The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-02-14

An Montana, where the Government
thermometer has marked 40 degrees.
The drawback in Montana is not in
the hot summer alone. In winter Tie
thermometer has gone TO 90 degrees
below zero in Montana.
Winterin the South Isalways short,
and never severe, as winter is rated
In the North. At the same time win.
ter causes a lot Of discomfort and suf-
fering when 1t shows It's severest form
here. Nobody makes preparation for
cold, as Is done in the North. Wooden
underwear Is unknown III most places.
The stores in the small towns have
only cotton goods to offer, and have
no calls for anything else. The knit,
ted wool mittens that the good old
mothers Of the North used to knit
would have little use In the South. The
red wooden scarfs that the boys wore
about their necks at school in New
York would be curlosItles in Middle
North Carolina.
The houses are built with less re-
gard for cold than at the North. Water
pipes are buried deep enough If hals
a dozen inches Of earth cover them.
Occasionally an old inhabitant will
lug in memory Of a cold winter,
when the ice froze on the creek thick
enough to hold him while he walked
on It but real ice, like piles up in the
Allegheny river gorges sometimes,
could not be comprehcndel by ninety
nine Of hundred Of the inhabitants
of this section, unless those from the
North are counted,
AS the houses are not built for cold
weather, it is the case that a cold
snap comes sometimes and makes
plenty of annoyance. The wind Nais-
ties through the cracks on such coca.
sfons, and with no facilities for prop
erly warming the houses, the iucon-
yenlence is great. Probably one Of
the most grievous pllghts country
ever finds itself in is one like befell
Tie coast region Of the gulf a few
years ago. Many Of the houses there
have no FIRE places or stoves. A biz.
zard swept along tae gulf one night,
and the thermometer went below the
freezing point. With no means for
making fires, and no clothing adapted
for such severity it could not be much
worse in the Arctic Region.
Luckily such freaks Of weather
are not many, ad as rule the REQ.
pie are as well sheltered comparative
ly as in any place. 1t will be remem-
bered that the extremes Of cold wealth.
err in the North find more.Eolks unpre-
pared for it than are found in the
South in serious condition. )
Fortunately, too, for the South, the
cold snaps are brief when they come.
as well as Of rare appearance. But
because the winters are short and
mild it is a mistake to suppose that
summers are long, but that is the most
to be said against them, Here IN
Middle North Carolina spring begins
in March and summer is fairly launch
ed by the first of May. Fall starts
with September, or at least the coole.
weather begins by that time, and from
the opening days of September to well
up to- Christmas fall is delight of
the South. If the people Of tho
North understood the climate of
the North to excuse living there.
1t is singular what a mIsconceDtion
concerning the climate Of the South
is entertained at the North. The eli
mate Of California is regarded at the
North as perfection. Yet California
is encryated by terribly depressing hot
periods in summer and chilled by the
fogs on the coast in winter. Califor-
MIA is not the worst section OF the
Union, and II there were no South 1
would prefer some parts Of California
for weather to the Northern States Of
the East. But the South Atlandc
States offer greater inducements in
the way Of weather than anything be-
You'd the Allegheny mountains.
While one sun has to perform the
task OF warming both eYtremities OF
the globe and Of giving each polo It's
season, no perfect climate viii exist
except on favorable islands in mid
ocean. the next thing to that Is
found in the States southeast of lie
Appalachian mountain system, and
Middle North Carolina probably Is rs
we'll located as any other spot.
RTON II nIIvTt ZIP