Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-02-17
THE DROUGHT IN THE COUNTRY.

| Condition of Affairs in Western New York
An Unprecedented scarcity of Water
| Suferings ofthc Farmers and Their Stock.
LocKpoRT, February 2.-The winter
drought which at present prevails in
Niagara county, as in the whole of
Western New York, and indeed over a
vast extent of territory in the states east
and west of us, if we may accept the re-
ports which come to us through the
press, is something unprecedented in
its extent and probable consequences. I
now speak cas- one having authority"
when say that III this vicinity it has
not only become remarkable natural
phenomenon, but more seriously it
has entailed an almost incredible
amount of suffering and Inconvenience
on the people, both of the urban and
rural districts. The cause of this
drought is generally attributed to the
very dry season which prevailed last
fall. It was, in fact, remarkably dry
season; there was but little rain after
the LIST of September, SO little that the
leaves were parched and withered on
the trees earl y i'll that month, and the
dust was blowing freely on the country
roads until the first snowfall. 1t is
therefore generally supposed that the
subterranean springs failed of their
usual replenishment, and that the pres
ent drought is the natural and inevitable
consequence. Hn
Admitting this to be true, it is certain
that the effect is something of which the
parallel is not to be found within the
recollection of "the Oldest inhabitant. "
In the villages and in the country alike
the supply of water from cisterns long
since failed. The wells are almost dry;
those from which so much as dipper-
full of water can be obtained at draught
are jealousy watched and guarded
The only source of water supply for
thousands of families, both for washing
and drinking, since December l, has
been the melting of snow, and this re-
source has been SO precarious as to ex-
cite continual alarm lest this slender
supply should entirely fail. The
drought is severe enough and hard
enough to bear in the cities and vii |
lagos, where only human beings are to
any extent affected by it; but in the
country it's effects are we'll nigh indie
scribable. With wells dry which were
never known to be dry before, with els
terms exhausted, and every neighboring
source of water supply failing, the large
herds of stock of the farmers are driven
from three to six miles, over snow-ob-
roads and through the biting
cold of midwinter, to find sire am of
water fit to be drank And such streams
are difficult enough to find; old and
well-known creeks, which never before
failed of water the year round, are now
dried up. 1t is generally agreed, too,
that the cold ice-water of these surface
even when available, is very
for cattle, and that it's use
can only be justified when all other sup
ply fails.
But the most remarkable effect of
this winter drought is that the large
of this and adjoining
counties are actually digging wells in
this month of January. It seems
strange enough to many who, perhaps,
can hardly appreciate the situation; it
may seem absurd to talk about digging
wells in the depth of winter through
the frozen ground, with the thermome-
ter at zero, but that is precisely what
many of our farmers are doing. With
every source of water supply cut off,
and with scores of cattle furnishing on
their hands, it is their only resource;
and although the work of sinking a
we'll at this season of the
year IS severe and the cost great, the
result is generally satisfactory.
1t is said by the coolest inhabitant'
that such midwinter drought as this
was never seen before. It is to be
hoped that it may not be seen again.