the flowers were still
fully open.
! In the midst OF this enjoyment of a
wonderful natural beauty, two men
employed by Benson, Smith & Co., ap-
| peared on the scene early in the even
ing and began cutting the fully open
| blooms. According to many people
who were there, among them President
/ A. NJ. Smith of the college, the men
!
! near Wilder avenue and proceeded up
the hedge ruthlessly stripping the hedge
| OF every open flower. Remonstrance
was made. but the men said they had
authority from the college authorities
! to do what they were doing, and went
ahead with their work to the great in
! dignation of those who saw it.
The Indignation expressed last night
had not cooled off this morning, but
rather spread as more people found
out about it.
George w. Smith, of Benson, Smith
& Co., this morning said: For a great
many years past we have had the
right from the college authorities to
| gather these flowers which are used in
preparing a tincture which is used in
certain classes of heart disease Usual
ly we spoke to p. c. JONES' but he was
away this year, or has just got back,
and we spoke to another trustee. At
the same time we always notified the
police department SO that the police
would not interfere with our men un-
der the suppostion that they were
! trespassers. We notified the High
Sheriff before commencing operations
last night.
THE flowers have to be gathered
while fully open to be of use for our
purposes. 1t is true they could be
gathered later in the night after the
sight-seers have viewed it all they
want to, but we can't get our men out
after midnight; we got them out at the
time most convenient for them.
They did not strip the vines as
they have been accused of doing, nor
destroy it's beauty. for they had strict
orders how to proceed with their
work"
Prof. Alexander, one of the trustees
OF the college, this morning eX-
! pressed indignation at what he called
the ruthless destruction of the beauty
of the hedge. mo authority was ever
given by the trustees of the \college
that 1 know of for any one to take the
| flowers" he said Even if permission
had been given there was no need to
strip the flowers at the time it was
done, when many people were out there
enjoying the beautiful and unusual
sight. 1t could have been done later
in the night or Nearly in the morning
for the flowers do not begin to close
until the sun begins to shine on them"
President Smith of the college, who
demonstrated very vigorously last
night against the commeTcialism which
destroyed the flowers said: 81 suppose
the drug firm was acting in what they
considered good faith, having as | un-
derstand, permission from one of the
trustees. But one trustee has no more
right than any person who is not
trustee to give such permission. The
| Board of Trustees could give the per-
mission, but one trustee could not. APP
plication should have been made to the
superintendent of the grounds, Mr..
Barwic. If he had given permission
he would have seen to it that the flow
ers were not taken at time when so
many people were out to see the beau
tiful and unusual sight. Nor would he
have permitted such thorough destruc-
ton of it's beauty. The work could
have been done at hours, and in such
a way as not to destroy it's beauty.
The hedge is considerable trouble to
keep up. 1t requires a good deal of at
tention and watering. 1t is not par
ticularly beautiful when not in bloom.
1t seems therefore little less than van
dalism, and that of the extreme COM
mercial type to destroy its beauty at
the first opportunity, when every use
| full purpose could be served without
such destruction. 1t is matter of
| regret on the part of everyone having
an eye for the beautiful, that the drug
company took the course it did"
Theodore WOres is indignant over
what he terms the vandalism caused
by the plucking of the blooms of the
night blooming cereus at Punahou last
| night.
'"I fail to understand" says Mr..
Wores, "why, when all hands are sup
! posedly concentrated in an attempt 70
get tourists to come here why II
should be permitted that certain par
ties may deliberately destroy one of
the chief attractions Of the place, |
have already tilted in your columns
over the straight roads and lack of ar
tistic and possibly business discretion
in planting trees foreign to the country
when so much more could be done with
the material at hand but while we are