The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-03
.BRER' CROUNDHO IS
BACK AGAIN IN
HIS HOLE
Furry Prophet Sees Too Much
of His Shadow and Ambles
Back to Winter Quarters
Condemns Day and It's
Origin and Observance.

z Between the grounding with a cold
nose and the coal dealer with his frigid
po1iteness, it looks as though the good
people of Minnesota We're I'D against
the real thing for another six weeks
at least.
Ancient folklore hath it that if the
furry little animal who knows all about
it, sees his shadow on the ground when
he energies on Feb. to take a look
around, he will promptly retire to his
coy corner, there to remain in dOmeS-
tic bliss for another period of six week
during which the winter weather is
supposed to continue, whereas if the
day be dark and cloudy, it is sure
sign of an early spring.
So yesterday, when the sun shone
brightly and all nature glistened in
the glory of brilliant frost Brer'
Grounding got cold feet and dropped
out of sight again.
Though it was ten above zero dur
ing the day, colder weather is predict
ed by Observer Oliver, >who opines
that a zero wave will roll over North
western Minnesota and the north and
southwest portions of Wisconsin, ans
that after that there will be little
let-up and the mercury will gradually
rise. This time last year the Their
mometer showed eight below.
Beautiful Traditions of Feast.
There are many beautiful traditions
surrounding the observance of Feb. 2
as the day of the turning of the sea-
son. 1t is the CandlemaS of the Ro-
man Catholic and Episcopalian
churches and was in iolden DAYS deyot-
ed to the duty of blessing all the can
dies which were to be used during
the ensuing year. This custom was
based upon the taking of Christ to the
temple forty days after his BIRTH when
Simeon took the child in his arms and
prOphesied that He should be a light
unto the Gentiles and the glory of Is
rael. The feast has been VariouSly
called ST. Simeons day, Wives Feast
day, Presentation day Publication day
and Christ's presentation but has now
settled into Candlemas. Thus, by
analogy, when all the candles were to
be lighted and blessed, a dark gloomy
day would be more suitable than a
bright, sunny one.
The grOundhog's connection with
Candlemas is based solely on the habit
of the animal in coming out of his
winter dwelling some time about the
date of the February thaw, just to
stretch himself. If the weather is
warm and a breakup seems close. at
hand, he will frisk about the opening
OF his den, but when greactionary
storm period threatens he pops into his
hole again and goes off to sleep for
another period.
Old timers in Minnesota, however,
don't put their wealth on the doings of
the grounding in this statee because
he has fooled them so often. There
never was a5year since the oldest in
habitant knows about it when spring
really came in February. On the con-
trary, good brisk weather during Feb
ruary and early March is a better
omen of an early spring than soft
weather.
People generally are not at all anx-
ious 'to' have another six weeks of win
ter. Coal is too dear, and the sooner
spring, gentle spring, comes along, the
better every one will be pleased, And.
speaking of coal, the scarcity of an
thracite still continues. Soft coal ID
plentiful and the price steady