Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1880-04-08
PREVIOUS COLD WINTERS.
ELI Perkins Experience With Cold
Weather.

Eli Perkins spent yesterday at the
Island House. He was lying still and
getting ready for his lecture at Owos-
so tonight. When Commercial
reporter called on the great truth
teller he was musIng about the weather.
''Then you have seen colder win
ters than we have had this winter,
have you, Mr.. Perkins?" asked our
reporter.
''Certainly, young man. I have
seen q great number very cold win
ters. Now there was the winter of
1858"
''But you wer'nt alive then, Mr..
Perkins, were you?''
81 wer'nt, hey! Who says 1 was
not?"
"Now if you want information don't t
interrupt me. I'm telling the truth.
AS l was saying, the winter of 1885 l
especially remember. That winter I
was engaged doing missionary work
on whaling vessel in the Adriatic
sea. I remember the Adriatlc froze
over eighty-four feet thick that winter.
OF course we couldn't navigate our
boat, but we raised it up and drew it
over the ice. The ice was very clear,
and when we saw o whale frozen up
we used to blast our way down
through the ice and get him."
"Was that the coldest winter you
ever saw, Mr.. Perkins?''
"Oh, no. I've seen a great many
colder winters than that. The winter
Of 1910 was colder. That year the
snow drifted SO deep away down on
the equator that when the sun return
ed in the spring we had to all turn
out and shovel path for her to return
through. That year the crater of
Mount Mesuvius froze over and they
used it for a skating rink. Cows gave
frozen milk that winter, and the only
way we could raise chickens was to
let the hens set in the retorts of the
pigiron furnaces.
But history don't speak of these
things, MIR. Perkins," suggested the
reporter.
"Oh, darn history. There amt
any truth in history nowadays. Was
not there. Then there was 17G1,
another cold winter. The temperature
changed so suddenly on the 55th OF
February that the flames in the gas
lamps froze stiff. The heat was gone
but the light was left. This was the
only time l ever saw cold flame, but
frozen light seemed to light the streets
as well as warm light. This year
Charlie. Francis Adams was born. He
Was frozen stiff at his birth and re-
manned so for eighteen years. He
informs me that his feet have never
been thoroughly warm since. Boys
skated over the crater of Mount Yer
suvius again this winter
"But we can hardly believe these
things, Mr.. Perkins. History don't
ksubstantiate what you say"
"What do care about history?
tell you, young man, I'm telling you
the truth, but if you don't want infoI-
nation you needn't listen. I've been
telling you about some pretty cold
weather, but the winter of 1901 was
colder than any Of the others. TLa'
year l joined an Artic expedition, but
we got stuck in the ice off Florids
and remained frozen up in the Gulf o
Mexico for four years. The Esqui
maux skated down the coast from
Greenland that winter and wintereC
in Mexico. All the rivers and lake:
froze solid, and liquid water was
worth hundred dollars a barrel
whiskey barrels froze stiff. The onl,
way l kept thawed out was by satura
ting my clothes in kerosene and keep
ing them constantly burning, while
my feet hung in retort heated t.
boil iron in, and-and-and'
Our reporter looked up, snd thu
old man had fallen asleep. His teetl
chartered and his eye: glistened will
an unearthly luster. So much trutl
IN one day had exhausted him.