Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-01-09
FROM WASHINGTON, D. C.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 80. 1899.

My DEAR GENE -
1t may interest your arctic readers to
know that our winter began this, eek.
Up to Christmas we had been enjoying
summery skies and breezes and the
golf player disported himself amain.
ever, and by Wednesday the mercury
had dropped to ten above. Then fol-
lowed snow to the depth of three or
four inches, and it has remained until
now. So winter is at last upon US.
And with stiff west wind and fur
mace that holds but two shovelfuls of
coal, we are thankful that cold is not
measured here by degrees beloaU zero as
it is in salubrious and exhilerating
Wausau. You see, they build a house
here and are about to call it finished
when the contractor is reminded of
something. And so he drops a glue
pot somewhere in the basement and
goes away happy that he didn't forget
the heating apparatus. Then the man
who rents the house buys dozen gas
heaters the following winter, and says
words about the contractor that make
his little boys eyes stick out. And this
is no parable, as witness a gas bill l
know Of
You should have seen our Susan
Washington the next morning after the
snow fell, when she was sent out to
sweep off the front steps. Standing
with reluctant feet, each incased in a
gunny-sack, wrapped in shawls, with a
muller and paper bag on her head,
she shivered before that Beautiful Snow
as though she had been one of it's
authors. After sweeping one step she
smote her hands upon her breast and
uttered a sigh that blew open the front
door. So | called her in and, mindful
of how my nearest neighbor in Wausau
used on like occasions to arise before
the dawn, hustle on his undress Col
oneps uniform and clear his sidewalks
of snow ready for Judge Bardeen's and
my delicate feet, | went forth in the
like spirit with a broom At this mo-
ment appeared Abraham Lincoln Tibbs
likewise enveloped in burlaps, with
look of high resolve in his eyes and
shovel and broom on his shoulders.
He lowed, sab, to tackle dis great snow
with the air of the leader of forlorn
hope at Modder River. Whilst he was
going through his preliminary flourish
es and stampings l, still inspired by
thoughts of my aforesaid neighbours
fortitude, seized my broom and had a
path swept through the powdery snow
clean round the house to the rear door
before A. Lincoln Tibbs had finished
his first thrust in tierce.
l speak of these things in no spirit of
vainglory but merely to adorn, as it
were my opening statement that winter
is here.
Not only are the feet of the darkies
tied up in burlaps and grain sacks after
a snow storm here, but their horses
feet also. And many white mans
horse, slipping down on the asphalt,
doubtless longs for similar care.
Let me conclude by indulging in GER
tain regretful reflections upon the APP
preaching close of a century which is
also to close a year from tomorrow
night, and in contemplation of the
marvellous Twentieth Century which,
according to the Times Herald, will
begin one year before the Nineteeth
Century ends 1t is certainly fitting
time for meditation. On second thought
/ don't believe | had better bare my
mentaD bosom to presumably un-
sympathetic public, some of whom are
reputed to be anti-imperialists and may
be anti-fat. In sooth, / will venture
but this: / have read Neal Browns
Confessions CThey are altogether unlike
some that he has made to me y and
have come to the indignant conclusion
that he has been permitted access to
sundry very warm poems by Ella
Wheeler Wilcox, that the general pub
lie hasn't been allowed squint at.
And now, wishing you very happy
New Year, regardless of the century it
trains in, / am yours,
l.. A. PRADT.