The times., 1899-04-10
WINTER Lingering
IN THE LAP OF Spring
Month of April Cold, Raw, and
Disagreeable Generally.
Little Hope for Sunshine and Balmy
Weather Before May.
the Oldest Inhabitnnt Seems Greatly
Disturbed. While the Weather
Man Is Serene.

1t is evident that old winter is in q
surly mood and has returned to haunt the
first month of spring with a touch of
December weather. Certain 1t is that this
has been the most disagreeable April ex-
in many years.
The prevailing weather has been cold,
raw, frosty, and rainy. The sun has worn
a weary, washed-out appearance since the
last day of March, the days have been
cool and cloudy, or raw and rainy, and n
mean bothersome wind has fingered since
spring was ushered in. The nights have
been cold and frosty and the weather gen
orally has been anything but the balmy,
sooth of spring as sung by poets and or
dained by nature.
The causes attributed for this Illegal
weather are divers and varied. The wise
man holds that TO the unknown planet
Vulcan and the planet Mercury are due
the disturbing causes. The weather man
holds that the climatic conditions are net
abnormal and might be expected even in
May The '.oldest inhab." fixes the blame
in the fact that March came in like lamb
and went out like lamb thus smashing
all good and well regulated traditions in
such an iconoclastic manner as to cause
trouble for something. and April caught
the trouble.
However this may be. it is fact that the
poets gamboling lambkins, vernal fields
and babbling brooks have each and all
been misrepresented and buncoed. The
ta,, IL oh
stead of gamboling the vernal feds are
trying to crawl beneath The earth for
warmth, and the babb.ing brooks are roar
ing against frost and icy rain. 1t is. a as,
a marble heart month for things that
sheen" and green and bud and 'cud'
and "ower" and bower and the luckless
singer of spring sings and the dissonsolate
vender of spring things.
Even the unromantic tiller of the soil
has a kick coming. He has already en-
dured the familiar tenure of winter and
now realizes that couple more months
of cold weather are being added for good
measure. While the cold rain and cloudy
weather prevails he can expect little in
the line of preparing for crops and the
jerky winds have already stripped the trees
of buds and wrought other havoc.
Already ten days have been experienced
Of April, 1899, and not one of these has pro-
duced the balmy, life-inspiring pleasures
of spring usually experienced in the
Capital.
Even Easter Sunday was a day of wraps
and overcoats and the chilly winds made
a mockery of the sunshine The comfort
OF an oyercoat has been required on every
day during the present month. and the
night temperatures have been exceeding
low.
April, 1893, was ushered in with warm
weather and usual springlike conditions.
From the 9th TO the 9th of the month
heavy frosts occurred, which occasioned
some alarm. Warm weather prevailed,
however, until the 18th. when a severe
storm occurred. which lasted until the
Goth. The two days were marked by Sc
we're gales and low temperatures.
The Aprils of 1887. 1896. and back to 1890
were marked only by balmy weather and
high temperatures 1897 the month was
extremely warm, and on many days the
temperature was in the vicinity of So de-
grees.
The backward progress of spring has
caused delay in many things. The trees
in the streets have barely shown buds and
in many cases these have been destroyed
by heavy winds and rains The usual
migration of returning tourists from the
South 10 the North is also away behind
previous years. Spring styles have not
yet appeared in force, as the weather does
not permit of any display. The initerant
vender and the hobo have had the
.'crimpy" signal passed and have put off
the usual spring rag up for a monitor
until spring is here in reality. The parks
are as yet deserted and the usual April
airings have been deferred until April
weather arrives.
The forecasts show that the month will
yad l,,,. INtrr
temperatures. This week will be a round
of cool, wet weather. Next week will usher
in three days storm with very low tenn
peratures. The nights will be cold with a
tendency to frost. The last week of the
month will be the only period of real April
weather, and May viii be ushered in with
the full regalia of spring.
The indications for today are fair and
slightly warmer with northwesterly winds.