The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-03-16

The WKATHER-Web believe this win.
tar has rarely, il ever, had parallel 70,
lnciemency and persistent tempestuous.
ness. Some old people will be sure to
come forward and say that year ..long
time ago" was even worse. We are
averse to these representations. damsg.
ing to the reputation for general discom-
tort and ''cussedness" Of this winter,
from which we hope we are soon to
emerge, notwithstanding the snow storm
which prevails on this 1lth day Of March
while we write. We are inclined to
think this bad and vicious winter is the
champion winter of the century, and we
believe that the directory of the Pacific
ltallroad will concur in this opinion. If
they do not, We are sure tho i'll .fated
passengers who were kept for 30 many
weeks amidst the deep SHOWS Of the
plains Will. Their distresses and ard
ships have been wildly described in mar
fanves which we have published, and no
man can read them without being feur-
iuliy apprehensive that the Arctic zone
Is coming nearer to us. We read in DR..
Hays book OF his last Arctic voyage that
there are unmistakable signs that the
higher latitudes on the coast Of Green
iand were, ages ago. much more mild in
temperature than now. The remains OF
the dwellings Of the Norsemen that first
emigrated to the shores OF Greenland
show higher state of civilization aud
comfort than can be we'll maintained
there now. The number of the popula-
ton OF these early settleru. their thrift,
tne ample pAsturage they had for cattle,
m r,kh Il
TO believe that the climate must have
been. at that time, moderate compared
to what it il now. It is impossible,
under the present Temperature. that any
suoh sociely could exist there.
Yet while DR.. Hays sreculations are
very interesting, we don't fear any ice
berg in these parts. We have seen 30
mnny mild winters succeed hard and
"eVere ones, that VIZ do not despair OF
seeing much better behaved seasons
than the present, and we shall wait at
least until Boston is covered by glacier
before we take up stakes to seek gen
tier cline.
Yet all OF us arc strangely predisposed
to superstition. That observer Of the
weather in Washington whom people are
iamiiiarly calling "Old Probabilities'' is
beginning to be- regarded as more the
cause than the register of the weather.
People suspect that he makes the bad
weather he foretells. How the deuce
dld he know it would como if he didn't
make 1t come? inquire many, and by the
same course of reasoning among barba-
rians, travellers have lost their lives. We
have felt some anxiety for the fate of
old Probabilities. We hope he keeps
his door we'll guarded. We know An old
rheumatic who has been suffering for
eight weeks. during which tho weather
has been the most unpropitious for his
disease that we ever saw. He VOWS that
he will go to Washington as soon as he
Is able, and revenge himself on the au-
thor of the bad weather.
Yet let us console our scientific friend
ut the capital, by assuring him that it is
not probable that this indignant old nan
VIII be able to travel until the weather
gets mild, and the leaves appear upon
the trees, and the flowers bloom in the
helds and gardens. and then we know he
Will reient and forget all idea of revenge.
he IS. too gentle in disposition, too
happy In revelling in the beauties Of ma
tnre and the genial and vernal spring, to
prosecute a journey with bloody intent
at such time. And 30 we shall all find
relief from the severities of remark
ably severe winter, and entirely forget
tho discomforts which we hays for no
many weeks looked upon as unexam-
pie d.-Richmond Dispatch.
HE SINGLE LINE RAILWAY. For
some time past discussion has been
mi