Frederick citizen., 1895-02-22
sHOOKSTOWN,
FEBRUARY IS, 1895,

NouoiJ 10, 1000.
One of the most terrible snowstorms
In the memory of our oldest residents
PASSED over this section last week.
win the thermometer ranging from
four to twelve degrees below zero, our
people found it somewhat difficult to
Keep warm with their rooms heated to
the highest degree. The horses aud
cattle were only sheltered by the poor
protection Of their stable rooms. niany
OF which were over strewn with snow
aud ice during this terrible period.
Many fowls were frozen, some being
found dead iu their usual hauuts about
the barns, while a larger number were
blown from their perches among the
trees, and frozen in the driving snow.
About one-third of the wild BIRDS are
reported to be either frozen or starved
To death, not excepting the hardy old
crow, VINO famlliariZeS himself, in as
much as TO linger about the b ,rns, and
even at times comes and dimes among
MS domesticated cOusius. The roads
were utterly impossible until few days
since, being almost tunnelled through
al The expense of the county. Some of
the snow banks have completely hid
den the fences along the roads, while
the gravel and dust from the barren
fields are heaped in great masses.
Had not this storm abaled AS soon as
1t tdid, great suffering would have occur.
red throughout the entire country, not.
withstanding the amount which
has been experienced.
MIR; Elias Grove, who supervises the
road leading from this place to Brad
dock. had number of hands busily en-
gagged Opening that road the past
week, but since the snow of Tuesday
night this road has been so overdrifted
as to allow of no traffic. Through the
Kindness Of the land owners, their
fields have been opened and used for
travel.
The Star Minstrel and Comedy
Company, composed of number of
members from this place, made their
hrst appearance in Burkhart's Hall,
at Yellow Springs, on Saturday, the
10th inst. Further information con-
corning this event will be furnished
the CITIZEN by their reporter of that
place.
The Sacred Heart Sunday School
opened at its usual hour, 2 o'clock d.
m., on Sunday last, with a large at
tendance. A good sermon is given
each Sunday by one of the teachers
of the Frederick Novitiate, which is
we'll appreciated by those present.
All are invited to attend, and the
greatest care will he taken to benefit
and interest those who will favor the
school by their presence.
The Novitiate has rented of Mr. A.
A. Wickless, that tract of land ad-
joining Mr.. J. F. Summers on the west,
and the public road that leads to Brad
dock on the south, for the purpose of
converting it into park and play
ground for the following season. They
will build large hall ON the summit
from which grand view of the sur
rounding country can be obtained.
The beautiful panorama of the Au-
rOra Borealis has once more come to
view. What beautiful sight these ra-
diant lights of the northern skies
present.
Ancient superstition has the ame-
thyst for the birthstone of the present
month, and according to their ideas,
it would prevent all passions of vio-
lence, also as safeguard against drunk
enness.
February. according to the best au-
thority, derived its name from the
Latin word Februa, the feast of pu-
ritication, held on the 18th day of this
month, by the ancient Romans.
One would scarcely imagine the pic
turesque notions on record in that di-
vision of the Patent Office which has
charge of railway cars. Yet TO the in-
vestigatOr, no branch of the institution
will yield more interest. There is q
patent for a plan which enables two
trains to pass each other on the same
track, going in opposite directions. The
idea is for the one train to pass over
the top of the other aud resume the
track again. We should hate to take
upon ourselves the responsibility Of
suggesting which train would be the
safer to advise passenger to occupy.
The question, although simple as it
may seem, often comes to US from
scholarly persons, do rocks grow? AS
general answer to this question
would say that the best authorities
have concluded that rocks do not grow
in the sense that plants do. BY accre-
ton they may increase in size, AS they
may, and do undergo wonderful
changes. Old sea beds that relifted
themselves up and were exposed for
ages, became stratified beds of lime or
sandstone. Volcanic ashes and lava,
strewn over hills and plains becomes
hard enough for building stone. And
as many of our readers have often mo-
ticed, the pebbly stones of rivers, and
even small streams, often transform
themselves into solid rock. A spark
ling prism of quarts increases into
monster crystal of varying length and
breadth. Wonderfully slow this pro-
cess is, but with mathematical exact
ness, that Is even not little surprising
to persons well up in the science of
geology, very nearly the exact increase
in u gwen time can be ascertained. In
one sense stones grow and In another
they do not, for while the crystal may
become larger, the boulder on the road
side will remain the same for a thou
sand years.
Valentine day, as it is generally
termed, at this period, signifies the re-
ceiving of u token of love, especially,
and regard, or ali abominable carlca-
ture to insult and infuriate. The four
teenth of February is the day named,
although valentines may be sent until
the end of the month. AS our merry
young people go ON with the pleasures
of this dale, wonder If they ever pou-
der To think of whom this day was
named. 1t was st. Vaentiue,a charit-
able Bishop who was beheaded at
Rome, 270 A. d., at the time of the per-
secution Of christians by Emperor Clau-
dina VulanIina was a very kind and
loving man to his flock of tornented