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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1926)
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN PAGE 4 THE FOLLIES OF YOUTH (Continued from page 1) as a blot against the perpetrator. Certain conventions must be observed or one may appear ridiculous, or worse. For instance, it is thought alright to appear at the bathing resorts in a bathing suit before the multitude, but it would certainly render a person un comfortable and ridiculous to walk down the principal street of a city while thus attired. There is a time and place for everything. There is the fittness of things to consider. Save us from the foolish young person whose folly make him think he is smart, cute, or clever. We are forcibly reminded by this class of one of Aesop’s fables, as follows: An Ass climbed up to the roof of a build ing, and, frisking about there, broke in the tiling. The owner went up after him, and quickly drove him down, beating him with a thick wooden cudgel. The Ass said, “Why, I saw the Monkey do this very thing yesterday, and you all laughed heartily, as if it afforded you very great amusement.” Those who do not know their right place must be taught it. WALKING In order tha* the human body may be in perfect health as to its circulation, digestion, nervous system and muscular system, exercise is absolutely necessary. More ills are caused by disordered activity in organs as a result of errors in diet, rest, and exercise than are caused by actual disease processes. The various physiological processes of the body depend for their proper performance on activity. The lungs will not function properly if the chest is not well expanded. Indigestion will result if there is an inactivity in the stomach and intestines. The heart structure will fail in its efficiency if an excess of fat accumulates in and around its muscular walls, or increases its work by a disproportionate deposit of fat through the body gen erally. The nervous system is prone to certain func tional disorders such as irritability, insomnia, etc., re sulting from the prolonged irritation by poison created by the body’s inactivity. Some form of exercise is necessary to keep the body in perfect health. The most universal and beneficial exercise is walking, for the amount, the rate, and the type, are each easily regulated to the particular needs of the individual. Walking is a pleasant form of exer cise, easily obtainable, and meanwhile an abundance of fresh air is possible. Almost two-thirds of the muscles of the body are involved in walking; this ex ercises the larger portion of the body muscles. The nervous system, the circulatory, the digestive appar atus, are all stimulated by walking. To get the greatest benefits from walking, one must have in mind proper attire. Properly fitted shoes are essential; they should not be too wide and they should be long enough so that the tip of the toes does not touch the ends of the shoes, and yet at the same time big enough to allow the wearing of wool hose. In summer or winter, the use of wool as a covering for the feet makes for comfort in walking. The rest of the clothing will be indicated by the season, though wool of different weights is to be preferred. Walk with the weight carried on the outer side of the feet, placing the feet on the ground parallel to each other. The chest should be carried well forward and the arms should swing easily at the sides. The stride and rhythm are important because unless there is a free swinging of the arms which is accompanied by a slight turning of the body with each step, a very valuable ex ercise of the body becomes a loss. Walking in the manner descibed exercises practically every muscle in the body, keeps you physically fit, and gives you an added zest and enjoyment in the day’s work. Do not consider walking a serious task. Walking should be more than a means of progression—it should be a real joy. AN INCH OF RAIN Here in the Willamette Valley in the course of the winter we sometimes hear a great deal of railing at the rainy weather. We confess it grows both tire some and annoying, but—it is a necessity. A large part of the noted fertility and productiveness of our famed valley is due to our rain. We really need it, even if some of us get the idea that we don’t want it. We are publishing a little reminder of what an inch of rain will do, as follows: An inch of rain does not seem much to the layman unless he realizes that, considering one acre of ground, this fall represents slightly over 6,000,000 cubic inches of water, or slightly more than 113 short tons, which is equivalent to over 27,000 gallons. In other words, an inch of rain falling on a single acre is sufficient to fill more than 600 barrels of 45 gallons each, or a tank 20 feet square by nine feet deep. Under normal conditions 20 inches of rain per acre are required to grow a food crop. A difference of an inch in the average rainfall, say in July in the corn belt, will mean a difference of six to eight bushels of corn to the acre. If the July rainfall is one-third greater than normal it means an increase of half a million bushels in the crop total. Thus, though rains may annoy the city man and the holiday crowds they are worth money to the farmer through better crops. Subscribe for The American—50 cents a year.
