Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1914 — Zero Weather Now On Tap. [ARTICLE]

Zero Weather Now On Tap.

The mercury took a sudden drop Sunday, and Sunday night got down in the vicinity of zero, registering but seven above by thermometers about town. Monday night was also quite cold, and the mercury stood at 16 above at 7 o’clock yesterday morning. There is no snow on the ground, and the earth is frozen up very solidly on top. Owing to the break-up last Thursday and Friday, when the mercury got up to 50 degrees, the roads, which had become quite good, are now very rough again, especially the dirt roads, and it will take several days for them to become smooth again. A few weeks of this zero weather will be greatly appreciated all around. It w’ill make ice for putting up and w’ill dry out the corn w’hich, owing to the continued warm weather since husking, has been too damp for handling and caused many elevators to refuse to handle it at all. It will also advance the price of grain very shortly, as the mild w’eather all over the country has made it unnecessary to feed very much to stock and has therefore had a strong tendency toward lowering grain prices. No doubt a great deal of corn in crib has been damaged to some extent for the same reason, ana will not grade well as a result, but a few weeks of good solid winter weather will put life into all kinds of business and no doubt advance the price of grain somewhat all over the country.