THE RELATION OF AESTHETICS TO INDUSTRY. 6Q1 



or worth that has been accomplished by men, is due to their desire for the excel- 

 lent. Now we propose to consider this question, at present, where its phenomena 

 have taken shape in the industrial arts. Every industry finds its reasons to exist 

 in this desire for something better. 



The primitive man, to facilitate the labor of his hands discovered and manu- 

 factured the stone ax. His descendant, not yet satisfied with the efficiency of the 

 tool, improved it by using copper instead of stone, and generations still farther 

 along in the course of time, had recourse to iron, and of later in years the finer 

 and more excellent form of steel. 



Though long centuries measure off the distance between the rude beginning 

 and the perfect consummation, and the advancement made was so slow as to be 

 almost imperceptible, each step taken was the out-growth of that insatiate craving 

 for the excellent. 



Now the elements of excellence are as manifold as the objects which possess 

 them. Some are obvious ; they force themselves upon the understanding; they 

 can not be contradicted. Others are not so palpable, it requires an effort of the 

 reason to bring them to the surface, and they become well defined only after dili- 

 gent inspection. Again, there are others which are as subtile and delicate as 

 sweet perfume, one recognizes and appreciates and approves them, but can give 

 no reason why. For the sake of convenience we will divide all of the elements of 

 excellence into two classes, ist, the obtrusive. 2d, the abstruse. I can best de- 

 fine the distinction between these two classes by illustration. 



The savage enhances the value of his arrow as a destructive projectile, by 

 pointing it with some hard substance, such as flint or iron. He increases its accur- 

 acy by fastening feathers to the end. To keep his arrows together and have them 

 ready for immediate action he makes a quiver. These things possess the obtru- 

 sive elements of excellence. They have an obvious reason for existing. No one 

 will question but that they have a purpose and are adapted to that purpose. But 

 the rude man is not yet satisfied. There is in his nature that which calls for some- 

 thing more. He stains the feathers of his arrow. He stripes his quiver with 

 various colors and begirts it round about with a fringe. In his own estimation he 

 has added greatly to their value. What he has added constitute some of the ab- 

 struse elements of excellence. 



Again, for I would have this distinction clearly understood : The Fiji Islander 

 for the purpose of propelling his canoe, manufactures a paddle. With the greatest 

 care he measures the length of the blade and its width, and the length of the han- 

 dle. - He pays great attention to shaping it in such manner as to obtain the 

 maximum amount of efficiency with a minimum amount of exertion. The imple- 

 ment possesses all of the obtrusive elements of excellence. As a paddle it is 

 complete ; but the Fiji goes farther, with much care and skill he cuts the entire 

 surface of the paddle into various delicate patterns. It now possesses abstruse 

 elements of excellence, and they add to its value three, four, or even ten-fold; 

 while as an object of utility he has not at all increased its worth. But he has an 



