The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-01-12
folal GnaIl Galk.
"A snarper-up of nncons!dsrcd tribes"
The SNOW and Its LocaI Gem

The SNOW and Its Local Gem
SeTuenccs.-At this writing (Thursday
mornins) we arc ENJOYING 4 condition Of cold
which would do no d-crcdit to an Arctic winter
crisp and cracking snow covers al the ground; it
seems so tiinty that almost expects to Sc, the
steel hoof of passing stee,s knock the sparks out at
every stcp-hc streams are lockcl Ut. in deep ice
The AIR is bitterly cold, cutting your nose when
you venture it out. The window panes five feet
nom the red hot stove coated over with s.fern
leaves preserved in frost and any amount of fan
tastic leaves AMI flowers bcside-the .DEyIL"
blows his fingers at the cage and older typos
stamp their feet and perpctrate wry faces enough
to indicate anything but an anabls condition Of
temper
The snow-storm commenced here at II o'clock
on Saturday last; for while
"Gcntly as lilies shed their leaves.
When summer days are fair
Inc frahery snow came foa ting down
Like blossoms on the air.
as the day advanced the wind grew strongcr-the
descending snow came down thicker and faster.
until at night-flll all out-of-doors was terrible
storm, with indications of alarming depth Of
snow. 1t was night to make one shuddsr as he
thought of the homeless; the destitute the ily
clad, the hungry. "God help the Poor - was the
ejaculation of many one who's, bump of beneyo-
lence is too seldom excited by the everyday
mscrics which present themselves along eyerv
mans path. So the night set in, and the antici.
pations OF the morning were gloomy enou gh -
But morning came without cloud and the sc!car
cold heaven" looked down on world in vesturc
unspotted by stain.
The snow had fallen here to depth of six or
seven inches on n lcvel-(did you ever notice.
reader, that the depth of fall of snow is usally
over-rated, six inches being generally called n
foot-and here and there around houses and fenc.s
drifted in ridges of three or four feet 1t was
beautiful mornng-tho bright sunlight sparkled
ana g'istencd across the pure, snowy expanse, and
every heart was glad that the storm had so soon
abatod. 1t WAS not long till the tinkle of bells
began-now an ambitious driver came breaking
through the drifts-now another, another, IN other
till sleishs in all their motley and manifold
forms were rushing hither and hitber One horse
-2-horso-3 horso-4-horse-' jumpers" goods
boxes, carts on runners-slcghs, '.oval, round and
square,, to tho tune of ovcry manner of bells.
bringing to mind sanza Of one of Pocs rare
poems
clark the sleighs with their bells.
Silver bells Ginning bells +,
What tale of merrimcnt
Their melody forcte's
AS they tinkle tinkle. tinklc
On the icy air of night,
Till the stars that over sprinkle
All the heavens seem to twinkle
With ncbulous delight
koepng timc-time--tme
In Il kind of runic rhyme
To the tintinabu' alton
hat SO mus.cllly swe'ls
From the rhymins and the Ginning of the
bells"
AND the sleighers were well nigh of rs great
variety as the sleghs. orses and bells; in sight Mt
once were dashing Gu ter the horse in rich bor.
ness and half covered with bells the driver enjoy
ing 1t alone with pretty girl all wrapped, but Il
blooming face, in furs and buffaos-another dasbcs
ny WIN malt dozen girls and young men wild
with merrnont; here comes ono with a good
natured countryman surrounded by a dozen or
two of noisy boys; here are two or three fast
young mon behind a crack nag-here pair of
he"Vy horses to heavy wooden runners, with n
freight of heavy foli-s sliding quietly along amid
the general rush Thus it was on Sunday night
thus 1t was and more 80 on Monday--so and moro
SO still, on Tuesday. After that we noticed n de-
cline in the amusement; indeed. then generally
speaking, more scdae set of folks appeared to be
driving rather on business crrands than for the
fro!ic OF the thing. All the while tho the boys
and Elkton has some Of the b'hoy-were sprnging
on the heels of every passing sleigh, sometimes
tearing off the back sometimes upsetting it, and
sometimes receiving an application of the Lash by
way of notice to quit
The cold grew intcnsor as the week advanced -
On Wednesday morning various stories ran that
the thermometer was and 10 degrees below zero;
we didn't happen to be observing ours at the
moment it was that low liz it was down thcre)-thc
lowest we know it to have been was 4 below o.
This morning at half past i it was down to deg
above zero. The cold of to-day and yesterday has
caused many of our mechanics to declare it .too
cold TO work. and as consequence some of the
shops are no iseless and deserted.
The storm has caused considerable detention to
the mails. On Saturday night there was deten-
ton of the cars, but on Monday and Tuesday they
were running again at their usual hours. On tho
latter day the snow, which still remained dry and
uncrustcd, began to drift between here and Phil.
hdelphla The train from Baltimore, which
passes here at 81 P. M, was detained IN hour or
so at the river and did not reach here until IL on
Tuesday night; this was but the beginning of its
troubles, the snow banks above Wilmington hin.
dering it from reaching Philadelphia until late
Wednesday afternoon We had no mail on We'd
nesiay until o'clock at night whom the Baiti.
more cars reached here. The boat had struggled
through tho massive ice on the Susquchanna by n
little after noon, but there was no locomotive this
side the river to bring the train; the east of US
having prevented any from passing down. The
Philadelphia train came down about midi hit
and now VIC hope TO have n clear track and oui
usual regular communication with the cities.
The stage line down the Eastern Shore was equal
~ unfortunate. PAGAN never came up Oh Tuesday
at all, nor till nearly night on Wednesday-the
cause being accident to some one of the coaches
on lower part of the route.
--lIow impatient the people grow when tht
mails aro delayed The Post Office is usually
crowded and the p. N, is obliged to answer
thousand and one questions and make all manner
Of explanations, and the persons most importunate
on such occasions are often those who most seldom
receive letter through the mail
The GREAT IRON STEAMER.-Wc have
been furnished with some particulars about