Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-19
THE EFARMERS' FRIEND
Steady Advance of the Barometer
Upon Time-Honored Prejudices.
ALL HUMAN SIGNS HAVE FAILED,
And the Mechanical Weather Prophet is
the Proper Thing
AMONG THE CHANGERS OF THIS COUNTY


been farming both for pleasure and profit
out the Steubenville pike, and his expe-
rience with barometer is practical sug-
gestion of farmers needs. A large portion
of the rural population does not take kindly
to innovation, though the story of the
farmer whipping his boy for dividing the
corn in the sack before putting it on his
horses back to take to mill has an odor
of fabrication. Many farmers opposed the
threshing machine at first, fearing that its
use might be impious, and the machine an
arch enemy of mankind intended to pro-
mote idleness. They took to the lightning
rod more kindly than most other inventions,
though its nomination could never be made
unanimous.
Many of the barriers of prejudice have
been broken down, but the barometer has
not yet gotten much of foothold. Some
wideawake farmers along the lines of rail-
way consult the signal service bulletins,
but sometimes, as observed by J. B. Flack,
Esq, when young and inexperienced man
has been put in chargeof the bureau and
frequently pulls the corks at the wrong time
the faith of the simple hearted granger is
sadly shaken.
HUMAN BARoMETERs PLAYED OUT.
Previous to 1860 every farmer of any ex-
perience was a tolerably good barometer,
but since then the weather has been as
tickle as maid of sweet 16 and though
maple and cabbage leaves may turn up, pigs
grunt and squeal, the peacock loudly howl,
etc., it may not rain, and though all signs
be to the contrary it may. When the ir-
regularities were first noticed some people
attributed them to atmospheric disturbance
caused by heavy cannonading, but as that
has been over for "a years the shattered
atmospheric strata should be composed by
this time. It seems more likely the wood
mans ak and the drainage 81 marshes have
been the main causes of fckleness in the
weather department..
When Mr.. Friend invested in barometer
he had no definite idea of what he should
do with it other than hang it up, as he
didn't feel particularly interested in mete-
orology, and when he suggested its possible
utility to his farmer, the latter eyed it across
his nose and grunted contemptuously. This
estimation held in the farmers mind until
one bright morning when he had several
tons of grass cut and ready to haul in. He
proposed, as the weather was fine, to con-
tinue cutting and leave the moving to a
future time. Mr.. Friend had looked at the
barometer, and it said "rain" unmistaka-
bly,, so he advised the farmer to let the rest
of the grass stand and take into the, barn
what was cut. The farmer dissented
strongly, but was finally pevailed on to put
trust in the barometer.
AN UNFALTERING FAITH.
Scarcely had the cut Grass been housed
when the foods deScshded and the rain
beat, but faith founded on barometrical pre-
dictions saved that hay, while Mr.. Friends
neighbors, who had consulted the mere ap-
pearance of the sky had an immense
amount of hay spoiled or badly damaged.
Since then that farmer has had his eve
glued to that barometer as closely as that of
the mariner is on the pole star. He "can't
keep house without it." and as Mr.. Friend
persists in keeping it in his own house, and
as he doesn't follow Franklin's advice to
arise ere the dew is of, a compromise has
been effected whereby the instrument is
placed opposite window at night, and Mr..
Friend states that he is frequently awakened
by his man scratching a match to consult
the mechanical weather prophet.
1t is related of a gnarly, hard-working
farmer that he once had occasion to visit a
city where abode famous lawyer. Thought
the farmer, ~ may never have another op-
portunity, so will now call on this lawyer
and get advice" AS the farmer had no
lawsuit on hand, the lawyer was at first
puzzled to know what advice to give. But
as an intimation that it would cost the
yokel % did not have the effect to drive him
away, the lawyer wrote maxim on a slip
of paper, sealed it and told his client not to
open it until he got home.
ON LEGAL ADVICE.
That day his boys had cut several acres of
hay in valley, and the next morning they
thought, as the weather promised to remain
fine for some time, they would attend pic
mic. A consultation was held, and it was
finally voted to trust to Providence and GO
and have some fun. just then the old man
"I'm not such fool as to pay So for legal
advice and not use it." Accordingly he
broke the seal and read, "Never put off
until tomorrow what you can do to-day"
Said he, "Boys, we'll get in that hay"
Twas done, and the night following the
clouds broke and all the rest of the mown
hay in the valley was carried away, and the
people almost bankrupt, save this farmer
and his family who acted on illegal" advice.
As they continued to act on it and contin-
ued to thrive, their secret of success finally
leaked out, and few years later the neigh
borhood began to buy carpets, musical In
struments, pictures, ETC., and reached de-
gree of refinement previously dreamed
Of
Newton's discovery of the laws of gravi-
tation was considerable in It's way, but the
spread of scientific knowledge and distribu-
ton of barometers, etc., among rural homes,
might work greater revolution than ever