The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-10
MELBOURNE COMING
The Cheyenne Rainmaker Due
Here on Friday.
HE WORKS IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY
And His Rates for Performing His Wonders
Are One Hundred and Fifty
Dollars Per Wonder.

Whatever Rain Doctor MELBOURNE may
be or may not be able to do, he succeeded
in enthusing c. E. Wantland, who went to
Cheyenne TO engage him for an experiment
in manufacturing rain during the session
Of the Irrigation congress in this city. Mr..
Wantland returned yesterday from his
missionary trip and brought back with him
the following proclamation from the rain
wizard himself, to-wit:
CANTON Ohio, June II, 1891.
To Whom it May Concern:
1t is my desire to call the attention of the
people Of the United States to an invention
which have recently completed, as the sue
cessful employment of the same WILL without
doubt, be OF great interest TO Americans.
My invention is the means that have dis
covered by which through agencies which are
employed in the operation OF the same, am
able to cause rain to fall over an area OF up
wards OF TIVE hundred and fifty thousand square
miles at any time that desire, and this with
out regard to climate.
| have experimental successfully upon
| twelve different occasions in Australia, during
the season of drouth; five times in New Zeal
and during the month Of February OF this year,
and three times in Ohio within the last sixty
| days.
Upon each occasion, in America, hav. pub
! licly announced from one week to ten days In
| advance my intention of causing rain to fall
| =
! single occasion to bring rain as announced.
1 am prepared to repeat experiments IN any
| part of the United States at any time, ana can
| guarantee that, with the aid of my invention,
will cause rain to fall at any point at any time
that may be named, and would be pleased 10
correspond with the people of any district upon
/ this subject.
Yours respectfully,
FRANK MELBOURNE.
Melbourne claims to have worked about
three years in perfecting his methods in
Australia during period of drought. He
next went to New Zealand and expert
mented successfully there. He carried or
his experiments on board the ship he
crossed the Atlantic in, and kept the yes
sci under cloud for an entire week. His
attention was called to the appropriation
of Congress to encourage rain producing
experiments and this was wha'
brought him to this country. Hi
idea now is to experiment
in different sections where the conditions
vary and where rains are unusual at GER
tain periods of the year. His only idea O.
utilizing the invention at present is in tht
direction of having the government taxi
hold of it.
After his success in Ohio a party O
Cheyenne men, the principal of wnom wa
Mr.. T. II. Jones, ex-county surveyor, ar
ranged for him to experiment in that city
| He paid his own fare and was to receive
$50 in case he succeeded in producing rail
to the satisfaction OF the committee mad
UP of prominent citizens, including eX-G Gov
ernor Baxter and the United States weathe
observer, Rayencrop. Mr.. Melbourn
agreed to start work when there were n
indications of rain noted by the govern
ment Office and to produce three inches o
rain within three days from the time h
began operating. He went quietly to work
occupying loft in barn owned by MI
/ Jones, put blankets over the windows an
} cut a hole in the roof. He remained in tn
: loft continually day and night with the ex
ception of the time when he came out t
his meals.
At noon of the last day very few cloud
were visible, the barometer indicated fai
/ weather and the signal Office knew of u
i rain indications in the vicinity. In COUP
of hours a strong breeze sprung up and
few minutes later the clouds gathered an
a slight shower fell Melbourne sent wor
~ down from the loft that this was but a b.
ginning and that he would give more tina
g the people had bargained for before
9 o'clock. He kept his word, for the raj
y came down in sheets and about half 6
inch within a very short time. He cor
a tinued at his work and when IL
n committee got together it acknowledge
Q that the experiment had been q success
q but asked Melbourne to quit before he pr
. cipitated a flood. The next day in fe
; minutes several hundred dollars were co
:, lected for second experiment and Me
! bourne set to work again. But high wint
> interfered with his immediate success.
, The contract under which Mr.. Melbourl
= comes to this city stipulates that he shou
!, be here about the 11th and produce rain
I the 18th if the proper conditions exist f
a the experiment. If he produces rain it
agreed that he shall receive $3.50 and g,
penses. Nc rain no pay.
l., When Mr.. Melbourne arrives he wi
!. select the point from which he will operat
" MIR. Mainland believes that this will bt
u good advertising card to Salt Lake city al
2" that the people generally should take
interest in the experiment here.