Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-27
A Pike County Weather Prophet.

HE READS THE SIGNS, AND SAYS THE COMING
WINTER WILL BE A HUMMER.
From the New York Sun.
folks ez hain't got no overcoats an is hopIn'
that it'll be a mild winter, SOS they kin skin
through without one mowt well make up
their minds to go an order one, an a good
heavy one at that, for the comm winters goin-
ter be hummer. less all the good oP-fashioned
signs Is all wrong this fall, ez fur ez I've OBJ
sarved EN-
This cheering bit of information was vouch-
safed by an old Pike county resident the other
night and he gave the reasons for the belief
that was IN him as follows:
I'm the fuSt place look at the corn husks, Be
they thick and good many OF EN-, or be they
thin an durn few? Peel an ear o. corn if yer a
mineter. an yell see that it's got q undershirt,
top shirt, ives cut, coat, an a overcoat, an
all OF EN- Is made o good stiff material Natur'
knows when us more'n likely that her doin's
1t on TO em, an that's why she's put a good
stock o kiverin on the corn. That's eZ good a
sign ez want that the comm winter'n come
In Ter business an tend To it till some time in
the Tag eend o. mex March, or tharabouts.
"Then what dye think the groun' hogs has
ban doing of? Natur didn't build the groun'
hog overpowerin' purity. but she seems tn hev
hammered a inklin o boss sense inter his
wuthless conk, somehow or other. Well what's
ne ben doin' OF th'ts smart? Nothin' 'cept
diggin' that cellar o hisn Sumpin' like two
stories deeper to ards Chny Tia II usual, and a
putin inter 1t lew extry nnin's o leaves an
Things. Inc groun hog don't do nothin' but
sleep all winter, o course 'cept on CandIemass
Day, wen he gets up an walks out 10 see
II he Kin git glimpse o. his shadder, SOS TO
know whether TO go back an sleep six weeks
more or not; but then eZ long ez he sleeps he
wants TO be warm, or else he mowt eZ well be
runnfn round in the snow wide awake. An
SO his weather eye tells him tht oil Boreas lie
De along this winter with all sails set, an th't
II ne ketches anything th't hain't ready fur him
ne III give II beelix. So that's why the groun'
hog digs down furder from whar the zephyrs
lie De BLOWN in few weeks, and adds a few
feather beds and comforters TO bis bunk down
below.
"Whar was the wind wen the sun crossed
the line last month: An did ye see the sun, or
was he behind cloud? Well, the wind was in
the northeast, ruther, an the sun didn't shine
no more u It's shinin' now, here at eight O'Clock
at night An that means that from the north
east our weather's gOin ter come mex winter
az mat We won't git much heat outen oil sol
10 sarcumventit.
"But the best sign of all Is the cunnin' little
muskrat Wen he thinks it's with while fer
hlm 70 rig up house fer hisself long about
now, then thar hatnt no doubt bout wat the
comm winters goin ter be. The muskrat
don't new much time TO waste, an he never
fools any OF Ii away buildin' reg'lar stoppin'
place for hisself durin' the winter, less he's
likely TO need il. Well, that's jist W at he's a
dom OF now. lsee one at it over long the pond
Today. You fellers kin DO ye feel like doin'
out eZ for me, I'm agOin ter bank up my shanty
from cellar to winders, an lay in an extry lot
o pine knots. Winter hain't only acomin' but
mes bringin' sumpin' with him, an he's agoin'
Ter play Ter keeps.'