49 



Canton, Missouri. — Very smoky on the Ist and 2d ; two inches of snow fell on 

 the 6th, and two inches and a quarter on the 20th ; sleighing from the 7th to the 

 10th, and from the 21st to the 24th. 



Milwaukee, Wisconsin. — December 8. — Milwaukee river closed with ice this 

 morning. 



Delavan, Wisconsin. — The month has been very dry ; cisterns all empty. 



Manitowoc, Wisconsin. — December 6. — Manitowoc river closed. 



OdanaJi, Wisconsin. — Rivers closed on the first of December. 



Weyauwega, Wisconsin. — December 30. — The ground in this vicinity is 

 frozen to the depth of from twelve to fifteen inches. The extremely cold weather 

 about the, 15th instant, with little or no snow on the ground, allowed the frost 

 to penetrate to a great depth. There has been no sleighing of any account yet. 

 The fall of two inches and three-quarters on the 18th, produced a kind of slip- 

 ping for a day or two, as the ground was very hard, but it soon wore out. 



Waupacca, Wisconsin. — December 3 1 . — The winter has been remarkably mild 

 thus far ; more so than for the last ten years ; no sleighing as yet. There have 

 been several light falls of snow, but it melted away very soon. There were 

 no late fall rains. Streams are low, streets dusty, and ground frozen quite hard. 



Embarrass, Wisconsin. — December 13. — At thirty minutes past twelve m., 

 felt what is supposed to have been a slight shock of an earthquake, being a 

 rumbling noise with a quivering prolonged shake, very perceptible, lasting nearly 

 a miuule, making the windows rattle, &c.; then, after a minute and a half, 

 another quaking, lasting some twenty minutes. 19th, Wolf and Embarrass rivers 

 frozen over. 31st, the weather during the month was very pleasant. No 

 sleighing worth mentioning. 



Barahoo, Wisconsin. — The month has been the dryest and has ^had the 

 most even temperature of any December in the State for thirty years. ' But 

 little snow ; good wheeling. Ground frozen quite hard, not unusually deep. 

 Ice in the lakes and ponds about eight inches thick. The ground in places 

 cracked; cracks ten to seventy-five feet in length, and from one-eighth to three- 

 quarters of an inch in width. 



Boivles Creek, Minnesota. — Lakes closed on the 1st of December; naviga- 

 tion on river closed on the 5th. 



Afton, Minnesota. — December 2. — Navigation closed on Lake St. Croix. 

 6th, teams crossing on the ice twelve miles above this place. 13th, first sleigh- 

 ing of the season. 



St. Paul, Minnesota. — December 4. — The Mississippi closed here. 



New Ulm, Minnesota. — December 6. — River frozen. 8th. teams crossing on 

 the ice. I2th, snow drifted all day, making roads impassable; no teams out, 

 and men only on the most necessary business. The thermometer was below 

 zero on twelve days. 



Sibley, Minnesota. — Six inches of snow fell from the 10th to the 12th. On 

 the 11th a wind arose and blew a gale till the night of the 13th. The ther- 

 mometer fell to 18 degrees below zero. The air was so full of snow that ob- 

 jects could not be seen at ten feet distance ; the buildings, houses, barns, sheds, 

 &c., were blocked in, and in some cases filled with snow. Some neighbors had 

 to creep out of the chamber window. The observer lost eleven sheep snowed 

 under. He found two sheep and two chickens six days afterwards in a snow- 

 bank four feet under, which as soon as they were taken out went to eating, and 

 are now, December 31, well and hearty. Some had cattle snowed under, and 

 a good many persons were frost-bitten, some severely. The thermometer was 

 below zero on twelve days in December. 



Beaver Bay, Minnesota. — December 31. — No ice yet on this bay or Lake 

 Superior ; small boats and canoes are coasting up and down the shore. When- 

 ever the thermometer is below zero a dense vapor rises from Lake Superior. 

 The snow in the woods is about sixteen inches deep. 

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