The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-02-21
Country People AnxiOusIy Watch the
Ground Hog.
HE IS FULLY INDICATED
The Lack orNews i'm the Country Makes
the Party Man Anxious Lest lie
wake In and Finds His Bear
ings Changed for Him.

I the many Ol-igfetdDic 4eAt"t'0 't ''-
/ in % grca. city. ] DO mot wish % re-fa'l
any ching then written. bat since thdl
/ time many rhiugs have ranspred. o.
pcc,aiiy in connection with the weather
and IL had waited until to-day DO it
/ possible chat letter might nave remained
buried in nay iukstand~
Along m the latter par of january.
after mGch Grcafy "iI a ''i
weather There came 3D. sudden change
with several beautiful clear days. Whrn
the air was a- soft as -prinr. Then W"
country folks began Go nauer ourselves
that winter ha4 broken. Farmers set
oul to prepare for the spring wol b. som"
started tneir plows
SECOND DAY OF FEBRUARY.
We looked forward to the -d GIy OF
February. anxious to know what sigh
might Doe vouchsafcd unto us. By tnat
time Il light SNOW had fIueu and the
earth was covered with mantle OF
white. lu- We were not as chose without
hope ON the contrary. -ris was cn-
couracing Clouds hung chick and heavy
in the heavens Do seemed that the 11F
was destined to pass without break
which might disclose the sum. The bright
DAYS we had enjoyed 500 much Were q"
prove the harbineers of an early spring
Tho hour of noon was awaited win anA-
sous hearts and The skies were scanned
by The weathcr-Wise with the prlydIW
hone THAT old Sol might prove unequal
60 the task OF dispensing tho lowering
clouds. at least unI after me f3ieiui
hour of 10 had struck. But THIS was nor
to bo Thirty minutes before midday ine
clouds began Co grow thin 3ni 10 break
and just before the SIM reached his me-
rdian they were scattered and MS bright
rays fell upon The snow clad carin j"
dazzling splendor
THE GROUND HOG.
The long rest of Arctomys MonaN Nas
broken strange dreams disturbed bis
slumbers. he stirred and turned YEARLY
i0 bis warm and comfortable bed ANA
sought once more 20 forget all the cares
ANA duties Of this world in the droUsF
realm of night but the law OF heredity
is TOO strong for him, the instinct which
has descended 90 him through 'lnuum-
era tle ancestors and from countless ages
VIII not bc denied.
Tn accordance with ancient custom and
immemorial usage he breaks the bonds
that bind him lie rouses himself for
am hour from the state of hibernatinn
Reluctantly be moves with laggard feet
toward the entrance of bis suDterancan
afoic Fearful that Doe may not Doe per-
mittcd To- return 90 his sweet rest he
looks out with anxious eyes. He is
emfteu rs with blindness by the Aarng
white light of the monday sun.
or a SHADOW HUNT.
Then eagerly and quickly he hurries
out Carefully and deliberately Dee selects
an unobstructed position. Then turns
his eyes 20 discover whether his image is
slhouetted by the sunlight against tho
] D.
ancient and sacred rite has been duly
and properly performed. Satisfied that
every requirement Of duty has been
completely fulfilled he wheels with delight
and scurries back to his snug and coy
home. The deed ifs done
on the appointed day al the hour set
and under the prescribed conditions. the
weather prophet has quests the fu-
ure and the answer is known 90 all
men. de grong-hog done seed his shad-
der"
The world is fun Of unbelievers. The
sign Of the wood chuck IS qucs toned hy
doubling Thomascs and scoffed a. 10y the
sceptical Men wise in their own con-
/ ceit set mp their feeble reasoning powers
against the experience and observation
I Of the old, they pit their small scientific
accusations AGAINST the traditions ana
/ the folk lore Of n thousand years This
| year was no exception TO the rule. there
was the customary amount Of alleged
/ humor and hooking criticism on the SUBJ
/ iect.
LAUGH on MAN.
Rut this time the grounding has the
laugh on them and the wisdom of the
learned is turned into fooiishness For
| hardly had Arctomys MonaX taken his
/ observation. made his report, closed up
his weather bureau and returned 20 his
! quarters for another nap OF forty DAYS
! when the winter frightened its grip ana
| set i'm with redoubled force. apparently
| resolved TO break AN previous records.
! IL showed. 20 rained. Il froze and then IL
/ showed and froze some more. Ihen'
! having got q good start 10 adopted the
] motto of a. noted firm of advertisers ana
! has Kept everiastingly M it,
After the snow had fallen for some
| days the temperature took sudden fai-
| So far as the weather is concerned. fall
ing seemed 10 be all the style. And the
mercury went down. down until the
! thermometer registered zero then three
! degrees below. then six and finally on
| the morning Of Friday. the 10th instant
| IL touched twenty degrees below zero
/ here. while over ~ the sulphur mines,
| four miles south Of this place. D. fell 20
| thirtv-one degrees below zero.
THE COOLEST PLACE
| Parenthedcally 81 may be remarked
| that the sulphur mines is the coolest
| Mace in the state east of the mountains
! Strange isn't u Nobody associates sui
phur with the idea Of an arctic tempera-
ture. on the contrary we all know that
this commodity is one Of the indespen-
| sable nescssaries I'm the warmcst region
OF which We have any certain and accu-
rate information. But let that pass.
When the mercury got down To- 20 and
| 90 degrees below zero everybody began
TO take a deep and personal interest IN
the weather This interest was eager
| profound. If you wili-but Il cannot be
| correctly described as warm. To add 10
] H. the snow began to fan anew On the
! afternoon of Saturday the storm set In
then ground being then covered 20 a
/ depth of six inches OF more II kept on
| an night, all day Sunday. all night sun
day night. all day Monday and into the
night Monday night.
For fOrty-eight hours the snow came
| down In fine, p0wdery flakes. without
| haste or furry in quiet, steady, busi-
| ness-ilke way as II it meant TO take IT'S
time ana just show the folks In this part
! Of the world what The weather can Doe
when once IL humps itself The ground
is now covered 10 a depth of twenty
| inches or more on a level with many
deep drifts Fortunately there was little
or no wind during the greater part of the
/ storm, and the drifting is not so bad as