The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-01-20
d FINLEY LIVE -vIRE SPARKS q

think nothing of it, but here in sunny
Kennewick, where the robins sing the
year around and where the alfalfa
grows every month in the year, to
have the mercury drop to "a disgrace
full degrees below zero is on outrage.
Besides, back in Iowa everyone has
hide like Siberian steer, but we
are only covered for good hard frost.
The only warm things in the valley
are the telephone wires, which are
kept hot by subscribers swapping
thermometer yarns. AS for news
there is no news-it is all weather.
No one dreams, thinks, or talks OF
| anything else. Last week we had such
La long column that the editor cut out
half of it. This week, if all his other
sources of news are frozen up as tight
as ours, he will have to work his joke
and dry facts book for at least two
full pages.
The poet ~ who handed US the
lines on The Beautiful Snow last week
didn't have the nerve to show his
face around the Office this week.
There is nothing small about US.
We give the County Engineer full
credit for the fine condition Of the
oiled road between Finley and Kenne-
wick. For the past week the sleigh
ing has been perfect, and we want to
express our appreciation.
Bob Perkins has braved the wealth
er this past week being out almost eve
cry day in his cutter soliciting men,
bers for the new strawberry growers
association. We don't understand how
anyone could think Of Strawberries
now, but the fact that everyone is
joining shows that they do think about
them, and that the growers are alive
to their interests.
Last Monday, when the therno-
meter was lowering around Is below,
Dan Johnson had sudden craving for
water to drink. So strong was the
craving that he actually downed FIVE
glasses between five and six o'clock,
and then announced to his friends that
there was chinook due within "a
hours. He gave as his reason that he
never drank water in the winter time
except when he was attacked by one
of these phenomenal thirsts, and that
such an attack was sign Of an ap-
preaching chinook, which had not fail
ed him in fifteen years. With the wind
in the north, and with the thermo-
meter at 20 below at eight o'clock on
Wednesday morning, we believe that
something must have miscarried this
time. Perhaps this is his first ex-
perience in dry state.
u. s. Case, county grange master,
came down from the Rattlesnake hills
Tuesday to attend the grange initia-
ton. He will spend the rest Of the
week in the neighborhood doing mis-
sionary work on the Highlands. He
reports low temperature Of Is be-
low back in the hills, with wind that
piled the snow in enormous drifts in
some places and swept the ground bare
in others. We prefer the valley to the
Rattlesnake hills.
One of the items omitted last week
was an account of the Finley-Pasco
basketball game. The girls who brav-
ed the cold and went to see the boys
play, say our recent temperature Of
"a below was nothing to the frost they
got when they landed in Pasco. The
boys all rushed off and left them alone,
and never once spoke to them or look
ed at them. At the next game the
girls are going to all root for Pasco.
The first regular business meeting
of the grange will be held on Saturday
january 22nd. Everyone should en-
deavor to come and help perfect new
working organization.
Joe Gerards recently built sleigh,
and Sunday thought he would take the
family out for a ride. For some rea-
son they would none Of them go, so
he phoned Goss, and wanted him to
go. Goss looked over the vehicle and
suddenly remembered that he had not
finished the chores, so Gerard started
out alone. In front of Guy Moore's
the first breakdown occurred, and Ger
ards wisely turned around and started
home. Boards, bolts and braces were
shed at regular intervals all the way
home, and when Joe passed thru Fin
ley he was riding on one runner, and
when he got home he was carrying the
end of the tongue. We haven't learn
ed where he cached the seat.
Francis Coles hair is reported as
doing nicely, and he is able to be out
and around again.