The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-22
OLD UNCLE HORACE,
WEATHER SEER, DIES
Famous for More Than Half a
Century in New England
for Predictions.
WELL ON IN 93D YEAR
Was Forecaster of Great Biz
card of 1888, When Snow
Fell in ShovelfuIs.
WELL ON IN saD YEAR

NEW YORK, Jan. 22.-Uncle Hor-
ace, the amateur weather prophet Of
the nation, is dead. That's the way
they always speak OF him up in Mid
die Haddam, Conn, where he lived
In dainty white cottage by the
Connecticut river. For any one to
need to be told that Uncle Horace
was Horace Johnson was to display
great ignorance in any part of New
England.
Uncle Horace, who for more than a
half century had always won respect
full attention when he prophesied the
weather q day or a year ahead, passed
away at his home on Friday, well on
in his ninety-fNird year. He had con-
fidently expected that he would reach
the century mark.
The sage of Connecticut, a kindly
voiced, broad-gauged man, w1o found
enjoyment both in philosophiZing and
in predicting the weather, had in
Vulnerable proofs of his. ability to
rival Uncle Sans weather forecas-
ters. He predicted the famous bliz-
zard In the spring of 1888, and tie
snow came down in shovelfuls on
schedule time. He warned President
elect Taft that his Inauguration
would be attended by the worst snow
fall in years, and he was right.
Warned woodrow Wilson.
He told Woodrow Wilson to look
for gloomy weather on March Z, 1913,
and he was partly correct. He warn
ed the people of Connecticut to be on
the alert for an earthquake, and the
earth quaked according to prophecy.
In September, 1911, he sent oCt an an
nouncement that the winter would be
the bitterest in years, and the edi-
torial writers months afterward COM
mented on his forecast as correct. A
year ago he predicted a wet, gloomy
summer.
Uncle Horace maintained he figured
everything out in advance by scien-
tific means. He seemed, however, to
have had a bent for weather prognos-
tication. He was fond of relating an
incident of his first weather predic-
tion. When q boy on a small schoon-
er unloading stone on the south side
OF Long Island, he predicted a heavy
storm and was laughed at. He had
suffered a sitting feeling on the ap-
proach OF stormy weather, and on that
occasion his prophecy came true and
the schooner was slammed up on tn"
shore.
Reason For Feeling.
when I came to make a scientific
study of astronomy, meteorology and
mathematics" he said, 81 founu that
there was a good reason for that stiff
ling feeling. It was caused by the
pressure OF the air. When two cur
rents OF air, one dense, and one rari-
fled. come together, the heavy, cold
air forces down the rarefied air be-
low, making it rush ont from under as
water rushes out from under a brick
thrown into a pail OF water"
Uncle Horace gave astronomical
reasons for weather disturbances and
insisted that any one by his method
could foretell storms. He offered to
do all alone the work the United
States Weather Bureau does at a ire
mendous cost every year. And Uncle
Horace was not looking for a job as
q means of making money, for he
long since had retired with a good
sized fortune of his own. He loved
weather predicting, and he would
spend much time every day studying
the afr currents. He never went to
bed at night without going out to
look at the stars and make his prog
nostication for the morning. He scOrn-
ed goose bones and similar signs as a
means OF forcasting the weather.
HAD buSine19 Abiuty.
Uncle Horace had an interesting
life. He was born in Middle Haddam
of a family that for generations had
lived on the Connecticut river and
had made money in the shipping bust
ness. He went to work in a store for
cents a day, and. having saved 81, 20. .
he invested in needles, which he sold
to women coming into the store. The
FER would not handle such goods, had
gone into the business himself He
Invested his profits in real estate. He
made a profit there and then he
branched out on an eXtei/ive scale in
that business.
During the civil war he ran barges
carrying Quartermaster's supplies be-
tween New York andBsoton. After the
war he carried mail by ship between
New York and Savannah. He also was
master OF a seagoing ship and became
the owner OF several vessels. He
amassed a fortune and lost a good
part of IT in railroads and foundries.
He was a member OF the New York
Produce Exchange at one time.
Owned Real Estate.
He owned a large amount OF real
estate in Connecticut and planned TO
give to the State of Connecticut a
large tract OF land on Blizzard noun
tain near Middletown. He planned to
erect an observation tower on IL for
studying the weather and the stars.
Aside from predicting the weather,
Uncle Horace had another hobby, and
that was gems.
"When l see Jewel with a quaint
setting or an unusual mounting" he
used to say. buy II for the pleasure
IL gives me to look at IL. That has
been my only bit of personal extrav-
agance."
He was often asked how to live to |
be 100 years old and his invariable |
answer was: That's simple enough. !
Live decently. Don't eat or drink or
sleep too much. ] don't eat meat, Use |
tobacco or indulge in alcoholic bever- |