The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
WINTER IN EARNEST
Mercury in Thermometers Danes
a Merry Skirt Dance About
the Zero Mark
PONDS OF THE CITY
BLACK WITH SKATERS
Good Ice on All Bodies of Water
But the Lake AIIureS the
Young People


tain" said sadd c. Dogg, the old sail
or, who is in Worcester spending the
Christmas holidays.
Mr.. Dogg, as he addressed this nau-
teal sentence to The Spy reporter,
/ shivered his timbers and took twitch
at his trousers, first to starboard and
then to port.
| 1t certainly was cold enough for any
body yesterday. The mercury through
out the day did a skirt dance around
zero, and wind, cutting as the Alpine
mistral and chilly as the pamperos
that sweep the plains of Argentine
from Andean heights, added to the
discomfort of man and beast. 1t was
weather that recalled one of Haw-
thorne's twice told tales, in which he
described a sample of weather as cold
enough to bite ones nose off,
The air all day was as crisp as new
bank notes 1t sent the blood surging
through the veins, and gave flush
even to the face of the consumptive.
There was every indication that many
pipes would freeze if the cold increased
in intensity, and this perhaps accounts
for the fact that most plumbers that
one met yesterday had cheerful look
on their faces and were whistling or
humming, bars of the popular songs of
| the day.
Persons employed indoors can have
no conception of how cold it really was.
Men, however like the street railway
employees, letter carriers,
|
POLICEMEN, REPORTERS,
RAILROAD lner, and that hardy class
called by the fastidious burden bear
ers of the black diamond" but col
f! loquially known as coal beavers, had a
rather hard time of it trying to keep
warm.
Young people seldom or never com
plain of the cold. To watch the crowds
at the various ponds about town, as
they took advantage of the opportuni-
ties for skating, one would think that
there was no such thing as zero in the
calculations of the thermometer. Every
! sheet of water with the exception of the
lake was sufficiently frozen TO permit
skating
large crowd skated on Salisbury's
pond and theiI presence inspired many
passersby with fear, for the entire pond
is not frozen over There was clear
| pond as far as the boat house in In
| stttute. park. From that point to the
northern edge of the pond there was
ice, and it was apparently perfectly
! safe, as hundreds skated all afternoon
and no mishaps were reported. The
ice was not thick. The greatest depth
| was about three inches, and that ONLY
| near the edges. Had the weather been
at all warm, skating on the half frozen
lNn hi
! pastime. But every moment kept add
| ing TO the safety of the pleasure
There was another big crowd at Cur
It's pond in New Worcester The ice is
reported firm and safe. On account of
complaints that have been lodged at
| police headquarters, the practice
OF BUILDING BoNFIREs
| on this pond will have to be discontin-
ued. Tbs has been a favorite practice
| with young men who have frequented
| Curtis pond for skating They have
| built several this season.
Men that own property near the pond
| have alleged that the practice of build
ing fires endangers their property, as
It might start fire in the woods that
fringe the pond. 1t is also claimed that
| pulIaers OF fires are not always par
ocular to take waste wood for fuel,
put seize anything they can lay their
hands on. The police have determined
| TO take cognizance of the complaints.
In the various parks about the city
| where there is a sheet of water, there
mas been ice suitable for skating for
several days. Elm, East and JJniver-
slty parks are popular places In the
latter parks the wading ponds are lit
! orally black with youngsters. On ac-
! count Of the small size of the ponds.
| the skating surface has no charms for
larger boys and girls and youngsters
have them all to themselves At Elm
| park there was a large crowd yester-
| day, despite the weather Youngsters
| frequent this place also. The shallow
! ness of the water eliminates danger
| from the pastime and parents are con
| tent to allow their children to visit the
| pond.
| A highly colored story of a rescue
| at Elm park Of a little girl who had
| broken through the ice, which appeared
a-day or two ago in an evening paper,
had disquieting effect on parents
| who had been accustomed to allow their
children to skate at Elm park. The au-
! thor of the story greatly magnif1ed the
! danger; in fact he saw danger where
none existed. The water did not reach
| much above
THE LITTLE GIRLS KNEES.
| Inc water is very shallow, and is kept
shallow purposely by city authorities
who supply the pond with water.
Skating will be popular pastime to-
| day, and thousands will be out
Not all the young people Of Worces-
| ter were on the ice, yesterday, for the
! sons and daughters of the very poor
| have no skates and their young lives,
| instead of being one round of merri-
ment and enjoyment. is continual bat
| tie with the wolves of poverty. There
was MOI a coal dump in South Worces-
ter East Worcester or North Wor-
cester, yesterday, that did not have a
| small army of poor women and chill
| dren picking up the stray Jumps. They
were lily clad and the face of each
| was the text of sermon.
| No one was out on the promenade
| yesterday for the pleasure of 1t. 1t was
| safe to wager that every mothers son
| on the streets was out because of some
| special business. Coat collars were up,
| there was constant rubbing of ears
and other infallible signs that Jack
| Frost has his forces marshaled on the
| freezing line.
| There was an old beggar in front of
| the City hotel scraping fiddle that
| was so time-worn in appearance that
| it suggested the thought that 1T must
| have been the one that Nero played
| on when Rome was burning. This fell
| low had no idea whatever of the pro-
| priety OF things, and he struck up,
| "Theres a hot time in the old town
| tonight" He was rebuked by those
| that heard him, in the shape of sub
stantiai boycott, for he didn't get a
cent when he passed the inverted hat.