Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-08-27
Inches



scarcely sufficient to wet the surface OF
the ground, aud the effect OF which
passed away in few minutes, or an
hour at the most, with the single excep-
ton OF the storm Of July 3lst Even
that did little or nothing towards mois-
tening the parched soil, and made no
perceptible increase In the volume OF
water in the streams, except the small
est runs.
As result Of this protracted drouth,
the like Of which we have not been
subjected to for several seasons, much
suffering, inconvenience and loss has
been occasioned among farmers, to say
nothing OF the enforced idleness Of the
river interest. And the worst thing
rbout IL all is that there is no relief In
sight. Once q week or so, as was the
case Yesterday evening, there Is bluff
at storm, but ii never goes farther
than that, at least not in this Immediate
vicinity, aud II we are to go through
September and possibly good part OF
October in this way, as some unkind
folks are good enough to predict, the
gentlemen who sell bottled mineral
waters are going to have a trade that
will be out OF sight, and the owners OF
good sized water melon patches
will be wearing diamonds the
coming winter. People coming In from
the rural districts are relating tales OF
woe growing out OF the restricted water
supply, and fisherman returning from
camps along the beds OF what were swift
" RAINING streams In days but recent
ly gone, are lamenting the long walks
they have to take over dry and parched
sands. in search Of water holes in which
to try their bait. The water in the
river is loosinE It's clearness, and Is TAX
ing on a sort of ocean-blue color, green
slime Is accommodating on the bars, still
covered with an inch of two OF mois-
ture, and what few big fish the cam
pers haven't caught are having q hard
time Of it getting over the RIFLES.
A gentleman who came In last night
from fishing camp at Crab Apple, oVer
the Pennsylvania line, said:
THE scarcity Of water out that way
Is becoming very serious. Some farmers
have to haul water six and eight miles
for household use and for stock, and the
fields are brown, burned and dusty. l
saw one fifty acre tract OF meadow
which didn't contain hat full OF green
grass, and a ten acre field OF standing
corn was put up at public sale Friday,
and one-half OF it brought but s2S. Cat
tie are selling at 215c per pound, on the
hooi, and / believe sheep can be bought
out that way for so cents head. Far
mers blowing up wheat fields make a
dust like that caused by wagon on a
pike, aud as for the creek, it has entirely
disappeared, except deep pool here and
there. The big fish have all congregs-
ted in these holes, aud In the smaller
places they are dying from the stagnant
water. Unless rain falls soon, there
will be great loss TO the farmers"
A special telegram to the REGISTER,
last night, from Little Washington,
said
THE absence OF rain IS making itself
felt as great Inconvenience all
through this county. Grass is so short
and the hay and corn crop so light that
farmers are selling their stock at what
they can get for it., sales of sheep being
reported at 25 cents per head. In some
sections the rag weed, usually
proof against heat aud drouth,
is actually whitening and drying. Saw
mills throughout the country are stand
ing idle, with no water for the boilers.
The B. & o. road is hauling water from
Wylands, eight miles east OF Washing
ton, to other stations. They also haul
water to the power house Of the Elec
trio Light and Power Company, In this
place, and even with this supply the
Street Railway Company run their cars
in early in the evening, aud
will keep them In Sunday
and perhaps Monday. The work OF
draining the oil tank at Zediker' Sta
ton In the search for Harry Lanes
body has been abandoned indefinitely
because of inability to secure water TO
run the pump"
This story OF distress can be dupll
Gated in almost any direction, within
fifty miles OF Wheeling, in Ohio, Penn
sylvania or West Virginia, aud first
class rain-maker could get steady job
at good prices in any one OF dozen or
twenty counties in this part Of the