The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-01-01

Is principles must be sonea ma. ear
fully stu lied by those who would sue
iceed in it. The disregard of thes,
principles is the cause Of the prosinesc
which cha :tcrizes 50 much Of ou
newspaper literature. The ncwspa
per IS not thing to be studied
scalrely one to Ie read. It is to bt
glanced over. The articles, then
must be 50 written as to attract anC
hold attention. Processes of thou rh
and reasoning are to be shut out re
suits only are to appear. Argnmen,
is to be suggested, rather than stated
Usually one point is enough for an ar
ticle. Some single nail should be
struck fair upon the head, and thcr
left at once. Introductions are nuis
ance. differences are always skipped
The sentences should be short. Ever,
word should leap with life. Conden
sation should be extreme. Subordin.
ate thoughts should be thrown away.
The object is, not to treat subject in
full, but to produce a certain effect
All that is not necessary to the effect
should be discarded. He. who has
the nerve to do this, with soul that
fires with a great thought, and the
manllnsss to utter it freely, may WELD
q power with the pen which no scep.
ter can rivals. The tendencies in pro
tessionai life are to deterioration of
style. The constant didrcsism of the
pulpit often degenerates into diffuse-
ness. The reiteration of points at the
bar, and the precision of legal style,
tend to produce dryness and repeti
ton. In no way can the professional
maui more effectively make his words
instinct with life and power, than bv
weekly practice in the columns of a
newspaper.-Exam' ner.
CURIOUS STUDY.
How many kinds Of insects ara in exis.
tence is question that would require a
good deal Of figuring. Whence come many
varities Is another question to which no one
can pretend to give an answer. Scarce a
species of plants exists without distinct
vrriety OF insects that grJw upoa it. The
idea appears an absuriity, yet It seems as il
animal life was impaired by light alone,
where its germ had no existence. A curious
Illustration OF tins was recently shown to Us.
ar hGbbeli, the well known apothecary,
was experimenting upon different colored
glass, with view to finding the tint that
would best preyent chemical change in sub
''"iso <rrsf viz Ja1s' srlSt
from it. This was four years ago. lie ap.
piled the test to African peppers. These
peppers are bright vermillion in color, with
a surface as beautiful as coral. They are as
hot as dozen American grown peppers con
centrated into one. He tlldd with them two
jars, one of white glass, the other of blush
green made to his order. The peppers in
the white jar underwent change, and after
two years though the vessel was herlnetical.
ly sealed were filed with minute worms
No ordinary vermin could exist among Airi-
can peppers. Opening the jar short time
since there was nothing left but odorless
powder utterly void of pungency, composed
OF the dead and dried worms and the worth
less debris of the peppers. The contents of
ths other jar were as sound and as bright as
on the day when fisst deposited.
We were also shown tin can of sambow
a medicinal root, in thick slices, brought
from Siberia. 1t had arrived sound, but
not being Immediately used had become full
of little purple insects, unlike to anything
hereabouts to be seen. The germ of these
insects must have existed when it was dug
up by the Russion exiles in the high latitude
from which it came. If not, why not Be
this as it may, the fact is wo-th knowing
that greenish-b blu glass nentralizes the chem
ical agency oflight, and entirely prevents
the efiiOresoences Of chemical salts and the
deterioratiyn of quality In articles kept in
bottles Of that color