The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1886-12-11

That monarch didn't know it.
,-Ne,O York Sun.
WEATHER PREDICTIONS.
Some Old.Time meteorological Fore.
casts.
Long before q National Weather
Bureau telegraphsd all over the coun-
try it's predictions as to whether to-|
morrow would be stormy, showery.
cloudy, or fair, or \ Virgins began tol
announce never to come earthquakes
which were to shake a continent, or
cyclones and hurricanes which were to-
blow away cities, households were
governed by q set OF rules In the bat~
ties of the elements. These rules are
to be found In handbooks published a.
late as half a century ago. and some o:
them are very curious. They number
nearly 200, some relating to the move
menis of clouds and winds, to tho ap-l
pearxnce of the sun aud moon, and
others to the actions of various snimals
including inspctsand birds, and by them
the ancient Virgins fOretOld when a
storm was III hand. Some housewives
still adhere to the ancient sayings a.
infattihie, aud they look to the sun in
the morning aud to the moon at night,
for Indications of the weather on the
morrow. The motion, rapid of slow,
of the clouds WAS regarded as one Ot
the best methods for foretelliDg the
approach Of rain or snow. When there
was II mist before the rise Uf the full
moon, it clouds were seen in the west
before sun rose, or there WAS mist in
the fields before sunrise, wet weather
was expected. When the mists van>
ished rapidly and the moon seemed to
rise faster than usual fine weather WAS
-ure to gladden. the heart of merry
makers gu the succeeding day. Il,
clouds suddenly appeared in the south
and there was north wind 10 April
the farmers predicted n storm. When
the winds changed and the clouds flew
along in ''tail,' then the rules prescrib-
ed rain. Some other of the curious
rules, many of which are still referred
to in the conversation of everyday life,
were as follows:
Ii spiders, in spinning their webs,
make the terminating flaments long,
we may, In proportion to their length,
conclude that the wealth will be SER
enc aud continue 50 for ten or twelve
days.
If there are no falling stars to be seen
on bright summers evening, you
may look for fine weather.
Spiders generally alter their web
once iu twenty-iour hours; If they do
this between g and in the evening
there will be fine night II they alter
their web in the morning, expect u fine
day : II they work during rain, expect
fine weather; and the more active and
busy the spider is the finer will be the
weather.
II many gnats are seen in spring, ex.
p-ct fine autumn; if gnats fly tn
compact bodies in the beams of the
setting SUI, there VIII be fine weather
II SPIDERS webs fly in the autumn,
| with u south wind, ex pect an east vino
and fine weather.
If bats fiutter and beetles fly about
| there will be u fine morrow.
| If owls scream during foul weather
| It will change to fair.
| If storks and cranes fly high anc
steady there will be fine weather.
| If the garden spiders bre.k ant
destroy their webs aud creep away
trxpect rain or showery weather.
II there be many falling stars on
clear evening III the summer there vii
be thunder.
| II the stars above 45', especially IN
north star, flicker strongly and appea
closer than usual, there VIII be ram.
A rainbow in the morning ~ IN
-nepherd's warning.
If old and rneumaticpeople compiai
of their curns and joints ana lint
once broken at the place uf their Ut
ION, there VIII be foul or wet weather
Ii the smoke from chiIuneys blow
down, or " SCOT takes fire more r-adii
man usual, or Ills d"wn the Gimme
into the CRATE, expect ram.
II di,ches and drains smell str"ugt
fhau usual, expect rain and when tt
bacco stnuke seems deBser and MOI
powerful expect wei weather.
Ifthe marigoid5 continue shut aft,
Z O'Clock in the evening, expect rain.
If the convoluius and chickwes
close, there Will be rain.
II sheep, rams, and goats spriI