The Globe-republican., 1891-10-22
RAINS BY CONTRACT
FRANK MELBOURNE SIGNS A
NOVEL AGREEMENT.
For Twenty Thousand Dollars He Con-
tracts to Produce Rain Over Two
lailiion Cultivated Acres in
Western Kansas.

GOOpLAND, Kansas, Oct. 13.-Frank
Melbourne has signed contract, agree
ing to produce crop rains next season tn
forty Western Kansas counties for &c.
600. From the Kansas agricultural re-
ports the number of acres of land in the
forty counties under cultivation in 1889
were aggregated and the Australian
agreed to water the 1900, 900 acres at 10
cents per acre.
1t is a one-sided affair at present. bind
ing melbourne alone. 1t is thought here
that a separate contract will have to be
signed with each of the forty counties
through the board of county commits
sioners. Under the irrigation act enact
ed last winter the commissioners are au-
thOrized to vote bonds for irrigation pur
poses and this is one of the possible solu-
tons. Another is to raise the amount
through notes given by the farmers
themselves.
1t is expected that the irrigation COM
the proposition. Melbourne has every
confidence in bis ability to give the peo-
pie just what they have long waited and
prayed for.
Melbourne knows nothing of American
ways and. customs. He is at all times pre-
occupied, and II the men with whom he
has basinees dealings succeed in getting
him to give few minutes to them they
are fortunate. He takes everything MS a
matter of.cOuEse. Everybody, he thinks,
is honest and willing to assist in dem
Onstrating the SUCCESS of his discovery.
He is surprised to find opposition from
any source and imagines that the very
moment that he demonstrates his ability
to'make rain to the people of one cOmmu-
nifty the whole country ought to accept.
Although dubbed AN Australian the
rainmakeris an Orange Irishman. He
has twelve brothers. all of whom expect
to roll in untold wealth. as Il result of
their brothers discovery. His father
still resides in Ireland. but his sons are
scattered all over the worli9 Frank
came 10 this country about ten years
ago, but shortly left for Australia. lie
has devoted all his ti:nc Ia inventions Of
different kinds, and when sixteen years
of age invented Il cluin. which he pat
ented. he now mas, so his brothers SAY.
three or four Important Inventions,
which he will make public after the sue
cess of his rainmaking discovery has
been demonstrated. His brother. Will
Melbourne, who travels with him. j. of
no assistance TO him whatever. He is
both egotistical and ignorant, aud well
calculated to make himself obnoxious
to any community. His one redeeming
trait is his faith in his brother.
Melbourne continues his experiments
here. and this morning the people gave
him credit for another DRILLING rain.
The weather is too cold for him To par
ticipate rain under his old methods. and
he is changing them t" conform to the
new conditions he finds in this latitude
TOPEKA. Oct ia. 3. Montgomery.
of Goodiand, was in TOPEKA to-day and
filed the charter of the Interstate Arti-
fetal Rain Company. 1t is capitalized at
S150.000. and has for board of direc-
tors f. 2. Murphy, O. II. Linth, IL. NJ.
Halter. II. +. Don Carlos and NJ. b.
Tomblin, all of GOodlaud. This move
ment, backed by all the banks and mon
eyed men of Goodland. show what faith
the people of that part of the state have
in the rain-ma&iug powers of Frank
Melbourne.
Mr.. Montgomery says he was with Mr..
Melbourne in Utah aud in other arid re-
gions and saw enough OF his operations
to be fully satisfied that he can produce
rain almost unerringly.
'sBut were not his experiments at
Goodland unsuccessful WAS asked.
''There is not farmer in that part of
the state who does not believe that the
clouds and rain which came then were
made by him. The farmers make study
of clouds, but they never saw any that
developed like those seen wilile Mel
bourne is making his tests. He made
rain every time he tried, though not
much. The winds was too high and the
temperature was too low. But still he
made rain every time. I am ready to
stake every dollar that am worth on his
success as rainmaker aud there are a
great many wealthy persons Who feel as
do
Show will this company which you
have chartered operator
.sWe intend to divide the western part
of Kansas into districts and agree for q
consideration to furnish In that district
sufficient rains for the growth aud ma
turing of CROPS"
Mr.. Montgomery was in the Office OF
the attorney general making inquiries n
to whether anything can be done to have
rains paid for by all the property in the
district and not by . few: individuals