The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-03-17
THIS HARD WINTER.
What Some Old Massachusetts, Settlers
Have to Say.

What Some Old Massachusetts Settlers
Have to Say.
Tor the past two months all the
weather prophets in Worcester county
and all the old settlers and historians
have been scratching their heads, try
ing to conjure up in their minds the
exact status of the weather for the sea-
son that we are now in the midst of.
They have guessed and reckoned,
'callated and presumed. and have
concluded that it is the worst winter
we have had for nigh onter''-and
here comes the difference Of opinion.
Some say 10 years. Others swear with
their favorite expletive that it is rs
and still others dig away back into
their palnly days and stoutly proclaim
that it is the severest winter that has
been experienced for so or even go
years. These opinions can be taken
for what they are worth. They are
probably all right according TO the way
the individual has reckoned, but to
come down to cold facts, and cold
weather, it remains for the present day
man or woman to say that it has been
the severest winter that they have ex-
perienced, and that they do not care
to undergo another such period of pro-
longed and protracted cold as we have
experienced this season.
Let the old settlers say what they
may, and let them reckon and
"cal'late," the fact remains clear and
| concise, it is and has been cold, and
"a oAi to1 Oh hon cov
that it is the coolest winter that has
been experienced here for several
braces of years. The country and the
country people have suffered the most
from the weather The snow has come
little at a time, and has not al
lowed the roads to be broken out in
passable shape before another storm
arrived on the scene and did things to
the highways. In this way towns, and
the cities, too. for that matter, have
had to expend much larger sums for
breaking out work this year than for
many years past.
| The snow lies deep 1t is estimated
| that two feet and a-half is a good av-
erage for the level, while in places
that are exposed to the winds, and
places where drifts are won't to ac-
cumulate it is from three to 10 feet deep.
1t is good, hard, solid snow Snow
that has been settled by several rains
and freezes that have made good firm
upper crust of hard, crispy snow.
! The icemen report that the ice is
thicker than they have seen it for a
number OF years, and it is also of a
/ haitian emo dr,a a g. o+ 4La4
froze in thick layers and not an inch at
a time. The consumer will have to wait
until next summer before he can pass
an opinion on this feature of the
weather, but it is true, nevertheless, as
will be demonstrated later.
The birds and small game in the
woods feel the severity of the season
and are prone to come to outlying farm
houses to see what they can procure
/ in the nature of food. 1t is reminder
of the gruesome tales that we used to
hear our grandfathers tell of the win
| tiers that were when the wolves howled
and the country was buried for weeks
| and even months at time in the tight
| icy grip of winter 1t recalls the tales
of life on the frontier when the wild
animals really made life miserable and
prevented one from going out of doors
! for fear of getting nabbed by. stroll
ling bear or a gray wolf The country
is without doubt the place to appre-
ciate the beauties of such a winter. 1t
is here that the keen sweep of the wind
is felt and the snow piles up in huge
drifts. 1t is in the country that we
hear of the cold; good, genuine, old
fashioned cold, and the kind that we
used to hear about, and the kind that
used to be.
| There is an instance that has been
told, and one that the Gazette knows to
be true, Of two crows, presumably a
summer couple, that are wintering in a
pine tree within 60 feet of farm
house. The story is related that the
parties living in the house last spring
had two crows that they partially tam-
ed. Later these two birds escaped
from captivity and made for the pines.
1t is supposed that these two birds are
the two that had become partially do
| mesticated, and were back at their old
| home for the purpose Of obtaining food
| for the winter. Other instances are
Exhibited by other species of wild life
/ told Of the unusual companionabillty
this winter.-Wo Gazette.