The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1886-01-13
CLIMATE.

MONTANAS CLIMATE.
II there is any one thing that those who
live in the western part oil Montana nave
reason to be thankful for more than any
other. it is the fine condition OF the wealth
er, especially during the past year. No
where under the sun has there been less at
mospheric disturbance or more regularity
in the Temperature. Storms have SO rarely
occurred that the mind fails to recall them.
The few which haye swept over the country
were SO mild in their effects as TO
leave no traces of damage in their wake.
Rains been so infrequent as to render UNI
: brellas almost useless, and the SHOWS which
have fallen this winter have been so light
as to scarcely cover the surface in the val
leys while the mountains, which in other
| years have been heavily draped with snow
I from September to the following July, ana
sometimes August, still show large bare
| places on the sides, pretty well up to Their
, SUBMITS ,
The sun has shown out in all it's splendor,
| and seldom obscured by big clouds. Inc
rays OF the sun during July and August fell
harmlessly upon the animal crea-
ton. for there were no COM
plants heard at any time CT what
is known as excessive heat. The nights
/ during that time we're so cool and pleasant
as to render blankets necessary Tor COM
fort. when tired nature sought repose IN
bed. Winter has scarcely made itself felt.
In fact, until after the New fear came ln'
there were, in consequence OF the mlldness
of the weather, very grave doubts enter
tanned as to any real GOODNESS being expert
enecd in this region. Last week we exper-
fenced a very brief visit from Jack frost.
and as he deferred his coming so long ~
received a very hearty welcome, not warm
reception. The thermometers down 70
about thirty-five degrees below zero Win
80 much speed as to justify an inference
that the weather guage was glad OF an op-
~portunity to display it's usefulness. Bust
ness men clapped their hands with JOY;
because they believed they would be kept
busy in disposing OF the large stocks OF win
ter goods that they laid in at an immense
outlay OF money. Everybody seemed re-
ioiced to know that the Frost King had
deigned to reconsider, what they firmly be-
Iieved to have been, his original edlct to
pass them by with contempt. WOOD and
coal dealers were in ~ecstacies, so much SO
in fact as to seriously contemplate cele-
brating the joyous event, to them, by add
ing from ten to twenty per cent. to the al
ready exorbitant prices OF their necessary
commodities.
The absence of wind and rarified condition
OF the atmosphere in this altitude, tempers
the cold to such an extent as to render the
temperature at thirty-fve below zero no less
comfortless than twenty, or even thirty de-
grees above the cipherin the eastern States.
This may appear impossible to those h
have never sojourned in the Rocky Noun
tains in Montana, but there are thousands
here now who will cheerfully testify to it's
truthfulness in their experience. The Frost
King must nave had other pressing engage
ments, for in forty-eight hours he packed
up his grip-sack and departed, whence no
man knoweth, RELOCATING the weather back
to the spring-time temperature which had
Dceu CADCTlcuCcu 81 lOHS az w ION ~
monotonous. Too much OF a good thingis
good for nothing. This is what the MI
bans say who bask beneath the shade OF
the palm trees on the burning sands at the
equator, as well as the Esquimaux who
perpetually over ice and snow. Mon
tana does not want perpetual spring.
How does Montana weather compare
with that in other Territories and States?
Advices by mail and telegraph, the best
authorities to be had, unqualifiedly award
the palm to Montana. Dispatches con-
tain a succession of accounts OF severe
storms, floods and billiards.. Poor crea-
lures in Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado
find it difficult to conceal their nakedness,
because the wind actually blows the but
tons off their clothes. Baldheaded women
and men and even children are 50 common
in all that region, as to cause a stranger
with a full head OF hair to be regarded
as a curiosity, because frequent billiards.
pull out the very roots Of residents hair.
Texas is not more fortunate, because there
rivers are blown from their beds. Through
out the South rain, hail, fog, heat, cold
and high winds follow each other in rapid
succession. One day the people are pant
ing for breath from the heat and humidity,
and the next they are shivering with cold.
The Eastern States send up a wall Of hor-
ror because the valleys are submerged by
floods, carrying with them death and de-
struction. Ice b%lockades obstruct navlga-
ton on the rivers and harbors, and sno
drifts prevent railroad traffic. Summer
heat is 80 oppressive as to almost cause a
suspension of business and compel all
those whose means will afford, to flee to
the sea shore to escape the facilitating in
fuences OF the atmosphere. Hot fires are
kept burning from the latter part OF Sep
TENDER until the first OF May, and some
times longer, to keep dwelling houses COM
Portable. Hundreds resort to the White
in the valleys by day, that they may
breathe cool air at nights. On the Pacific
slope and coast heat, cold, rain, fog and
snow alternate throughout the year.
Montana, with her pure, fresh atmos-
phere, even temperature and cloudless sky,
challenges comparison with any other eli
mate in the world. Italv, with her cloudless
sky, about which poets have said so much, |
and artists have worn out their brushes in
depicting, sinks into insignificance when her
climate, with it's enervating influences, are |
compared with the bracing purity of Mon
tana's atmosphere and her canopy OF spot
less blue. Here there are no billiards. to |
overturn the. peoples houses; no heat to
make them pant for breath; no cold so in |
tense as to cause discomfort; no deluges to
submerge the valleys; and no SHOWS deep
enough to impede travel. With these ad-
.vantages Montana, as a place OF residence,
has no equal on the face of the earth.
FREE passes on railroads rave always
been considered as common property for the
|