, 1881-03-20

/ some plan thai can DC c0nSldefeQ. From
this point of view the future of Russia looks
| more hopeful
THE LONG, HARD WINTER.
/ Winter fingers in the lap OF Spri1g In q
most scandalous manner this year. It is al
ways an improper proceeding, and has now ex-
cited the disgust Of the most tolerant people.
Winter has grown to be hoary old wretch.
His calendar life is only three months. He
came pren,aturely last fall, and has worn
out his welcome by oyerstaying his time.
[ We have endured him fully five months al
ready. and at the present writing there is
small prospect for his retiring for some time
| to come. If the present course OF the seasons
be pursued, autumn and spring may as well
| b6expunged from the allnanacs. 1t will be q
! moro honest way to give eight months to
winter and four to summer without any
! deceptive intervals.
The present winter has been one to battle
| the traditional readiness Of the oldest inAab-
itant- Some people who are not sensitive
/ about their age are willing to go back as far
| as the winter of 1842-'43 for parallel, but
that is clearly barred by the statute OF lin
| ftations. It Is entirely safe to accept the
prevailing winter season as the drearlest and
most trying ever known to anybody outside
of Siberia. 1t has been long and relentless.
Every new storm seems to have been actu-
ated by some mysterious motive to exceed
| all the preceding storms in yiciousness. The
| new 'sProbabiities" his been completely
obfuscnted by the reversal Ut all the rules he
and his predecessor followed. lie caused
TIE TRIBUNE to state in the first line: Of yes
| tefday's paper that there would be +" fair
weather, with occasional rain or SNOW" It
is very difficult for anybody to get mad at
The TRIBUNE; but we cannot reasonably OBJ
ject If the people who began reading yester-
days paper with that announcement while
the wind was whistltng and the snow driving
and cutting outside, lost for the moment their
abiding confidence and unfatllng respect for
THE TRlnuSE's utterances. TWAS the fault
Of " Probabilities" who ought henceforth to
be called *' 'I1nprobabIlities, and who is no
longer entitled to any consideration.
The Canadian weather-prophet, Vennor,
seems to be III league with the evil spirit Of
storm. He predicted the storm now upon us,
as he did that of two weeks ago. He is dis
aRreeaEIy accurate in these matters, and If
he ever expects to be popular he had better
begin predicting some fair and mild weather
with equal certainty. It is said that Vennor
proceeds upon astronomical signs and the
theory of weather cycles.' His method
has certainly been proved to be a good one
BY the correctness OF his predictions: butwe
must still doubt the doctrine Of weather
cycles.'' The idea of cycle involves an
idea Of change at some time, and even hope
full people have abandoned the prospect for
change this winter.
The season Is certainly discouragtng. The !
railroad and telegraph people, the street-car !
lines, and the truckmen and the laborers, the !
businessmen and the housewives, have been |
engaged In a ceaseless combat with it. More |
than one economical huusekeeber, wo ven
ture to say, sat down and cried yesterday |
morning at the necessity for beginning anew !
the tussle with drifting snow which had al
ready cost her so lnrge share OF her allow
ance for domestic expenses. The railroad
bosses and hands swore roundly Mt this sur
charge of storm, while the large stockholders /
sat comfortably in their back parlors and be-
moaned the loss Of dividends The children
howled i'll dismay at being condemned to
pass another OF their weekly holidays ILL.,
doors, and the people Who sought consola-
tion on amy side had their labor for their
pains.
The storms Of this winter have placed a
serious embargo on business, and this latest
we dare not say last-wil probably provo
more embarrassing than any that has gone
before it. The Northwest has been the
largest Sufferer, for the other sections Of the
country have been spared to certain ex-
tent Butwhen the Northwest is retarded in
its movement forward the rest Of the coun-
try feels the pressure, as the body is par
alyzed when a main artery is choked up.
The personal inconvenience Of locomotion
on the streets and travel By the steam cars is
Of small moment as compared with the
hindrance to commerce. Tho local loss
in this city In time, and the wear
and tear on appliances and energy,
will amount to hundreds Of thousands of
dollars. There is some comfort to be found
in the reflection that the prosperity Of the
past year has enabled people to bear the
strain with a certain eQuanimlty, which has
also been increased by the anticipation Of re-
newed activity when the breakup comes.
The winter has been a hard one, but not
nearly SO trying as if the same long stretch OF
cold and storm had visited the country three
or four years ago in the midst of business de-
preston and widespread poverty. This re-
lection may revive confidence In the fitness
II things, and inspire the hope that We are
coming out all rigilt-Mother Shlpton and
he relentless Vennor to the contrary not
Ia
JUDGE DAVIS DEAD WEIGHT.
Nrl,o l.no |