Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-01-22
For the Freeman.
Winter in Kansas.


While all through the east snow to great
DEPTHS fell in November, we, at this writ
inc. January 9th, are in our first snow
drifts. Saturday night three or four inches
fell. and the strong north wind piled 1t into
drifts rs fast rs it came, and now along |
the south side of fences and hedges, there
are small drift of two and three feet depth
some of The railroads were blocked so as to
DELAY the trains a few hours but that was all
There was no blocking up, such as occur in
=, oreat storm. Before this storm, we, in the
neiubborh0od of Lawrence, had only had
few Slioht furries of snow-just enough to
vhitep the Ground. but which remained
onJva dav or two The sleighing in this |
State IS limited In the west part they
have had two OF three weeks OF 1t this
winter already. while last winter, the
coolest known in the history of the State.
there were several weeks, in all parts.
New Years day, by the instruments of
the State Meteorologist, the thermometer
stood at the highest, 560. When You re-
member that in midsummer it often falls to
600 and sometimes even to 90, You can
form some idea of the pleasantness OF the
dav. Similar weather had been ours
through much of the fall, and continued to
SATURDAY of last week when the change
came and the snow spoken of above
Sunday. the thermometer may have fallen
near to zero, but up to that time II had not
been lower than about 12'. 1t has been
50 warm that little difficulty has been met
in gathering specimens for our cabinet
summer birds. sparrows, hawks, red-birds,
robins, and the like, are common about lis,
and are constant reminders of the mild
winter. This, we think, is Sunny Kan
-a-" Last winter with the thermometer
To- - below zero was not prophetic of a
sunny State. but this winter this climate is
redecming itself. Increasing vigor, strong
lungs and a good appetite, assure your
correspondent that the change for health
was a wise one. and productive of good
results
The winds are sometimes very severe.
The. prevailing ones are north and south.
II is rare to have Il keen roaring wind from
the west. such a. often blow over Vermont
till behind the Green Mountains, as a
stone wall a mighty drift piles very high.
You have no winds Is steady as these in
Kansas. From the north it will come bel
lowing and tearing along. a if determined
to overthrow everything in its course. Il
will prevail for two or three days, making
the winter intensely cold, and the hot sum-
uer cool enough for any one. Then it will
gradually be- quieted. and the elements
rest ~ if never tired by the long contest;
.ud ~aucily the Gentle zephyrs will fan
YOUR check. in dllliance asking if there has
ever been ANY trouble with tones and ways
So natural and humble, that You straight
wav forgive with never Il word of reproach; ;
and then for = fortnight the north wind
will be i'll H. best appearance. Whilcthat
j. forgotten "A south wind Will begin At
first veu Will not notice it. Coming from
the plains of Texas and the Gulf Of fAIeXico,
+; bear, on its gentle bosom the stored
warmth of thc tropics. BY and by You
begin to- motto, the exquisite breath it
breathc- ana each will speak to his fellow
of the glorv of Kansas weather Nothing
can excel these exquisite zephyrs. sun
nv Kansas then truly holds one. These
winds are not 50 dry as the north ones, and
vet are humid enough 50 as not to be-
parthin~. save. il may be, some of the hard
ones in the summer, when they will now
and then blow like the Khansin of Egypt.
In the winter these south winds bring our
thaw-. If a sprinkling of snow Is on the
GROUND it soon vanishcs before the warm
breath; and into the drifts piled the south
side of wall, and hedges. it forces its warm
ing presence, and the cold pile yields
Before me lies the weather report of the
state Meteorologist for the years 18GJ-7o.
The mean temperature of the seasons in
Kansas a, compared with Vermont is this;
spring summer Autumn Winter Year
Vermont. HEenl5 81 % 81: ST. asS 30 i8s ists -
The rainfall in Drouthy Kansas -
compared for the same years with Yer
mont i seen in inches in this table:
Spring summer Autumn Winter Year
Eea1ss Eernsat iSsi Ssi I5Gi I5 rs? IS - 5s3 ss3
During the months of plant growth from
March first to October first, the amount OF
rain that fell in the two states during the
above years. was an average As follows
Kansas, l15 inches; Vermont, 25.01.
Thus YOU see that figures are against the
scare Of 1860. The past season while the
country throughout the east was parchec
we were having all the rain we needed ant
some to spare. The winters are variable
In 1869 the thermometer fell to zero bu
twice, and then but five degrees below
while in 1872 it was about twenty-five a
one time, and was down to zero or below
for eight consecutive days.
The improved appearance of your las
issue does your distant readers good, Il
well as those in Vermont Please don
strike our name off your list. The dailie
even. damp from the Lawrence press, hav
no attraction to Mrs k beside the MES
sENGEE and FREEMAN Be assured tba
You have At least two appreciative reader
in the great west. Both of us are wei
and enjoying our work.
Yours very truly, N v.B.K.
Letter from Missouri.