The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-02-28
Ghe1emorraf-S STIR
THE GOOSE BONE PROPECY.
mr.. SdIIman's Forecast Of an Open
Winter.
New York Times.

less able weather prophets. Wig
gins, De Voc, the almanac makers.
General Greedy and a great mum
Der of others have come forward
to claim the gift of prophecy only
TO demonstrate that they could NOT
be relied upon. 1t might be said
that since General Myers died and
poetic "Old Probabilities was
changed into prosy 'Predictipns"
no weather prophet has had honor
III this land.
1t is gratifying, therefore, to
know that a new and entirely UNI
%pretentiOus weather prophet has
come forward who appears TO be
hitting The mark right along. This
is Mr.. Henry Slillman, of Wood
stock, ct. lie bases his forecasts
on the goose bone. If the method
is half as reliable as it appears TO
be on superficial examination il
cannot fail TO prove a general pub.
lie blessing, for lis economy puts ii
within reach of all.
The attention of The Times is es-
pecially called to Mr.. Siillman by
the Salamanca Republican, which
republishes from this paper of
Sept. rs Mr.. SliIlman's forecast of
the weather for the winter of 1889.
80. The Salamanca editor knows
a good thing when he sees it and
he has done "A public service in
bringing Mr.. Slillman's forecast to
mind at the very time that II was
being fulfilled.
Mr.. SliIlman found in September
by a careful study of the goose
bone, that we were to have an open
winter. 1t would be, he said, even
milder that the winter of 1883 50.
There would be "more regular
weather and not many days during
which running water would freeze"
Christmas, he iOreiold, would be
"green, hnt wet aud rnlIr ;Iann.
airy would begin warm, but grad
1allly g::3w colder, and in the latter
hall of The month there would be
several freezing days. The coolest
day OF winter, Mr.. Stillman said.
would be Jan. q. After that
would come heavy thaws. Zebra
airy would be di~sagreeable with
heavy SHOWS and rains, and would
''bur.t into March with swollen
mountain streams Disastrous
floods might also be looked for.
Mr.. Siillman undertook 10 fore
tell the weather for only The three
winter months. December has
passed and January nearly so, and
the public can see how closely he
has hit it for two of these months.
Allowing for differences between
The goose bones, atmospheric con
ditions and other factors that nat.
urally enter into calculation, in
Connecticut and New York, 1t is
of course safe to say that at least
80 per cent of his forecast was cor.
rect. If February KEEPS up this
percentage it is difficult TO see why
Slillman's reputation and for
tune should moi lie made. Already
is clear that he would be justified
in publishing an almanac.
Mr.. Stillman, it should be under
is no casual haphazard OBJ
server OF goose bones. He studies
these bones with all the patience J
and intelligence that doctor give !
to the study of the grip. More /
over, the goose from which the (
bone is taken must be Of The right }
sort. "The true prophetic bone" !
he says, "can only be obtained
a goose that has a trace Of !
wild blood and that was Matched J
out in The spring. Any other sort
Df goose is liable TO variations in
its bones that are destructive o.
accurate scientific calculations.
The goose from which Mr.. Stillman
made This winters predictions was p
Matched in May. lie raised it
himself so that no deception should I
be practiced on him. The bone is
into three parts indicating :,
The winter months. "Around the
keel of the bone" he says, lis a
row OF dots indicating the prCba-
BILE temperature. The darker these
spots are The colder the weather Is
sure to be-"
1t will be seen that Mr.. Slillman
makes no secret of his great dis u
covery, though he does not seek
iotoriety through it.. Evidently
he is a man who lives for his fell
IOwmen. His neiehbOrs have come 4
10 appreciate his worth, and not |
only believe his prophecies but :
hang goose bones in their houses.
where they will be constantly re.
minded of Mr.. StIllman's services
and be able 10 read the wealher
rom day 10 day. So assured are
hey of the winter after Mr.. Sill.
man has spoken that they arrange
heir winter clothing and fuel &C.
,ordingly. They regard with some.
hing akin 10 pity the people who
depend on the chance prophets,
almanacs, the Washington bu
reau and The v~i>cera of the fallen J
ed hog for knowledge Of the wealth \
er.
Mr.. Stiliman has, by the results
OF his scientific study of The goose
made all other weather fore
casting seem like the superslitions Z
OF a ~barbarOus age. Some OF them. o.
IL Is said, have framed and hung
under The gOOse bone that text i'm 4
which st. Paul tells how the Lord
chose the foolish things of The A.
world that he might put 10 shame {.