The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-08-28
wby Does pIuvius Frown.


red regions of the Rockies, parches
nd dries vegetation beneath the gen.
le skies of California. But especially
S the drouth severe in Texas, and
We are thus led to reflect why Pluvius
rowns and denies us rain. Any
lumber of natural causes appear to
,xist to put an end to the drouth, and
yet it hangs on, extending it's blight
ng influences, bringing on the sere
md yellow leaf at a season when veg
citation should be clothed in richest
green. Clouds float amid azure skies,
out they deign not to contribute
Joyous, sparkling rain; they float and
Iloat in tantalizing proximity to earth,
scorning it, lending none
Of their moisture. Humboldt teaches
us that atmospheric conditions, now |
continuously prevailing, promise rain,
and yet it does not come; this deep |
azure contains in it hopeful promise,
these CYRUS clouds, that every few
days mantle the skies In beauty, are
one of sciences weather. cocks, promis-
ing rainfall; these changing winds, the
yellow sunsets, all give promise of the
hoped for atmospheric change, and yet
hope languishes in despair. DEPOSIT
ton of moisture depends upon cooling
of the atmosphere, and we know that
cool currents, lately prevailing in the
cloud regions. have failed to bring abont
that result which all animated nature
Graves. Ham tells us that the ascent
of dry air to higher attitudes must,
by reason of expansion under the
lower pressure there prevailing, be
attended with dimInution of temper
allure 6f nearly one degree in say one
hundred metres of ascent. Most as
suredly we have enough dry air, and
the ascent of so vast volume over
so great space would result, at the
above ratio of decreasing tempera-
ture, in the production of all the
cool air necessary to produce
deposition of moisture from the
clouds. Science does not encourage
the idea that electricity is necessary
factor in rain production. The elect
rical displays, so frequently occurring
preceding and during rain, are believ-
ed to be nothing more than the result
OF friction of currents and clouds.
oultry atmosphere is one of the surest
pecursers of rainfall, due to the con-
ditions which prevail in the upper air
stratas during the formation Of
rain reservoirs, and sultry con-
dit1ons of the atmosphere near
the earth's surface have been
by no means uncommon for many
weeks past. But that call signs fail
in dry weather" is singularly wise
proverb. 1t signifies utter disrespect
for scientific theories, and we are
forced to say they are by no means to
be depended upon in this portion of
our sublinary sphere. In the valley
of the Amazon, in the Malay PENN
sula. at Cherrapongee, Bombay, in
Honduras, and in many other portions
of the globe, these conditions that
science has defined invariably have
that sequence which it teaches; but
In Texas nature seems tc
laugh at all learned theories, to
defy the doctrines of science
General Sheridan once reflected in q
very uncomplimentary manner upon
our beloved state, but it ought to be
borne in mind that he derived his i'm
pressions of Texas from sojourn al
San Antonio and westward during &
dry season. Such season is calculat
ed to remind one of the near approach
to internal abodeS. Earth, air and the
absence of water continue to create
for the time at least, striking sem
blance to that which such human be
ings as Little Phil. may expect in the
hereafter. But why is it that we are
!, so plagued with Grouth. 1t is to be
hoped Providence has no special ven.
geance in decreeing that rain shall
not descend upon us; our politi-
cal condition, we do hope
has not grown so bad as to merit re-
tribution. There has been good as well
as bad in the administration of public
affairs, but we are not convinced that
the latter preponderate5 in ratio
great enough to merit this as pun
| i5hment. We are at a loss to know
how to account for it; natural
causes, as we see, do not induce it, and
human acts, we do hope, have not led
to it. vengeance is Mine," and is
this His vengeance. Last year Satan
was Embossed for time in Texas
His coming was evinced in the dry
lug up of streams and water
holes, in the parched condition
of grazing fields, and then
he was embodied in cline riders
and 'fence cutters" Did anybody at
tribute his presence in Texas to politi-
cal conditionsr Does nature shrink
before the arch demon, and does
drouth and water famine depend
upon his. presenceP Have the people
committed sins, political or otherwise
that leads to the demons presence in
1884 as well as in 1883. Especially is
the drouth severe in southwestern
Texas; in the lower Rio Grande re-
gion it is fearful. Laredo is in the
midst of a burnt up region.
Can it be that the conduct of a land
fraud board produces any remote
cause of anything like a satanic pres
ence there? Good spirits ought to be
operative more than bad ones. The
effort of the people of Texas ip. l5y1nalf
of humanity ought to score FOR the
state higher provldent1al cohsidera-
ton. Natural causes do not control.
and hence providential must. Does
Providence frown wheH the people
do not execute decrees4 Is rain held
from the just because of the
unjust? Are Jsered fields of
cotton and parched up, plains
of grass visitations of evil, that in de-
basement a Raonla NAV no unliftad .