The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1917-02-08
ABouT NE GRoUND HOG

appeared some time ago in the New
York Times from the pen of William
Otis Crosby, who as a boy lived in
the Ohio woods:
"The second day of February, pop
ularly known as ground hog day, is
familiar to all, and you have, no doubt,
noticed that all the newspapers and
nearly everyone you meet will tell
you about the ground hog seeing-or
failing to see-his shadow For from
long and many times telling it has
come to be generally believed that the
ground hog comes out Of his hole on
February 2 each year, and if he sees
his shadow-that is if the sun is shin
ing then-he goes back into his hole
because there will be six weeks more
of winter weather, but if when he
comes out and does not see his shadow,
he remains out, because the winter
will soon be over and there will be
an early spring.
ut would be natural, after hearing
the ground hog day story told and
retold over and over again every year,
as far back as you can remember,
you should conclude that when the
ground hog went into his winter quar-
tiers he took with him a calendar and
alarm clock so as to make sure of
waking up and getting out ON the sec
ond day of February, which would, of
course, be utter nonsense just as the
entire story is as usually told, without
an explanation. The trouble is that
the story has been badly twisted in
it's repeated telling.
"When | was small boy in Ohio an
old man who had spent his life as a
hunter and trapper among the Indians
explained it to me; he said the In
dams studied the habits of animals
and birds very closely, and observed
that the ground hog (Which is about
the size Of a common cat) went into
his hole when the cold weather began
at the beginning of winter and went to
sleep for two moons, as the Indians
expressed it, which is eight weeks as
we record time. At the end of two
moons (eight weeks) he woke up and
came out of his hole. If he found the
weather cold and wintry-like he would
conclude that it had been cold all the
time he was asleep and would not last
much longer, and that spring would
soon appear, and he would, therefore,
remain out. If, however, when he
came out he found the weather warm
and like spring, he would reason that
it was too early for spring to come.
and there would in all probability be
another period of cold weather, so he
would 60 back into his hole and curl
up for another long nap.
"When the Indian indicated that the
ground hog went into his hole at the
Of winter he did so by draw
ing his blanket close about him and
and perhaps pointing to
something white with one hand and
downward motions with the
other to express the idea of falling
snow.
"The white man thus fixed in his
mind the first of December as the go
ing to bed time Of Mr.. Ground Hog,
though the Indians did not mean that
at all, for cold weather may set in
earlier or later than that date.
''Tnen the Indians said by Signs
that he slept for two moons. This
the white man interpreted as mean
ing two months-that is, the little fell
low slept from The first Of December
until the fret of February, at random
or for good measure, as the fellow did |
an extra crpa q perhaps got the
second day mixed up win the tvs
moon pan-omine nix Of tlc Indians
when the ind;ai.s indicated that
if on coming cut Df Lis hol, the little
fellow saw MS shadow he di1 ~; ~
tend to refer to the mere fact that
sun was sh' ing, for it might re cry
cold and at the same time a bright |
sunshiny day. He meant to convey
the idea of its being warm Weather,
in using the sun in his illustration,
and if he did not see his shadow the
absence Of the sun indicated cold !
weather.
"At the time when the Indians &C.
cupied this country there were great
many ground hogs, which could be
easily seen as they strolled about on
the hillsides near their homes, like a
boy hunting for something to eat.
When they noticed that the weather
had become cold enough to cause the
ground hog to disappear, they would
take notice of the phase of the moon
at the time and when the moon reach
ed the same phase for the second time
after that they would look for the lit !
tie weather prophet to put in his APP |
pearance again; and sure enough he