Dakota

Dktkoit City, Minxksota, ) January 22(1, 1W. f To the Editor of tbe Courikr : There probably nothing more widely miHiinderstood, by Eastern peoplc, or perhaps mort widely mis-represented, tliau the nature of our eümate in the Northwest, anc especially duiïng the winter. To ninny rwitnm people our country is knowu only as a land abounding in 'blizzards, storms, cyclones and other terrible things." I write for the purpose of correcting gome of these iinpressions. We have, of course, duriug the winter season, what would scein to be very eold weather; a great deal colder, perhaps, tliau many of our Michigan peoplo could possibly think of enduring. Yet we, who are here, manage to get along with it. For niycelf, I prefer the Minnesota cllniate to the Michigau climate during the winter. We have 110 cloudy days. It is uil sunshine with us. We believe, too, that we are healthier as a rule than people living in Michigau. It is very anuisiu(r, indeed, for us to read the accounts that appear so often in BMtarfl papers, aa to the' miseries of our existence. We are perfectly satlsfied with our situation, and have been inclined to pity those whose lot it was to pass a winter amid slusu and mud, and a variable temperaturc. Tlie following record wlll show that we have very little fear of mud, and January thaws : sumlay, January Htb, 'S.5, 17 below zero. Monday, " l'Jtli, - 33 TueHday, " JSth, " 1 " " Wx)nedu.y, ' I4th, " 27 " Tburday, " lith, ' SS " Friday. " lttli, " 27 " " Haturday, " 17th, " 80 Sunday, " 18th, " 41 ' Monday. " lth. " 25 Tueday. " aitli, " 18 " Wednesday, " Jist, " S5 I imagine that thll record would niake all Michigan people shudder; yet we enjoy such weather. During tliis period, there were no absences in our schools - on account of the weather. Cl-.ildren come one, two and even three miles to school - and play ont, with the mercury at 25" below, with as mucli impunity, hs tht y would in Michigan at W or 20 above. The children become robust and hardy, quita a contrast to those of our more eastern and southern states. Disease oannot find its way ainong us. And then, we have our winter sports - although we do not carry thein to the extent tlmt our Munitoba neighborx do. A run upon snow-shoes, after a nioose or an elk is one of the most exhilerating sports. So far this winter we have had but very little snow, vet enougli for sleiirhing. For, however little we nwy have, we are able to kiep it, as it never thaws with ns during' the winter. Our marnier of dress is a little peculiar. I imagine that w would present acuiioiis sptctacle to eactern people, when we are dressed for cold weather, (say 40 or 50 belovv). People dress in the warraest ptssible manner, Heavy flannels, for coats, cloakttand hats areused altogeiher. Every irticle of apparel, almost, has tur about it. Everyone thus clothed, lias not only a warm, but a neat appearance also. Altoj;etlier we are MtUfled arith our situation. More tlia.ii that, we kuow that if some of our eastern frieuds weie to pass winter with us, they would uctually -njoy it, and would carry back with them tales, not of "blizzards,1' but of a country with the healthicst of ollmates, and the purest of atmospheres. B. S. Bknnktt. " G.ith," Friday tvening, in University hall. Mrs. McAmliews, of Ypsilanti, s to lecture bcfore the Ann Albor tcraperunce club next Sunday aiternoon, at 3 o'elock. The ttock option l'mn of üvarts, Williams & Co., dolng business In the basement of the Cook house, have put in a telephom-, uinking 98 iu the city. Last Thursday evening, Jan. 39, John Toms, brother of Robert Toms, who keeps the greenhouse on Miller avenue, died of ilropsy of the lieart, aged ubout 85 years. T 'VtiirQta i' ninrni (T f f t ' 9 meetings, and other events, were received at this office for iusei'lion tliat week. As the Coitrikr went to press Wednesday noon. the reason for their not appeariug is appareut. Au opportunlty will be given tlils week, Friday evenini;, to hear George Alfred Townsend, the celebrated journalist, lecturer and author. His subject, j "Dublin," should insure hint a good au-1 ditnce in University hall. A committee of live was appointed at a meeting held last Sunday afternoon to consider the propiiety of asklng the legislature to pass a local optinn law, and forbidding the sale of licjtior within a radius of ten miles of the univeraity. Anotlier meeting will bo held this evening. ïlie programme for the Unity club Friday evt-ning, Feb. !Hh, will be a talk by Prof. Calvin Thomas, entitled " Travsls - Personal Iinpressions of Sweden and Uenninrk. Also the 4tli chapter of the "Club Story," by Mrs. Allee Spencer, violm and piano muslo will enliven the occasion. It looks as if the quettloo of street liglif ing would enter hito the municipal election this spring. Gas or unti-gas. Naptha or anti-naptha. Klectricity or antielectricity. Whatever Is done the people should be on the alert, and see that none but good men - those who will look out for their interests, are placed in power. Southern Mlchi?an peaofa growers, es pecially those f Wasbtenaw county, are discourasred about the fate of the peacl erop. Sume oíd story. - Detroit Evening News. Tlie News U infoimed tliat the pead erop waa a failure last year in this countv and that it will f:iil aguin this year. A ni the losa s a serious OlUf, tggttgttíag at least $250.000. Ailjiitaiit Manly, of the G. A. II. pust of this city, would likc to know of the whereabouts of tlie original inustei-iol] of tlie oíd Brady Guards, and also of tlie oíd Steunen Guards, once the crack military orgunizationB of this city, having a state reputation. If these papers eoulc) be found it would aid greatly in making complete the military history of Ann Albor. The Detroit Post of last Sundav, in addition to 5(i columns of other very interesting reading devoted two columns to sketches and portraits of live of Michigan'a state oflicerp - Gov. Alger, Lieut. Gov. Buttars, Secy. of State Conant, Treafurer Butler and Stipt, of Public In8truction Qass. The new Post is the live paper of the northwest. And the Suuday edition is now sent f ree to its regular subecrlbera. The commoii council held a special nin-tlng last Thursday nigbt, and extended lux limo to Match lst. Thora is aootbcr uew ftouring uiill In proipect for ihe city of Ann Arbor, V. K. Aik'8 being tho projector. A dispatch in the dailles from Loiulon, Ont., last Saturday, stated that a lady belotiiriug in Ann Arbor, Mich., named Maflin, was severely injured in the left Bhoulder and Im-ast while at the O. W. R. IÍ. station tbere, by being struck with the clasp of u bell cord drawn swiftly through u Pullman car. If our friend of the Ypsilauti Sentinel will refer to bis own files he will probably tind it recorded therein tliat James Appleyard, of Lansing, built the HW library building; so how dld Ann Arbor people make anvthlng out of it? Or in what wav should they be held regponslble for the fault8 of contractors? The regantl are not Ann Arbor people, either. Frldy the leglslatuie passed a luw, to take iiiiim-diate effect, forbiddiug justices of the peace to seutencc drunka and vags, persons convicted oflarceiiy where the property stolen is valued at less than $.", to the Ionia house of correction. Xow then ourjails will be iilled to overflowinir so let the legitlature go a step further and empovver or conipel each countj' to establish a stono }'ard at the county jail. Idlenew nnd board is just what vags want. Last Friday about thirty-five of Ann Arbor's fast horsemen drore dwn to the iK'ighboriug city of Ypsilunti, and gave thein some fair HUnpln of fast time - completely taking the breath away from the Y pol. equine owners - 90 stated. Those who went down are loud in praife of the elegant supper they had Mrved up lo then) at the Havvkins house. " vValt." just layIng himself out to do a hftndtome tliiug by tluin- and he did it. Alonday was the day fur the ground hog (woodchuck) and bear to come out of thelr hole, obserre their shadow, and go back for a six weeks' longer stay. Hut if tliey canie out that day they tlidn't see their shadow, and were probably mighty glad to get back aSain. It was also caudlenias day, when halt tlvu wheat and half the hay are " foddered oui," the farmers say. But if it tokea as much agaiu 'oal and wood to last throngh as lias jilready been useil, maiiy of us will ueed au extensión to our pursM.