Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-02-02

Catholic Church mass is celebrated and
randlrs are cUnsccraicd 10 be used during
The year for the church professions II is
also the festival called the Publication OF
/ the Virgin. aud is observed in many conn
trio; by that church with great solcmnity
ii also stands as Il holiday ia the CaicItia.
/ Of the Church Of England.
In Scotland it is the custom with many
| people on this day 10 prognosticate the
weather Of the coming season according to
! the following
liIan'ltn..s j, I'M, and clear
/ thcre ii be- TWO winters ia the Wear.
OF the truth Of the above they have no
doubt. Should Candlemas day pass over
, without = shower Of rain or u fall of snow
!h2ir spirits droop; they conclude upon
severe weather before spring is over and
they reckon upon heavy snow storms he-
!n:'. the following Christmas If such is the
case ruin Is inevitable! On the contrary, it
tandlcmas day is s!!o"ery or tempestuous.
!hey anticipate Il line sumner, genial suns
III autumn and plenty of reircsh.ncnl for
'ttan and beas:
An Old English almanac prophcsrs 10 Inc
.i"vc pullon in the following verse:
iftan'!icn,:., Day he fair AMI bright
Winter will have another flight:
i:i II tandlcInas Day Ia. clouds and rni,,
WINTER Is gone and will n',t COM, again
In ms less poetic and consequently more
p:"s;;!r Land of ours the III of February is
called Ground Hog Day" and the legend
run, tia. Oh this day the arctomys monax,
"h!'h i, supposed to have been hyhernating
IL SOME warm and comfortable hole in the
ground during the time that whiskey
freezes in the suburban grocery shops
gravy becomes hard immediately on comm"
III contact with \ plate and policemen ut
nights remember their cunning and HE
themselves 10 i more genial cline than
WIND! street corners comes forth from his
hoir 10 view the prospect o or. and if the
sun i shining and he sees his shadow he
Immediately returns 10 his retreat and re-
mains six weeks, during which time winter
Is supposed to lngcr in the lap Of spring:
bat If, on the contrary, tho day is cloudy
and no shadow i, cast. the winter is over
and the ground hog starts out on Il life Of
pleasure. only to be intcrlerred with by the
crack OF the pot hunters shotgun or the
bark of the worthless cur.
As the sun rose brightly this morning and
sh"nc beautifully all day there was nothing
10 proven! the ground hog from seeing his
shadow at any hour he made his appearance,
20 alter casting 4 longing look around and
getting 4 Snill Of fresh air he immediately
returned 10 his hole and drew it in after
hm, so all who believe in Ground Hog
oIo@y may look for bad weather for six long
weeks G come, but mankind generally enjoy
cd the bright sllshine and balmy weather Of
to-day regardless Of wha. is in the future
ff:lEliloNEs The Richmond BixjA.Ia.i
II short time since in its review Of the pros
porous institutions Of that city, gave 4
lcng!hyacconnt ofthc Telephone Exchange,
"nd cited II ;sSan indication ofthe prosperity
Of the place
The Richmond Exchange has heen in
operation over four years and has 30S sub
Scrihcrs. while the population is $4,000 The
Dispatch also says the Exchange is husi-
ness necessity.
.NleSandria can boast OF as well managed
IN Exchange, as any in the country, and
with a population Of $1,000 can show 81
Subscribers, an average of subscriber to
every J. 81 inhabitants, while the average in
Richmond is subscriber 10 every $50 in!Ia.
'.i:,nt.. The Exchange here has been liz
operation but little over 4 year. The Law
'rStcih the latest aud nearest perirct il
Used. and the central office is furnished with
al necessary apilanc2sto give best results
The wires are all strung on substantial,
neatly painted poles, thus avoiding the daily
Interruptions caused by carpenters and tin
ncrs building or repairing, experienced in
AL exchanges. where the wires are run on
houses: a competent corps of employees are
constantly on duty, thus enabling sllbscri
hers 10 have prompt communication night
and day During the past year, physicians
have been summoned iustantaneously, in one
instance at least actually saving life; fire
alarms given, and policemen called, which
has enabled them to make numerous arrests
and prevent many disturbances by their
timely appearance. The Exchange has
also been connected with the Washington
Exchange by direct wire, passing by cable
underthc Potomac, thus enabling subscribers
in this city 10 converse with those of Wash
ingtonand Georgetown. About COO commun-
ication$ per day are had, over the wires.
which saves about $50 miles walking per
day, allowing for the number Of trips 10
Washington saved.
Police REPoRT.--I.ast night WAS clear
and cold. There were three dodgers and
one prisoner at the station house
\ man arrested by Officer Arnold, charged
with being drunk and disorderly, was dis.
charged this morning after being locked Up
all night
The three boys who were arrested by
Officer Smith yesterday for running away
from II. ,oscph's Asylum, in Washington,
were taken back To that institution to-day.
The property recovered by search war
rant issued in favor Of j. Fl. Wilkerson is
still held at thc station house till ii is de-
terminci 20 whom ii belongs
CRY SCHOOL. RoaRD.-A called meeting
of the City School Board was held this morn
ing III the reading room of the Braddock
HOUSE, Judge Charles f.. Stuart in the chair.
| The Superintendent of Schools stated the
object for The call to be to elect a chairman
f, and clerk 50 that the checks for the month
could he signed. Edgar Snowden was there
upon reelected chairman and Hubert
Snowlen clerk. An additional appropria-
ton OF Sc to complete the purchase Of globes
for the schools was made, and the Board