The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-08
THIS WINTRY WEATHER,


PFoVpeelp Of 1haW- EIeiGhinE and
Shedding In the COuniTy-beVen Weeks
or BnOW-BtOck ReedinE.
What seems to bs thRw has been CO.
ing on for the last two days, although 1t
will take week Of such weather 10 melt
the snow that covers the face Of the Coun'
try throughout all this region to the depth
Of several inches. In the city the sleigh
ing 10 about done for, but the country it
is as good as ever. Up in Brooke county,
as we observed during an excursion ex'
tending from Saturday up to yesterday
they have never had such sleighing. 1t
was seven weeks yesterday since the peo'
pie commenced travelling on runners in
stead Of wheels, and they have kept 1t up
ever since. The roads have been in per-
feet order almost all the time, and the
amount Of hauling on aleds that has been
done ia immenae. The people OF Wash
ington county, as far east as But
fslo Village, have hauled hay and
wheat to WelIsburg, and all the farm
ers have utilized the snow to the fullest
extent in the way OF hauling timber, coal
and all sorts Of farm stuff. The only
drawback has been that the weather has
prevented corn huskipg to such al extent
that very little corn has been marketed,
most farmers having no more hnsked than
suffiCed for their stock, The country Is
full Of corn, but 1t nevertheless readily
brings fifty cents, and Is not plenty at
that, There is also good deal Of hay, but
the uncertainties Of winter feeding have
been such that those who have plenty Of
it are not inclined to sell 1t even at SIS
per ton. They want to see whether the
ground hog theory Of six weeks OF winter,
dating from the I'd OF this month, will pan
ont this year or not. They believe good
deal more in the ground hog sign than In
Mother Symptoms prophecy about the
world coming to an end this year, and
and hence are not inclined to lot 90 their
grip on their earthly possessions yet
awhile,
The quantity OF Ice that has been put
upin the private ice houses In the Coun'
try never was as great as 1t 10 this year
And for that matter, the quantity Of II
that has been piled up by the wRyaide was
never half as great, A curious specimen
ofthis piling up can be seen on the Wells
burg and Bethany pike near BuChanan's,
about half way between the two places.
Owing to q gorge In Buffalo creek near
that place prior 10 the last break up, the
creek oyerpoured the bottoms in the vi.
cinity, carrying with 1t fences and huge
masses OF ice, and deposiLing them to
the depth OF several feet over the pike
and adjacent territory. To such an ex.
tent was the pike bloCkaded that half q
hundred men had 10 DO called into ser.
vice by the turnpike company and set to
work with picks and shovela to
cut q road through the solid Ice
and the icy debris, They cut a
narrow gauge through, Just wide enough
for wagon, and the consequence Is that
vehicles pass between the solid Icy walls
after the fashion OF the Israelites passing
through the Red sea between solid walls
OF water. 1t is really q curiosity to see the
freak that has thus played by the waters
OF the usually well behaved Buffalo creek
this winter. One OF the chief sufferers by
the freak Is q Mr.. Wharton who lives In the
vicinity, and whose fine bottom land has
been literally and irretrievably ruined by
the new channel cut through by the
creek. Mr.. Wharton is man whom dds.
aster has followed fast and followed
faster" having had bis house burned only
q short time ago. His last calamity has
fallen as o heavy blow upon him.
The unusual winter weather that we
have had has made feeding pretty ex.
pensive matter to the farmers, although
stock OF all kinds have thrlven and are In
good condition at this time. The sheep
however are ialtering a little in their
thrift, and are showing sigma Of the need Of
contact with the earth. Dry feeding for
80 long time pals upon the appetite and
thiCkens the blood too much. Hence
some farmers are feeding apples and tur.
nips In addition 10 their dry feed, These
have corrective effect on the appetite
and the circulation.
We notice that some sheep In the coun.
try are well housed this weather, while
others are permitted to remain exposed
most OF the time. The theory OF those
who let them lie out around the stacks Is
that II is q natural sort Of exposure, for
which they are prepared by nature, and
that II acts as a preventive against foot
rot. They contend that the herding OF
sheep together in q sheep house heats and
deAles their feet 10 such an extent as to
prodnce foot rot. Whether this Is the case
or not II Is certain that II takes agreat deal
more feed 10 keep exposed sheep In even
iait condition than 1t does those that are
kept under shelter.
These moonlight nights have been great
nights for sleighipg parties In the country,
A number oil the young people Of Beth.
any made q raid on Col. @. H. Beall's
hogpitable home on last Saturday night.
They did not, however, find the Colonel
and bis good vile unprepared, and the
heaped up fires and the good cheer that
went round reminded one Of those good
old winter scenes recorded In Doddridge's
Notes concerning the early days In this
region. The night was bright as day out.
side, and the sleigh bells made the air
vocal with their music,
r- Keeping lime time, time,
In A ROft Of Hu1lO rhyme. .....