Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-27
PoTP0URRl.
The Weather ana Other Kindred
: Topics.
Lenten Observance and WASH
ington's Birthday.
PoTPoURRI.

Although the past week ended up
with gentle norther, accompanied by
q mixture Of rain, snow and sleet, which
would require q chemical analysis to
properly dofne, it was on the whole a
great improvement On Its predecessor,
the week before. Last Sunday was
pleasant, Monday clear, warm and
pleasant, Tuesday fair, Wednesday
cloudy, but not disugreeable, and clear
at night. Thursday commenced the
preparations for the storm, which
finally set In Friday morning, and
Is only now at the end of its progress.
Tho slush and mud Is knee deep, and
reminds the people of the pre.autum-
nal day, before q merciful providence
carpeted the streets with q soft snow
cover, when to be stuck, like old
Burnside, was nj Of the common in
| cidents of Omaha life. How lonesome
the two squares of asphaltum pave
ment pavement on Douglas street will
feel when they are excavated
after tho storm and see the
mire all around and about them
The rainfall during the past two days
of the week, as measured In the
United States signal office, amounts
to over a quarter of an inch, which Ia
scarcely enough to replenish the dry
cisterns for domestic purposes. How
ever, 1t Is abundant to keep the side
walks of the city In q state Of slippery
smoothness, on which the pedes-
trian can practice the In.
MIGRATING art Of balance skating,
free Of charge, with the full compile.
ment Of resulting falls, for the tom.
perature is kept 80 evenly around the
freezing point that the film of Ice
which forms every night has very lit
tie chance to yield entirely to the
friendly influence Of the suns rays.
Although the astronomical date for
the opening of spring does not arrive
until the lat of March, 1t IL generally
accepted that by the end Of February
Just at this time, the winter Is practic.
ally over, and what a winter this was!
A rich harvest for all the coal and Ice
men, to be sure, but to the average
mortal of other ~persuasions, how SO.
we're and terrible! 1t Is fortunate that
winter comes only ono each year and
such q M as the present but once In
q lifetime. The river Is still frozen
solid, and while east and south OF
here destructive floods rage fiercely,
Omaha is "a yet exempt from this
fury.
Lent does not seem to bear heavily
on the penitent citizens of Omaha,
judging from the numerous muse
ments In full blast, unless the ha.
bitues of the Academy of Music be
exempt from the rule. Two reverend
gentlemen, both learned In the wholly
writ, but divergent In their opinion
as to Its origin, have published to the
werld the result of their investiga
tions, which is on the Presbyterian
side, that the book Is inspired ant
sublime; and on the Unitarian side
that it Ii sublime in many parts, bu'
Of human creation, full Of human
failings and FRO
Washington's birthday passed by Q
usuai, with little demonstration. !
public celebration was taken as ri
index of the veneration of great mel
by ~poaterity. 1t would not pay to exer
oneself In that line. Except In Sc
Grafton and the unwilling of statutes
built by monies begged with difficulty
our forefathers are not often remem
bered.