Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1885-01-29
Mechanshwa Frederick County, Maryland Thursday JAM 29, 1885,
Minneapolis Letter.
EDITOR CLARION

nice orlgnt morning tnaI 1eel ike
trying the patience of some one. Not
because the morning is bright, but that
have been out in the morning air and
inhaled several thousand cubic feet of
"ozcne". 1t makes one feel strong and
ready to dare anything; however at
second thought, when one counts up the
local trials Of the festive Editor, We ad-
NIT he should be spared the pain Of
! reading and printing communications
from those he cannot reach with "ver
bal challenge"
II s. So X
Winter is half gone, but that fact is
little consolidation to US. You can
congratulate yourself though. In
eight or nine weeks you can run to
the Post Office in your last years straw
hat and linen duster, or debate the
feasibility ofputting out "Jittle ingans'
while you smoke your 2 for's on the
Office steps. We are just settling down
to business now in dead earnest. Win
ter comes early here, and stays all the
time allotted it by the almanac makers.
We had fine little snow squall lat
ter part of Oct. ard on Nov. 3 our
first snow fell. The first is gen, raj y The
last Such is the case this winter at
any rate Of course it has been reinforced
from time to time. I think the deepest
snow measured about one foot Thanks
giving day brought out some of the
finest cutters, robes and bells, our OPP
tics ever coveted. The light fall over
coat was hung up then, as desert for
the north that had been feasting on
seal, beave,, buffalo, etc., during the
sultry months. Occasionally on our
trips through some of the middle
states, we wonld see buffalo or wolf
skin coat, and wonder what man
wanted to carry all that truck around
on him for. That man evidently knew
where be came from. You will think
no doubt-You have no more snow,
and in fact not as much as We, so what
are you crying about? That is al.
right, but don't come up here to inves-
tigate, if you have the slightest regard
for your smelling attachment. Other
wise l can trwhful'y say, Minnesota
winters, are as far ahead Of our home
winters" as Maryland oysters are ahead
of these we buy in cans. The air is
crisp and dry from Oct. to April. We
had but one days rain and that came
by mistake. No slush, no thawing, no
gum shoes. One ne. ds good artics to
keep your feet warm, not to keep the
water out Soon us the first good snow
falls, all the wheels are taken of the
hacks and wagons, and "bobs' substi-
tuted. There is one feature though
trivial, that can hardly help but strike
the most careless observer, and that is,
the scarcity Of bells. At home, the
average horse is laden with 20 or 30
bells, ranging in size, from marble to
a croquet ball. Here you will find
four or six open bells fixed to the
shafts. Many teams have no bells at
all, and the other extreme is in the case
of some wholesale dealer, whose span
will carry about one hundred. Swell
bodies and Portlands for single harness,
two seated "swells' and closed car
riages on ''bobsr for double. The reg
ulation thing though is a Portland with
coon skin robes. The number Of pri.
vate carriages on runners, and the abb
sence Of that antidiIuvian parody on a
sIeig basket is another novel
tv. This is a land Of furs and skins.
Half the population wear hairy gar
ments. Every nine steps you run into
seal sacque, a buffalo, or a wolf skin
coat. Now and then you will see a
gents seal, and very frequently a fine
cloth coat, trimmed with beaver or
mink. Seal caps are plenty as ward
politicians, and "plugs' scarce as po-
licemen. You are from SO to go poor
er after you own one. l mean cap.
l presume one is bankrupt after they
OVID u w. P.
Let me suggest that you take a
"sling" and put hot bricks to your feet
before YOU read further.
About the first week in Nov. We fish
silver half from u hole in the side OF
our trousers, 60 10 hardware store
, and get Thermometer, nail it Oh the
back porch-post, and wait---for
. spring. Numerous daily excursions
are taken from the coal stove to that
thermometer and return. asionally
these excursions are supplemented with
, trip to the wood shed Or to the cell
lar after jug of cider or peck Of ap-
- L