New-York tribune., 1883-03-07
GREAT rs HUMBCG.


He is such n cheap humbug and has been SO
completely revealed as q humbug that to treat
him otherwise than with contcmptuous silence
il 10 dignity him unduly. Yet there are people
who permit themselves to be scared ny lis
predictons.r We published an amusing ac-
count Yesterday of the alarm no has excited
among New-JeIsey fishermen, and similar ac-
counts como from tho fishermen on the Banks
of Newfoundland. This In spite of the fact
that Virgins made complete failure on the
prediction which he accepted as test OF his
mowers as q prophet. lie expressly said that
If there were no storm on February there
would be none on March IL. He asked the
public to watch tho weather on the former date
and act as his Judge The public did watch,
aud the day was one of the clearest and freost
from storms which has ever been seen. There
was hardly cloud over the whole extent ot the
Western Hemisphere. This was 30 clear
demonstration OF his quackery that Virgins
himself lowered his ears before it and promised
10 retire from the field.
We supposed that was the last OF him. Ger
tainly his grotesquely feeble eflort at e1plana-
ton ought TO have finished him. lie said he had
PRESENTED the wrong side OF the earth ito the
planetary force in his astronomical calcula-
ton, and that the storm he was expecting
caused great havoc on the coast OF Africa. And
then he threw overheard his prediction of tor
rife blow on March IL by saying: The failure
y OF this February storm removes world OF re-
sponsibiity from my MIND, for the storm l
u predicted for March has hung bver me like
"nightmare and II this storm had happened,
ahundreds, anticipating the March storm,
gwould have become insane through fear OF It's
9results.r But great and tenacious OF life Is
bumbug, Within u few days Virgins cd
business nt the old stand, shouting vociferously;
- Almanacsi Who'll buy my almanaesW y
Then he had himself interviewed. and declared
stoutly that he still had faith IN his March
storm, that it would he IA great a storm IA
ever occurred or can possibly occar," and that
there Is not fishing boat on earth that could
live In it.n Astonishing rs 1t may appear, THIS
braz.n revival of self-confessed imposture
started the whole trouble atresh. simple
minded ashermen, In whom tho superstitlous
element is tradiuonally strong, were not the
only people who allowed themselves to be hum
bugged. This great and knowing city was full
Of people who went about IN the snow OF yos-
terdsy asking one another: is this "igginss
storm n They did not all believe in him, OF
course. but many of them had n sneaking no
tIon that there might be something in his theo-
ries after all.
The world does so love quackery and humbug'
q Who WAS the mother Of his country I" asked
the schoolmaster "Liddy Pinkham " shouted
tbe smallest boy in the class who was reader
of the current literature of this epoch. There
are thousands of people who are on the lookout
constantly for universal panaceas, telephone
connection with the next world, and prophets
of all kinds. To them the Pinkhams, the wig
ginses, aud the Compound, Cathartic, ana Anu
Bilious pills are always boons to be welcomed
with open arms. 1t matters not to them now
often they are deceived. They like Virgins
inst as well now as they did before he, in n mo-
mcnt of weakness, confessed himself humbug.
They will even believe in him after his March
storm fails 10 come to time and its failure is
now considered certain by the Signal Service
officers. In his original prediction Virgins
said the disturbance wonld start IN the Oull OF
Mexico Oh March o, and reach this merldlan on
the noon of the llth, which will be next sun"
day. I'm his latest statement he says he is go
ing to Halifax to watch the effect OF the gale
there on Saturday. The Signal officers say the
chances at present are for warm, clear weather
ON both Saturday and Sunday. III this proves
TO be the case, Virgins will be "left again,
and his luck will bs the hardest on record. AS
n prophet he is fnilure, but as a humbug he is
n magnificent success BY all means let him
ago to Halifax