Reading Times -May 13, 1907...transcribed by Neil D. Scheidt Aug 20 2021
DEATH OF ELIAS HARTZ
Goosebone weather prophet passes away at the age of ninety-two years.
Elias Hartz, the veteran goosebone weather prophet, died of the infirmities old age, Friday evening, at the Friends' Asylum, Frankford, Philadelphia, aged 92 years.
Elias Hartz was born near Beckersville, this county, November 5, 1815, and was of Quaker origin. Though not an active member of the denomination, he adhered to the tenets of the church and at all times was a counselor for peace and quiet. Mr. Hartz's wife, who was Lydia Dickinson, died 18 years ago. Of this union there survive one son-William Hartz, living in Philadelphia-four daughters--Mrs. Rachel D. Rank and Mrs. Mary Leeds, of Philadelphia; Mrs, Elizabeth Lively, of this city, and Mrs. Sarah Ann Peters, of Denver, Col. -together with a brother--Moses Hartz, living at Morgantown, this county, who is 85 years of age-and a sister--Mrs. Elizabeth Weiler, of Terre Hill, Lancaster county, who is in her 93d year. Mr. Hartz was known throughout Eastern Pennsylvania as "the Reading goosebone man, " and during the more than 60 years that he made weather predictions, he declared he never failed in his prognostications. He always contended that the goosebone is the instrument provided by nature for the foretelling of the weather and that the government should accept it as the standard. Mr. Hartz often expressed at the predictions of the Weather Bureau at Washington and he never failed to call public attention to the fact when it was wrong in its forecast.
For years the old man was a strong advocate of abolishing the Bureau, on the ground that it is a "useless expense" and based on theories of men who "do not know what they are talking about. Mr. Hartz admitted that the groundhog is a valuable auxiliary, but only for a short period. He never made a prediction until the day after Thanksgiving, when he had for his dinner a goose hatched in the previous spring, The next day he prepared to tell the kind of weather the country was to have during the ensuing winter. Generally he gave a supplemental reading
of the bone about Christmas, and it was about that time last year that he made
his predictions for the two months just Passed. His method was to select a goose
early in the spring and carefully watch it until it graced his table on Thanks-
giving Day. Goosebones from outsiders he would not accept.
Reading's goosebone weather prophet spent many years of his life on a farm.
There he first began to give his neighbors readings from the goosebone which
proved so correct that his reputation as a weather prophet soon extended to
portions of Chester and Lebanon counties. Those were the days when few daily
newspapers circulated in the rural sections, and every fall the people came from a distance to learn from Mr. Hartz about the weather for the coming winter. His reputation later extended all over Eastern Pennsylvania, and upon his removal to Reading he became a national character.
DEATH OF ELIAS HARTZ
Goosebone weather prophet passes away at the age of ninety-two years.
Elias Hartz, the veteran goosebone weather prophet, died of the infirmities old age, Friday evening, at the Friends' Asylum, Frankford, Philadelphia, aged 92 years.
Elias Hartz was born near Beckersville, this county, November 5, 1815, and was of Quaker origin. Though not an active member of the denomination, he adhered to the tenets of the church and at all times was a counselor for peace and quiet. Mr. Hartz's wife, who was Lydia Dickinson, died 18 years ago. Of this union there survive one son-William Hartz, living in Philadelphia-four daughters--Mrs. Rachel D. Rank and Mrs. Mary Leeds, of Philadelphia; Mrs, Elizabeth Lively, of this city, and Mrs. Sarah Ann Peters, of Denver, Col. -together with a brother--Moses Hartz, living at Morgantown, this county, who is 85 years of age-and a sister--Mrs. Elizabeth Weiler, of Terre Hill, Lancaster county, who is in her 93d year. Mr. Hartz was known throughout Eastern Pennsylvania as "the Reading goosebone man, " and during the more than 60 years that he made weather predictions, he declared he never failed in his prognostications. He always contended that the goosebone is the instrument provided by nature for the foretelling of the weather and that the government should accept it as the standard. Mr. Hartz often expressed at the predictions of the Weather Bureau at Washington and he never failed to call public attention to the fact when it was wrong in its forecast.
For years the old man was a strong advocate of abolishing the Bureau, on the ground that it is a "useless expense" and based on theories of men who "do not know what they are talking about. Mr. Hartz admitted that the groundhog is a valuable auxiliary, but only for a short period. He never made a prediction until the day after Thanksgiving, when he had for his dinner a goose hatched in the previous spring, The next day he prepared to tell the kind of weather the country was to have during the ensuing winter. Generally he gave a supplemental reading
of the bone about Christmas, and it was about that time last year that he made
his predictions for the two months just Passed. His method was to select a goose
early in the spring and carefully watch it until it graced his table on Thanks-
giving Day. Goosebones from outsiders he would not accept.
Reading's goosebone weather prophet spent many years of his life on a farm.
There he first began to give his neighbors readings from the goosebone which
proved so correct that his reputation as a weather prophet soon extended to
portions of Chester and Lebanon counties. Those were the days when few daily
newspapers circulated in the rural sections, and every fall the people came from a distance to learn from Mr. Hartz about the weather for the coming winter. His reputation later extended all over Eastern Pennsylvania, and upon his removal to Reading he became a national character.
Reading Times -May 13, 1907...transcribed by Neil D. Scheidt Aug 20 2021
DEATH OF ELIAS HARTZ
Goosebone weather prophet passes away at the age of ninety-two years.
Elias Hartz, the veteran goosebone weather prophet, died of the infirmities old age, Friday evening, at the Friends' Asylum, Frankford, Philadelphia, aged 92 years.
Elias Hartz was born near Beckersville, this county, November 5, 1815, and was of Quaker origin. Though not an active member of the denomination, he adhered to the tenets of the church and at all times was a counselor for peace and quiet. Mr. Hartz's wife, who was Lydia Dickinson, died 18 years ago. Of this union there survive one son-William Hartz, living in Philadelphia-four daughters--Mrs. Rachel D. Rank and Mrs. Mary Leeds, of Philadelphia; Mrs, Elizabeth Lively, of this city, and Mrs. Sarah Ann Peters, of Denver, Col. -together with a brother--Moses Hartz, living at Morgantown, this county, who is 85 years of age-and a sister--Mrs. Elizabeth Weiler, of Terre Hill, Lancaster county, who is in her 93d year. Mr. Hartz was known throughout Eastern Pennsylvania as "the Reading goosebone man, " and during the more than 60 years that he made weather predictions, he declared he never failed in his prognostications. He always contended that the goosebone is the instrument provided by nature for the foretelling of the weather and that the government should accept it as the standard. Mr. Hartz often expressed at the predictions of the Weather Bureau at Washington and he never failed to call public attention to the fact when it was wrong in its forecast.
For years the old man was a strong advocate of abolishing the Bureau, on the ground that it is a "useless expense" and based on theories of men who "do not know what they are talking about. Mr. Hartz admitted that the groundhog is a valuable auxiliary, but only for a short period. He never made a prediction until the day after Thanksgiving, when he had for his dinner a goose hatched in the previous spring, The next day he prepared to tell the kind of weather the country was to have during the ensuing winter. Generally he gave a supplemental reading
of the bone about Christmas, and it was about that time last year that he made
his predictions for the two months just Passed. His method was to select a goose
early in the spring and carefully watch it until it graced his table on Thanks-
giving Day. Goosebones from outsiders he would not accept.
Reading's goosebone weather prophet spent many years of his life on a farm.
There he first began to give his neighbors readings from the goosebone which
proved so correct that his reputation as a weather prophet soon extended to
portions of Chester and Lebanon counties. Those were the days when few daily
newspapers circulated in the rural sections, and every fall the people came from a distance to learn from Mr. Hartz about the weather for the coming winter. His reputation later extended all over Eastern Pennsylvania, and upon his removal to Reading he became a national character.
DEATH OF ELIAS HARTZ
Goosebone weather prophet passes away at the age of ninety-two years.
Elias Hartz, the veteran goosebone weather prophet, died of the infirmities old age, Friday evening, at the Friends' Asylum, Frankford, Philadelphia, aged 92 years.
Elias Hartz was born near Beckersville, this county, November 5, 1815, and was of Quaker origin. Though not an active member of the denomination, he adhered to the tenets of the church and at all times was a counselor for peace and quiet. Mr. Hartz's wife, who was Lydia Dickinson, died 18 years ago. Of this union there survive one son-William Hartz, living in Philadelphia-four daughters--Mrs. Rachel D. Rank and Mrs. Mary Leeds, of Philadelphia; Mrs, Elizabeth Lively, of this city, and Mrs. Sarah Ann Peters, of Denver, Col. -together with a brother--Moses Hartz, living at Morgantown, this county, who is 85 years of age-and a sister--Mrs. Elizabeth Weiler, of Terre Hill, Lancaster county, who is in her 93d year. Mr. Hartz was known throughout Eastern Pennsylvania as "the Reading goosebone man, " and during the more than 60 years that he made weather predictions, he declared he never failed in his prognostications. He always contended that the goosebone is the instrument provided by nature for the foretelling of the weather and that the government should accept it as the standard. Mr. Hartz often expressed at the predictions of the Weather Bureau at Washington and he never failed to call public attention to the fact when it was wrong in its forecast.
For years the old man was a strong advocate of abolishing the Bureau, on the ground that it is a "useless expense" and based on theories of men who "do not know what they are talking about. Mr. Hartz admitted that the groundhog is a valuable auxiliary, but only for a short period. He never made a prediction until the day after Thanksgiving, when he had for his dinner a goose hatched in the previous spring, The next day he prepared to tell the kind of weather the country was to have during the ensuing winter. Generally he gave a supplemental reading
of the bone about Christmas, and it was about that time last year that he made
his predictions for the two months just Passed. His method was to select a goose
early in the spring and carefully watch it until it graced his table on Thanks-
giving Day. Goosebones from outsiders he would not accept.
Reading's goosebone weather prophet spent many years of his life on a farm.
There he first began to give his neighbors readings from the goosebone which
proved so correct that his reputation as a weather prophet soon extended to
portions of Chester and Lebanon counties. Those were the days when few daily
newspapers circulated in the rural sections, and every fall the people came from a distance to learn from Mr. Hartz about the weather for the coming winter. His reputation later extended all over Eastern Pennsylvania, and upon his removal to Reading he became a national character.
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