The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-12-07
GOOSEBONE SAGES PUZZLED.
CAN'T AGREE ON SIGNS AS TO
THE KIND OF WEATHER.
One Puts Blame on the Comet

Convention OF Forecast Interpreters
Breaks Up in Disgust at Reports.
Squirrels for Mild Weather,
Grounding for Cold, and There
You Are.
The nature prophets can't quite
agree on what is coming off this
winter in the way of weather. There
is so much conflicting evidence for
believers in the goosebone, the
grounding, tho wrinkled tomato,
the thick corn husk and other signs
supposed to give a correct forecast
to consider that at a gathering OF
the prophets no final forecast was
risked.
One prophet had the courage to
rise up and state that he had been
in the habit of basing his prediction
for the winter on what the weather
was each September 18th. but that
last year all signs failed-due, he
thinks, to tho disconcerting advent
of Halley's comet then approach
ing the earth At the finish he had
choice lot of unfulflled forecasts
on hand.
Following this abject confession
OF prophecies that failed, another
member of the convention announc-
ed that he pinned his faith to the
appearance of tomatoes Each au-
tumn he digs up a tomato vine and
hangs it in the cellar. After Civ
ing the tomatoes on the vine two
weeks in which to line up as wealth
er prophets he examines them. If
they are soft and wrinkled the win
ter will be mild. This years test
found them in that condition.
The consensus of opinion among
those who have faith in worms as
weather prophets is that the win
ter will be mild because worms are
to be seen everywhere, and if it
was to be cold winter the worms
would be in their steam-heated
hats or some other comfortable
home by this time.
Some new work in crude meteor
ology was introduced at the conven-
ton by making the grounding do a
seml-annual instead of an annual
stunt. Heretofore his appearance
on February End. has been the only
time in the year when the little
animal had the center of the stage
put they said at this meeting the
little grounding is just as reliable
in the fall as he is in February.
On Candelmas day he is suppos-
ed to come out at noon, look for
MS shadow and go back, if he can
see it, for six weeks annex to his
winters nap. In the fall what he
thinks about prospects for the win
Ter are based on the approaches to
his home
Every grounding with amp per-
tensions to class has two entrances
to his domicile. One of these faces
the north and the other the south.
AS signs are observed he closes one
entrance, and this year, according
to those who had wand cred about
the woods, the northern entrance
was closed, an indication that the
grounding expects a cold winter.
TO Offset this, another delegate
reported seeing a turtle and two
black snakes wandering about as if
they thought it was May instead of
November. This, he insisted, was
a sure sign that the winter is to
be mild
Squirrels are depended upon by
many for a tip on the winter. This
year the squirrels have laid in
very small supply Of nuts for the
winter. According to those who
back the squirrel as an authority
this means that the ground is to be
bare and the weather mild
These little fellows" said a
delegate, make no mistakes. They
are firm believers in the NAHUM.
While you're gittin', git a plenty
At the same time they are not pack
ing lot OF stuff into their houses
that will not be needed and which
will have to be thrown out in the
spring"
The moss on the trees was re-
ported by another delegate to show
conclusively that a hard winter is
coming. GO out in the woods"
said the moss man, and look at
the trees. On the north side of
them you will find a heavy growth
OF moss. That's natures protection
for the tree and a sure sign of
hard winter.
Among all the varying signs the
goosebOne is still the most credited
one. Where the breastbone of
young goose shows black spots it is
conceded that the winter is to he
severe. The convention would have
made a definite forecast on the
goosebOne basis had it not been that
two Of these breastbones were exbib-
tied, one of them discolored with
dark spots, while the other was very
clear.