Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1922-12-22
Old-Time Weather Prophets i'm Vermont

In washington that ola man, PROB.
Is mostly always on his Job;
Sometimes he amt. But in Vermont
There used to be-depend upont!
In days of yore. some prophets who
Could read the calendar right through
Forecast, not only one days weather,
But bunch the season all together.
Those weat Their prophets in Vermont
They diagnosed climatic ills
As doctors do malarial chils
More signs they had to prove their knack
Than has the Solar Zodiac;
And if they failed they knew the
{ cause;
The gulf stream wasn't where it was.
Old Bijah Pike could tell as how
When in the fall hair on the COW
Or cat grew thick You nights well
know
Four months on runners folks would
go;"
And snow lie deep upon the ground
But by some gOOsebone fol-de-rol
lack Yam proved not much snow
would fall.
From weather prophesying l
win just switch off to. tell you why 90
Old Bijah changed his residence
Migrated from Mount Holly hence;
For somehow. I'm inclined to want
To talk of winter i'll Vermont.
Where fences disappear from sight,
Like old Pompeii, overnight.
Old Bijah in Mount Holly dwelt,
Where snow in May begins to melt
He'd chopped and logged it many a
year
Ere he could read his title clear
Then he made up his mind to go
To live at Bethel 'Lympus, so
He wouldn't have to on bare ground
Three months each year go draggin'
round.
AS dispensation from the Lord
Those men agreed with one accord
If sun shone out on Candlem's Day
The ground hog in his lair would stay
And winter in the lap Of spring
For six weeks more be lingering,
Old lack allowed it might be eight
Ere "nld Red Rob would seek his
mate.
But Zaccheus was pessimist,
And argument could not resist; =
And his prognosticating power
Would fill the weather bureau drawer.
The Durfee boys said Uncle lack
Was some like Ayers'es almanac -
Strung his predictions out so long
They surely couldn't all go wrong.
As each months final Friday was
So next months weather's be, because
No surer sign was even known,
Not hogs melt, even, or goose-bone;
lack Yam since eighteen forty nine
Had noticed that last Friday sign;
And what, forsooth. old lack averred
Folks knew was truth and had oc-
CURED.
U'L;oi. b,,cl,e -, o,t,,ro,, On tbo oorn
Meant early winter, "sure's you're born"
But preadvcnture, husks were thin,
Green Christmas winter would be-
gin,
And that meant grave yards waxing fat,
Old Doctor Richmond well knew that.
And winters rigor, some folks felt,
Depended on the porker's melt.
The time the wild geese made their
flight
The weather-wise would never slight;
And when the wedge-shaped flock flew
South,
They skyward gaZed with open mouth.
And if the migratory bird
Made early flight their pulses stirred
All-thought-Of drifting snow and ice
And four-foot- cordwoods nascent
price.
In newo' the moon they planted peas
Or was it old? lust rs Won please.
N~NNs
mirth
To say they planted in the earth:
Rnt earth or moon. those wise old tops
Most always got the biggest crops;
And folks who flout such certain signs
Will get few peas, but mostly vines.
really can't tell all I want
About those prophets in Vermont;
More weather lore those men possessed
Than meteoroogists have guessed.
But as oil plans of mice and men
Sometimes go wrong. ii was so then;
Dry weather signs oft time brought
wet
Some people say It's that way yet,
L'envOi
| Put where are :ilose old men today.
| Whose memory my dream doth haunt?
| They saw the sign Nnd went the way;
| Those weather prorhats IN Vermont.
MILTON GTInDEN BROWN.
| Ocean View Norfolk Va
Plug tohaccn Is ne sole CURRENCY