Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-09-15
d0ortestrr Daily SPY.


Here is the title page OF one for 1776, fur.
nished to us by Wheelock Pratt, Esq, of Co.
lumbus, Georgia =
"Ihe North Americans Almanack, and
Gentleman's and Lady's Diary, for the Year
OF our Lord Christ 1776. Being Bissextile. or
Leap Year, and the 10Th Year of the Reign of
George the Sd. Calculated tor the Meridian
OF Boston in New England. Lat AZ Deg %
Min North Containing the Lunations,
EclIpses OF the Luminaries, Judgment of the
Weather, Feasts and Fasts of the Church,
Friends Meetings, Courts in the four New
England Governments, Rising, southing, and
setting of the seven stars, Public Roads, and
stages to put up at, an account of the Battle Of
Lexington, Description of Tory & Wing,
Bacchana. on the Earth's drinking Healths,
Receipt for the cure of the Dysentery, a His
tory showing how the Charters in old & New
England were taken away in the Reign of
King Charles the I'd. Directions to preserve
the Health of the Soldiers in the Camp Sir
Richard RUNS advice to the soldiers, with
cure for Drunkenness, &c. &c. b. Samuel
Stearns, Student in Physck & Astronomy.
Heaven is guard innocence its care,
Nor needs the just the worst of dangers fear:
1t pities the defenceless poor mans grief
And sends him, when he calls, help relief.
Massachusetts Bay: Printed by l. Thomas in
Worcester, G. S. & Hall in Cambridge Price
Coppers single, and 20 shllings the dozen"
The weather prophets were probably about
as correct in those days as now ; in February
the lin 1866 say "some cold weather, & per
haps little snow" Toward the latter part of
March-"Look out for Northern Lights"
Second week in ay,-"Now plant your In
dian corn if the weather will permit Third
week in Something cloudy, and pref
ty hot. Fine growing weather" Latter part
of August, About these days expect
spell OF good weather"
The "rum diStemper," not having abated any
in these latter days, but being rather alarming
ly on the increase, particularly since the en-
forcement OF the Maine Law, il may be well
to give Sir Richard RUNS certain cure for a
person that is drunk. "-First-Let the drunk
ards head be raised, & to his nose apply a
sponge dipped in vinegar. Secondly-Give
him warm water mixed with vinegar to drink.
Thirdly-Let him be blooded. Fourthly-
Give him gentle emetic. Fifthly-Set his
feet in cold water. Sixthly and lastly inject a
laxative euema."
On the next page comes "cure of Dysen-
terry, and after the Dysentery follows "a de-
scription fthe Antient Wings" "Ths name
was first applied to people in Scotland whose
common diet was sour milk, when they held
their meetings in the fields, in the times of
persecution; which name was afterwards ap.
piled to those who were against the Court in
terest in The times of King Charles & James
Sd, and to such as were against it in the sue
ceeding reigns."
"The North American Almanack for the
Year of our Lord Christ, l777, By Isaac War
ren, student in Astronomy" is a curious relic
of days lang syne." Odd little verses 60
struggling down the weather tables one word
at time, hither and thther, heller SHELTER, in
and out, mixed up with rain & snow, hail &
sleet & old Nor westers." 1t requires some
little experience TO pick them out of this con-
fusion of clustering Winds fair weather &
foul" Here is one =
"They that worship God for fear,
Would worship the Devil too, should he appear"
Which contains more truth than poetry
In the March calendar we find that
EAIarch winds & May sun
Makes cloth white & Maids dun"
The one for April gives truly original lit
tie verse, but it might shock ears fastidious,
and had better be withheld. Here is one
where the author makes a reckless sacrifice
OF truth for the sake of rlyme:-
'Look at your corn in May,
And you'll come weeping away.
Look at the same i'll June,
And you'll come home in another tune"
These care summer songs for me & my
aunts," says Ambiguous. A very agreeable
odor hangs about these little, quaint, yellow
old Almanacs, an odor peculiar to books of the
ancient kind and which is pleasanter, to the
antiquaran's nose, at least, than Frangi-
panni