The aegis & intelligencer., 1895-02-08
THE COLD snap.

The cold snap which has the greater
portion of the civilized world in an icy
grasp today is the worst, taking into
account its severity and the large ex-
tent of the surface of the globe affect
ed by it, that we have experienced
for years In this country all that
portion north of Mason's and DiXon's
lire has experienced IL temperature
several degrees below zero and in
many places far south of that historic
parallel. In arss of Canada, notably
at White River, Ontario, the therm
oneter has fallen as low as 65 degrees
below zero, and the people there are
looking for cold wave. Throughout
Europe bitterly cold weather has been
experienced, accompanied i'll many
places by snow storms and billiards..
In Italy and Spain many orange and
olive groves have been destroyed and
much destitution is reported.
The lowest temperatures authenti-
cally reported, SO far, in Hartford were
six degrees below zero on Wednes-
day morning. Fortunately we have
no destitution here and no cases of
suffering are reported. While the
cold weather is very uncomfortable
and no one is stirring abroad much
except when it is absolutely necessary
everybody has enough to eat and all
are able to keep warm while they
stay in the house. Some belated
traveller may get his toes frosted or
peeled nose but that is about the most
serious result of the frost that may be
reasonably anticipated and any one
who should agitate the matter of re-
lief committee would be smiled at as
an over Jealous but not very practical
Samaritan.
What an object lesson is here afford
ed the suffering poor in the citiesl
There the wits and resources of the
charitably inclined are taxed to the
utmost to give even partial relief to
the throngs who daily apply for help,
and the police departments are COM
PEELED to turn away almost daily long
lines of waiting suppliants with the
information that their supplies are
exhausted. We in the counties are
prone to grumble at hard times but
we don't know anything about the
subject Here every man who is at
all willing to work can be sure of at
least C omfortable living for himself
and, family, and period of this kind
of weather, while very uncomfortable,
offers in many cases only well-earn-
ed holiday which the laborer or me-
chanic may spend in the bosom of his
family. To the man who has a little
home of his own, which every one who
desires may have, the cold snap is not
unwelcome, but to the renter in the
city, who probably, from the nature
of his retail way of living, has not
provisions in his house sufficient to
last for twenty-four hour, the advent
of the frost king must bring terror and
misery. His work, if not already stop
ped, must cease, and with it his in
come, and without money or credit his
condition is pitiable.
The moral is obvious. During the
severe winter weather no change
can be made, but with the opening of
spring many a man who. with his
family, is now starving in the city
may, if he chooses, find a pleasant
home and a sure living in the country
where cold waves will have no terrors
for him and where his children will
grow up to be stronger and better
men and women, and, taking all things
into consideration. there is no other
place where he can live so peacefully
and securely as in our own beautiful
county of Hartford.