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We’ve blamed unseasonable weather on all sorts of things over the years. When I was growing up in the Cold War years of the 1950s there was a persistent rumor that the Soviets were manipulating the weather. Before and since then we’ve pointed fingers at all sorts of other things, sometimes with science to back the claim, sometimes not. It’s been that way for a long time.
When a rare snow storm struck in St. Mary Parish in 1852 at least one senior citizen who had seen much weather blamed the telegraph wires that were beginning to span the continent. Cold weather latched onto the wires in the frigid North and followed them to the balmy South, according to that theory.
If the telegraph companies kept stringing wire, the man feared, Louisiana would get so cold that the bayous would stay frozen and sugar planters would have to move to South America to make a crop.
The report in the Planters’ Banner of January 18, 1852, said that on the Saturday before the snowfall, “the weather was warm, and seemed to indicate the approach of rain,” but that the wind started to blow from the north.
“On Sunday night … considerable cold was experienced, which continued to increase and the following morning ushered in one of the rawest and most disagreeable days ever witnessed in the South,” in the newspaper’s opinion. “The sun had his cheerful face all day, but the atmosphere exhibited a murky appearance very unusual in this latitude, and the whole face of Nature portended that something more than common was about to transpire.”
The snow began to fall in the early afternoon, and “the flakes continuing to fall thick and fast throughout the afternoon and night, exhibited to the waking eyes of the citizens on the following morning a sight that would have done credit to the North — snow to the depth of several inches covered every spot of ground and every roof!”
The “oldest inhabitant,” which newspapers always sought out when unusual things happened, “rubbed his eyes with astonishment and for a time appeared unwilling to admit that even such a body of snow could possibly have fallen in Louisiana.”
At length he exclaimed, according to the newspaper, “Well this beats all! Snow in Louisiana — and such snow! It is all owing to their new-fangled notions — them telegraph wires and their railroad schemes. It is no wonder that we have such weather, when we’ve got up so close to the North, as to speak to them quick as lightning!”
“After a while,” the old-timer speculated, “we’ll have our Mississippi and our bayous so frozen over that our summer heat won’t thaw them before they’re frozen again. And we’ll have to go to South America or some other out-of-the-way place to make our sugar.”
It is entirely possible that the Banner made up the old inhabitant’s remarks and offered them tongue-in-cheek, but maybe not. Sometimes things like that catch on.
It was only a few years later, for instance, that the Donaldsonville Chief reported that people were moving out of low parts of New Orleans and coastal Louisiana because of the prediction that an unusual alignment of the planets was about to cause a huge tidal wave that “would extend some distance inland, carrying destruction and desolation in … vast proportions.”
That forecast was reputedly made by “the celebrated Professor Agassiz,” and persisted even after another professor, Caleb G. Forshey of New Orleans, told newspapers that “no ‘conjunction of the planets’ or combination of causes known to science, can give the remotest guess when an earthquake will occur, or a volcano discharge its lava, at any place on the globe; and nothing short of a considerable upheaval beneath the sea, or a disturbance of its bed, can produce any such wave as is fancied in this absurd prediction.”
“OK.” the fearful said, “maybe you can’t say for sure that it will happen, but neither can you say that it won’t.”
That does sound a bit like some of our modern forecasts of a “fifty percent chance” that it might rain or snow, or that it might not. But at least we’ve moved past blaming the telegraph lines, I think.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, Cajuns and Other Characters, is now available from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

The City of Abbeville released a statement Thursday morning about the water system. The city is not under a water boil advisory.
Below is Thursday morning’s message:
With the help of citizens, the City TEAM has been busy identifying and repairing leaks as pipes begin to thaw. As of 7 AM this morning, February 18, City Water level is increasing.
𝗪𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗢𝗜𝗟 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗬. We have received complaints about discolored water within the City Limits. This is due to low water supply. We are aware of the issue and once we regain a safe water level and pressure is restored we will begin flushing lines. We ask for your patience as we work through this emergency.
Our work is not done, we ask everyone to continue to conserve water. Temperatures will be above freezing throughout the day today. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗲𝘁𝘀. If you turn on your faucet and see the pressure is lower than normal, turn it off immediately and don't let it run!
We also ask that you PLEASE check for busted pipes. If you have busted pipes, you need to cut off water until it is repaired. If you need assistance cutting off water, please call City Hall at 𝟯𝟯𝟳-𝟴𝟵𝟯-𝟴𝟱𝟱𝟬 and we will send someone out to assist.
If you suspect a busted pipe on a public right of way or other property, please notify City Hall of the property address.
We need your help...Please 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥.

March 10, 1935 ~ February 13, 2021

ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 20, 2021 at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Catholic Church honoring the life of Dolores Falgout, 85, who died Saturday, February 13, 2021 at Abbeville General Hospital.
She will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Fr. François Sainte-Marie officiating the services.
Pallbearers will be Toby Falgout, Brandon Falgout, Jeremy Monteaux, Trent Falgout, Grant Falgout, and Aden Monteaux. Honorary pallbearers will be Collin Prejean and Noah Vollmer.
Dolores loved spending time with her family and enjoyed a good bingo game.
Dolores is survived by her sons, Kim Falgout of Abbeville, Kelly Falgout of New Iberia and Shane Falgout of Abbeville; daughters, June Falgout of Maurice, Laurie Falgout of Abbeville and Shannon Vollmer (Clay) of Abbeville; sister, Lula Mae Broussard; seven grandchildren; five great grandchildren; and three step grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Haywood Falgout; parents, Clarence Bergeron and the former Lorna Trahan; and sisters, Audrey Broussard and Jane Ladonna Hebert.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Friday, February 19, 2021 from 12:00 PM until 10:00 PM with a rosary being prayed at 7:00 PM; Saturday, February 20, 2021 from 8:00 AM until 10:45 AM when the procession will depart for church.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Health on Wednesday has confirmed two additional deaths tied to the February 2021 winter storm, bringing the statewide death toll to 3.
A 74-year-old Lafayette Parish woman was found to have died of exposure.
A 77-year-old Calcasieu Parish man died after he slipped and fell into a pool where he drowned.
These deaths have been confirmed by coroners to be storm-related.
Below are details on the 3 deaths LDH has confirmed to date:
50-year-old male, Lafayette Parish, slipped on ice and struck head on ground
74-year-old female, Lafayette Parish, exposure
77-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, slipped into pool and drowned