Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-21
Freaks of d" Old Prob ''-liOW he Fooled
the People All Signs Fail when
his are at Fault-BusinesS
Suspended.
All Glasses Cheerful under LnsubriOus
MISUNDERSTANDING and
Sleighing-A Winter Car
rival.
Disastrous Effects in Other Quarters
4 Flood Mt New 0rleans-SnOW
Everywhere Trains stopped
Etc, ETC., Etc.

st PstTlck's day, evidently caring not
a fig for the weather SO the wind don't
bog. Sunday morning we were ot1icl-
aIly notified that "FOr Tennessee and
Ohio valley clear and cCli weather will
continue, with northeast to southwest
winds, and during Sunday afternoon Tis-
ing temperature and slowly falling ba-
rometer.n For the benefit Of these who
slept all dsy Sunday we will say that
nothing Of the kind transpired, but in
ste sd we had dreSry, dark, cloudy and
threatening westher all day until toward
Il e shank of the evenir g, when little
snow egan falling st intervals, such ss
Uncla Billy Dlrdis would have called a
"spitiing snow" At dark, however,
the snow began to fall in coed earnest,
and SO RAPIDLY thst the space between
the earth and the leaden. cOl0red canopy
above US apIe 1red one continuous viii
sheet, The flakes were very fine, and
fell straight to the earth. Through
out Sunday night the snowfall was
uneeasing, and by yesterday morning
the earih was covered TO general depth
of near eight inches. Very little wind
accompanied the snow-stotm, 80 that
the ilsecy intrdder Grifted but little.
The snow fall continued till about nine
O'Clock yesterday morning, when stiff,
cold wind bagau blowing from the north
east, and the clouds began to break, as
If preparing to clear away. Such did
not occur, E9wever, for odd Prob said
Yesterday moruing that 'iOr the Gulf
States, Tennessee and the Ohio valley
would be rain, northeast to northwest
winds, falling, followed by rising baro-
meter east of the Mississippi, rising baro-
meter in the southwest, and. colder
vgaathRT.n The rain or Snov did not
come hut we had the CLOUDS and the
winds and, perhaps, the tickle freaks OF
the barometer, ard We ought to be salts
fed that it was no worse. Yest6 Jay af-
ternOOn the weather bulletin predicted
as follows: "FOr the Gulf States, Ten
nessee and the Ohio valley and upper
lake region, snow or rain, with colder
portherly to westerly winds, aud rising
barometer during the night.n So, at this
writing. we have very lit to inspire
hope that hoary winter will yield his
place to the gentle spring which, &C
cOrding to the modern almanac, should
have began its labors yesterday. AG-
cording 10 the dispatches by telegraph
received Sunday and yesterday, the
storm is general, not only on this con-
tineut, but throughout Europe, and it is
evident that the atmosphere of this old
world Of ours u being scted upon by
sotie strange influences, with which we
are not altogether familiar, -esid of
which none other than eTperienced
fceDtists osn give US any Information.
The very unusually mild winter, an IN
precedented early sprir g, and the freak
of the weather Just transporting; are truly
remarkable, and may be influences of
The worlds being boxed around In IL
limitable space in clOee proximity to
some strange planets-perhsps an invis-
ible comet, whose fiery tail is Ist now
absorbing that amount CT the earth's
heat necessary to complete our fp ing
outfit. Everybody has his or her
theory ABOUT the iDfiuanco OF frDs's
in March upon fruits and vslesa-
ton In geGersl-sOme holding 10 the
idea that fruit was never KILLED in
March. To such as srs Of this OpiniOe,
we will say that better opportunity to
test this theory never was afforded than
at present. Oilers hold, aud perhaps
with some appearance OF truth, that the
recent frosts, com bined with the present
cold snap, has effectually demolished
the fruit crop in this latitude, ct lessi,
But tht ee latter console themselves With
off ard new ones appear, and that the
coming season will tie the most sbun-
dant as regards fruit experienced for
years. Those of US who are fOrtur re
enough 10 survive such spalls of weather
as we have had to endure Of late will
! see,
In the city yesterday morning the
streets and sidewalks were completely
blocked, and throughout the dey busi-
ness in all departments was resIly en-
tirely suspended. The street-cars did not
gin running until late in the day, and
! until heavy sOOwplows, drawn by double
teams, had cleared the tTa3k from one
! cad Of each line to the other; and even
| then not half the usual number Of cars
were trimming, the company having to
| double tesm even the smallest carr.
Throughout the day those who could af-
ford the luxury epi3y6i sleighing, to
| their hearts content. Somo Of the
turnOuts were very elsgant, and
| hardly to be looked for in Mem
phis, where the opportunity for
sleighing is so seldom afforded. We
saw as pretty cutters as are generally
seen in more northern cities, and the
merry Thrilling of the sleigh-bells car
ried ones thoughts way beyond the lati-
| tude of the temperate zone. Every con-
! ceivable shape of sleigh appeared on the
streets during the day. Some OF these
were made up by transferring the body
| OF q buggy or rOcRaWay to runners
| made Of plsuk-bOards; others were rude
packing boxes, hoped up on two planks,
| the forward end rounded, 50 as to jump
over distinctions. But, no matter how
rude the c0ntrivsnce, the occupants
! ladies and gentlemen of the elite Of sOci-
ety-epjOyed the sleighing. There were
those-and they were the majority
who could not atfJrd even the
| cheapest OF these luGurie3, and
they, being idle by the temporary
| stagnation If business, made it hot for
their more fortunate fellow. citizens by
peltipg them heartily with snewbslls.
| lndulged 10 certain extent this
| would have been harmless sport, but,
/ as ia always the case, some Of the snow
ballers, carried away by the excitement,
were somewhat indiscreet ia the iLdis.
criminals manner ia which they hurled
| hsrd-pTessed snowballs at the lady Occu-
| pants Of the sleighs. We besrd of sew
! ersl instances where the too enthusiastic
snowballsr GOT q tin car or an enlarged
| prObosCis for assaulting ladies with the
! snoWbaIls. II was rumOred late yester'
| day afternoon that q shOCtsng-scr3ps
hsd resulted from one Of these reckless
snowbaliuis, but diligent inquiry iaile d
| TO develop the fact. This great Ameri-
| can idea nowadays is burlesque, ard 1t
began to develop Itself toward the latter
part OF the day. Ore Instance was thst
OF couple of geniuses who eat astride OF
single plank with gaily csPsrisOned
horse hitched to one end, and traversing
the different thoroUghfsres, seemed to
| enjoy the centennial sleigh-ride as much
| as Ihoss more lucky ones who pranced
round gaily in their elegant cutter. An
| other Instance was evidently number
| OF the marine fraternity VINO had mount
| ed the body OF a common road.wagon
| on to board runners; on Que side OF the
| wGgon-body the word "Ceutennisl,"
and On the other an anchor and the
word "Hope" were painted. We could
not interpret the intended "take-oB,"
but the turnout attracted considerable
attention. Lsst night the colder winds
from the north rendered the snow firm
| er and in better condition for slsighine,
and the sport was al joyed in that spirit
begot Of The fact that the opportunity