The Forrest City times., 1891-08-14
4 UNIVERSAL SUBJECT.
DISCUSSED BY PEOPLE OF ALL
 AGES AND CLIMBS.
Sailors Are Recognized as the Hest of Weather Prcphcts--some of the Accepted Indications of "a
 Brewing storm.
'.Will it rain tonight"

morrow?"
 Pertinent questions are very often
 heard. The weather is the subject on
 which men talk to each other most
 and on which women pass condolences
 moro often than they do regarding
 new bonnets and spring dresses. It is
 the one subject in the world on which
 people are most willing to talk. be-
 cause, probably, they know least about
 it. Nine persons out of every ten that you meet are ready to tell you what
 the weather will be tomorrow, and in
 ninety nine times out of 100 the pre- diction will be wrong, says the Kansas City Journal Men take their um-
 brellas and rubber coats to the office in the morning, expecting that it will
 be stormy. and the sun beats down and smites them on the head to the
 verge of anhihilation. The next day men leave their umbrellas at home and the flood gates of the sky are opened and the earth deluged. One day women go out shopping with thin slippers and dainty white skirts and before they can impure the price of the latest freak in dainty lin- gerie the walks become muddy and their thin paper soles are soaked and their pretty ruffies bedraggled; the next day they go out In trim wet weather street gear and the dust flies into their flannel dresses and the heat scorches and darkens their fresh com- y,1a Tho at hot will rain on the morrow and his sons prepare to go fishing; when the nor row comes the day is so bright that no we'll educated fish would touch worm. so the boys are sent into tho cornield with a cultivator. Anon the farmer predicts fair weather and hs neighbor pitches in and lays low a whole field of fine clover; thereupon the clouds rise the rain falls, and the entire crop of hay Is so blackened be- fore it can be cured for the mow tha. it is worth little except as top dress ing for the potato field.
 Here are some of the approved barometric indications: In the spring or autumn sudden fall of the barom- etor indicates wind; in the summer. if the weather is hot thunder storm is presaged in winter a sudden fall after frost means q change in the wind and . thaw. A sudden rise after frost in winter indicates snow. Sudden changes of the barometer are never to be interpreted as indicating either wet or dry weather: it is the slow. steady rise or fall that shows this. A rise of mercury late in the autumn after a long continuance of wet and windy weather generally shows the approach of northerly winds and frost
 The clouds are approved indicators of approaching storms. After fair. clear weather light streaks of cloud are the first signs of a change. If the clouds accumulate and descend into the lower atmosphere rain ensuea When the sun appears to set in fog, with well defined dark and crimson streaks alternating, wind and rain are When, in summer, during fine hot days, masses of cloud. clear rounded and with brilliantly lighted edges, are seen floating in the air no change may be expected; if towards evening these clouds, however. gather on the horizon and rise again sharply outlined. while decided stiffness peyA vades the air. thunder storm is con- ing A greenish tinge in the gray of evening promises wet and in general any increase of clouds towards night shows an abundance of moisture in the air that must be retured to the earth in rain. A dappled or mottled sky never fails to insure fair weather. Halos around the moon presage rain. even if there are no intervening clouds to account for the formation of the circle.
 Before a rain flies are more active and bite or sting freely; ants and beea are active about their nests. and spid- CTS quit their recesses and crawl about. When gnats fly in the rays of the setting sun they promise fino weather on the morrow, but If they fly under the shade of trees 1t will rain. Snails and slugs come out in greater numbers both before and after rain, and frogs make mors noise iH the ponds at the same time. Insects come out in greater numbers before ruin and fly near the earth. and for that reason the flight of swallows is low at such times. The peculiar mournful sound of the night hawk in pursuit of it's insect prey is supposed to promise rain. Fish bite more free ly. and are seen to rise to tho surface and leap after flies at such times. Pigs are uneasy and make much noise an unusual solicitude for the safety of their young when rain Is approaching. Sheep show uncommon avidity in feed ing on grass on the approach of rain and as soon as satisfied retire to the nearest shelter. Cattle run before an storm, if in the open, though cattle in confined field will start for the nearest shelter, either irces or sheds. Peacocks cry out in she night with thei- shrill clamorous shout when rain is coming. and gu. aea fowls are more than ordinarily noisy. Birds generally may be seen trimming their feathers before storm. in order to distribute the oil. which is their protection from wet more evenly over the surface of their bodies. Ducks and geese are clamorous for food just before storm and make noisy clat- ter in their ponds.