Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-05
Indian Summer.
(BangOr .EeWS.)

There are as many ideas as to when
the so-callcd Indian summer begins
and ends, as there are concerning the
best time to cut hog-yokes. Nearly sc
years ago one CcphaS GoOdWOrkS OF
Waldo county. being in his extreme old
age. and also in his cups to 4 cOnSid-
cradle extent. declared from the abund-
allrn of his wisdom that-"The best
time to cut hog-yokes is when you car
find Them This meant, of course
that II did not pay to go out looking for
hoE-yokcs. for one might not find any
in q days hunt. Then again, one
might discover a dozen in a few min
ut"s. Hence. when such a discovery
was made, the time to cut hog-yokes
for future use had arrived. For sim
liar reasons one may pick out any calm
and warm period of a week or less be-
tween Labor day and Christmas and
call it Indian summer, and no living
man or woman can have a right to dis
pute ,he verdict.
In the common usage of the English
language the word Indian" ir this
country is applied to something which
is inferior to or an imitation of some
other thing, which has genuine merit.
For example, the Indian turnip" of
the Maine woods and fields is shaped
somewhat like 4 turnip. and it has Il
very strong taste in the mouth, even as
some turnipS have: but its very
strength gives it away and places II
outside the category Of real turnfps.
though it may still he called an IN
diin" turnip. F'ol similar reasons In
dian hemp is not 4 hemp n all. except
i'll the Indian" sense. An "Indian
gift is on" which is made and then
recalled. and IN Indian summer is no
more than a countc rfcit of the real
article.
In reading the many excellent and
informing newspapers published i'll
Maine we find that the wise editors
differ very widely about ne date of In
dian summer. Here is Il very cool and
conservative paper in the east. which
declares that the Indian summer comes
III October. Over on the Kcnnebcc we
find bright daily. which places Indian
SUMMER late in September or very early
in OctObcr-Whilc the leaves are still
on the deciduOus trees, and while some
Of the most delightful migratory birds
still lingcr among us. But brave and
gentle Washington Irving informs us
that Indian summer arrives during the
few SunbriGht and MINDLESS days that
bless and glorify the latter part of No
Vembnr. To know Indian summer at
its best. according to Irving, it must
reach us after the leaves have fallen
anG after the brooks and streams have
frozen over. Coming at this timc-just
before or Just after Thanksgiving-the
Indian summer Of Irving was glor-
ious farce, allurng in its promises, sad
dening in its fulfillment and wholly
Indian" in all its traits. Taking it's
cue from the sweet historian of things
that Lever happened. the Old Farmers
Almanac used to fix the date Of Indian
summer somewhere in the vicinity of
November 20. Tho chief trouble about
placing the date for the event however
is that We have mighty few days that
can come up to the standard of an ideal
Indian summer in our New England
autumn. At times we have waited three
and four years before we dared to af-
fix the label. Again we have seen four
or five Indian summers in one month.
AS We said ut the beginning, the Good
works plan seems the most available
for general purposes. SO let us enioy
our Indian summer when we find it.