Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-05-12
1t Was David A. Daboll, of Connect,
cut, Name Still Familiar
TO Many.
The Farmers Friend Has Been
Issued Annually by the Dab0lls
Since 1872.
Some Points on this Years Weather,
and How the Predictions are
Calculated.

By taking the old Providence turnpike
at New London and following its crooked
ehsterl y course through four miles of rock
ribbed country, one arrives at the little
Connecticut hamlet of Center Groton. 1t
consists of a postotfice, where the Ledyard
road crosses the turnpike, typical coun-
try store, and scattering of houses along
the highway. The third house east Of the
postotfice, on the left hand side of the turn
pike as one joys along toward Providence,
is remarkable and aged structure. 1t is
the house of David A Dabol, the famous
old almanac maker, and it has been the
birthplace of almanac makers, mathema-
tlclans, and Inventors for more than a
century.
Since 1772 the New England Almanac
and Farmers Friend has been issued an
nually by the Dabolls. It was one of the
first In the field, and it is the Oldest publ.
cation Of It's kind in existence today. 1t il
the recognized authority on the vagaries
of the weather and the workings of the
sun, moon and stars. Every farmhouse
| throughout New England has an almanac,
which always hangs at the side of the old
| fashioned fireplace in the kitchen. Steam
| ships and sailing vessels that cruise New
| England seaport towns invariably have
| the Farmer Friend" hanging in their
| cabins, too. To the farmers, however,
the little work plays the most important
part. The almanac to them is necessary
! adjunct to their household furniture They
| have seen it hanging beside the frepaces
| as long as they Can remember, and they
| have dim recollection of the times when
on every day In the week except one it was
| the only literature that they read. In
some OF the interior parts of Connecticut
and Rhode Island today the Farmer 5
Friend" and the Bible contain the only
reading matter for the family, and the
two works are perused in the order named.
| The almanac has 2 circulation of more
than 30 900 pies.
No farmer In New England, it has been
said, would think of doing any work on
| his place without consulting the almanc
1t he contemplated planting on certain
day and the representations in the little
| book should declare unfat orabte metero-
| logical conditions, he wouldn't plant
and nobody could induce him to under the
circumstances. There is tradition among
the farmers Of New England that the
almapce makers forecasts are inTalible.
and that tradition has been handed down
for more than half century. 1t original.
ed liz this way: About sixty years ago
David A. Dabolls's father, Nathan, who
was the almanac maker tneu, pro-
phesied snow On the Fourth of July He
didn't do it Intentionally, but was in the
| book. When the almanac maker discover
cd the typographical error, he thought the
best way would be to bluff it out. The
farmers saw the mistake and were pleased
They talked and iokei about it until
| July rolled around. When the morning
Ct the Fourth came the heads Of
| families looked at the sky, so the old
grandfathers tell the story to-day, and
remarked with smile:
"WelI, caic late Nathan's wrong fur
onct. Boys, turn out and get at that'er
wheat.
While they were gathering the golden
grain. toward noon the sky became over
cast so the story goes, and suddenly be
came filed with feathery fakes. For a
| few minutes the snow fell thick and fast,
and then the squall passed away. The
good farmers were speeches. with sur
prise. When they recovered, every one
vowt that Nathan was right smart
man" after all. Ever since then the al
manac has not been doubted.
| The almanac is used also by the farmers
as an expenie book. They keep their ac-
counts In it, and at the end OF the year
figure out just what their nnnual earnings
| were, as merchant would with complete
set Of books. They use the almanac for a
memorandum book, too. In it they jot
down opposite the various days IN each
month the things they wisE to remember.
Every night, after the chores have been
done, it is customary for the old fashioned
New England farmer to take down the
Friend" which holds the next place in
his heart to that Of his wife write down
the work Of the day, tumble over the leaves
AID study the sun, moon and stars for
weeks in advance. When weary of that
he reads the advertisements and jokes for
recreation. The collection of jokes SSis a
source Of amusement to the farmer and his
family for the entire year. Here are two
! samp les:
Sister Lizzie was to be married in few
months and she was putting in the inter-
val of leisure from prepaI alton for the GER
log or her family in the cooking line.
Little John was going to bed, and went
through his usual prayers up to the point
of saying Give US this day our daily
bread" when some depressing memory
S ruck him, and he added: But don't let
LIZZIE bake it y
A young man led blushing female into
| the presence o. the Rev. DR.. Carpenter,
We want to get married. be said. Are
you tie Rev. Mr. Carpenter?" Yes, :"
responded the genial minister, 'Carpen-
ter and joiner
While the farmers are consulting the
books these evenings, and chuckling over
! the jokes, the old almanac maker is hard
at work making nj. calculations for
Number One Hundred and Twenty-one
of the Series which will appear On Jan.
| l. 1893. His office is in t?e wing Of the
house, as shown in the accompanying IL
lustration. 1t is a unique little den. The
| furnitur4 is antique, and scattered around
are books and pamphlets yeliowed with
age, At small round table, Uttered with
musty papers, the old almanac maker pre-
| fers to do his work. During the summer
months he sits far into the night, work
ing out his calculations by the glow of
kerosene lamp and to the music OF the
chirping crickets. He will be 70 years of
age in May. His eye is bright, bis brain
active, and his memory intallible.
Almanac making" ne said, sis easy
enough when you know how. It's merely
| question Of mathematics and patience.
make nv calculations for this meridian
! from the Nautical Almanac That Is a
work issued by the Royal Observatory OF