Volume 18 , Issue 5

1887 - Ground Hog Day

It was in the Staunton Spectator, Staunton, Virginia, 9 February 1887, Wednesday, page 3, we found this interesting article concerning the groundhog not finding his shadow, February 2nd, 1887: "Ground Hog Day."

Found on Newspapers.com

The below quote appeared in the Vindicator on Friday morning, and on the next morning - Saturday - the ground was covered with snow and the weather was of quite a wintry character:

"The believer in the ground hog, and what Virginian is not, will be glad to know that on Wednesday last, Feb. 2d (1887) the day that that hog has for centuries fixed upon for forecasting the end of bad weather - he did not see his shadow. He walked about, made some calls, looked sternly in the office window of a certain skeptical newspaper, and putting on his glasses, looked carefully for his shadow. Not perceiving it, he opened his Weather Record and made this entry: 'The winter has broken - a good crop this year.' By sundown he had sold his overcoat, given away his Arctics and umbrella, bought a fan and linen duster, and was back in his hole. _- Vindicator, Feb. 4 (1887)"

The prophet of the weather, the imprudent groundhog, with his shivering body covered with snow, and his teeth chattering with cold, called at the office of the newspaper's credulous neighbor, and, addressing him, said, "I have no use for a fan and linen duster, but sadly need an overcoat, arctics, and umbrella - in fact, I feel that I have made a fool of myself. My dear disciple, how do you feel? Ditto, eh? Well, it is mortifying to be so deceived, but a frank confession is good for the sol. I implore you not again to be guilty of the realness of publishing such a paragraph as you did yesterday - Friday morning."

The credulous disciple pledged that he would not, saying that, if he did, "he hoped his right hand might forget its cunning, and his tongue cling to the roof of his mouth." The groundhog, seemingly to be satisfied with this pledge, put on his overcoat and arctics, picked up his umbrella, and took his leave, saying, "I will now hie to my hibernate home and there remain till the winter is past; the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. Au devoir. Ta-ta."

The Weather - The Groundhog
The snow and wintry weather a few days after groundhog day was a great disappointment to those who were expecting good weather on the faith of that weather prophet, but the mild weather for the past several days had encouraged them to hope that his prophecy may be, at least, partially verified.

"Disappointments sink the heart of man, but the renewal of hope gives consolation." What was to be the character of the weather during next six weeks remained to be seen. If the present mild weather should continue for six weeks, then we may score one for the groundhog, notwithstanding he had been early frozen to death three days after his prophecy on the 2nd instant. It was too soon yet for him and his disciples to boast. It was not wise to "halloo before getting out of the woods." He had missed it for so many years that it was about time he was hitting it, else his disciples would lose faith. As it was easy for them to believe what they wish to believe, once in four years would suffice for them.
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