Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-02


airy 2, but to an exclusive group in
Quarryville, Pa, known as the Slum-
bering Ground Hog Lodge, this is the
grand holiday of the year on which their patron
saint, protege and prodigy-Arctomys monax,
alias woodchuck, alias ground hog-yawns forth
from his Winter lair and tells the world what
the weather will be for the next six weeks.
Made merry by band consisting of bass
drum, cymbals, triangle and jewsharp, the
members, adorned with their personal ideas OF
regalia march out into the rolling farms, di-
vide into squads and proceed to reconnoiter for
the appearance of their prognoSticator.
To keep in touch with each other, runners
dart between the squads with bulletins from
the commanding officers, wigwag signaling also
aiding in maintaining contact, and when Mas
ter Ground Hog appears, Ticking an icicle from
his whiskerS, the army looks anxiously at
the sky and devotedly at the chunky forecaster
to see whether he casts his shadow
Thus is obtained from him q prediction of
the weather from then, February q until st.
Patricks day.
For it is an item of faith among the men,
berShip of the Slumbering Ground Hog Lodge
that if Arctomys monax casts shadow today,
there will be six weeks more of Winter, and
If the ground does not record the outline of his
body the spell of Winter is broken and the
world may expect return of good weather.
Having aScertained the message of the ground
hog. the fraternity reforms its lines. The ven-
cradle patriarch, the patriarch de- luxe the ex-
allied patriarch and the plain, common garden
variety of patriarch; the venerable past ex-
allied hibernator, the just past exalted hiber-
nator, the passing exalted hibernator and the
exalted alternating presiding all get into for
nation along with the first sleeper, second
sleeper, chief eye rubber assistant eye rubber,
moral supporter, secretary and bondlesS treas
urer and the alternating governors, and they
march back to the town headquarters where
the twenty-third annual banquet is set before
MOI ind fod int
exclusive company.
WHuE the Slunbering Ground Hog Lodge Is
unique organization, its members stat
ing that it is the only genuine guardian of the
faith in the world. yet 1t preserves tradition
which is older than the Christian era.
Many persons, hearing of this lodge of
ancient faith, communicate with George w.
HenSel, jr., alternating governor, and ask for
Ehe rules and secret workings in order to en-
able them to start lodges Of their own.
And we tell Them" says Hensel, that we
cannot transmit the spirit Of the lodge and
that without the spirit how can they start?
They demonstrate with me, but we remain, so
far as know, the one and only Ground Hog
Lodge earth. Several of our imitators have
started societies in Anderson, Ind; Cincinnati
Ohio, and Roanoke, Va but they can never
amount to anything. society cannot be COM
pared with lodge
ANY one with LIS can join a society," but
you have to be fit and worthy to join this
lodge
How does one join?" he was asked.
eve have Waterman by day and a watch
man by night, who look closely into the life
of the man whom the membership may deign
to honor, and when we consider that he sue
ceeded in intoxicating himself in mysterious
way with the spirit of the lodge suddenly the
great privilege of membership is offered to him
and, having attended the ceremonies on Febru-
airy 2, and having been properly initiated with
high larity' into the secrets of the lodge, he
becomes partner in our faith"
When it suggested to the alternating
governor that the scientific experts of the
Weather Bureau had kept tabs the ground
hog and that it the last 20 years he he had been
wrong half of the time, Hensel Scoffed at the
doubling scientists who destroyed humanity
faith.
A FELLOW named Bliss once attempted.
by facts and figures, to confute the
ground hogs observations In reply simply
quoted, when ignorance is bliss, tits folly to
be WISE That ended that controversy.
Another fellow once asserted that the ground
hog was a dangerous animal to have around
farms because the horses broke their legs fall
ing into the ground hog holes, but our statisti-
clan went around the country counting the
horses legs and, finding that out of the mil
lions of legs only two or three had been re-
ported broken, decided that the ground hog
could not be accused of causing excessive
damage.
CAS- a matter of fact, the ground hog has
many habits the human race might well emu
late. He is a devoted husband and father,