Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-29
Cold Snap
Reactions
Run in Ru+
Like Fall East Opines,
From Stenoes to Cops
BY HENRY McLEMORE

ME HAD a cold snap here
w few days ago. the Their
mometer meandering around be-
tween 81 and II for "a hours or
more.
1t was just as il Jack Frost
had taken a S1-a-year job In the
office of Petroleum co-ordinator
and he arranged test to deter
mine how We eastern-seaboard-
ers are going to stand colder
houses this winter.
AS you doubtless know, we
have been warned that because
of the fuel oil shortage we won't
be able to keep our rooms as hot
as greenhouses. and tempera-
lures between 60 and 70 will be
what we may expect.
We made ii a point to study
the reactions of various citizens
during this unusual August
weather, and our findings indi-
cate that not only did they not
suffer from the cold, but really
enjoyed it.
HERE are a few typical re-
H marks we overheard and
jotted down in our notebook as
we toured the town:
Man on bus: "This IL just like
fall. Feels mighty good"
Elevator operator: This Is
just like fall. Hope IL stays this
way"
Stenographer: This Is just
like fall. What q relief" -
Cop on corner: 1T Is just
like fall"
Ourself: "This Is just like fall"
We called a score or more JAM
itors of our acquaintance and
checked on how people in apart
ments reacted to the Sill tenn
perature.
Did they demand that furnaces
be turned on?
Did they call the superintend-
ent and tell him they were
catching cold, and would break
their leases unless something
was done about 1t?
Did they pull down their win
dows to keep the Sill winds
out of doors?
Did they start fires in the
CRATE?
No, the janitors told me with
out exception. the people h a d
done none of these things. Those
who remarked on the weather at
all. they said. simply said:
This Ii just like fall. Hope
IL stays this wav."
An THE outside chance that
" we are a normal person, in
sofar as reaction to heat and
cold is concerned, we kept
careful log on our. own behavior.
From $50 in the morning.
when We got up to ask the dog
to please quit scratching its
back on the legs of the bureau,
until we got up the next morn
ing at the same time to make
the same request of the pup, we
made an hourly entry on our
reactions. Here it is in part:
$50 a. m. Bedroom floor cold
to one foot. having lost one bed
room slipper. 5:35 a. M: Hoped
back in bed. 6:15 a. m: Up again
in search Of a blanket. Found
it on top shelf of linen closet
covered by glacier of moth balls
and moth flakes. Chuckled to
think il cold enough in August
for blanket. Floor still cold to
one foot. $40 a. m: Anaes-
thetized by moth preventive
fumes and drop off to sleep to
dream of the time we took
ether.
Sis a. M: Got up. Thermom-
eter reading 50. First goose
pimples appeared while washing
face. and quickly followed by
several thousand more VIII e n
prepared to take cold shower.
S:16 q. M: Decide to skip cold
shower when suddenly remem-
Der reading somewhere that
there was a water shortage in
one of the upstate reservoirs.
500 a. m: Start to take exer-
cises in front of open window
but decide we won't have time
before breakfast. 9:15 a. m:
Out on tour of city to see how
others are withstanding sharp
drop in temperature.
OK THIRTY p. m: Back
- home. Living room not hot.
not cold, just bracing. Comment
on how bracing it is, and how
II peps a man up. Gas p. M:
Decide to try on a new sweater
we bought a few weeks ago.
7:15 p. m: Am told cannot eat
dinner in a sweater. You're
just cold and won't admit it,"
some one said. 8 p. m.-9 p. m:
Living room even more bracing.
Suggest pulling down windows
and shades in case there is a
sudden blackout. Try sweater
on again. Decide to read in bed.
What's come over your" some
one asks. You hate to read in
bed"
$40 p. m: Crawl in under
two blankets. Hot damn! Any
one who can't stand a little cold
is sissy. we think. There won't
be anything to 1t this winter.