St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-24
WILL HAVE GOOD CROPS.

Some portions or S0ntn Dakota seem
disposed to put faith in the claims of the
party who, by some occult process,
claims to have been able to produce rain
at will the past season in arid regions
in the mountain states where he figured.
If they risk much money on the venture
they will be stigmatiZed as credulous or
unWiSe. Even the experiments of the
parties operating upon government
money, and in a measure under official
sanction, did not gaiu any large
iaurels, or perceptibly enlarge the
popular faith in the soundness of
their theories. The man MELBOURNE,
whatever his real results in bring
Ing down the needed element,
certainly did make some converts to his
claims. One Of these was Hon. j. Ii.
FLETCHER, of Aberdeen, an ex-lieuten-
ant governor, and man who has had a
fair reputation for intelligence and good
sense. He was out in Colorado at the
time one of the severeSt tests was made,
and insists that his personal obserya-
lions dlssipated his incredulity, and
convinced the most obdurate scouters
of the alleged freak that he actually did
bring down water out of the sky when
the conditions were unfavorable. With
not sign of cloud visible he caused
one to form and pour down the rain.
Mr. FLETCHER has recently published
In an Aberdeen paper an account
OF his observations and the reasons for
bis faith III the arts of the rain wizard.
He does not claim to know anything of
the causes or agencies, but insists that
he was witness of the results. Prob
ably the Dakota farmers who have been
persuaded that there is something in it
are Indifferent as to the scientific posi-
DllltleS or the absurdity of the thing,
II the rain can be had. If they con-
tract for given quantities of waterfall
at stated periods, and the contract Is
tlled. they pay nothing if the thing is
delusion and fraud. If they tget the
needed moisture they are no doubt will
Ing to pay Tor it. How, they take any
risks is not apparent. No rain on speci-
fed dates, and the contractor gets
nothing. There are some chances
that the coming season may be a ne
culiarly favorable one for operations of
this sort. There has been a very un-
usual precipitation of snow in the Da-
kotas this winter. The prairies are
covered to depth, at least in the more
northerly regions, unknown for six
years. This will fill the ponds and
sloughs and Saturate the ground when
1t meltS. The theory of a government
geologist, who has had protracted OBJ
serVatlonS and investigations of that
country, has been that wet and dry
periods come in cycles. Three yeaas
ago he published predictions based upon
his theories and study of the local con-
dltlons. His conclusion was that the
period of drouth would be exhausted in
1890. and that the era of album
dant moisture would commence in
1891. with bountiful crops. to he
continued seven or eight years, aud per-
haps much longer. AS all know. the
good crops of the past year were the
eject of ample rainfall. In most of the
area OF both Dakotas season of gen.
erouS precipitation brings abundant
crops. There is little apprehension in
the wheat regions of too mucn rain.
Inc uniformity with which the produc-
ton keeps pace with the supply of
moisture affords confidence that there
VIII be prosperous seasons when the
clouds do their part of the work. The
heavy snowfall this winter is further
continuation of the theory that the
crops will not suffer from drouth next
summer. The elements may then play
INTO the hands of the alleged rainmaker
THIS year; but that is not material, so
that the rain and good crops are had.