Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-10-18
SIGNS Of A HARD WINTER.
Indications Which, They Say
FOretell Months of Snow,
Ice and Freezing.

| ice anu FREEZING.
Here is cold cherries news that makes
shivers chase each other with lightning
rapidity up and down the spinal columns
of those unfort unates whose coalbins are
empty.
1t is going to be hard winter Signs
in the rural regions. as interpreted by
weather prophets. say so, aud that set
ties it.
To those who have delvcd into the
mysteries of persimmon crop lore.
who have gathered statistics of the re
lation between full perSimmon trees
and zero marks on the thermometer.
the forecast is beyond denial.
TO those city folks and country folks
to whom the abundance of the persim-
mon yield is not an all convincing argu.
ment of the future state of weather.
these forecasts present another unfail-
ing sign, free of cost. that the wintry
blasts will blow and that the king of the
Arctic regions will tranfer his sceptre
to these parts.
The cornhusks are heavy, and when
cornhusks are heavy-oh, my look
out for continuous performance of
falling snowflakes and howliug blasts
SOME OTHER SIGNS.
One agriculturist living near the
mountains says that real cold weat her
will not set i'll before the middle of De.
cember. perhaps not then for the reas-
on that the snakes are still to be seen OH
top of the ground. He says that snakes
invariably take to their holes for the
winter at least two months before cold
weather sets in for good. That there
will be no heavy snow he regards as
certain from the fact that the mountain
grass and other wild growth is now high
enough to insure feed to the mountain
birds and fowls. Nature, says he, is
not cruel enough to starve the innocent
birds.
Ii leaves hang rersistently to many
trees after frosts there will be plenty of
SNOW this winter. The heavy coats of
fur OH the fur bearing animals also show
that the winter is likely to be severe.
Probably one of the most generally ac
cepted weather indications is the last
Friday of each month. AS the weather
is that day, So, it is said, will be the fol-
lowing month. Ii there is thaw be
tween Christmas aud New Years a
pcctcd. and if there is IA green Christmas
fat cemetery is predicted.
One farmer in Western Maryland no.
tices that hornets have built their nests
among the highest branches of trees,
winch. he says, is sure indication of
hard winter.
predicts cold winter because gnats in
swarms have disappeared.
TIE GooSEBoNE
But wait until Elias Hartz, the fam.
GUS goosebone prophet of Reading. Pa.
shall have been heard from before you
are fully convinced as to what the win
ter will be. For G6 years Prophet Hartz
has foretold the kind of winter and his
friends say that he has seldom missed
it, Farmers consult him AS to possibl G
conditions before going ahead with their
farm work
Early i'll the spring Mr.. Hartz pays a
visit to the country and selects new
born goose. Sometimes he picks out
three or four. They are placed i'm sep.
arate pen from the others and he pays
monthly visits to the farm to watch their
growth. On Thanksgiving Day he
makes his last visit and selects the best
goose of the lot and it is killed. From
this goose he takes the breastbone, and
from i, all of his predictions are made.
Harts declares that he is always ac-
curate in foretclling the weather with
the aid of the goosebone. He was taught
to use it. he says, by an old Irishman
for whom he worked when young
man.
He Is "a close observer of all predic-
tions made at the Government Weather
Bureau, and says the weather experts
often miss it. On one occasion, he says,
Il report was sent out that the weather
would be clear and cold. From his
goosebone he predicted heavy snow
storm. aud he asserts his prediction
came true. He then wrote to the weather
chief. informing him of his mistake.
In former years the Berks County
Agricultural Society refused TO be
guided by Mr.. Hart'z predictions and
had some very bad weeks at great fl. p.
nancial loss. Now the members con-
suit him, and were guided in holding
this years fair by choosing the dates
for clear weather furnished by the vet.
eran prophet.
Each year the Reading Trotting AS.
ISOLATION consults Mr.. Hartz as to the
outlook for the weather. Any week he
may name is chosen by the association.
and never once has MIR HartZ missed il
Rev. }. B. North's Appointments.