The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-03-17
Michigan Letter.

TORCH LAKE, MICH, Mar. Z, 1881.
Being located several hundred miles
north of Ravenna, in closer proximity
to the polar regions, we smile as we
read in ysur columns of the cold win
ter and yonr boasting of the continued
excellent sleighing you have enjoy ed
this winter.
On the 10Th of October, 80, we had
about 10 inches of snow, and it has
has continued increasing in depth un-
til we now lave over four feet on the
level, and in many places the drifts are
from 10 to 20 feet deep. I have seen
many houses and barns where the snow
would be drifted on the northeast cor
ner to the caves. Although the deep
snow has been great obstacle to win
ter industry here yet there are now on
the banks of our Lake over 1900, 900
cords of #. of body maple wood for
the charcoal furnace, and 5000, 900 #.
of hard wood logs for the two sawmills.
We have just passed through anoth-
er terrible snow and wind storm, and
for five days neither cars nor stages
have ventured on their trips.
AS to cold weather, I dare not relate
just how cold it has been this winter,
as you might consider it an example
of Michigan hyperbole. But will a
tale unfold of the melancholy fate of
my lamented thermometer. When in
Ohio 1 had learned to look upon it as
thing of life; it's activity was enter
tanning if not exciting, but change of
climate proved very detrimental to its
welfare, Last winter it seemed dis
couraged and unable to perform its
functions, bat during our beautiful
summer it revived and was about con-
sidered convalescent, when winter
closed its white mantle around us and
the poor thing gradually declined, and
for nine successive days it was unable
to raise its head above zero, and on last
| Wednesday morning it EXPIRED
supposed of a broken heart, but post
mortem revealed that it was the bot
tom gave out, and its life principle had
sunk to it's final rest. Thus being de.
prived of an indicator We tried some
very amusing and astonishing exper.
| iments. Three of us tried splitting al
a mark about five feet distant, the
saliva would freeze and strike the
board like stone. We then filled q
pint graduate with liquor and placed
it on a hitching post and in 20 minutes
it was surrounded by quarter inch OF
ice. Some ornery cuss" suggested
"that didn't prove anything" 30 we
took three syringes and stood II feet
from my store and directed a jet of hot
water from each toward the building.
In passing that distance the water be-
came frozen into ice balls and its COM
ing in contact with the house counter
feitsd the pattering of hail storm.
This latter experiment was repeated
several times during the forenoon, to
the great amazement of the many
witnesses.
But what ia more astonishing, we do
not suffer the inconvenience from cold
we would in Ohio even at a much
milder temperature. The atmosphere
is clear, dry and pure. [ have rode
many miles when the thermometer
indicated 10 to 20 degrees below zero
and yet experienced not the cold as
one would in damp, impure atmos-
phere with the mercury at 10 to 20 deg.
above.
1 could relate more astounding Incl
dents of the workings of the Frost
King, but fearing some of your readers
will want to divide some of the above
mild statements to swallow them with
out difficulty desist, sincerely hoping
in my next to be able to give some OBJ
servations on Beautiful Spring.
TUDE.