Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-24
CITY AND DISTRICT.
OUR O'CLOCK RAIN STORMS.
Singular Meteorological Facts Re.
corded in the Journal of Old DE.
partmsnt Clerk.

There has always been a theory among de.
partment clerks that in this locality, for some
unknown meteorological reason "a rain storm
generally comes up about the time that the
labor of the day ceases in the government
departments and the employees want to go
home. While this belief is very general, yet as
rule It does not seem to- be based upon any
thing more tangible than Impressions and
vague recollectons. There are any number OF
department employees who, with um brellas and
Kossatners at home, look out ruefuily upon a
splashing rain and remark: 1T always rains
At four o'clock This comment meets with
general assent, although no statistics are pro-
duced In its support. The signal service might
throw some light upon this question and
determine by "A series of observations the truth
or falsity of this theory II ii could be estab-
hshed that there were special meteorological
conditions for this locality which produced rains
with greater frequency at time in the
day than at another. then some valuable de-
auctions could be made either i'm support of the
belief which SO generally prevails IN special
proyidsncs,, or as tn tue typographical or o her
natural conditions which produce this pheno-
mena. Is might be argued that rains at such a
time were productive of good-not alone to- the
street car compsnies-for the reason that EN-
ployes are Obliged to hasten home at once, and
In this way are removed from the temptations
tospend money, which a stroll along the avenue
ana the other streets is calculated present.
Or in the superstition that the clerks were pre-
vented from going home at once. for experience
shows that both results follow u rain, IL Nigh It
be urged that the special design was 10 allow
~,
presence in the domestic circle OF d husband or
"a roOmer sometimes dtsturbs.
whatever information might be gained in
this way would OF course valuable it
would be official, but in the absence o! official
facts the journal kept by an old department
clerk, running through great number OF
years, when the condition OF weather at that
Time in the day has been noted, is OF interest
The old gent leman had never thought OF basing
any deduction upon these facts which he
had kept record of until it was suggested IN
the course OF a conversation with a. STAR re-
N nd hn at vr.aAd 4NEF N.
Journal and ascertain what it would show as 10
the proportion OF rain storms at that time in
the day. The STAR man Intimaied that his
record of the earlier years might be vitiated by
the tact that the topography oi the vicinity
had been greatly modified in the improve
ments that had taken place in the growth OF
the city. He, however, responded with consid-
cradle warmth that he was not here when
washington and l. Enfint laid out the city, or
when Jefferson rode To the Capitol unattended,
and tying bis horse TO the lence, entered tue
building and was InauS urated as President OF
the United States. The STAR man. however,
did not learn from his lips exactly when he did
enter the service of the government.
For you KNOW, hc remarked eonfidentially
afterwards, 1T would not do Tor you to mention
my name in this connection, because ii would
only call attention to the length OF my service,
and in these days. when there is nothing else
against man, he Is discharged ON the ground
that be has been feeding at the public crib long
enough and he ought to give place 10 some one
else. serving your country in this way 5 very
much like dying: the good patriot like the
Christian is perfectly willing to die, but he is
never exactly ready
The old man stated that he went over his
journal and found a large number of such en-
tries: Went home i'll the rain For
got my umbrella and came home ill the rain.
Raining very hard at four o'clock. stayed
In the Office and finished up some work. He
was good natured enough In reply To rather
sarcastic inquiry To say that the latter entry
occurred at very infreq uent intervals. Some
years averaged more than others, but the pro-
portion OF raIpy days much greater in
summer than in winter. Taking average
for a number OF years he found that nearly
seven-eighths OF the rain storms mentioned
cured In the afternoon about the time the
departments closed.
Concerning Birds and Caterpiliars.
To the Editor of III EVENING STAR:
As there seems to be u variety of opinion re-
garding the sparrow-caterpiIIar question, it
would be we'll TO know what those who study
the habits OF birds think ON this subject.
Ornithoiosists Seem 10 be very quiet ON the
sparrow question, evidently thinking that song
birds could hold their own against the pugIa-
cious sparrow il their numbers were not ter
ribiy decreased by the wanton cruelty of tine
human race. Inc writer OF that excel ent letter
in saturday STAR, signed a Bird Lover who
gives description OF the numerous birds on his
country place. the absence OF sp;trrows, etc. is
evidently OF this opinion. To prove the useful
Dess vi birds We will quote PROT Fish, of Buf-
falo. In an address before the Field club, he
says; --....--
small insects destroyed in one day in a small
area by warblers, swallows and hy-cttchers
alone is beyond computation. From daylight
yll dark all through the summer months these
plEIS wage lEceS-aDt war the enemies
man. The wood-peekers, nut-hatcherS, titnlice
and creepers occupy most OF their time in
clearing the trees oI larva- grubs, cucoons and
Insect eggs. The wrens and warOieTS are the
ScavenSers for the leaves and branches; the
tnrushes. starlings and some of the Inches at
tend principally to the ground worm whose
great numbe often makes IN my branches of
industry prec@riOus. lite cuckoo, orioles and
some species of sparrow thin oil tue caterpil-
lars, cauker worms and many other destruc-
tive insects 1t seems that the benefits con-
ferred on mankind by these birds would entitle
them TO decent treatment, but they perse-
cuted as though their destruction were
dinaI virtue They are shot, trapped and bird
I,ns Killed ior pium;.se, ior pastime TOR
birds OF bright pIumage fare the worst. The
seariei tanAsers Ior instance, are gradu-
decisive measures are soon taken.
for their protection they y.ili disappear alto
gether. They are hardy and psl,iIfic; were they
not pursued by fendish cruelty they might be-
come as numerous as sparrOwS. The tanaser is
nne singer ana insect destroyer and entirely
harmless"
Imagine Washington's beautiful trees with
birds OF varied hue and song fitting among the
branches. II would he so C.eiis htiuI that people
would not leave III IN summer, except those
ultra fashIOnabies VINO nothing for the
beauties OF p&tUre. AID there is no reason why
those bifds should not lnhs.oit the trees of
ashington !! they were not destroyed by the
human race-by bau boys. snotguus and tram ps.
According To Prot. EIsu there even SPAR
rows thai cal an occasional caterpillar but this
Is not the Elgi}>a sparrow. Woodpechers,
nut-natchers tIIm!ce and creepers clear tne
trees oi iarvae, grGOs. cocoous and insect eggs.
Therefore II the birds could be allowed 10 live
In W aSnlDgton the people would not Ue Obliged
10 Kill cocOon>, as r l. VI. proposes. Certainly
IL IS much letter that tn. work should be done
by birds than To do il oneself. But the public
Is 50 alatnetic III All tti Te!siteS 10 DTd protec-
ton that in all parts Oi the country they have
been slaughtered Unfortunately, and some
species oi our best sonaste and insect eaters
are becoming 50 scarce that America viii soon
be d country without song birds. CT. ".
Transfers OF Real Estate.
Deeds in fee have been filed Is follows: j. p
Lewis TO MARY +. Freeman. part loj = block 80.
Columbia Heights: So.:;iI. X. }. Campbell TO
Emma l. Meint.re, SUI -io. 81. so, 5. Maria
b. Judah 10 James Small, part /. 50. .. 3: s.
W. BaIIantync TO VI. joyce. sub 70 80 ;sfs,:
S4.652- III. Pitts 10 Catherine r. Nundell tots
5i3 and 0-t6. CnIOntowu: 81 200. l.. &. seward
to Alice h -eil-sOn. lot l2J, Browns Home
stes-G; y. District o. Columbia To ". ID. IaDer,
part 20, So. $50: >. Margaret T.. Cation TO F.
w kau AMMAN. part 40, Old Georgetown; 81 $50
+. ". kaufman 10 John W sisuer, part do.
$.65. u j. Be>~ler 10 NIctoria. A .def>OE lots
and ., SCI. lC.Z; Sl.3iO.Z2- g. l.. Bride u
EmeIine u. Darugillr. lot d, 81. 1921:
- Emeiine VI. Darueille to L. Burcle
do; $3.50. Susan +. Okie TO Mary l..
Pitcher, sub. 49,, 81. 100. $4,000. Mary y
GfsI TO Elizabeth II. TIy lOr. sub 81. So So:
81 LOCO. Elizabeth II. Taylor 10 +. Ee..er, : ib
S3. s3,4Oo ~ ". " ara to r. Rady, sub 40,
81. o3l, SIS. Caroline I. Bancroft To l. Csty.l
naugl, lot IL. So 800 SO32.5O. ". o. Denni-
10 III. ". Collin, los 10 and 10, ID. x l.. s
sub Nit. Pleasant. &c. -. ssh Mary Lanahan
70 j. j. Lanahan, suo D, sG. 80; 500. Z. r.
"a, SO. 81: y. John walter et al. 10
X. sherman OF 80 :. ~