Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-05-14
IL Was David A. DabOll, of COnneeti-
cut, Name Still Familiar
to Many.
The Farmers Friend" Has Been
Issued Annually by the DabOlls
Since 1872.
Some Points on this Years Weather.
and How the Predictions are
Calculated.

q az New LpuQOD ana IOIuWluE llS crooked
! easterly course through four miles Of rock.
ribbed country, one arrives at the little
/ Connecticut hamlet OF Center Groton Ii
/ consists OF postOiiice, where the Ledyard
/ road crosses the turnpike, a typical coun.
/ try store, and a scattering of houses along
/ the highway The third house east of the
\ postottice, on the left hand side OF the torn
I pike as one joys along toward Providence,
/ Is "a remarkable and aged structure. 10 is
the house of David A. Daboll, the famous
/ old almanac maker, and it has been the
! birthplace of almanac makers, mathema-
/ tlcians, aud inventors for more than a
| century.
Since l772 the New England Almanac
and Farmers Friend has heen issued an
nually by the Dabolls. 1t was one of the
/ frs { In the field, and it is the oldest publ.
cation Of its kind in existence today. IL ia
| the recognized authority on the vagaries
of the weather and the workings of the
sun, moon ana 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 Farmers Friend hanging in their
cabins, too. To the farmers, however,
the little work plays the most important
part. The almanac to them is a necessary
adjunct to their household furniture They
have seen it hanging beside the freplaces
as long as they cln remember, and they
have "a dim recollection ct the times when
on every day in the week except one 1t was
the only literature that they read. In
some OF the interior parts of Connecticut
and Rhode Island today the Farmer IS
/ Friend and the Bible contain the only
reading matter for the family. and the
two works are perused Ia the order named
The almanac has a circulation of more
/ than 30 900 copies.
No farmer IN New England, it has been
said, would think of doing any work on
his place without cor lting the amanc.
Ii he contemplated planting on a certain
day and the representations Ia The little
( book should declare unfatOrabe meterO-
logical conditions, he wouldn't plant,
aud nobody could induce him 10 under the
circumstances There is a tradition among
the farmers of New England that the
aimarce makers forecasts are infalible.
and that tradition has been handed down
! for more than half a century, Ii original.
ed in tins way: About sixty years ago
David A. Dabolls's father n lthan, who
was the almanac maker then, pro-
phesied snow on the Fourth of July He
dIdn' do 1t Intentionally, but was in the
book. When the almanac maker discover
ID 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 jokei about it until
July rolled around When the morning
If the Fourth came the heads OF
families looked at the sky so the Old
grandfathers tell the story to-day, and
remarked with smile:
''Wetl, caie'la Nathan wrong fur
onct. Boys, turn out and get at that'er
wheat"
While they we're gathering the golden
grain. toward noon the SKY became over
cast 80 the story goes, and suddenly be-
came filled with feathery flakes. 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
vowed that Nathan was right smart
man, after ALL Ever since then the all
manac has not been doubted.
The almanac IS used also by the farmers
as an expenie book They keep their ac-
counts In 1t, and at the end of the year
figure out just what their annual earnings
were, as a merchant would with a compete
Sc, OF books. They use the almanac for a
memorandum book, too. In It they j5t
down opposite the various days in each
month the things they wlsE to remember.
Every night, after the chores have 0aen
done, L. Is customary for the old fashioned
New England farmer b take down the
Friend, - which holds She next place ia
his heart to that of his wife, write down
the work Of tine day, tumble over the leaves
AID study the sun moon and stars tor
weeks In advance. When weary of that
be reads the advertisements and Jokes for
recreation. The collection Of Jokes sis a
source Of amusement 90 the farmer and his
family for the entire year Here are two
samples:
Sister Lizzie was to be married IN a few
months and She was putting IN the inter
yal Or leisure from preparation for The GER
amony in the way Of dress, Uy experiment
ing or her family In the cooking line.
Little John was going to bed, and went
through his usual prayers up 70 the point
of saying Give US this day our daily
bread, when some depressing memory
struck him, aud be added: But don't let
Lizzie bake it
A young man led q blushing female into
the presence D. the Rev Dr. Carpenter.
we want to get married, BE said. Are
you tie Rev. Mr. Cmpenter?' "Yes, 8"
responded the genial minister, "Carpen-
ter and joiner
While the farmers are consulting tao
books these evenings. and chuckling over
the Jokes, the old almanac maker Is hard
40 work making ms calculations for
Number One Hundred and Twenty.ons
or Jna Series which viii appear on Jan
/ 1888 His othca Is in "a wing ct toe
house, as shown IN the accompanying i'll
.usuatlon ltl- unique little den The
furniture Is antique, ANA scattered around
are Uooss and pamphlets yellovej with
age. At small round aaIe, Uttered with
musF papers. the old almanac maker ura
'ars Is @ DOS work blrine raa sumaer
months Ue sits fir into tue nigh, allA
ing eat hI, q 1a ltious IS the glow III
Aefos be lamp and Oh tse muste 6s .ue
lairang criuaa.s He glI' be 74 tar. sr
Ega Nav. H1s e1e !. NrI-1t es 0rtu
active, and his memory lnla.hb.a.