The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-08
"a HARD WINTER


We see and hear numerous predic-
ions relative to this matter lately, most
of them being founded upon one or more
signs" sententiously unfolded by the
;sgacious "Lo" as he wraps his greasy |
blanket about his manly ~ form and
talks of Oregon winters to
which the memory of the pale-face run
meth not back. A hard winter, in the
Eastern acceptance Of the term, is as
unusual and unlikely with US as is a
hot summer, and the probability of rig
orous weather long continued is not
great enough to really terrify an aver
age Oregonian, albeit he has in a mo-
ment of leisure hearkened to the omi-
nous signs disclosed by the "noble red
man." Yet even Oregon, favored land
of "gentle mists," balmy breezes, and
genial sunshine, is liable to be visited
with occasional bleak blasts from the
shrill trumpet of old Boreas, and when
the gentle mists aforesaid develop into
drenching showers and continue to de-
scend for days and weeks together, it is
we'll to be provided against them.
We remember our first experience of
an Oregon winter-and the reality was
not the balmy, moist and delightful sea-
son which the pen of the tourist had de-
picted for US in our Illinois home-and
how exceedingly uncomfortable it was
to sweep the moist, slushy snow from
the soaked wood that should, and but
for this "mild winter" myth, would
have been snugly housed in the fall,
and how heartily we echoed the senti-
Dents of our disgusted sire, as he en-
phatically declared in favor of "clear,
sharp freeze-up;" how we watched with
plying eyes such of our jaded emigrant
cattle as had survived the three thous-
and mile journey across the continent,
stand shivering and soaked around a
scanty pile of saturated and wind-torn
straw, eating ofthis mild winter delicacy,
and thought of clean, fresh-littered stalls
at home where hard winters were ex-
peeted and carefully provided against.
1t has long been an axiom that hard
winters in Oregon would be totally uu-
known and unchronicled if care was
taken to provide for comfort.
Every one knows that genuine Ore
gonian will, when equipped with water.
proof over-shoes and umbrella, go out
at all times without discomfort and in
defiance of rain and mud, and if pro
vided with wood-sheds we'll filled, eel
lars well stored, hay-mows well laden
and houses and barns we'll rooted, ht
can stay at home in equal comfort anC
contentment. In fact, it is the same
here as elsewhere; thrift, care, anC
economy laughs at hard winter predic
tions, while want of these, and a shut
fling, do-easy way of getting along ant
trusting to the tender mercies of a gen
erous climate, will give a man a yer.
good chance of sitting beside a NOR
thrifty neighbours stove, relating har,
winter predictions with an "I told yoI
so" air, and wondering why we can
have the mild winters of long ago re
peated. There are places, and not feN
? in the ''rural districts' and small towns
where it is no uncommon sight to see a
mid-winter a drenched woman, with
r shawl over her head, picking up water
soaked chips from the last summer
wood-pile; drenched chickens roostin
in the drenched branches of denude
trees; drenched cattle, horses and shee
standing knee-deep in mud, eatin
drenched straw from an unsheltere
stack, and the drenched landholde
stalking about bewailing the hard VIII
ter. Cruel as it may seem, we woul
, enjoy transporting this thriftless grow
er to Minnesota and feeding him o
frozen vegetables through the annu;
six months freeze-up.
Of one thing we are assured. If til
subscriptions to the New NORTHwEs
, are promptly paid, we shall close oil
= cellar and wood-house doors and liste
in serene contempt while "old probabi
tiles" interviews Indians and prognost
Gates coming storms.
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