, Pennsylvania, USA
1887 - February 2 – In Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the first Groundhog Day is observed.

THE GROUNDHOG ON TOP
A Cloudy Sky Greets Him This Morning.
He Makes Vain Attempts to See His Shadow -
Historical Ideas Upon the Day.

This may be termed the day of the hog, not that hogs have but one day in the whole year, for modern observation seems to point to the fact that thehog owns every day. This particular day, however, belongs to the groundhog family, and that animal is brought to the memory of city folks only by the day. Away back in the times when the neighborhood about and upon which Pittsburgers now perambulate was a pimeval forest, with only a log hut to be seen in miles of gravel, the hardy backwoodsmen used to wager their most valued possessions upon the veracity of the legend that if the groundhog saw his shadow on Feb. 2, he would retire into his hole and Boreas would blow his blasts for six weeks longer.

One can readily picture those old masters of the Pennsylvania wilderness discussing the question as to whether the groundhog would have his eyesight about him ont his day. In those times people don't seem to have been content with seeing their own shadows, but trust needs see a real live groundhog eyeing the shade his hogship produced, before they would with certainty say that the groundhog had seen his shadow. Men were more truthful in these days than they are now.

The groundhog is a sagacious animal. In many ways he is an improvement upon the hog without the ground, inasmuch as he is said to retire in his hole under certain conditions, thus absenting himself from social environments for six long weeks. There are som hogs in this world without whom the social environment which embraces them would be happier.

The groundhog, however, is essentially a product of solidarity and rural places and not much missed from society. The rapidly advancing civilization is gradually driving him further into the forest, and his species is suffering a diminution which is sad to look upon when one considers what a really respectable sort of hog he is. In fact, a more extended and intimate acquaintance with him would be desirable, but his innate modesty and keen sense of the beauties of seclusion keep him at a distance from all inquisitive or socially inclined persons who attempt to peer into his realm.

Some overpolite Yankee, shocked by the harsh sound of the word hog, undertook to establish the word "woodchuck," but it was a no go. The groundhog of our fathers was good enough for us, and the iconoclastic Yankee has transmitted his word only to college professors and New York dudines.

This day is also one of the festal character, being the feat of the purifications of the Virgin Mary, called Candlemas day. In the old countries where customs of earlier times till prevail, the Catholics celebrate the day by processions in which may vari-colored candles are burned. The day derives the term Candlemas from the fact that upon this day all the candles to be used in the services of the church for the coming year are consecrated. This custom took its inception long before the English church had its existence, and the old English records say that "On Candlemas days it shall be declared that the bearying of candles is done in memore of Christe, the spiritual lyghte whon Simeon dyd propecye, as it is sedde in the churche thoe day."

But Candlemas has nothing to do with the groundhog except that some crank has writte a couplet ignoring the groundhog and substituting "Candlemas cold and clear." Unhappily this little effort has obtained considerable prevalence, much to the derogation of the honor of the groundhog. But Americans stand up for the hog every time, and have paid allegiance to him rather than Candlemas day; so that as the man whose bones are full of rheumatic pangs and who has the most condign respect for all superstitious ideas concerning the weather, comes into his office after an extended walk in the attempt to see his shadow. He greets his clerks with the expression:

"Well the groundhog didn't see his shadow, and we'll have spring right off!"

Such was the exclamation of all those who "feel the weather in their bones," those who do not want to consult the weather bureau. The groundhog is the prince of weather prophets to-day and there is none so mean as not to do him honor. The weather man is in a state of total eclipse and jealousy may tempt him to shatter the hopes of those looking for fair weather by bulletins of a cold wave from the north-west before the sun goes down.

It may be stated right here that the groundhog has been very kind. He didn't see his shadow at sunrise to-day, and has thus obviated the necessity of having any more big conflagrations arising from intensely hot natural gas fires which one is compelled to burn to ward off the chilling winds from the north.

Long may the groundhog live; so say we all, and after his final extermination by bad country bous may his memory exist in the pages of history until his brother, the hog not of the ground, has himself passed off this footstool.

The Pittsburgh Press
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
February 2, 1888

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