Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-07-16
Thermometers Busted"

That introduction to the Fourth of
July was pretty warm article. but
say it wasn't in it with yesterday.
was il? You've probably seen the ex-
preston on a boys face when he sees
Il playmate get wet with a garden
hose and then has it turned on him
without warning. Well. that was just
about the way Waterville people
looked. yesterday. You see. we have
been reading in the papers about the
drouth out West and the hot wave
in London and how the hospitals of
New York We're crowded to the doors
with victims of heat prostration, and
have smiled a wise little smile as we
don red summer overcoat for ride
in tn, evening. 1t really has been cool
here 70. the past week or so and the
farmers have been bewailing their
fate and hoping for some good hot
days to help along that tremendous
hay crop. Spose they are satisfied
now? And say. do you think it was
hot in London. yesterday? II ii was
Wen shake our own left hand in sym
pathy with the poor Britishers who do
not know what Maine weather is.
One man said last night that ii was
100 above where he worked in the fore
noon. Well. not exactly where he
worked but above the nothing that is
so much in the accounts of the
weather. He looked like a lobster
after the sun went down. but he was
alive. Then another man said it was
81 in his dining room when he ate his
supper. 1t was considerable over 100
in one Of the stores that is not con
sidered a very hot place. The rear Of
there was prohab bly, some ice left. the
day before yesterday. but the mercury
went up to over 50.
Another man said his went to %,
where il had never gone beyond 30
since he drove the nail to hang it on.
No one has a thermometer that is sun
proof. SO no records Of the tempera-
ture in the sun We're taken. 4 boy
! who stored away a load of hay up near
the top of the barn with the swallows
said he guessed he'd so in swimming,
for his mother couldn't tell the differ
enCe by his hair. anyway. If he could
get his clothes back on straight he'd
be all right.
Good hay day. wasn't it? Next win
ter when you are buying good. nice,
clean. sweet hay on the square for S.
or $40. YOU won't think Monday. July
IL. was so hot as YOU do now. Land
sakes alive, How they did hustle the
dead grass into the old barns Per
haps some old cider worked in new
quarters. hut it went to wet the shirt
in the end anyway. About every
thing was headed that way. from oat-
meal and water to pork and beans.
But say. what do you think of this?
Honest injun. it's fact. We met
man on the street who was apparently
as calm and cool as could be desired.
Even the greeting Hot. amt it,
didn't raise his temperature a degree.
He was calmly surveying the swelter-
ing, maddening crowd with nary a
drop of water visible about him
The individual who is supposed to
make a speciality Of heat after we get
through kicking about here will have
to invent some new kind Of torture for
him if he ever gets hold of him He'll
find the furnace where they burn the
green 'uns only comfortable, if he
should be so unfortunate as to ever
get there. for he was wearing. all day
yesterday and last evening. the same
fiainels that he wore on the coolest
day, last winter. coat of good weight
d vest and high collar. And he was
only comfortable. He said that was
the only way to keep cool but he
couldn't make any shirt waist man be-
lieve him
Then there was that unmerciful,
tormenting. tantalizing, cruel heart
less individual who said that it was
going to be worse. today. He said it
as il he meant it and didn't care
whether he was a true prophet or not
Perhaps it will be, but here's hoping
that it's good hay day. anyway.