The true northerner., 1876-03-10
WEATHER TALK.
Weather Precedents-The Winters
Century Ago.

The Oldest lnhabltant has at last
forsaken his hiding place, and referring
to the journal kept by the Rev. Thomas
Smith, of Portland, Me-, makes the fol-
lowing interesting statements in relation
to the winters of century ago, and
more
in 1875, January was pleasant and
moderate, and February was "summer
month. In 1873, January came in
like April in 1749 there were but two
snow-storms February was a summer
month again, and March the same. In
! 1751, January Is, the frost was entirely
out of the ground, February was like
spring, and "winter ends wonder
| through the whole" In 1756, in Jan
uary, the fish, as they are reported to
have done this year, "strucll in" from
the sea, the weather being 80 warm.
| February was delightful, and March
clustering, but soft as May. In 1913,
! Mr.. Smith records summer day i'll Jau-
uary 81, "wonderful moderate" and
February 9, emo snow since December
29-wonderful weather. We saw two
robbins"
In the year 1865, February ~, the
! New York Gazette and Post Boy reports
that "last Thursday the weather was so
uncommon warm that young lads went
into the river to SWIM" In l772 the
temperature was so high in England
that leaves came ont on the trees in Jan
uary, ana birds matched their broods in
February. In 1889, the weather was
equally mild, and the maidens of Co
logne wore wreaths of violets and corn
flowers on Christmas, and on Twelfth
Day. In 1421 the trees howered III the
month of March, and the vines in April
Cherries ripened in the latter month,
and grapes appeared in May Ia 1912,
the trees were covered with leaves IL
January and the birds hatched their
young i'll February, as in 1772. In l775
the same thing was repeated, and it is
added that the corn was i'll the ear at
Easter. There was in France neither
snow DOR frost throughout the winters
of 1888, 1907, 1909, 1917, and 1859.
Finally, in 1872, even in the north of
Germany, the stoves were not lighted,
and the trees fowered in February.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER.
Climate is geographically fixed, while
weather is atmospherically variable eli
mate is calculated quantity, while
rules are applicable to climate, but none
are applicable to weather. Climate is
monarchy, weather is anarchy. Climate
is Il constitutional government, whose
organization we see and understand
latitude and altitude are its king and
queen +; dryness and dampness are its
two houses of parliament animal and
vegetable products are its subjects, and
the isothermal lines are its newspapers.
but weather is a red-hot, radical repub-
lie, all excitements and uncertainties,
q despiser of old rules. a hater of pro-
priety and order. Climate is great,
stately sovereign, whose will determines
the whole character of the lives and hab
its of it's retainers, but whose rule is
regular, and therefore 80 little felt that
it seems like liberty but weather is q
cruel, capricious tyrant, who changes his
DEGREES every day, and who forces us by
his ever-varying whims TO remember
that we are slaves. Climate Is local
weather is universal. We are indiifer-
ent to climate because we are accus-
toned to it, but we are dependent on
weather because we never know what
form it will take tomorrow. Climate is
the rule !; weather is the exception.
BldckaOOod Magazine.
OTHER MILD WINTERS.
No doubt, were the records properly
searched, there could be found parallels
for the seemingly unparalleled mildness
thus far, of the present winter. Indeed,
we have already been favo, ed with
"Reminiscences or two which bear OH the
case. One old resident of the city in
forms us that the winter of lS37-38-
during which the Patriot war was waging
was one of wonderful leDiency, so
much that vessels navigated Lake Erie
during some part of every month of the
season. Seven years earlier--1829-3 So
occurred winter of still more marked
Southern characteristics.
A veteran of Little Valley, Cattaraugus
County, testities to the local paper, as to
this season, that in the middle of Jan
uary he found an elder bush with green
shoots upon it six inches long. He
! tapped his sugar bush on the 1lth of
February, and the same day found n
snake basking in the warm sunshine.
There was no sleighing that winter, and
hardly time that farmers could not
plow their fields. The farmers of the
present day will be encouraged to learn,
moreover, that the summer following
/ this unusual season was an exceedingly
! fine one.
Another interesting fact has been re
called in this connection, to-wit, that the
first month of this centennial winter
closely resembles that of 1776. The
newspapers of that day speak of the eS
tnordinary mildness of the season. 1t
was even said that the lack of the usual
leo in Boston harbor prevented Wash
! ington from crossing his forces and at
tempting n surprise of the city, and the
Americans were enabled 20 continually
sond forth vessels from all parts of the
harbor to the West Indies for munitions
of war. The mild season also allowed
Gen. Schuyler, in these first days OF
january, to dispatch his we'll planned
little expedition up the Mohawk Valley
to surprise the Highlanders under john
son. .-BUbdtO Daily Courier.
SHE stood in wagon, in Loretto,
KY, and he was ON high doorstep.
! 'rhox, t,;o,l 30 bloc aoch other aud leaned