Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-17
Daily Ksnnsbsr Journal
LOCAL MATTERS.
OUILL'S COMMENTS.
The lnquisitive Old Gentleman and
the Mercury.
Something Happened to the Their
mometer and His Temper.

Judging by the weather of the past
two weeks it is very evident that Old
Probability. who supplies us with all
kinds of old weather has either neg
lected the machine and let it freeze up,
or has turned it over to some inexpe-
rienced, beardless boy. who is running
It on shares and expects "a rakeoff
from the plumber, for the absence of
any torridity in the air has been quite
noticeable. In fact the weather has
been out of sight, particularly the
warm weather. During the worst of
the blizzard, one evening, last week, l
was sailing along Water street trying
to keep in the straight and narrow path
and trying to make myself believe that
our forefathers " ere wise men and knew
a good thing when they saw it and did
not make any mistake when they took
this country away from the Indians.
The mercury was playing tag way
down among the tWenties and the Pine
Tree State breeZes were blowing down
the back of my neck with enough We
locity to run fourteen wind mills.
| was making pretty fair Roadway
toward my attic boudoir when l saw
some distance ahead of me a belated
traveller well encased in furs, who was
going the same way as myself. We
We're travelling along the street in In
dian file when suddenly he stopped
short and peeped into a store door.
He was evidently looking for some
thing. At last he found what he was
searching for. 1t was the thermome-
ter, tightly fastened to the window cas-
ing. Ii was force of habit with him.
1t had been his custom for many years
TO stop at that particular store and
consult thai old weather indicator to
find out just how hot or cold it was,
and when he reached that particular
spot, that night, there was no resist
ing the temptation to stop and see FOR
himself just how near the earth the
mercury had reached. His first move
was to fish out his glasses, which he
thawed out SO he could see through
them. This he did by breathing on
them and wipins them with his hand
kerchief. All this necessitated unbut-
toning his coat, which let in a couple
bushels of rareiied air a little nearer
the hide. After removing the frost
from his double windows he carefully
"'."o''u over TIE VI iii1
nose and commenced to search for the
frisky mercury. He searched long and
well but failed to locate just where the
empty space left off in the tube and the
mercury begun.
He made several tries at it and fin
ally getting desperate wedged himself
In the corner and fished out some
matches. He evidently proposed to
nave some light on the subject. The
match business for some little time
owing to the high wind was a dizzy
failure. I pitied the poor man from
the tottom of my heart, but was toe
Ear gone with the cold myself to Offer
any assistance. But having stayed SC
lar l was bound to see the end of the
adventure, even if l CONCEALED in the
attempt. | watched him as he shaded
the match with his hands only to have
tue wind blow it out and leave him In
liiky darkness again. He had burned
up several cards of good matches be-
lore he could get one to show any
light. At last when. judged. he was
getting almost discouraged the match
gave one little pickering beam and like
lts predecessor went out, but it had
served its purpose and had enabled
the seGicher after knowledge to dis
cover just why he had been unable to
locate the mercury before. Some
evil disposed boy with no thoughts OF