Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-09-28
THE PRAIRIE RAINMAkERS.
UNIQUE AMONG THE MANY ODD
IrIE5 OF WESTERN LIFE.

Nht NiohiN lHt
Public Eye.
NIQUE among the many odd
tiles of prairie development
is the rainmakFr. Although
the Legitimate descendant of
the Indian medicine man, this modern
rival of Aquarius would probably deny
any such relationship. He claims tn
be working on strictly scientific prin-
ciples and he finds many believers in
his mysterious powers. He has at
tracted much attention in every part
OF the semiarid region of the West
and large sums OF money have this
season been spent IN inducing visits
from these possessOrs of such mirac-
ulous abilities.
When rainmaking began ii was done
from the upper rooms Of little cabins
or the roofs of prairie town stores
Now the rninmakcr has his ear and
travels like any other nahob--on IL
pass. He has the money oi capitalists
at his command and is little autocrat
in his humble sphere.
The most prominent Of the workers
in this new field of experiment is c.
b. Jewell, formerly of Goodland, Kan.
but now in charge of the Rock Island
Rainmaking Department He has
three cars which are now operating in
Northern Kansas and 60 thence to
Iowa.
When ready for operation they are
located at the extremities of triangle
twenty-five miles on n side. 4 fee Of
1900 IL demanded for five DAYS wait
All the cars are alike, aud all BON.
bard the heavens ut once, it being the
theory that the gases will produce
more general results by such means.
The cars are simply freight cars
with an S00-barrel tank on top aud
fitted mp with the chemical appliances.
Inside there are two divisions, in one
of which the operator lives; in the
other are the mysterious gas gencr-
ators. A row of common telegraph
Office electric batteries is arranged
along one wall There Is another row
of chemicals, lot of big retorts and
connecting tubes, together with cleo
trio wires aud lot of bad smelling
liquids. Three tin tubes lead through
the roof near the water tank and
serve rs outlets for the generated gus.
They are claimed to discharge 1900
cubic feet Of gas per hour, 1900 each,
and this it is upon which the lain
maker bases his hope for a shower.
Outside the car Is a large covered
hogshead into which a waste tub
drains all refuse matter from the car,
and into tho earth beside 1t electric
wires make n ground connection.
Altogether the combination is par.
/ ticularly puzzling one, and the set
tlers, when car IS sidetrackea at IA
little prairie station, gaze on it IN
open.eyed establishment aud wonder
They can all see the thin blue gas rs.
Gaping from the tubes aud then they
search the horizon for the coming of
clouds.
Rainmaker Jewell says that he aims
simply to produce condition OF cold
by which the cooled air shall be made
to fall rapidly, thus creating vacuum
into which shall be drawn the mois-
ture-laden currents
81 manufacture the gas, sad he,
"and use metallic sodium, ammonia,
black oxide of manganese, caustic
potash and aluminium. Then | uso all
alloy called murlum aud manufactured
at Chicago This costs fifteen cents IL
pound, and is used in large quantities.
When the rsinmakiug machine is in
operation the gas rises rapidly 400l
to 5000 feet. After the lapse OF Ger.
tain time it turns cold instantly and
if it strikes the moisture-laden cur.
rent always moving from southeast to
northwest, IL storm centre is formed.
81 cannot always produce rain ut
the point OF operation because the
wind may carry it many miles away.
but rain will surely fall in the dircc.
tion in which the gases are carried.
On cain day the ram should extend
about twenty miles i'll each direction
from the point of operation. \ heavy
wind will drive it entirely away.
The rainmakers have many amusing
experiences, especially with cranks OF
various degrees of crankiness. Over in
Iowa a sect of Holauders became SO
alarmed at the mysterious actions OF
the operator that they thought the
rain that fell n day or two later be-
witched, and turned their barrels and
hogsheads upside down for fear they
might catch some of the water. An
other enthusiast at Stuart cut the pipes
leading to his cistern.
Last winter Mr.. Jewell and Mr.
Hutchinson, his chief assistant were
down in Mexico operating on their
own venture. No rain had fallen for
several months and yet after they had
been at work a few days "a tremendous
shower flooded the town and turned
the streets into rivers. The Mexicans
were frightened and thought the
strangers had brought second dehge.
They made tracks for the mills and as
soon as the clouds cleared away rushed
back to massacre the magicians. The
priest of the community was consider
able of scholar and he commanded
tho people to keep away. But he saw
the rage of the inhabitants and made
n secret visit to the lawmakers advis'
ing them to escape while they could.
BY the help of some brother knights
Templar they got ont of the place and
are mighty thankful they did 80, as it
would have been certain death to re
main longer.
Three counties in South Dakota
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