The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-09-06
SIGNALS NATURE HANGS OUT.
Always Gives Warningof Catastrophe
That Is Coming

=
That Is Coming
An experienced farmer on the
lookout for farm SHES at the sight
of fallow covered with the reddish
spikes Of the sorrel. He knows at
once that the soil is poor and thin,
and will cost more than it's crops will
ever be worth In fertilizers of va
rious kinds.
Sandwort and thyme proclaim a
hungry, sandy soil; myrtle, the
heaths and tormentilla tell of peaty
land valuable only for summer graz
ings; sleeps sorrel speaks of iron,
the valerian and ranunculous of
marsh, while veronica, silene, the n.y.
brid poppy and other similar plants
are sure signals of chalk and flint be-
low the surface.
For those who have eyes to see
them, kindly Nature hangs out
signals of all kinds. She only asks
that men will use their eyes, says
Pearson's Weekly. If they can, and
do so. she will never betray them.
She has both good and bad signs,
which are as plain in their way as
red or green lights to railway en-
gine-driver.
For instance, what is called the
low country of the Northern Trans
vaal is partly healthy. partly fever
ish. In one spot you may camp In
safety for month, in another not a
mile away the dreaded fever will
seize you in a single night.
So, too, in Florida, when hunter
Is traversing the immense swamps
hammocks," as they are called
which cover huge tracts in the south
ern part Of that State, he searches for
spot where pine trees rear their tall
heads among the Expresses and
gums. There he can camp and sleep
in safety, though to>spend a night
but a few hundred yards away from
the pines might mean a bone rack
ing dose of ague.
Many an Australian explorer has
been saved from horrible death by
thirst because he has known the wa
ter malice. This tree, though it may
stand in the midst of burning des-
ert, invariably tells of water below
the surface II the traveller be not
too far gone to dig, he will find the
precious fluid below the mallee's
roots.
The old shepherd crossing Dart
moor or one of the Scottish moors
travels with dry feet, while the
stranger is perfectly certain to tum-
BILE knee, perhaps waist, deep into a
horrible black compound of mud and
water The shepherd avoids the boys,
because he has learned to read ma
lures danger signal. He does not
walk on places where the sphagnum
covers the surface, and so avoids the
pitfalls hidden beneath it's pale green
fronds.
Most of us know something of
weather signs, those warnings which
are hung out for all to read in. the
sky, and yet how many never notice
them at all, SO that when there
comes q really great CONFUSION Of
nature they are caught unprepared.
That awful cyclone which over
whelmed the great seaport OF Gal
weston three years ago, drowning
thousands of people, was heralded By
an immense groundswelh which was
seen forty-eight hours before the
tempest broke.
The Mississippi storm of 1884,
which is generally supposed to have
been the worst gale that has ever
been recorded, and the result of
which was to wipe out nearly TWEEN
ty settlements, food 10000 square
miles of land and permanently
change the course of the great river,
was preceded by strange and at
the time inexplicable' moaning sound,
which went on for three days and 4
seemed to come from the upper air,
although below all was STILL The In
dams heard it and left for the high
ground; the whites heard 1t, stayed.
where they were and were drowned.
AS strange danger signal as may
be found on the surface Of this plan
ct is the so-called "Quesbrada En-
cantada,' the enchanted ravine OF
the Uloa Valley, In Honduras, OF
which an account, written by Mr..
George Byron Gordon, who visited
the place, is to be found IN the me-
moirs of the Peabody Museum.
When rain Is approaching there
comes from this ravine a melodious,
whistling sound, which varies in In
tensity according as to whether the
coming storm will be heavy or light.
Before one of the terrific tropical
thunderstOrms which at times dew
astate that part of the world the
sound Is a deep organ note, which is
heard many miles away In every
direction.
Even earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions, most terrible of all ma
lures visitations, do not come with
out due warning. Just before the
catastrophe at ST. Pierre came news
that the Martinique cable was bro
ken. This sort of thing has hap
pened more than once before SINH
lar visitations.
Indeed, 1t may truly be said that