The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-24
TELLS BY CO0NS' TAILS.
ELIHU READS WEATHER By CATS
AND MUsKRATs' TEETH.


say Spring VIII BE Late.
From the Philadelphia Times
Croton, n. J., Nov. IA queer case is
EIihu Drinkwater, the Prophet of Hun
terdon." He lives in a little valley among
the hills a mile north of CrOton and keeps
To himself to such an extent that men
who have lived neighbors to him thirty
years say they don't feel acquainted with
him yet.
Where Drinkwater came from nobody
in the vicinity of Croton knows. He sud
denly appeared at the Croton postofflce
thirty-fve years ago, asked if there was
any mail for Elihu Drinkwater, bought
a pound of cheese and some crackers and
went out
The man showed up at regular intervals
at the postoffice, but never received a
bit of mail and hasn't to this day, but
he doesn't let a Friday go by without
asking for it. The curious people of Gro
ton are inclined to the belief that there
is some sort of romance in Drinkwa-
ter's life, but if there is he has religiously
refrained from saying a word about it
where anybody could hear him.
He had money when he came to Gro
ton. and with it he bought an acre of
ground among the hills. There he built
modest looking abode, which has given
him shelter ever since. The four sides
of the acre plot have been planted with
trees set in straight rows, and from dis
lance the hollow square looks like
thrifty grove.
The man picks up a good deal of money
by selling the pelLs Of animals that ne
traps, and then he adds to his exchequer
by exercising a strange power that ne
seems to possess over certain diseases.
The people living in the. vicinity of Gro
ton say that Drinkwater's touch is death
10 rheumatism, ana when II comes TO
purifying bad blood they say that Elihu
IS past grand in the art. He cooks herbs
and roots and makes various cOncoctiOns
that are looked upon by those who have
tried them as sovereign remedies for
many bodily ills.
Drinkwater's strong hold lies in his abiI-
ity to foretell the weather. He sees things
in nature that he says indicate to HIM
certain climatic conditions that are sure
10 exist, and in the fall each year the peo-
pie living in the country surrounding Gro
ton call on him, tip HIM with quarter
of dollar and listen to what he has TO
say about the coming winter.
Drinkwater was mailing a coon skin up
on the back of mis- house the other day,
when a party of half a dozen persons
curious to meet and talk with him ap-
preached. He didn't appear to be of ex-
traordinary stature when first seen, but
When he turned toward his visitors and
Strengthened UP he looked like a giant.
He stands three or four inches more than
six feet high. His head is immense, and
a wide, full beard sweeps the front of his
Elihu talked readily, and when the sub
Ject of the coming winter was preached,
he backed up against the house, and,
opening a huge pocket-knife, began to
whittle a cider tap.
Il reckon" said he, with sharp nasal
git abeout all the winter you want afore
spring breaks. The fust part of the sea-
son hain't goin' to be SO tough, but L
don't look for nothin' heatin' to the blood
between January 20 and the middleN of
March. Some time early in February
therell be more snow than you kin shake
a stick at, and durin' the month of Jan
thereabouts."
Elihu turned and reaching over to the
eoonskin, picked up the tail and said:
bushy that tail is?' Tain't often you see
hair on coon's tail as long as that is.
When you do, look out for a long, TEDIOUS
winter. Them coOns go into their holes
long about the middle of December and
they don't come out till the walkin' gifts
so that folks with tender feet can git
around barefoot without Worryin. When
a coon hunks in for the winter he rolls
hmselt up IN ball and wraps his tail
around his face. That keeps him warm
The longer the hair is on his tail the
warmer he keeps, for you see il holds
the heat that's in his breath. I've never
knowed it to fail that when coons' tails
was big an bushy the followin' winter
would be a teazer
Cats know more'n some whul families
continued Elhu, squainting along the eli
DER tap to see If it tapered truly i've got
an old Tom cat round here that keeps
track of the weather better'n any Their
mometer that ever was made. I can tell
Dy ms actions when a thunderstorm is
comm tWenty-four hours ahead, for the
eat IL set around the Fireplace with his
pack to it by the hour. That may seem
I9hhy to you, but it's SO. When it's a
peasant spell he'll stretch out on the floor
most anywhere and go to sleep, but let
him scent a thunderstorm and he'll back
up to the fireplace and set there by the
a Il a doc raV1.ra e. Ia
every one of them would do that thing. I
cont know what makes 'em, but they do
Il Another thing I've noticed about cats
IS lhat When were goin to have an unus-
ual hard winter their teeth get yeller 1
nam looked at Jake's teeth this fall yit
but III bet they're yeller.'
Elihu tapped vigorously on the side of
the house with the end of a knife handle
and made peculiar sound with his Inns
a rev seconds later an immense black
Cal came canterlng around the corner of
lhe mouse, and going up to Elihu. rubbed
itself affectionately against his bootleg
let's see your teeth, Jake said Elihu,
picking up the cat. The animal promptly
opened its jaws and revealed a set Of
s9arp teeth as yellow as if they were coat
ed with sulphur.
There you be-" said Elihu. cakes
teeth are weller and | reckon you can't
nhq cat IN this county that hain't got
yeller teeth this fall, for there's a hard
winter ahead Some signs fail but I neva1.
knoWed that spell OF weather We've had
ms summer one TO, and I've folered it a
Drnkwater dropped the cat and began
WORK on the cider tap again.
ne other day said he Il caught a
couple OF muskrats over in Skagg's Dond
ana 1 noticed that their teeth was oncom-
mon long. As a general thing muskrats'
teeJh air short, but when there's goin'
20 pc a tough winter they grow long /
account for that in this way You see
ne ANIMALS have to build their nests biey
ana mick when there's long, hard win
1er ahead, and they don't fail to do if
A. takes hard work to do it. and most of
y q done with the teeth. The harder the
Mork that is to be done the bigger the
tteeth required, and nature provides for
~ rant everybody that knows that
4-luskrats teeth grow like a ferrer's fin
scr hills, but they do I've caught musk
tatS tnat had worn their teeth down 10
aotnln but stumps a-gnawin wood and
~oFhln in the ground, and after ia ken
I'm a lew months their teeth would be
sIoWed out as good as ever Yes sir
4tuskratS teeth air long this fall and
tIey re buildin their houses big and
strong, which means their overcoats air
SON 10 be useful and that snow plows
ven waste their time rusin out
IT you'd been round here last summer
aiiu AnoWed anything about katydids vou
ryutu nave told that next spring will be
misnty late comm, and farmers won't
Ia "a