Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1905-02-11
JACK FROST IN CLERMONT.

Jack Frost, our sly friend from Vermont,
Has made a visit in Clermont.
On January twenty-five
All night he surely was alive.
And when the morning came around
The mercury had dropped, we found,
To nineteen points of zero mark,
And we have heard the town remark;
The freeze of nineteen hundred five
Is next to eighteen ninety-hve,
When Vegetables and orange groves
Then lifeless to the ground were froze.
This time our saucy Jack did try
A little mischief on the sly;
On lettuce beds and sheltered hooks
Our willy chap Just sent sly looks,
With ice he SKINNED the water DER,
On some was found an inch or more.
And when leaky barrels found,
The icicles did there abound.
The orange groves he meier passed by,
SO shipped at all that he could spy,
Then off he capered In a race
For mischief in some other place.
Then, O! he spied our garden patch,
Had we once thought that Jack would catch
A glimpse of that among the trees,
We'd used our wits to stop his freeze
The seeds were sown, but all in vain,
They would not grow without more rain.
With water from the well near by,
They soon were growing up quite high.
But now, alas, it is too late,
And calmly we submit to fate, o.
But all Vermonters we would warn,
While in Clermont, plant no corn.
This time we're told Jack came to find
Vermonters here and then remind
He'd missed them in his winter plans.
Their work was there in great demand.
And hard he searched to find them all,
Then gave them each a wintry call.
He told them how he'd worked in snow,
Twas piled in drifts where'er he'd go.
He told the reason why he came,
1t was to with us here remain.
But one more bold than all the rest,
Then spoke without thought of jest.
Now, Jack, look here, what's to be done!
To you it surely may seem fun.
Must we endure the censure bold
And take the blame for all this cold?
Each group of Northerners who come
Are said to bring the cold, to shun
Which we our northern homes did leave,
We did not come down here to freeze.
But with the bonfres built around,
And bricks enough that can be found,
Which heated we'll DER fires of pine,
Will comfort give, W OF repine.
For these with heated irons do,
With rubber bags of water, too,
Succeed to give us slumber sweet,
AS yet we have no cause to weep.
But, Jack, just listen to our plea,
We wish you from this place to flee,
And there remain in lands of snow
Till homeward bound in Spring we go.
Here we've arthIy use for you,
And wish you'd Florida eschew;
But if you wish here to abide,
lOl II nave W lIOlu OuI DISS6uC6 Hlll6.
''There'll be no place to hide in town,
For Chapman soon can run you down
With camera and gun and hound,
Twill useless be to stay around"
Hattie M. Fay, Clermont, Florida.
Written for and read at the Vermonters
campfire held SATURDAY. apaninO- Fal,,-.,.'-s-
4. 1905, at P. A. Pierce's cottage.
The Vermonters in the place now number
eighteen.
The freeze of January 25, 1905, did much
damage in the place, injuring the oranges
in many of the groves, and also damaging
the grape fruit. Some groves in sheltered
places escaped being harmed.
All the vegetables, excepting peas and
lettuce, were destroyed even these suffered
in some localities in the place.l