The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-01-21
EARLY COLD SNAPS.


We are not likely to have cold enough
weather, this winter, to surprise couple
of old citizens of Brooklyn, if the follow
ing, from the Brooklyn Eagle, may be
believed:
"We're havin' some pretty wintrish
weather." said old Daddy WOtherspoon
to Uncle Sammy Honniwell, as the two
gentlemen met near the city hall, yes
terday: fright for'ard weather for the
season."
"Jist so, jist So" conceded Uncle Sam
my. Reminds me of the fall of 1868.
1t commenced long fore part of Novem-
Der. and froze stiff till March. Good,
smart weather, too. remember that it
was so cold in Brooklyn, that November
that bilin' water froZe over hot fire."
Daddy Wotherspoon looked at him,
and braced himself. Eyes, yes" said he,
81 mind it well. That's the fall that the
milk froZe in the COWS. But the cold
season was in 1927. 1t commenced in
the middle of October, and ran through
to April. All the oil froze in the lamps,
and we didn't have light until spring
set inn
LAY, ay," responded Uncle Sammy,
growing rigid. ats just like yester-
day to me. 1 walked a hundred and
forty miles due east from Sandy Hook,
on the ice, and slid back, owing to the
convexity of the earth, you know. 1t
was down hill coming this way. But
that wasn't as cold as the winter of 1851.
That season commenced i'll September,
and the mercury didn't rise a degree
from that day. Don't you remember
how We used 10 breathe hard, let it
freeze, cut a hole in it, and crawl in for
shelteri You haven't forgotten that ?''
Not IT, said Daddy WotherspOon,
nc9 81, q r, ms
| we used give the horses melted lead to
| drink, and kept hot fire under 'em, so
it wouldn't harden till they got 1t down.
But that wasn't nothing to the spell of
| 1917. We began to feel it in the latter
part of August, and she doomed stiddy
till the Goth of June. got through that
whole spell by living in an ice-house. 1t
was too cold to go out doors, and l jist
| camped in the ice-house. You remem-
| Der that season of 1872. That's the win
ter we wore understands of sandpaper, 10
keep up friction"
well, l should say did, retorted
Uncle Sammy. what! remember 1917 !?
Deed do. That was the time it took a
match. Ay, ayl But do you know
I was uncomfortably worm that win
ter?'
"How SO: - demanded Daddy Wother-
spoon, breathing hard.
/ "Runnin' around your ice house to
find out where you got in. 1t was an
awful spell, though. How long did it
last From August till the Both of June ?
guess you are right. But you mind
the snap of 1913, don't you? 1t COM
menced on the first of July. and went
around and Tapped over week. That
year, the smoke froze IN the chimneys,
and we had to blast it out with
dynamite. think that was
the worst We ever had. All
the clocks froZe up, so We didn't know
the time for a year, and men used to set
| fire to their buildings SOS to rent. Yes,
indeed. 1 got $1,000 month for four
burnin' buildings. There was heap of
sufferis' that winter, because we lived
on alcohol and phosphorus, till the alco-
hol froze, and then we ate the birthstone
end of matches, and jumped around till
they caught fire. Say, you
But Daddy Wotherspoon had fled.
The statistics were too much for him.