Today in Johnson City History, Saturday, December 7, 2024
Welcome to our new sponsor, “Our Southern Memories”, a delightful magazine with subscription information below. Weather lore and a new book by Samuel Cole Williams, too
I’ve always been fascinated by weather lore; some of my fondest childhood memories are of my grandparents talking about such. When I found the item below, I thought, “I’ve got to use this!” What is some weather lore that you know and follow?
Thursday, December 7, 1899: One hundred twenty-five years ago today, the following items regarding weather lore appeared in The Comet; they were originally published in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. “Thunder on Sunday is considered by the weatherwise the sign of death of a great man; on Monday, the death of a woman; on Tuesday, if in early summer, it foretells an abundance of sheep and corn the farmer may reckon upon; on Friday, some great mam will be murdered; on Saturday, a general pestilence and great mortality.
“Friday’s weather shows what may be expected the following Sunday; that is, if it rains on Friday noon then it will rain on Sunday, but if Friday be clear then Sunday will be fine as well.
“The twelve days immediately following Christmas denotes the weather for the coming twelve months, one day for a month. The day of the month the first snowstorm appears indicates the number of snowstorms the winter will bring. For example, the first snowstorm comes on Nov. 29, look out, then, for twenty-nine snowstorms.
“There is an old saying – which originated, perhaps, for the benefit of the school children – that there is only one Saturday in the year without sun during some portions of the day.
“A gale moderating at sunset will increase before midnight, but if it moderates after midnight the weather will improve.
“No weather is ill, if the wind is still.
“In (sic for If) the full moon shall rise red, expect wind.
“The sharper the blast the sooner it is past.
“If the ice on the tree melts and runs off rain will come next; while if the wind cracks off the ice snow will follow.
“When the leaves of the tree show their under side there will be rain.
“When the perfume of flowers or the odor of fruit is unusually notices, rain may be expected.
“If pigs are restless there will be windy weather.
“Flocks of cows signify a cold summer.
“When the swallow flies low rain will come soon; when they fly high expect fine weather.
“If the rooster crows at night he will ‘get up with a wet head.’
“Six weeks from the time the first katydid is heard there will be frost.”
The St. Louis Globe-Democrat was a newspaper published in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1852 until 1986.
Sunday, December 7, 1924: A century ago today, the Johnson City Chronicle combined with the Johnson City Staff-News reported news about a book by Judge S. C. Williams. Readers learned that “This extremely valuable work will be of paramount importance, likewise of paramount interest, especially to the people of Tennessee. That, however, is not to quantify its importance ot (sic for to) other Southern states; which are necessarily interwoven with the story of the State of Franklin. More than this, it is a romantic and heroic chapter in the history of the country and its government. It is the work of Samuel Cole Williams, formerly Justice of the Supreme Court of Tennessee. The story covers entirely and superbly the famous movement for the establishment of a separate state made by settlers near the head-waters of the Tennessee not long after the end of the American Revolution. Judge Williams has dedicated his great work to Matthew Marshall Neil, former Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court. ‘In recognition,’ he affirms, ‘of his large and valuable contribution t (sic) ofhe (sic for of the) jurisprudence of Tennessee and also in appreciation of the comradeship of years spent in joint service.’
“Judge Williams is perhaps more thoroughly qualified to have produced an authentic and elaborate story of the last state than any man living; although much has already been written, and by able men of their day and time. To each of these, he has given credit, and from them has often quoted in this, his own, story. For more than a generation, Judge Williams has lived in Washington county (sic for County), which was the capital county of the State of Franklin; a section of the present Tennessee to which still clings, and must always cling, the charm of that heroic enterprise on the part of a heroic people.
“The author of the book admits that compiling the matter and completing the full story of the State of Franklin has been his ‘hobby’; and a magnificent ‘hobby’ it is. It was after retiring from public service, in 1918, that the opportunity was presented to carry out his earlier plans for utilizing data (indecipherable) through years of research and observation for the story of certain periods in the history of Tennessee; the books to be produced in separate volume from time to time, each volume covering its own particular period or era. The ‘History of the Lost State of Franklin’ is the first of these volumes. This volume, the author states, was chosen first, although the plan covers the discussion of an anterior era, under the title ‘The Dawn Period of Tennessee.’ A volume to follow next will be ‘Early Travels in Tennessee.’
“It would not be possible to give even an approximately fair notice to this book in the space accessible, but merely will this be in direct attention to the work, and its great value to the records of the state and the country.
“Judge Williams has begun squarely at the beginning; that tragic struggle for Control of the West, and has followed it, naturally, with the ‘Genesis of the Franklin Movement’, the causes leading to it, the isolation of the people, and their exposure to danger, without protection of either government or state, and other gigantic forces out of which grew the necessary for self-protection, which meant self-preservation, but the people to form a state and protect themselves.
“The First Cession Act, and the Second Cession Act, should be reread after the reader shall have absorbed the events between these chapters in the regular order of their appearance; since it is out of these things came the strenuous appeal of the Second Cession. Along the chapters between the two Cession Acts - among other matters of equal importance and equally affecting the life of the people of Franklin - are:
“The Movement for a Separate Government in the West, 1784; the Repeal of the Cession Act; the First Constitutional Convention, 1784; the Franklin Movement in Virginia; the First General Assembly, 1785; Manifesto and Countert (sic) Mainifesto (sic for Manifesto), 1785; Franklin’s Cause Before Congress, 1785; Second Cession of the Assembly, 1785; Second Constitutional Convention, 1785.
“Follows here a bit of Clear (sic for clear) Sailing (sic for sailing) during which time the State of Frankling (sic for Franklin) continued to exercise the powers of sovereignty over her territory for the first half of the year 1786, ‘without a scismatic (sic) outbreak of importance among the inhabitants.’ Following this, come the negotiation of the Treaty of Hopewell in South Carolina - by commissioners appointed under authority of the Congress of the Confederation - with the Cherokee; which treaty was a departure. This is one of the especially vital chapter in this absorbing history, containing as it does the relations between the Indians and the colonies, and the inevitable protest of the Cherokees when the national agents began to take action regarding certain Cherokeelands. The borders of the State of Franklin became contracted, and alarming results grew out of the matter.
“The storm clouds began gathering about the new State of Franklin; she sent a Commission to Carolina. The effect of Spain in the closure of the Mississippi, and other factors working for a continued separation are recorded with masterly precision and force. Also the futile efforts to compromise; tragic and vain appeals the defeat of the proposed compromise, resulting in violence; the Sevier - Tipton skirmish in 1788, the arrest of Sevier, Spanish intrigue and the final end of the struggle. These are but a suggestion fo the matters of historic value with which the author has filled the pages of his book.
“It is a wonderful continuous study clearly told, and without a break or dropped stitch in it. Indeed it reads more like a romance of those far first days, than a bare, plain fact of history. But after all, where is there say finer romance than the ‘true story’ of the ’Lost State of Franklin?’
“The crux of Judge Williams’ story is, however, at the close of it, where he points out, and with proofs to substantiate the claim, the Survival of the Conception and Spirit of the Franklin movement and the quality of the people behind it.
“’The concept of Franklin as a state did not die,’ he stated and follows with the several efforts for a revival of the plan; one of the notable proponents of a new state being Andrew Johnson, at that time a member of the state senate.
“It is (if the impression is not at fault) and has been for many years a political hope, the framing of a ne (sic for new) wstate (sic for state) of Tennessee. It might be well, however, to consider the political color of that end of the state; and likekwice (sic for likewise) which of the two great political parties is the one usually most actively in favor of such partition. Andrew Johnson’s party is still the party most prominently represented in taht (sic for that) section of Tennessee. This merely by the way, in passing.
“At the end of his story, Judge Williams has entered a gallant plea for the men of Franklin. He has given the list of those signers of the petition sent to the North Carolina Assembly; and he has called attention to their descendants and the service of these to their state and country. And inspiring reading it is; brilliant names, with brilliant service to speak for the red blood of he Franklinites. The names of men who have reached the heights. . . men in every profession, but never in the rear; such men as the late Bishop Hoss, a clear and close descendant of John Sevier, of Campbell, in whose honor a county of the state was named; of William Cocke, of Ramsey the historian, of the Houstons, of the Taylors, the Turneys, the Wears, the Andersons, and many others, whose names are household words, and whose forbears were not afraid to fight for that they believed to be of right and justice.
“The appendix to the volume includes the Constitution of the State of Franklin, the Declaration of Rights made by representatives of the Freemen of the state, the Constitution and government of the state, framed by representatives in convention at Jonesborough in December, 1784.
“In appearance the volume is an exceedingly handsome one.”
The book was published by The Watauga Press in Johnson City. The price was $4.50.According to www.in2013dollars.com, that amount of money has the current purchasing power of about $83.07.
Thank you to Richard Burns, editor of “Our Southern Memories” for sponsoring today’s edition of “Today in Johnson City History”! Let’s learn more about “Our Southern Memories”, which would be a delightful Christmas gift, especially for someone who has nearly everything.
Richard Burns says, “Our Southern Memories is an almost 20-year-old bi-monthly journal of readers' memories of growing up in our South. It is 100% reader written, and is non-political. So far 359 different writers have been published within its pages. Writers have included three federal judges and, to balance it out in social status, three prisoners. In between, there is every occupation you can imagine: housewives, police, PhD’s. clergy, attorneys, MDs, airline pilots, etc. You can become writer #360! The deadline for the next issue is Jan. 15th. Contact Editor Burns at oxfordsoandso@yahoo.com
Since this column focuses on history, here’s the history of “Our Southern Memories”, which started out in early 2005 as ”Southern Owned and Southern Operated”. Readers quickly dubbed it "SO & SO" and, since it was published out of Oxford, Mississippi, it was re-named Oxford SO & SO. For the next 13 years it carried that name.
Then in 2018, in a deal with Ole Miss taking over publication, it was re-named Southern SO & SO. Then, due to totally unrelated college politics, the deal fell through, and this journal was a victim of collateral damage. In 2019 it was re-named as ”Our Southern
Memories” and has been published out of Johnson City, TN with a P.O. Box 64, Mountain Home, TN 37684 address for the last four years. (I chose a Mountain Home, TN address as I knew I could get a 2 digit box number as opposed to probably a 5 digit box number at the Johnson City post office.)
The same genre is still published from writers scattered all over our Southern states, and some folks from other states. Your writing is welcomed. Locally, writers have come from Johnson City, Erwin, Bristol, Piney Flats, Kingsport and others communities.
Through January 1st subscription rates are only $20 for the next 6 bi-monthly issues, with all issues containing at least 40 pages! There is absolutely no advertising; each issue is filled with the writing of contributors. (In 2024 the six issues published averaged 45.3 pages per issue.)
Mention this advertisement, and a sample copy is only $3.00
Thomas Richard Burns, Editor, Our Southern Memories.
To subscribe, click on this link:
https://www.todayinjohnsoncityhistory.com/subscribe
Truly, it takes several people to put together something like you’ve just read. I express profound appreciation to Heidi Dulebohn and Stephanie McClellan Houk for their thoughts and encouragement.
Grateful appreciation is expressed to Collin Brooks for his social media expertise. If you need assistance with your social medial needs, call him at 423-735-8755.
Will Riddle, owner of Riddle Technology Services, can help you with all your computer and computer-related needs. He’s the best! Call him at 423-480-4024.