Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-26

department with much interest, and need
not deny it. with much profit, but as Yet 1
have seen nothing from you with reference
to moon influences. If there is anything
good to the farmer or gardener in an under
standing of these moon intluces think you
ought to let the moon come in along with
your other good things North SIDE.
Fort Worth, Tex.
We are not much stuck on moon signs and
moon influences, and so have thought best
to entirely turn the moon over to Professor
Foster for use in his business of weather
representations after his own way. But
his way is not the way of the masses who
pin their faith to the moon, as we under
stand it. They believe that frost is more
apt to work damage at certain stages of the
moon, as to full or change, than al others,
that fences laid at certain stages will stand
better than if laid at any other tune, and
that the meat of hogs killed at certain
stages will shrink and be of far less value
than would have been the case had the hogs
been killed while the moon had been in the
proper condition.
Many of these moon philosophers will
tell you that they know of these effects
from their own personal observations. thus
entirely cutting you of from any chance at
arguing the question with them. So all one
can say in such cases is to say nothing and
let them depart in peace. carrying along
with them the conviction that they have eff
fectually fiattened out all opposition. They
never attempt to offer profit IS all simply
assertion on their part.
Now, when we get to be a believer in
moon influences We'll not do that way. We
have in mind a case that Wen invariably
drag out in substantiation of our position.
The affair is said to have come off near
Huntsville, Ala. In that pleasant little
city there lived lazy Old colored individual
known to the citizens as Uncle Ben. 4
Jealous fisherman was Uncle Ben, and one
pleasant day he might have been seen on
the shores of Indian creek gleefully taking
two pound mud cat from his line il was
strung on bit of Irvine and left tied in the
water, while Uncle Ben tried his chances i
little further down the stream.
IN Uncle Ben's absence another fisher
man came along, with half-pound cat on
string. Uncle Ben's prize caught his eye
and some bad spirit al once suggested .
swap, so he took of the big tish.substituted
the little one tied the Irvine Just as Uncle
Ben had left it, and stood back among the
bushes to see what would happen next
In due time Uncle Ben returned chuck
ling over the good fortune that had given
him two-pound cat, and probably enjoying
in imagination the fish fry that would re-
suit on the next morning. He took hold Of
the Irvine, the small fish came to the sur
face, his eyes swelled to an enormous size.
and for a moment he seemed completely
dumbfounded. But Uncle Ben was a philo-
sopher. He thought of the why's and the
wherefores, and in moment he had the
mystery as clear as mud Holding up the
wiggling little cat, he exclaimed:
well, bless de good lawd how dis fish
am swunk an it all comes o. catchin' it on
de ole of the moonr'
This is the only proof we have to Offer as
vet, leaning towards an establishment of
the theory that the moon does WELD an in
fuence on common things.