Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-03-01
RAIN MAKING.
Pennsylvania Farmers Object
to Experiments
And Destroy the SacriIegious
Apparatuses.

Among the Untutored TilIers of the Soil
of Lancaster County the Manufacturer
of Showers to Order is Anything but
PopuIar--Thiak It is II scheme of the
MonopoIists.
MARIETTA, Pa. March 1.--General Dy-
renforths artificial rain-maklng process
is making things lively in Lancaster
county. Ever since the two long haired
sages came to these parts with brand
new cloud machine and ton of dyna-
mite, the county has been ripped up by
internal discussions. The way the farm
ers are pouring into the towns and vii
lagos 10 discuss the question is a caution.
Rain-making is not popular hereabouts.
Aside from it's sacrilegious aspect, it is
looked upon as some trick of the capital
lists to corner The universe and TO bull
futures.
Blame the MonOpOlists.
The farmers say that if this rain-mak
ing scheme be put in operation Jay
Gould and cold Hutch" will shut off
the rain supply and jack prices prices up
to 500 or so above par. And, they say,
they do not intend to give mp life, liber-
ty and the pursuit Of happiness without
struggle.
At latest accounts the situation had
become serious in the northern part If
the county The farmers are organizing
vigilance committees and making prep
arations to make away with any man,
scientist or common bomb. thrower,
caught sending explosives to the clouds.
An Accident.
Much alarm was felt few days ago
by the members of the rain-making eX-
petition when it was found that Lieu
ten mt Spanning, the chief dynamiter
and hydraulic engineer, had disappeared.
It was feared that he had fallen into the
hands of the committees, After long
search he was found in a ten-acre lot
about mi.s from the tavern.
He was lying in an unconscious state
in deep. jagged furrow. His clothing
was scorchCd and his face and hands
blackened. 1t was conjectured that one
of the smaller dynamite mortars with
which he had been experimenting had
exploded prematurely. The lieutenant,
although i'll from the shock, is not seri-
ously injured.
Claim II Weakens the Clouds.
One of the most serious objections to
artificial rain-lnaking advanced by the
farmers is that it weakens the clouds,
They say that regular practice would
exhaust the water in the clouds and
make Of them merely SO many damp
rags. They assert that it would be
foolish to attempt to draw water faster
than the clouds could generate it, They
consider rain-making to be public
menace, and they say that they will
protest against it to the last. The ques
ton will undoubtedly soon cause
trouble.
Won't Argue.
The farmers are not open to convic
ton. They will not stop to argue. Theil
sole reply to the expostulations of th'
rain-makers is to smash all the rain ma
chinery they can lay hand to. Within {
week, both by day and night over $40,
900 worth of machinery and tools be
longing to the expedition has been de
stroyed.
There is q good prospect of an out
break in the northern section of thu
county. The officers of the rain-makine
expedition have notified the farmer
that they will preserve peace to the las
possible moment, but that if attacked
thew will vigorously defend themSelVe