The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-17
HE PROGN0STICATEs NO MORE.
But Jack Cole Knows the signs OF . Hard
Winter Ind Sees Them Now.


Winter and Secs Them Now.
sPRoUr HILL, N. j., Nov. io--I used
to always notice" said Citizen Jack Cole.
that whenever the hornets hung their
nests high on the trees, the next winter
was sure to be rigorous, with deep and
lasting snows.
1T invariably impressed itself upon
me, too, that when ~angleworms wen so
deep into the ground that blowing in the
fall did not turn them up In the furrow
1t was a sign the import Of which was the
same as that OF the hornet nests.
Then there Was the fuzz on hogs. When
ever I found a thick woolly fuzz at the roots
Of the hair on hogs. along about this time
O. year. or a little later, l knew from OBJ
servation and experience that it was moth
ing more or less thai co~rroboration OF
the angleworm and high-hornet-nest
signs Of q sc ere winter.
.Then, take foxes. Foxes we're plenti-
full around here. A hunter dug out -four
In one OF my back lots one day last week
He had to 60 deep for them.
Might as well dug a cellar he sai i'd
TO me. What Ails EN-. said he.
In the ground. were they'' said I.
In the ground said he. Deep a
a wellp
.'Ahl said. That's a weather sign
And 30 IL is. Foxes in the ground
and deep, instead OF in the rocks, is a veri-
hoation Of the angle worm and the horpet
signs.
the grass growing taller and thicker than
usual along streams and swamp borders,
II was another sign of a hard winter, be.
cause the muskrats that dwell about such
places needed that increased supply OF
grass for bedding in their nests, which, ]
always noticed at such times. the musk
rats were making with extraordinary
thick walls.
whenever I found signs such as ] have
mentioned, and many Others too numer-
GUS TO mention. / knew ! was sure to hear
old Boreas begin TO howl early. and that
he intended TO keep right on bowling. and
likely would be bowling yet when the
their purple heads above the sod, and the
dandelion be jaundicing the mead. And
l used to tell folks 80 and advise EN-.
Have l noticed any Of those signs this
fall' Well. yes, ! have. | have. but ]
am not prognosticating any more. Not
nests so high in trees here and there thai
you couldn't have touched 'em with a
forty-foot pole, and dug the fox from q
the bottom Of a hole ten feet deep.
when | found those hornets nests han
ing in the trees higher han Hannah, anC
dug that fox from the depths Of that burrov
! went TO prognosticating ! didn't wait &c
notice whether the angleworm, or the Ions
thick q ass or the hog-fuIz signs were Will
US in verifcation, but set right out and prog
n~osticated on the strength Of the hornet
and the fox.
AND | prognosticated a winter so ferc,
and snow bound tina folks didn't do any
thing else for weeks but bank up theii
houses. and haul in wood and chop IL anC
stow IL away, and lay in supplies as ~ al
and buy o~vercoats and fur gloves and ca
muffs and rubber boots enough 70 start
store. And that winter came In like a Ma.
morning.
There wasn't an inch Of snow IRON Jan
uary 70 March. Nobody found IL neoessar,
even to build a Are In the front room. Sal
began TO run the week after New Year
and the blue birds were singing In the tree
before Valentines Day.
Garden making was pretty near all owe
By the middle Of March and green pea
were picked before April was done
Folks came looking for me with crue
intent. and | almost ruined myself takin,
overcoats and things on OF people who ha'
bought In on the strength OF my prognosu
cations. | speculated much on how Ia IN
world IL coul Toe that those signs had faileS
me and N In good time ] bad not leaIne
that Sam Clark and some Of the rest Of th'
boys had not tied those hornets nests wa
up in the trees and that the FOX was Sam
tame one they had buried In that burroy
which they had dug for the purpose. know
ing that ! would see those hornets n"s.
and dig out that fox. j o u~ndoubtedl.
be specializing yet
Yes, ! have noticed some OF those slgnI
this fall, but ! am not prognosticaung an
more. But ! will cav this. ] don't reall.
see any use Of the hogs IN THE localtl
putting forth that fun sign. That fur
L. there % be a sort 81 a hard winter under
shirt 70 EN-, and we kill 'em and salt 'en
down long before any weather comes alon,
that will mALr that flLZ any good 70 am