50 



Dubuque, Iowa. — December 2. — Hazy and dark smoke fog. 3d, very dense 

 smoke fog all day, which with the clouds rendered the nse of artificial light ne- 

 cessary long before sunset. 13th, river closed Avith ice this morning. 



Muscatine, Iowa. — December 5. — The last steamboat passed down to-day. 

 11th, the fen-y-boat stopped running to-day. 12th, river full of ice. 13th, 

 river frozen over. 14th, a horse and wagon crossed on the ice. 



loica Falls, Iowa. — December 3. — Geese going south. 13th, crossing the 

 river on the ice. 



Manchester, Iowa. — December 12. — The Maquokata frozen over. 



Independence, Iowa. — December 13. — Loadecf teams cross the creek on the 

 ice. 



Waterloo, Iowa. — December 31. — There has been less wind this fall and 

 winter than has been usual in the same time of the year for the past eight years. 



Des Moines, Iowa. — On the 11th, from being very mild and pleasant during 

 the fore part of the day, the wind veered to the northwest, and a driving snow- 

 storm, with a furious wind, continued all night. The wind blew until the next 

 evening. On the morning of the 20th it commenced snowing, and continued 

 until afternoon, about six inches of snow falling, without wind. 3l3t, the latter 

 part of the month has been exceedingly beautiful ; the sky, for the most part, 

 clear, the weather mild, and the streets dry and dusty. The health of this re- 

 gion is almost perfect. On the 21st a man froze to death while driving his team. 



Clinton, Iowa. — December 4. — Ice moving. 7th, ferry-boats went into winter 

 harbor; ice jammed at the bridge. 31st, the whole month has been a very fine 

 one for winter, with but few cold days, and but little rain or snow. 



Atchison, Kansas. — December 13. — The Missouri river closed at this point 

 last night. 31st, teams commenced crossing the Missouri river at this point on 

 the ice on the 14th, and have been crossing daily ever since. 



Fort Riley, Kansas. — December 10. — River closing. 11th, river closed. 



Bellevue, Nebraska. — The month has been the coldest December in some 

 years. 



Elkhorn City, Nebraska. — The month has been cold and dry ; the coldest 

 December, but one, in eight years. 



Great Salt Lake City, Utah. — Thirty inches of snow fell during the month, 

 which is more than has fallen in this valley in December for the last nineteen 

 years. 



O 



