New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-14
HOT VEATHER MORALS.

So sudden burst of excessive heat as mas
overwhelmed New-York and apparently inc
,,bole country as well, causes intense dlscom-
fo,t and fierce discomfort with the uncertain
t;es of the climate Americans are philosoph-
cal and sensible in the main, but they always
anpear at disadvantage in hot weather They
o,n invariably unprepared for high temper
aturcs. and there is a wanton waste OF nervous
energy when they are taken by surprise. The
climate in the northern half of this hemisphere
;s remarkable for its variable character, but
oytreme heat is not one of the uncertainties
Every year there are few very warm uaSs
in June at least two weeks OF very not weather
in July, many oppressive, sultry days i'll
August. and ordinarily brief interval OF neat
in September If there be anything at all Ger.
tain about the climate it is the recurrence vi
extreme heat during the summer months b"'
experience apparently teaches our people very
little. Every year they are thrown into state
Of decentralization by the approach OF not
weather. and seem to be utterly at loss 70
know how to conduct themselves when the
mercury is mounting upward.
A more rational cause involves timely ac-
ceptance of the fact that good deal OF not
weather is to be expected every season. ana
tho adoption of habits Of life and variations
of diet which are uniformly practised III trop
ical countries. The temperature is never hieh-
or at the Equator than 1t is in New-iork on ex-
treme DAYS, but there is less adaptabiity shown
here than there in adjusting body, nina ana
temper to it, In tropical countries business IS
transacted mainly during the forenoon, ana
the hours from IL TO 3 are passed. as quietly
rs possible. 1t is of course impossible in our
cities to close banks, shops and Offices during
those hours on very hot days, as is done IN
the tropics but it is not wholly impracticablc
for many classes Of business men to remain
under cover and to do the lightcst portion OF
their days labor at that time The pam re-
ouirement of common-Sense is that as much rs
possible of the outdoor running and of the most
laborious work should be done during the
cooler hours Of the forenoon. Very few make
any attempt to adjust their labor to the con-
ditions of tho temperature. During the hot
test hours yesterday crowds of men were TO
be seen rushing about the streets, steamlng at
every pore and displaying as much energy OF
mind and body as though 1t was midwinter
and it was necessary for them to keep them
selves warm by incessant activity Those
crowds would have been materially lesscncd,
and the discomfort experienced would have
been greatly reduced, if business men had had
the presence Of mind to reapportion the work
of the dav TO hours when it could have been
done under the most favorable conditions.
Il cannot be denied that Americans know
how "a dress for hot weather. The first hot
DAYS in June may overtake careless and pro-
crasthatinp souls before the light summer suit
al tLo az uuIpr-
wear and flannel shirts overhauled, and head
and foot gear replenished but the first warn
ing is needed. and the remainder of the heated
term finds the crowds in Broadway more suit
ably dressed than the throngs in tropical cities,
where black is almost invariably the prevail
ing color in mems costumes. But the summer
diet of Americans is less sensibly managed than
their dress A roll and cup OF coffee suffice
for an early breakfast in the tropics; at noon
there Is light meal with salad as the chief
attraction and it is not until the heat OF the
| day is over that meat is eaten, and even then
| sparingly An Americans preparation for
hot day is not very different from his winter
breakfast lie eats as heartily at half-past
| in June as he does in December; and his mid
day lunch, instead Of being of the lightest char
acter, is a substantial meal. II he dresses so
as to keep as cool as the circumstances will
| allow him to do, he increases unnecessarily his
discomfort by his unreasonable mdwinter diet.
What is more important than anything else
in hot weather is an cquablc temper. The
warmest day of the season can always be rem
dercd tolerablc if a tranquil mind can be re-
tanned The chief sufferers from heat arc the
people who make the most noise about it, fret
ting and groaning over it as if it were pri-
vate affection too gricvOus to be borne, fan
ming themselves violently in street car or house
porch, dcnouncing with red, angry faces the
horrors OF the "worst climate on the planet"
and allowing neither themselves nor their
ncghbors moments peace. "Lct your mod
Grafton be known unto all men," is midsum-
mer text with much saving grace. If one
cannot do anything else on such day as yes
tcrday, he can commune with his own heart
and be still" and that is perhaps the best
| hot weather moral
! ALL HARMONY, NO KNIVES.
| KNIVES? Bless YOUR soul no. The men