Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-01-22

PHILOSOPHY R-IRRT TANT
81 Sec" said Mrs. Spoopendyke,
as she laid the paper down, II see
that we are 10 have rising, follow
ed by falling barometer, with
northeast TO southeast winds, and
higher or lower temperature, with
clear, or partly cloudy weather and
light rains. How is 1t they con-
trive to tell so accurately about
the weather? Do you understand
it?u
"Certainly" replied Mr.. Spoop-
endyke. "They do it by observa-
ton. They have man out West
observing, and man down East
who observes. and fellows observ-
ing around in different parts of
the country. They put all their
observations together, and we
know just what its going to do"
~ suppose that's what makes
the wind so different every morn
ing when one mans temperature
is rising, another's is falling, and
when one is clear ali the rest are
partly cloudy, with"
mo, they amt. Each observer
sends in what he observes, and
then the chief makes up his mind
from those reports what the
weather will be. Can't you under
stand ?"
Perfectly" said Mrs. Spoop-
endyke, rubbing her elbows. "If
one sees the barometer rising and
another sees it falling, and it's
cold in one place and cloudy in an
other, they all say so. But l
should think when one hits it
right the others would be awful
mad"
"What would they get mad
about ?" demanded Mr.. Spoopen-
dyke. "You don't imagine that
they all get together and fight it
out, do you? They take the
weather from different points and
combine it, and then they parcel
it out among the different regions.
For instance, If it SHOWS in the
East and is warm in the West,
they strike an average for the
Lake region. Now, what is the
average between heat and snow ?"
RAIN" cried Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke, delighted with her sagacity.
"I see how it ia now. They take
what is usually going on and
equaIize it all over the country.
Pm glad the Democrats weren't
elected"
"What have they got to do with
it? Do you think barometer is
a politician ?'
mo. But If the Democrats had
been elected they would have had
to change it all around, wouldn't
they? And the South would have
got the best share. That's what
the Repub-"
"Dod CAST the Republicans
They've got no more TO do with it
than you have. You've got an
idea that they throw the barome-
tiers ana observers into one end of
a steam engine and the weather
comes out the other. They don't
make weather. The weather
makes itself. It's the only self
supporting thing about the Gov
eminent. And these signal men
only watch it and tell what it's 60
ing to be-"
II suppose when these observ-
ers all get together and talk it
over, that is called storm centre,
isn't it?
THAT'S it shouted Mr.. Spoop-
endyke you've got the weather
now. All you want is your name
painted on the handle and the
spring broken, to be an umbrella.
They don't talk it over; they tell
what they know, and it's fixed up
in Washington. They agree on it
here, and then telegraph it all over
the country. A storm-centre trav-
els around everywhere. It's gen
orally made in Manitoba and then
sent down here.'
"How wide is it?' asked Mrs.
Spoopcndyke, deeply interested.
because, if it isn't too big, |
should think they might stop it,"
wide? It's about a feet wide
Just feet. Just about as wide as
your measly information. How're
they going to stop it? S'pose it
travels on q railroad train? Think
it jaws the sleeping-car conductor
because there's only an upper birth
left? Well, it don't. 1t hires a
horse !" howled Mr.. SpoopeEdyke,
land the only way to stop it is to
build q fence around it. There
was some talk about burning the
last one, but the wood was wet.'
SWELL, my dear, you needn't get
angry about it," said Mrs. Spoop-
endyke soothingly. II only
thought there might be some way
they could make some arrange
ment about it. think storm CEN
IL L.