The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-03
"RAIN IN KANSAS"

To the Editor of the Eagle.
Under the above caption Noble Prentis
writes an article to show that Kansas al
ways had about the same rain fall she
does now. The pith of his ideas on the
influence of civilization upon climate
is contained in the following paragraph
quoted from him:
MAN does not regulate or control the
forces of nature, but takes advantage of
them. 1t has always rained in Kansas
when it rained anywhere. The rain is
not, as many Kansas people seem to
think, a prOvidential arrangement gotten
up in sparing and uncertain fashion to
accommodate immigration"
This subject of the effect of climate on
man and the reverse effect of man on it,
is much larger aud older than Kansas.
1t is as old as man and large as the world,
to say the least. In saying this l am
giving Mr.. Prentis no information,
either. l am simply taking issue with
him on that proposition of his that man
does not regulate or control the forces of
nature. And | believe that Mr.. Prentis
will readily admit what ethnoIogy and
history proves, to say nothing of the
various conditions and aspects of man
as he appears everywhere today, i. e.,
that man is the creature of his surround
ings. And the climate is the principal
influence on the creature, who has at the
same time an influence on it.
Shakespeare puts in Hamlets mouth
that: ''There are more things in Heaven
and earth than We're dreamed of in HO-
ratios philosophy" l will add that our
philosophy is and has been dreaming of
these things and unraveling them to an
increasing extent. Another poet, l do
not know who it was just now, said an
apter thing in this connection: 1.-The
Lord tempers the wind to the shorn
lamb"
How could climate affect man and he
not affect the climate? Every object in
nature has some effect on every other, it
is partly proven, and taken for granted
in a general way. But objects in i'm
mediate proximity have an unquestioned
reciprocal effect, the proof of which is
familiar to thousands of people
everywhere. Taken singly, and as
a savage of low degree, man is an object
of no mean influences III such case he
might consume the food of certain ami
mails or the animals themselves; drive
them away and stop their influence on
other objects. But when you raise his
power and increase his numbers YOU
cause him to pillow, build. plant and eff
face old conditions. He thus drains
swamp5, lakes and turns streams from
their course. The old order of nature is
reversed and new conditions are set up.
If we ask the proofs of this, they are
everywhere in history.
Where now are those magnificent
farms. gardens, orchards and pastures of
Carthage, Numidia and Mauritania in
ancient Africa. Rome subjugated them;
and they were the granaries of Europe
till the religious and political wars
caused them to be neglected.
Then came the Saracens who destroyed
the forests, dried up the streams, ruined
irrigation and converted the country as
they did much of Asia and Europe. into
a desert from which it Is not yet recov-
cred.
If a seasOnable climate can be destroy
ed by man. can he not build one up: I
answer that | have evidence enough TO
prove that he can. The Lord, natural
forces. or what you viii, tempers the
wind TO the shorn lamb; /. e.. mans eff
forts, he being a natural force. produces
effect on other natural forces In the reIa-
ton they bear to their respective powers.
With the growing advantage 10 man
that he represents an active organization
of intelligent natural power which can
be and Is more perslstently applied toless
animate nature. II Is thus that the
power Of man trenches upon nature
everywhere.
Before this present skirmish line Of
civilization had occupied this great plain
stretching from the gulf along the base
Of the mountains 10 the far north, Wild
nature was the normal condition Of
things. II held sway omnipotent. Then,
the grass grew I'll fall, when a frost
came with north winds which threw il.
heads 10 the south. This condition made.
"a i were. q creased track for those
terrible n0rthsrs 10 move n increasing
swIftueSs TO ningle themselves with the
gulf stream atmosphere Thus. yeas
ago. we had q Texan OF Mexican day OF
two in Kansas or''Nebrzska winter. and
a hans2n or Nebraskan day or 50 IN
Mexico or Texas IN short tine there