The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1907-06-27
Random Thoughts
Busy Outsider

What is so rare as a day in June?''
That is the Iiae of poetry everybody
has been quoting this week-tnat is,
everybody who has studied literature
or read poetry After quoting it, the
inspired one has looked at the blue
sky, the green grass, and the leafy,
leafy trees. with great sense of
peace ANA approval. 1t is all so beau
tiful. The Outsider never remembers
aoticing sucn wealth of leaves on
the trees, or thicker growth of
grass on the lawns, or for that matter,
a sky more blue, now that the long
chill spring is over. 1t came so sud
denly that we seem TO have tumblei
right out of the lap of February into
the arms of warm, all embracing
June It is month of flowers, too,
for the roses We're late and the air is
heavy with their perfume, and with
the exquisite fragrance of the bloom
ing grape. 1t is harvest time for
the bee.
That is the sort of picture that is
spread before Iowa eyes today. Pos
sibly-no, probably, it is not half APP
preciated. The average individual
calls the quiet beauty of our land
scape monotonous and signs to be
away, to lake and mountains, and
something diHerent. It is the differ
ent'' that people sigh for To appre.
ciate beauty You must lose it. To
night there will come to town a cou-
pie Of little children who live out
their lives among the rocks and sand
of Arizona. Their first cry will be,
eOh, the green grass, the green.
grass. with the funniest little empha-
sis on green. Then for days and
DAYS their constant desire viii be TO
ego out OF doors and play on the
green grass" TIE beauty that to usI
IS so common as TO be scarcely notice
able, to them is a constant marvel
and Joy.
The Outsider is not by any means
a crop reporter, but in a snort trip
through southeastern Iowa this week
one could not fail to notice the pan
Drama of field and meadow spread
before our eyes. The line of travel
lay partly along the Des Moines river,
ana the bottom land is perhaps at al
disadvantage, but surely there is no
great Indication of the usual bump
err cora crop. That is, it viii aaye
to grow fast to be out of the way of
a September frost.
Corn along the Des Moines Valley
and 20" road is generally out of the
ground and varies from one to four
inches in height Generally, it seems
to be a good stand AS an exception,
n one field we saw a man absolutely
blowing the corn ground for corn. In
another the corn had evidently been
put in this week
Oats looked short and in many fields
there were yellow spots, and weeds.
You could aot help thinking that an
enemy had sown tares in many of
20 have heavy grass crop, that is,
the ground was well covered with a
thick growth of short grass.
One thing the Outsider missed was
the flowers along the right of way.
There was on one little tract-a mile
or so-where the wild roses were
blooming as might have been expect
ed--elsewhere the entire right of way
wa devoid Of flowers. We never re
member having seen so dull a strip
at any time during the summer sea
son.
Another thing the Outsider saw
during this brief journey which at
once impressed US, was the Fairfield
cemetery. Fairfield is a town not
quite half the size of Oskaloosa. A
pretty town of broad, wen shaded
streets, fair business houses, and
many handsome residences. There isl
considerable good paving likewise.
but nothing that we saw there inn
pressed us as did the quiet beauty of
the ''clty of the dead"
Il is not SO large as Forest GENE
terry, nor is It so well shaded, but II
IL cared for ideally. All parts of the
cemetery-eyen the Potter's Field
are well kept. Shaved close with the
seythe, then finished off with the lawn
mower Around some lots are lever
green hedges most beautifully trim.
med and the pine trees are kept cut
IN close smooth cones. All eyinced al
care and reverence that was inspir
ing. Two or three men we're at work
IN the older part Of the cemetery AMI
the other portions had evidently been
in tneir care.
1t is a beautiful thing to see that