Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-12-27
THE WHOLESOME COLD SNAp.-The old


THE WHOLESOME COLD SNAP-The old
saying, "A green Yule makes fat church
probably believed in the misty, Traditional
time that originated the proverd. It is indeed
nothing supernatural or wonderful, but sim
pc sequence Of cause and effect that mild
mid .winter with its sudden changes and damp
influences, superinduces those varieties of dis
eases which often have fatal ending An
open season, although apparently blessing to
the poor. was really the seed time Of death,
which reaped an ample harvest the following
Spring and thus it was that the green Christ
mas be! ped to fill up the village place Of
graves. What was true ID old times and Of
rural neighborhoods is just as true now and in
crowded cities Considered in its narrowest
aspect that of its effect on bodily we'll
being, soft, warm holiday season, although
welcomed as a Providental benefaction is
a very melancholy thing to the physician
or the social philosopher, who takes broader
view of the subject Certainly the cold snap
which now holds the city, as it were, in
icy jaws brings positive discomfort. The
well-clad citizen who, with chattering teeth
and tingliDg ears. hurries to his warm Office or
counting room, will testify emphatieally to this
poiut So will the citizen who Is i'll. clad, who
has 20 warm Office or counting rooom, and
whose cherries home is iRadequately for
tilted against the piercing assault OF the frosty
winds 1t is unquestionably time OF suffer
ing for the poor, and public aud private charl-
table activities should be exceptionally liber-
al. Still, mild Christmas would be worse,
not only for the welclad, shivering,
and perhaps grpmbling citizen, but also for his
impoverished neighbor A moderate Winter
is more fruitful Of colds, coughs, the resulting
cun,umptou which galups apace, and kindred
ailments, than is Il Wluter OF dry and steady
cold-especially in this country OF climatic
treacherv, where winter moderation Is equlVa-
lent to occasional dampness more penetrating
and perlions than severe cold. 10 ailments OF TINS
kind the pour are subject equally with the rich.
Indeed, the former suffer more, as they are
unprovided with the preventive aud curative
anpliances within reach of the latter So that
poor as we'll as rich should breathe through
chatteriny teeth thanksgiving for the whole
some cold snap, remembering that "a green
YuHe makes fat churchyard.' Aside from
considerations Of bodily we'll being, the bene-
fetal effects of the cold weather will hardly be
questioned. While it promotes physical health
for the present and 10 the next Summer. 1t IS
certainly healthtul to agricultural, mauutactur-
ing. commercial, and therefore financial inter
ests Seasonable order is undoubtedly the
best or,ier A warm Winter is as undesirable
as cold Summer. Snow and ice, despite
their incidental anuoyaDces. are essential to the
earth proper productiveness, and the grateful
soil uniformly acknowledges IN substantial
way their useful agency. 1t would be easy to
show how trade is stimulated by seasonabIe
weather, and how all other industries share tie
stimulus to the advantage OF the poor as We'll
as the rich But it is unnecessary to DO more
than Indicate these obvious reflections IN order
to suggest that the cold snap is wholesome aud
ousht to be welcome Brooklyn Etlgle.
SPEED OF RACERS. New Orleans Plea
vuue has oug article on the turf 1t says:
con all the tracks in the United States the
mile is measured three feet from the inner rail,
that being the supposed place where the inside
horse will run. Now if circle be made one
mile round aud horse runs four feet from 1t
on the outside. he will have run % feet anu
inch further each mile, or 100 feet and IN
cheS in four miles; indeed; IT circle be MADE
of any given circumference, aud circle be
made tour feet from it on the outside. there
will still be the same difference OF 25 feet |
inch, whether the inner circle be one yard
round or ten thousand As race tracks are not
made in circles, but usually as the Metalrle Is,
towit: Two straight stretches OF one quartz
each. and two sem-crcles uniting them OF
one. quarter luiles each, the same rule holds
GOOD: for as the two straight stretches are the
same distance to every horse, whether ne De
one ward or ten yards from the lnner fence,
and the two semi-circles making one Wh0ie
circle. the same difference of 25 feet and
inch to the mile will exist between two
horses running four feet from each other
As horses rarely, if ever, run Tapped for
four miles, let US take an extreme case ana
Que not likely to occur often. Suppose one horse
trails another for three and halt miles, and on
entering the eighth or last turn OF the tour mileS
he makes his brush and laps his opponent, ano
the race is declared dead heat; IN THIS case t'e
outside horse would really have beatenthe lnucl
l24 feet , =.
Lextngton's four miles in 1888 was run at
the rate of A feet inches and line IN the
second. Lexington s race in 7l9$ was run at
the rate of 4S feet inch aud 3 lines to the
second. Now the nearest approach to those
two races we're Lecomtes aud ldleWld 10
7:o6, or As feet iuchesand lines to the second;
so that 7.23S beats 7:2O LOG feet inches, ana
7:l94 beats 7:27 296 feet.
Let us take the average speed Of n horse to1
a mile dash and mile heats to be minute 81
seconds, and he will be running at the rate OF
3S feet 10 inches to the second. Two miles, al
the average rate of minutes and ~ seconds
and he is running at the rate OF a feet incnes
to the second Three miles, at the average rate
of minutes as seconds. and he Is running a.
the rate of 46 feet 10 inches to the seconu
Four miles, at the average rate OF minutes II
seconds, and he is running at the rate OF 40 fee
inches to the second.
DLANKETS, &c-Bed Blankets, l0-4' IL:
u and ia few little soiled,, Will oe sol(