Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-21
WATCHING THE MAP.
Members OF Congress who are Inter.
ested I'm Weather Changes.

essed I'm Weather Changes.
LoBBr-ASxrous REPRESENTATIVES, FROM BACK
4 prsTRrcTs-sSowED UP FOR AN INDEFINITE Pc
RIoD-How CHANGES ARE INDICATED.
| 'Thirty -four below!s
81 wonder II Jane AIMS new pitchers cracked
| hIrty-four.r
He stood looking at little spot on the great
map OF the United States that is stuck against the
wall OF the House lobby. The little section OF the
map on which his gaze was fixed was way up In
the Northwest where the billiards prosper. Right
In the middle OF 1t was little b ass hook, and
nom the hook hung little piece Of paste-board,
| on which was written the figures ''34" with MI
nus mark before. He had an air OF proprietorship
| ABOUT MIN that Indicated that he might be new
Representative, and his whiskers and hair had a
ruined up appearance that showed his district To
| be In the land OF the billiards.
4 shes a forgetfnl sort OF woman sometimes,
Jane Ann Is, he added, as the signal Service man
continued hanging up the Little PASTE board discs
| WIN the numbers on them "Just as like she left
the water In the pitcher II she did It's froze solid
Then his eyes wandered bit over the surrou ding
! country and he began 10 calculate about how the
weather would last. and his thoughts seemed to
| spread out over little more space.
SHOWED UP.
Thirty -four below, and showing. She won't be
\ able 10 get TO the hen house for three days. The
| snow II be banked right up against the kitchen
| door and running in over the window sils. ex-
pecI Jane Ann s snow lockedir
4 tie paused Tor a moment, and then questioned
the weather man about the prospects, and his eyes
wandered down To the warmer cline or Florida,
and the 4S plus startled him.
"Why they could cook beans in the sun down
there, he exclaimed, and his eyes again turned to
| the little bleak spot up In the 'blizzards own"
| I'D sort o. ike TO know how them pigs are
| coming on. IL they amt been looked after they
wont thaw Out fore spring: i expect Jane Ann 5
| setting close mp TO the fire!"
1
over the map, and each one wanted 10 know the
temperature in certain little spot about which
his interests centered.
| DAILY INSPECTION.
| Every morning the members gather about this
| map. 1t IS very large map and 1t tells each one
just how the weather Is in his distant home 1t is
| just stuck up on the wall with a board back and
no frame. In the corridor OF the House lobby, so
That members pass II In going to the Speakers
room, the post-office, or the Sergeant-at-arms'
ONCE. The face OF the map, from the Pacific
coast 70 Maine is covered with little brass hooks
a short distance apart. On each OF these hooks
hangs the interest OF some member. But what
they are intended to hold is little disc OF PASTE
board on each, OF color anu number to indicate the
change OF the weather. The color indicates
whether it Is clear or cloudy, showing or RAIN
number with the plus sign in fronI OF It.
or Just the number with no sign, shows that
IL Is that much above zero, and it is quite
cheering TO a man from the cold regions Of the
West. But minus sign Is threatening. When a
member fnds minus or a minus 10 hung to
ms home hook he Looks on with some degree OF
complacency, but when there Is q minus 20
or 25 or minus "a he involuntarily turns up his
coat collar and cold chilis run down his back.
Then he begins TO think about how things must be
doing about his neighbOrhood.
FIXING THE MAP.
Every morning at about 1870 the Signal-Service
man comes with q tissue paper chart for his
guidance and shifts and changes the little bits OF
card board on the map. He takes on the old ones
ana hangs up new. some days nearly all the lit
Tie discs are blue then again they viii be red, then
req and white. Another day they may be all
white, or again black ,, and white o, all BLACK
may be blue all along the coast, and white or
blue. and white up In the Western region. Each
interests the members. When the weather man
arrives number of members will gather about
him to ask questions and 10 note the changes he
makes on the map. He has the little card-OOa.ds
In drawer, and consulting his Chart, ne picks
| them out one by one and hangs them on the hooks.
He may take "a minus from hook way up In
the land OF billiards. and hang In its place a zero
or D Plus. He may hghtel the whole map with
sunshine, OVERCAST It with clouds. deluge + with
rain, or make IL black with heavy storms with
minus Marks In the track OF the wind.
WHY THEY WATCH
The members watch for these changes. Some
OF them have shipping interests along the coast
and dread the storms that sweep the Atlantic
Some have cattle or other stock in the West that
may be swooped down upon by a blizzard Others
merely feel an interest 10 know how the weather
Is about their homes. The first thing they do
Wnen they get 10 the Capitol In the morning Is 10
get their mail at the pOst-ofce and Then to look
at the map. They nearly all ind out show It is
about home before getting at the work or the
day.
There are several members who are always on
hand when the weather man arrives, and who
will spend hours each day in studying the
weather and making comparisons OF temperature
In various parts OF the country. They have got
10 be experts and like TO make predictions. Quite
familiarity has grown up between these mem-
bers and the weather man, and they chat and
compare notes while the weather signs are
being adjusted. One member has acquired
so much wisdom as to the weather that he
takes great pride in making predictions and
very often looks over the map and excl inns:
his prediction OF the day before. The weather
man always says Eyes," and the member rubs his
hands and swells out his cheeks with satisfaction
some members never pass the map without STOP
ping, and nearly any time OF day some one may be
seen In front OF IT, Sometimes two will come up
arm-in-arm TO look over the field, and will get
into controversy about the weather before they
leave. From time TO time during the session men,
0ers Will come through the little bluecOth swing
ing doors from the noor and take look at the
map
wEATHKRwIsE coNGRBssMEN
Mr.. Knute Nelson represents more cold weather
than any other Member OF Congress- The Their.
mometers in his district settle down below zero
great deal OF the time He takes great interest
In the map. He Is there every morning He notes
the temperature, whether IL Is showing or clear,
and which way the wind blows and how fast.
Gen. weaver, the greenback democrat, Is one Of
the best weather prophets Ia the House. He comes
every morning to LOOK at the map TO see how &c is
at "Bloomneld" He likes 10 talk TO the weather
man, and generally has prediction TO make after
he has carefully studied the map. "He Is mighty
good at predicting" the weather man says
Mr.. Hatch, OF Missouri, takes a farmers interest
In the weather map and makes Careful survey
OF IL each morning before getting TO work on mat
tiers OF legislation.
Mr. Randall sometimes takes a hasty glance AT
the map or asks the signal man about the weather
as he hurries by 10 MS committee room. But he
never deyote3 any time 10 the weather nor asks
after II WITH any regularity.
Ills colleague, Mr. Hariner, on the contrary takes
a deep interest In the subject His big diamond
shirt stud casts a ray or light across the man
every morning. After Investigating the PhlIa-
delpnia weather he traces out the way OF the wind
and the track or the storm. or reJOces in the SUM-
SHINE throughout the land.
Mr.. Flood, Of New YORK, is so much interested In
the SUBJECT thdt ne Will sometimes spend half an
hour or more la front OF the In D.
Mr.. 9uenther and Mr. Hu id are weatherwisa
and neither ever fails TO look at the map in the
morning.
Mr. Peters, OF Kansas, Is another member who
Is interested In this subject
There is not member OF the Michigan deleQa.
ZION who does not watca the weather, and tue men
from Illinois and Texas are ali students OF meteor.
oiogy.
Mr.. Mills stops to look at the map on his way 70
the ways and means committee room, as Mr. Nor
r.sOn used to do. ~
Mr.. symes, from Colorado and Mr. Mtlliken from
Maine, stand side by side scanning the map some
times f ~
Most Of the members have many questions 10
ask, ana the weather man Is there ali day long
expressly 70 answer them.
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Not TO Escape Hanging.