The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-11-17
SNOW AWAY ALONG IN JULY.
How some Church Folk In Maine
Made Use of a Climatic
Anomaly.

The congregation OF a little church
up among the Hoosick hills OF western
Massachusetts, has an investment In
what would seem q very ephermal Ne
curity, being nothing less than a snow
bank. Winter comes early in that re-
gion and comes in a business suit. He
stays late, too, lingering so long that
he wears out springs lap and loiters
even about summers knee. East Haw-
ley hill is, ofsthe cluster Of hills there.
abouts, the bleakest and windiest Of
them all. In n certain gully under
the lee Of a rising wall Of earth the
snow drifts early and stays after the
June roses come in the gardens, says
the New York Sun.
Several year ago, following an I'M
usually severe winter, a deposit of
snow was found there on the Fourth
OF July. and the interest which Its
presence at that season excited put an
idea into the thrifty minds Of the
church folk who make up the little
congregation of the pretty East Haw-
ley church. The next year the gully
was looked after. The snow drifted as
usual, and its keeping became a mat
ter Of careful watching. Before the
end Of June it was seen that It could
not last much longer, and a church en-
tertainment of a ~"sugaring off" in sum
mer with real snow was promptly car.
ried through. Its fame spread, and
the next year means were adopted to
preserve the snow still longer. Now
the July "sugaring off" is an estab-
lished annual festival, to which ma
tives and sojourning folk, including
the omnipresent summer boarder, 90
from q radius Of Is and 20 miles. II
the snow shows signs OF disappear
Ing before July has arrived means are
taken to keep II. Spruce boughs and
sawdust cover il. and so far the sup
ply has never failed. The event Is reg
ularly counted upon as n SURF and APP
probable addition to the yearly in
come Of the church.
This year a party of New Workers.
haSteped their departure from the city
TO be present at the novel entertain.
ment. The day had been very hot
In New York, and the change on leav-
ing the ears at seven o'clock at the lit
lie station in the valley, whence wag.
ons were TO be taken, was refreshing.
The church was reached in a drive Of
a little more than an honr up the hill
and through the woods, rich with
early summer foliage and heavy with
the spicy fragrance Of MOSES aud
ferns.
A programme OF music and reclta-
lions preceded the chief event Of the
evening. There was . curious and
pleasant incongrulty 10 sit plying q
fan in the hot, lamp-lighted church
and hear OUTSIDE the unmistakable
sound Of snow being gathered up in
wooden shovelfuls. At ten o'clock the
company adjourned TO the spgaripg-pf
room. where en- long tables covered
with sheets, were set out fully 900
pans Of snow. white and spotless,
though rather coarse grained. To each
person was allceed a pan and a sau-
Ger Of bot maple sirup with . fork apd
spoon, The strip was ladled on the
SNOW 10 %spoonfuls and picked of with
The fork to be eaten ~ It hardened.
Pitchers Of the bot strip circulated
constantly to refill the ZOE US fast
as they were emptied till all were sat
isfed with the sweet feast.
By II o'clock the company began to
fisperse, a traln Of wagons carriages
and buggies stretching out In all di.
rections as they departed, BY one
Of those freaks OF weather TO
which IIawley hin is subject, the
warm, fragrant air had become
suddenly chilled by a wind that
was blizzard-like in its intensity
and frigidliy. The blasts blew out Of
the north as II old Boress were en-
ragged at the juggling with his sea
IONS and inclined to give the seekers
for novelty a Bit OF real winter with
their preserved snow, The particular
party Of city travellers already referred
to were glad enough to reach the val
ley. which they did about midnight
ane after their remarkable day Of trop-
icai and arctic temperature. crawl into
comfortable beds and sleep soundly
with. July though II vas, heavy blank
cts plled over them.