Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-14
THE BEAUTIFUL SNOW
Slack Inquiry These Days for Poems
on the Silent Flakes.
LESSONS TAUGHT BY CRYSTALS.
How Traffic and LOcOmOtion Are Impeded
by CONCEALED Water.
RELIGION OFTEN TESTED BY The SNOW.

Perhaps one of the most extraordinary
signs of the times next to the recent per
sistent wet weather, is the fact that the In
quiry for Beautiful Snow" poems has be-
come wonderfully slack. Letters asking
for the publication, or offering to supply
copies of the original verses, are reduced to
an average of about one daily, and as no
one can excuse poetic reference to the con-
gealed shower, its actual presence may, be-
fore long, demand a certain amount OF
apology, if only for taking things so coolly.
The snow, while it falls, although it can
not rank with the plaques of Egypt, which
in modern days included the quadrennial
vote of Southern Illinois, is still suthSlent
to make man as helpless as Egyptian dark
ness or a London fog. Just imagine snow
fall to last for week or ten DAYS in West
ern PENNSYLVANIA. The people of Pittsburg
would stand in danger ofsufering from hun
ger before the end of the time. 1t would not
pack as in the Canadian climate, where
seven months winter and five of bad weather
is the order. with the added incubus OF
weather prophet who is invariably wrong In
his predictions. But still snow, although an
evil can admit of some good being drawn
from its presence, even as a straight Repuo-
lican vote might be extracted from Mug
wump.
The good nature which is so generally
prevalent during a snow storm makes II
sort Of application which draws out the pup
lie humor in much pleasanter manner than
a fy blister would, and makes the people
generally look upon the application as
ioke on a III creation,
THE SMALL BOYS JOKE.
And it is a Joke, particularly to the small
boy, who, with an ostentatlous interest IN
f'Where Did You Get That Hat?" makes a
practical investigation by knocking it of
with a snow ball. This may be rough on
the hat, but it is great fun for the boys, and
where is the man who was never boy? he
is the kind who does not enjoy snow
storm.
Another lesson the snow storm inculcates,
as it shows us the difference in the condl-
tions Of life between ourselves and the Eskl-
mos, is to impress upon the great American
intellect the instability of the great evil
denees of civilization, which, including tel
egraph, telephone, railroad and mail serv-
ice. the whole triumphs of invention and
genius, from the DAILY DISPATCH to the
mllkman's wares, which escape Inspector
McCutcheon's observation, may be cut OF,
interrupted. withheld from US for perhaps
days without any means of redress against
the soft but unyielding and finty-hearted
snow. The great lesson that is conveyed by
the blocking Of the results of years
of labor simply through the trans
formation of rain into crystal
would tend to purify the moral atmosphere
of the notion that the progressiveness OF the
age is attributable to inevitable causes and
of
its own exerti5ns has secured a fxity of
tenure of its wonderful modern achieve
ments. The fact is clearly demonstrated
Though the agency of a snowstorm that Of
these humanity is reduced.to the position OF
a tenant-at-will at the mercy of the first
blizzard which comes along, which is known
to have about as much of the quality OF
mercy very highly strained as the average
Irish landlord bent on an eviction. This Is
a good lesson. calculated to knock certain
amount of eonceir out of even Pennsyl-
Yanian.
HOW IT STOPS TRADE.
But,.taIking of object lessons, the snow
storm is as full of theme as the newspapers
are of suggestions for mayo-alty candi-
dates. 1t shows what delicate substance
in large quantities can paralyze trade and
commerce. The finer the snow, the softer
and more easily it melts without friction,
the more determined and impossible is the
obstruction. The closer it is to being rain,
while retaining its character as snow, the
. more completely does it impede locomotion.
The fine snow which cannot support vehi-
Gle on runners, but is solid enough to him
der wheels from making headway, is the
greatest enemy to communication and COM
fort. This is true OF all halfway things,
from an act of Congress to the Mugwump
vote, things liable to be changed at the least
pressure, being solid now, liquid again, or
like the two instances quoted, frequently
gaseous.
of course the beauties of snow storm
have been written and sung to such an eX-
tent that whoever does not know of them is
not capable Of Distinguishing the mantle OF
snow from a Connecticut wrapper, and, in
fact the dweller in cities sees enough of the
hue of the latter in the former to prejudice
him upon this point But there are other
points in which the snow may be taken as a
test of the religious character of the citizens,
as we'll as setting forth moral and instructive
lessons The church congregation which
lets the snow or ice accumulate In front of
It's place of worship may be economical and
laying up treasures where the sexton or
his assistants cannot consume them, but
its practical Christianity is somewhat out OF
repair, resembling the streets in being either
cold or slushy or both. There is nothing in
the Divine ordinances to prevent the city
ordinances from being carried out, but the
latter are frequently neglected, as the first
snowstorm will demonstrate. Here again
the snow becomes a test for good citizenship
as we'll as OF the truly religious and fire.
auently necessary desire to suppress pro-
family. Thus, as the feathery white crystals,
dropping as the gentle rain from heaven,
bring out the good qualities of the men and
the sealskin sacques of the women, it has an
ennobling and beautifying effect which will
serve as an apology for the harm it might do,
but kindly refrsins from attempting in this
part of the country at least. MONTE.