The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-01-08
From tho "Garden city"


To the Editor Of the Bdnner:-DEAR
SIR:-I don't know what kind of winter
weather you have had and what you are
now experiencing in Vermont, so am
thinking yourself and the readers of the
BANNER would like to hear what kind of
winter we in the West are having. The
past December weather has been the
most comfortable of any winter in a
good many altogether pleasant
December. The old people land we have
not many, who have seen the mercury
30o below zero and iclcles growing to
peoples boards when they awoke in the
morning, doubtless lived out on the
prairie before the heating apparatus was
invented. But, on the whole, we have
had good month of sunshine. above the
average, l should say. The last day of
the month was little cloudy. Below l
will give the weather from the first up to
last Day: Dec. 1st, sunshine; 2nd, little
cloudy; 3rd, cloudy with rain; 4th, sun
shine; 5th. sunshine; 9th, rain; 7th, sun
shine; Sth, half and half; 9th, sunshine;
10th, sunshine; 1lth, sunshine; 18th,
sunshine; 1otif, sttRsline; l4th, cloudy;
18th, cloudy; 10th, sunshine; 17tll,
cloudy; 18th, sunshine; 10th, sunshine;
goth, sunshine; 2lst, cloudy; 22nd,
cloudy; 23rd, cloudy; 24th, cloudy;
25th, cloudy; Goth, cloudy; 9th, sun
shine; 2Sth, sunshine; Goth, sunshine;
30th, sunshine; 31st, somewhat cloudy.
You see this gives us II days of sun
shine or when sunshine prevailed the
greater part of the day. The temper
ature during the some time would please
everybody who likes California weather.
We have had mean of 35', which is 30
above last year. December, 1890, we
just kept at the normal of 3Oo; this year
we are $50. Our extremes this year in
December were 81 above zero for the
coolest day-Dec. Goth. The warmest
day was Dec. 18th, which was at 57o.
Last year the extremes were 50 and $50,
respectively, which give us four degrees
warmer than the highest point reached
last year. Taking it all through, we
have had warm month. while the
people up in the Northwest are shivering
with the mercury at thirty degrees below
zero, that is. up at the White Bear river
in Canada. But the cold wave is very
likely to come upon us here from the
Northwest at almost any time. We may,
however, console ourselves with the
thought that the cold is all to come.
January may give us few cold snaps.
This morning 1.-THE 2nd), the ground is
white with snoT, the wind in anortherly
direction. When the II o'clock time
had come, rushing the New Year upon
us, all the steam whistles of every char
acter sent out upon the midnight air
sound that startled the slumbering ones,
thinking the last day on earth had come,
and telling them that another year had
come and that they had better square up
the accounts of the old. The old year
with all of its ills, its joys and triumphs,
its fears and follies, has slipped around
the corner of time and taken its place
among the shadowy eternities. 1t was
as good as its predecessors, no more Gym
ical and just as jolly, generous with its
sunshine, free with its sorrows, planting
as many flowers as it sowed thorns and
if some of us breathe easier that it is
gone, others of us will greet the New
with fearful fund of memories of old.
The New Year, indeed, is the true year,
coming bravely into tho mad race of
events with colOrs bright and favors fly
ing ready for the long run marked of
for it down the endless course toward
the unknown. 1t is over the hills our
pathway winds, and swift and strong
and sure must be the runner who shall
run the race and pluck for his own the
fruits that wait the winning. The days
and the years gone are valuable only in
having taught us how to meet and profit
by the days and years to come. Happy
the man whom the old year has qualified
TO be friends with the new, to step bold
ly over the threshold aud welcome the
stranger with hearty good will. Nay we
meet the New Year with courage; then,
with mind clear and with hope unfet-
tered, press on unfalteringly, and when
then will music be in the heart and con-
tentment in the soul, and thus let us
profit by the past that we will improve
improve in the future. So will wish