Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1907-11-01
TO Be HARD one
Signs Of the Woods Point
to q Long and Gold
Season

Signs ard fcrecas's of tho wintsl
We ather are many in the woods.
Any I'D t'apper, who las sofn
much of his tine in the heat of the
wilderness. bas bis own ideas Of thu
kind of witt which Mime sofa u il
experience TIE cid Indian sigrs,
which have besn handed down from
generation to generation, are llow' c
strictly BY the tribes in the Is,
and are firmly believed in by them.
The weather man may dig mp the
records Of past years, and ten what
may be exre ted in the way Of
weather, bat it takes an Indisr
rropt ct. or a man who has spent his
life in the woods to make a real
genuine fire cast. Nobody really
knows how the indians foretell the
weat. er. but it is a fict that they
often bit the mark
This fall all sigus poiLt to q long,
c Id winter. says the Duluth Herald
Thtra is liable to be plenty Of snow,
although probably net nearly as much
as last year. when the last IT tie
white covering did not entirely
d 'sarpear in the woods until mid.
Summer. CID winds from the nc1th-
west will prevail, and the atmosphere
will be clear and sharp, according to
the signs Ct the trappere.
Dat in the woods the hu n ers bring
back reports that che partridges and
quail are hyirg east this year and are
go scary that ore cannot approach
within several hundred feet OF them.
They fly up quickly and make tor the
tall timber, and cannot be driven out
int) the open. The Indians would
say this meant G. Id winter. If the
birds spent most Of the time on the
ground, it wo~ Id mean mild weather,
but the outlook at present is net in
favor of tie waym spell.
The muskrats, too, are making
unusual preparations for a To- g, hard
siege Of cold weather, and building
many houses along TIE rivers and
creeks. 1t is said they are bringing
in unusual supply Of grasses and
twigs to make their hon es strong and
secure, ard their beds warm and
comfortable. These little animals
often times neglect to do this, but it
is usually only when a mild winter
follows. Bow the muskra's know
what is to follow is not known, but
the hunters depend upon them.
ADother sign which originated with
the Indians is one regarding the
depths OF the water in the creeks and
rivers. TIE Indians say that it the
water is unusually low in the creek
during the fail it means hard winter
with plenty Of snow. They say, too,
if the trees are f, ling rapidly before
the autumn winds it is a sign that they
" are taking time by the fo1elock, -
and prefer to die before the more
severe storms of the Id winter
White men, cruiser and woodsmen.
Pot good deal of stock in the theory
that which ever way the wind is
blowing at the time the sun "fasses
the line, = that will be the prevailing
direction for the rest OF the year.
Upon this theory one we'll Known
luz herman said this morning th,t he
looked for a cold winter "a the wind
was blowing from the north west when
tie sun crossed tie equator.
Most OF our c,ld weather comes
from the country to the Northv est,
and therefore it the prevailing winds
are from that dire ction We are due to
cave cold WINTER said he. Il do
aot look for much snow, however, not
1e5 rly as much as last S: asop'
. From Crookston III the western part
il the state comes tie report that the
geese are already flying so Inward
rom the Arctic regions in great
1um hers. It is said that is pretty
'arly for the flight of geese and this
nea;s the birds know cold wiuter is
coming and wish to get to warmer
egions before it sets In. Ducks too
IRE said to have maze early flight to
re southland.
Besides the muskrats and numerous
Their animals seems to have an ir sight
INTO the future and accordingly are
making unusual Preparations for q
org cold winter Squirrels have
'lready laid up big supply Of nuts
nd are preparing their nests in tho
rees for long siege. Rears and
wolves are said to have heavier coat
# for than is usual at this time OF
he year and all The voolfolk seem to
xpect some rigid winter months.
1t may be that these signs of the
character of tie coming winter do not
'ount for much. but the Indians, and
White men who are much IN the
81 l.