Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-07-12

which he gave notice Thursday.
Mr.. Grimes moved that the bill to promote
the efficiency of the army be referred to a
special committee of nine.
The Vice president announced the standing
committees
After discussion the bill was referred to a
special committee of nine, which consists of
| the following Messrs Wilson, Hale, Latham,
Sherman, Powell Cowan, King, Kennedy and
Howe.
The other bills were referred to the military
committee
Mr. Polk presented the credentials of Waldo
p johnson, Senator elect from Missouri, who
| took the OATH
| Adjourned.
| HoUsE.-Mr. Wright announced the death
of Mr.. Scranton of Pennsylvania, and offered
resolutions of profound regret.
| COMMERCIAL VALUE OF INSECTS
Who thinks of it? And yet, in the
economy of nature, of what immense
Importance they are in all seasons, ev-
cry naturalist knows, while in commerce
the amount derived from them is as
founding. We have no figures to pro-
duce in regard to our own trade, for
our statistics do not reach that high
state Of perfection which will admit of
it; but Great Britain pays annually
81, 100000 for the dried carasses Of
that tiny insect known as the cochineal !;
while another, also peculiar to India,
gum shellac, or rather its production,
is scarcely less valuable. More than
500, 900 human beings derive their
sole support from the culture and man
ufacture of the fbres spun by the silk
worm, of which the annual circulating
medium is said to be 100000. In
England alone, We say nothing of the
other parts Of Europe, $5OO,OOO are
spent every year for the purchase of
foreign honey, while the value Of that
which is native is not mentioned and
all this is the work Of the bee but
this makes no mention Of 10, 900 pounds
of wax imported every year. Besides
all this, there are the gallnuts, used
in dyeing or making ink the cantha-
rides, or Spanish fly, used in medicine.
In fact, every insect is contributing,
directly or indirectly, in swelling the
amount Of our commercial profits
Even those, which, in some cases, prove
plague and become destructive, have
their place in the economy of nature
and prevent worse.
I'm ELEPHANT RACE IN COCHIN
CHINA The next was an elephant
: race which amused me much. They
were certainly much swifter than the
horses, though they only walked but
what tremendous steps they took. They
shook the ground for one hundred
. yards round, as with the shock of al
earthquake, every time their enormous
q fees came in contact with it and with
their trunks pointed straight out, like
the bowsprit Of ship, their cars anc
/ tails distended, there was something
. grand but still very clumsy about thei1
/ gait. They had handsome cars, witt
:. four men in each, on their backs, ant
two men on each side to lead them. -
There was great dispute which SHOULD
3 come in first and the space being
rather narrow for seven of these enor'
g nous animals to run abreast, those wht
II got in front were determined to keey
there, and thsy appeared to know wha
t game they were at, for they did no
s exactly race, but heavily and clumsily
yet quickly dodgel each other acres
! the course !; and after most amusing
race or shuttle, the large white Oh
vt came in first, amid peals Of laughte
: and applause.
CROOKED SPINEs T. GIRLs.-It i
# a sad fact, that Yearly every young la
Q dy in fashionable life has lateral cur
: vature Of the spine.
d This comes on at the age Of ten o
# eleven, and continues slowly but stead
5 lily to increase, unnoticed even by
i mothers watchful eye, till the chile
/ is really deformed-one shoulder i
n much larger and higher than the other
i and one hip higher, 50 that the dres
l. maker is obliged to put cotton in tn
o dress, to make the back look fiat an
square.
The boys-their brothers, have n
g such trouble, why should they? I'll
# question may we'll be asked by ever,
: thoughtful parent.
l answer that improper dress an
l. other physiological errors, in whicl
girls constantly indulge. produce thi
mischief.
L The dress Of the gill is always tight
v er than her brothers, and this is begun
l. while she is quite young, "to give he
e a form,'' the mother says, as if Coo
u did not do this when he made the child
This constant pressure upon thu
muscles Of the spine, which are de
g signed to keep it straight, causes ab
i i sorption Of those muscles, and as tn,
u right arm is used more than the left
/ the spine is drawn under the RICH
e shoulder b!ale, thus making it project
The muscles are so weakened by alb
y sorption, they cannot bring the spin
back to its proper position, and yo'
1t have case Of lateral curvature.
/ In addition to this tight dress, hav
e seen girls Of thirteen and fourteen will
t. cor:ets on. often these are adopted
by thoughtless mothers, in the hope t.
o straighten the child, but under thei
u cruel pressure, the difficulty rapidly in
r. creases, till the poor dcformed girl il
sent to spinal institution to he treated
While this difficulty is gradually in.
!, creasing, the young girl is sent tt
school, to spend FIVE or six hours eacf