The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-02-03
|A|RCI0hYS MONAX
H|BERNATES AGAIN
SEES HIS SHADOW AND GOES SOUR
RYNIG BACK TO HOLE
IN THE HILLS.
HAS LOST PRESTIGE
PEOPLE BECOMING TOO MATTER
OF FACT AND TOO oBsERvANT
FOR ANIMAL WEATHER
PROPHET.

Aretonys Monax, afraid of no dog
living. attacking and often sending
scurrying from the field the boIdest
canine in the pack peeped cautiously
ont OF hts hole yesterday at noon and
seeing the sun shining hastily retreated
to- sleep again for forty days. The bold
varmint was frightened at his shadow.
Tough antagonist. as he usually
ia, and courageous as he seems to be at
other times. A Monax is coward
on February I'd emerging timidly.
ready to fly IL his eye gets sight of that
little dark splotch on the ground,
which is nothing but his shadow, but
which he takes to be deadly enemy.
The Superstition.
II the sky is overloaded and Mr..
A. Monax fails to see his shadow he
takes the absence to indicate that
winter Is over and he remains above
ground. II, on the other hand, the
sun is shining, as it was yesterday, and
the blinking animal catches sight of
his shadow, back to the hole beneath
the hill side goes he and resumes his
alternating. This is according to su-
prostitution, but it has never been
explained why the ground hog---that
40 tttC EsCAa1lGtAAAA Abodh WA&otR tAiAc AS
written--is frightened at his shadow
only on February I'd and pays it abb
solutely no attention early in March
when he again energies. Be that as
Ii may, however. the superstitious are
not convinced and so back to his hole
A. M. has gone. For forty days spring
cannot arrive, however much 1t may
wish to do so.
Nevertheless, the ground hog has
lost much of his former prestige Now
adays people take too many notes.
and the frequency with which Mr..
Monax's trepidation February I'd has
later proven without reason. or the
equally frequent occurrence of sea-
sons when weather predictions based
upon the behavior of Arctomys on this
date have been shown to be as gilt
teringiy overoptimfstic as the pros
pectus OF an Alaskan gold mine, have
shaken the faith of humanity in the
ground hogs infaIiibillty.
Got the Dates Mixed.
Nobody knows just how the belief
in the weather forecasting ability of
the Monax family came into existence.
Not SO many years ago, February LIST
was recognized In most parts of the
country as ground hog day" But
within the last quarter of century
the date has ben changed to February
I'd. though In some parts OF the
United States the controversy which
was aroused when the day was
changed has not died out even yet.
Indeed. the legislature of Middle
Western State was wrought to frenzy
few years ago when member Of
fered q bill making February I'd.
ground hog day" a legal holiday In
the State. Half OF the members de-
<iared the proper date to he February
LIST. the other half sticking up for
February I'd, and the result was that
the bill failed TO pass at all.
At any rate. the weather conditions
on this date have for years and years
been supposed to govern the following
six weeks In England and Scotland
Candlenaaa day. February I'd, Is the
subject OF proverb in rhyme. which
says, In effect. that If the day be
cloudy and gloomy winter is prac-
ticaily over: while IL 1t be bright and
fair. -the half of winters to come,
and mair."
From Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat Ia responsible for the
cold wave that has come upon Rich
mond. The present cold wave, says
the forecaster at the weather bureau,
comes directly from that conscience
less village away mp I'm Saskatchewan,
or Alberta, or wherever II is. and the
frtgfdity Ia due to remain with us for
another twenty-four hours