Editorʼs Notebook

Many folks think our weather is behaving strangely. Some believe global warming is changing weather patterns and attribute global warming to the use of fossil fuels.

A century or so ago the appearance of Halley’s Comet was blamed for undesirable weather.

As a periodic comet it returns to the vicinity of the earth about every 75 years. It is was last here in 1986 and is projected to return in 2061.

The first known observation of Halley’s Comet took place in 230 B.C.

or perhaps 466 B.C.

The comet’s appearance in 1910 was particularly spectacular and that year the comet was captured for the first time on film.

Author Mark Twain said he came in on the comet in 1835 and expected to go out with it, when he died. Twain died on April 21, 1910, one day after the comet emerged from the far side of the sun.

Recently I read a story about the comet first published in the Potter County News of Gettysburg, S.D. While I found the story interesting, the most interesting feature was that it was written by a then resident of the northwest Nuckolls County community of Lawrence. That story which was reprinted 50 years ago in the Lawrence Locomotive was inspired by a request asking readers of the South Dakota newspaper to share their memories of the comet’s 1910 visit.

The following account was sent by Mrs. Alma Kassmeyer, of Lawrence, Nebraska, who wrote:

Dear Mr. Braden—

As I was reading your Back Talk column and remembering about the comet — here are my vivid memories.

It was the first part of March 1910, when my folks, Nicholas Brown, and brother-in-law, George Kassmeyer, moved from Lawrence, Nebraska, to Gettysburg, South Dakota, where my father built the house south of the Lutheran Church in the east part of Gettysburg.

There wasn’t any television or radios to give us the news while we were in Nebraska. The only news we received were from newspapers which were printing that the Halley’s Comet’s tail would circle the earth that year.

When the day came, George Kassmeyer was breaking prairie with a 20 horsepower International tractor and I was drilling flax, which they did in those days in newly broken sod. It was 1 mile east and 1 1/2 to 2 miles north of the Lake’s corner.

The day was nice, clear, warm and wind still.

About 9 a.m., a black cloud came up in the north to northwest, which looked about 30 feet wide and reached from one horizon to the other. The comet traveled very fast and the cloud past over, it would get very windy and cold which made a person really shiver. It only took 4 to 5 minutes for one to pass, and after it passed, it would be nice again. The black clouds would come about every 30 to 40 minutes and there would be about 6 of them in the sky at one time, until they had disappeared into the southeast.

I remember, George and I remarked that Halley’s had a lot of tails, or else a very long one which seemed to wrap itself around the earth many times.

The winter of 1909 and 1910 had left a lot of snow and there was plenty of moisture. After the comet went over, it turned dry and everyone said that Halley’s was to blame for the dryness.

Wheat made 10 bushels per acre that year, and my father said, “If a person always gets 10 bushels per acre, you can make a living.” I don’t think the flax had much moisture, but we did raise some flax. Very few crops were raised during the years of 1911, 1912 and 1913.

In 1911, I married George Kassmeyer’s brother, John, and by 1913, we were practically starved, and both families moved back to Nebraska.

My folks remained in Gettysburg until my father passed away in 1915. Then my mother and brother, Ralph, moved back to Lawrence, Nebraska, and joined us in 1916.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Alma Kassmeyer

———————

While Rita was at cantata practice earlier this week, I decided to make bread machine mix. I had finished filling 13 jars with about 4 cups of dry ingredients and was moving the jars from the table to a top cupboard shelf.

In the process I tested my catching ability. As a youngster, trying to play softball, I seldom was allowed to play a position in which I would likely have to catch a ball. I blamed my poor catching skills on my vision.

Once I was even knocked out while trying to field a ball. I was looking for the ball but never saw it. However, my head stopped its progression.

Back today’s bread mix story. I was impressed to discover how my catching skills have improved with age. I was between table and cupboard when the lid came off a jar of mix. I quickly responded the crisis and didn’t spill a bit of flour on the kitchen floor.

I caught the falling jar with my knees.

Perhaps if I tried to catch the softballs with my knees I would have been a better catcher.