The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-12-22
a BITTER WINTER.



AL the Portents Of Nature Indicate Pro-
iangeds Cold.
From the news columns Of our rural
contemporaries, says the New York Mail
and Express we have gathered certain
signs and portent,s ,swhich presage the
coming of a cruel and bitter winter.
The horaespun weather prophet, comb
ing the hayseed from his beard and
eyebrows, has examined the prognosti-
cations of DamG Nature, and, studying
the hints of Mother Earth, has arrived
at the conclusion that now IS the time
to lay in COIL, for already the bushy
whiskers of winter are heavily frosted
and the brs Ath Of the north wind gives
promise Of weary months OF chill and
snow.
The animal kingdom is already ar
rayed against the coming cold.
Throughout New England the squir-
rels hsvean unusually heavy cover Of
fur, and the coats Of the cattle and
horses are thick and rough. The fox
pelts are unusually fine and the mink
and weasel have doniied extra heavy
winter ulsters. In the Adirondaclss
the deer have been forewarnedapd are
unusually well wrapped up in the GOV.
erings which an all-wise Providence
has provided.
\ Around the farm also signs are not
wanting. The corn husks are much
thicker than usual, and instead Of be-
ing light lemon hue are of deep or
ange tint, a well-establ ablished sign Of
the approach Of oold winter The
goose bone tells the same story, for the
spots are larger and whittier than usual,
and the hogs ''melt runs Jagged in
stead of smooth Nor is this all. The.
partridge and wOodcoclx ara haunting
the farms and the grain iid Ids, ard the
wild ducks are lying in U-shaped in-
stead of V-shaped forlss toward tho
south The squirrels Sapd chipmunlts
are unusually busy laying up extra
supplies Of winter kodder, and the
ground hogs have alIaest disappeared.
Already the green frogR are changing
their SKINS and seekint the bottom of
wells and springs fdg their winter
quartera, and the snals have sought
their nests under the roots OF tho
'eess' ~ conr.a ,,a,,, u .tha.a s,crs /, 8. !,
be unreliable. Chipmnnks are apt to
be aggressively busy at this season.
and frogs and snakes are not always
to be depended on. But the goose
drone can generally be accepted as
truthful index to the weather and the
hogs melt, il looked upon In rural
communities as not to be gainsa;d
Our advice, then, is to get out your
winter clothes and to I'LL the coal bins.
Polish up the runners of the sleigh and
heap up the woodpile. Fix the saw
buck and Ale thessaw. See that the
stove pipes are clear of SCOT. Then put
your trust in Providence and Your
money in the savings bank, and pre-
pare to enjoy the hundred and one de.
lights Of d sti ffs cold winter
THAT part of Boston known as the
north end is strictly Of cosmopolitan
character. On certain street there
are displayed signs IN Italian, Spanish,
Portuguese, French Russian, Hebrew,
Norwegian and Danish.
AaAp,E AMrc,NErTE,s pEE,gcE
'''ss' = 80 --.---.- : Z 80 : :
Edgecomb, Ares Was 70 Have Been the
Home o. the Exilsd Prineess-
There is . building IN Edgecomb, an
old square, white house, concerning
which an interesting story y told,
says the Lewiston journal, This tra-
dition is that at the time Of the French
revolution Capt Samuel Clough, the
owner OF the house, who sailed q ship
between Maine and France, was en-
gagged 70 bring TO this country no Less
valuable treasure than the unfortu-
nate queen, Marie sAntoinette. and
that Quantities ot rich stuffs, fnrni-
ture and silver Were put aboard his
ship for the use OF the exile, whose