Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-03-15

was the weather bureau of our grand :
fathers; and mingled with the signs
and omens of old there was just
enough of fact that the old d-timer
sometimes gets the best of it now i'm
foretelling the weather.
"Rainbow at night, sailors delight;
Rainbow in the morning, sailors
take warning;
Rainbow at noon, rain very soop."
Just adapt this oouplet the next
time o rainbow comes your way, and
see for yourself. Il,
A combination of rain and sun
shine was also supposed to bring rain
the next day.
Another verse which found favor
was
"Evening red and morning gray
Will set the traveller on his way !:
Evening gray and morning red
Will pour down rain upon his
head"
This is but sn adaptation of the
adage that red sunset is a sign of
clear weather. And if the sun goes
down in cloud rain will surely com Q
the next day. If smoke from the
chimney settles instead excepting in
dry weather, when, the prophet as
sures us, call signs fail"
If it clears off in the night, look
for rain the next day. If smoke
from the chimney settles instead of
rising, there is a storm at hand.
When sound travels long distance
there is also a storm near. Never
expect much storm in the old of the
moon. The absence of dew and an
unusually heavy dew are alike fore
runners of rain.
Not much frost need be expected
in the light of the moon. An owl
hooting in the hollow is a sign of a
cold storm; on the hill, it foretells a
thaw.
If the hornets build low the winter
will be hard. When leaves fall early
the winter will be long. When snow
falls on hard road it will not last
long. The last spring snow storm
never comes until after the s'sugar
snow," which may be recognized by
coming in unusually large flakes and
only lasting few minutes. If the
hogs melt is found big at the front
the first part of winter will be the
most severe; if the reverse is true,
we may look for hard weather in
February and March. Bright "north-
ern lights" bring severe cold. If the
sun shines on the second day of Feb
roary so as to permit tn, ,oodchuck
to see its shadow, it will go back into
its hole and remain six weeks. If
March comes in like lamb it will
go out like lion; if it comes in like
lion it will go out like lamb. In
other words, one extreme at the be-
ginning promises the reverse at the
end of the month. Sun-dogs indicate
bad storm.
Distant sounds heard distinctly
forebode no good weather. If the
sun "draws up water" it will rain.
The pitcher sweating and the tea
kettle boiling dry also indicate rain.
Cobwebs thickly spread upon the
grass are an indication of fair
weather.
Animal life seems, according to the
popular notion to have peculiar
warnings regarding the weather
changes. Some of these are explain
able by natural causes. 1t is a fact
recognized by all intelligent stock
men that cattle have an intimation
of an approaching storm some hours
before it is visible to the human eye.
There is a certain restlessness which
the cowboy has learned to interpret
at once. When you see a pig pastur-
ing in the field build for itself nest
you may look for storm. Chickens
take extra pains in oiling their
feathers just before rain. Pea fowls
send forth their shrill cries as a
warning, and when the quail cries