Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-02
HIS EYES GROW WEARY
IN SEARCH FOR SHADOW
Prophet With Title to His Name
Proclaims Near End of
Winter.
Ground Hog Energies From Lair Un'
der Skies Heavily Clouded, and
Will Not Return.

II Capdlemas day he fair and bright.
Winter will have another fight:
" 90 Candlemas day II be shower ana ram
winter has gone and won't come again.
That sterling weather prophet. Prof
Arctomys Monax. better known among
hts Intimate friends as odd Ground
Hes." NAV issue forth from his labora :
tory today in search of the sun until
his deep-set eyes grow weary looking
for his shadow.
He won't find it.
The weather itself Is, against him
Eagers varying from 10 cents to as
many dollars are against him. and last.
but far. far. indeed. from least. the
United States weather bureau Is against
him. Rain, mingled with sleet and
snow. is forecast for the next thirty
six hours. with the temperature prob
ably going down to IS degrees tonight.
No Chance for the Professor"
There is not the slightest chance of
the ground hog seeing his shadow to-
day." declared the local forecaster, in a
voice free from doubt
But out at his home. | Ground Hog
square. Prof. Monax, aided and abetted
by Mrs. Monax. Miss Fay Monax and
little Buddy Monax, will spend an anx-
ious day. Just where. in the process of
evolution. the ground hog family got
it's bunch to look for its shadow on
February of each year no human has
ever been wise enough to explain. and
Prof Monax himself had not made any
statement at the time of going to press.
The fact remains. however, that about
January l DR.. Monax began to get
nervous concerning his shadow. He
got terribly riled yesterday. it is un-
derstood from authentic sources. and
spent the greater part of the day pa
rading up and down in front of his
home ''practicing up" for the big
day'-February 2.
He saw his shadow all right, but that
was yesterday. The world is governed
by unalterable rules and the law of
the ground hog and his shadow is as
immutab1e as the law of gravita ton
DR.. Ground Hog could see his shadow
six times running yesterday, and it
would have made no difference. Such
is the edict.
Provisions of the Law.
Because the law in human terms is:
II the weather Is bad on Candlemas
day it means the end of winter II the
sun shines it means that only half of
winter is past
Stated in ground hog language: II
you see your shadow February q, good
night. people, If you do not see so
much as the shadow of your bushy tail,
no for the great white way,
To leave Prof Monax, better known
rs "Old Ground Hog" looking for his
shadow and get back to Washington
d. c.. the National Capital. 1t looks
like winter is ended, it must be con-
fessed. If there is any truth in the
Candlemas superstition. The popular
idea that the worse the weather Feb
ruary the better the weather which
will follow comes down to the present
generation from times so. ancient that
its origin is lost.
Is Proclaimed in Proverbs.
Many old poems repeat the supersti-
ton. and there are proverbs galore
about 1t. Old German proverbs, it is
declared. lament the sight of the sun
February 2.
Just how the ground hog got mixed
mp in the superstition Is nard to say.
but mixed up in it he Is. in the United
States, any way. and he has become
one of the most pleasant and generally
believed myths anent the weather.