The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-01-14
WESTERN WEATHER.


WESTERN WEATHER.
A Former wheeling Man Explodes Some
Popular Beliefs Regarding 1t.
Special Correspondence ofae lntelliqeaor.
BRAISERD, MINI, Jan. ST. have been
much amused OF late at reading the
greatly exaggerated reports which appear
in Eastern press concerning the terrible
cold weather" we have been experiencing
out here. Your esteemed cotemporary,
the Register, with un-"relaxed negation"
gravely discusses the problem OF animal
life existing at 55o below zero, as it claims
WAS the case at st. Paul last week; and
taking this as "pointer," as the boys say,
l thought would write you brief history
Of my experience as "tender foot" in
this Arctic climate.
will, with your kind permission, con-
fine myself to remarks upon the weather,
which are always in order in good society
in this golden country. Let us take re-
Prospective glance. The weather during
the fall had been glorious. No rain, no
mud, no damp, penetrating atmosphere,
such as characterizes much OF the late'au-
tumn in the Ohio Valley. One perfect
day had succeeded another week after
week. The air was a delightful tonic OF
Just the right temperature to make out,
door life agreeable. On the night OF Nov.
Sd there was q light fall OF snow. Toward
the latter part OF the month the mercury
began to run down, but it was hardly per-
ceptible so far as comfort was concerned.
One morning, l think about the aad OF
US l was on my way to my
Office, without an overcoat, stopped for q
moment to glance at u spirit thermometer
suspended in front OF a drug store, as was
my wont, and noticed to my surprise that
It marked six degrees below, There was
nothing in the feeling OF the air to indi-
cate such a temperature. 1t was perfectly
still and the sun was shining brightly.
That day the mercury ross q tribe, but
during the following night 1t went down
to nineteen below zero. Winter had come
all ut onOe and come to stay. After this it
iluctuated from 20 above 70 Az below
but the greatest cold is always at night.
On tho night before New Years, for in
stance, the thermometer registered 49,
below, the lowest this season, while on
New Years day, the coolest by at least
tOe 81 tEe winter, the lowest reached was
about S0O below. 1t was q very pleasant
day, however, and the whole male popu.
lation OF the city turned out to make New
Years calls. Even /, who was never be-
fore guilty OF infringing upon any OF the
prcrogatiyes OF dudedom, was one OF q
party OF five who went out calling in an
open.air concern-a cross between an
Elm Grove line summer car and q pair
OF bob sleds, or rather made up OF equal
parts OF both. We were out all the alter
noon and until 10 o'clock at night, and
when We babe each other good night SS'
below WIS registered. | did not expert.
ence any great discomfort from the cold:
The quiet air takes a grip on the ears and
nose as if it means business; but you
draw your fur cap down over Your ears,
put on your mittens and are comfortable.
Right here ] wish to say that I do not wear
any heavier clothing than when lived
in Wheeling, Iwear a light cloth over
coat, and often at 20S below am out for an
hour at O time without thinking OF put
ting on an oyercoat. And yet have not
suffered from the cold at all as l have in
the vapor.charged atmosphere OF the
Ohio Valley.
It is common mistake in the East to
suppose that this is peculiarly a snowy
country. The snowfall here is not nearly
SO great as in your country, but 1t general
ly stays on the ground until spring. Tho
snow Is very dry; people never carry
umbrellas when itsnows, for the fine,
hard, white particles do not even damage
the ladies' bonnets. We have had ele-
CANT sleighing since the middle OF No.
vember.
1t is droll to see the transformation in
the street scenes after the cold weather
sets in. Everybody who has much TO do
out OF doors wears a fur coat coming down
to his heels, not because they are neces-
sary for comfort always, but because OF
their cheapness. Buffalo skin Is the COM
mon material, and q good Buffalo coat can
be bought for $50, which Is only about
half what q cloth coat costs. Almost
every animal capable OF furnishing fur
~ cutiCle, however, is brought into re-
QUESTION. The furry procession. one secs
on the street OF a cold morning is O Gu.
rious sight 10 stranger from less rigid
cline. He might well imagine that q
menagerie had broken loose and that the
animals had adopted the biped style OF
locomotion. The illusion is increased by
the huge fur caps and enormous fur nit
tens worn. a..
: As to the bracing nature Of the winter
here there can be no question. Years
ago, before the hegira to Florida began,
Minnesota was a great resort for consump'
tiyes, and to-day many prominent resi-
dents are pointed out who came here for
their health, found It, and remained.
Florida will no doubt prolong the lives Of
unfortanases doomed to die In few years
at the longest, but for permanent cures its
record is not to be compared to Mime
sofa. Indeed, sufferers in the early stages
OF consumption arc almost always cured
by the dry, cold atmosphere OF these
northern regions. Still, the long winter
Is not without its drawbacks to the old
and others OF feeble frame who have
lived here too long to feel the stimulus
which tile change OF climate always gives
to newcomers.
Let me impress this upon you, that We
Minnesotans are perfectly satisfied with
our climate-that we wouldn't exchange
Il for any other, and that We really don't
deserve any sympathy. The wonderful
climate Of Minnesota is the one subject
that the proud Minnesotan never tires
talking about. He will drop everything
else. even a prospective sale Of "dift" Urea
estate, to talk OF the climate. When i
tell YOU that the versatile Jake Kemple
| OF your city, is moving on the Northwest
with new lecture under his arm, per
hans you also will acknowledge that thu
climate Is q very secondary consideration
Just now. Even the noble red men y
this vicinity seem to be borne down WI
would say, that the country is to expert
ence q terrible visitation Of some kind
Jake has notified our people tos'sow Of
their buttons" and promises to paralyz,
them about the ed prox. The people g
far appear cheerful, and as they seem y
be a hardy race, perhaps they may sur