Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-07
WEATHER FORECAST.
The Admirable System Devised by Mr.. Stinson
Tor Distribution Officially Endorsed.

When Mr.. w. d. Stinson was postmaster
of the Augusta Office he devi>ed and With
the assistance of Capt. J. p. Carson, put in
operation q system for distributing the
weather reports among the farmers of
the country. The editor Of the Bulletin of
the New England Weather Service endorses
he system in the following printed in the
bulletin:
The distribution of the weather forecasts
is probably one of the most important mat
ters that the weather bureau has to deal
with at the present time. The forecasts as
made by the off ials at Washington and by
the local fore casters scattered over the cOun-
try are very cclrate, AMI are for q period
of time far enough in advance to give very
desirable and most useful information.
They are given to the public by telegraph
and telephone, through the medium of
the ne~sp pers, by bulletins on railroad
trains, anu by mail from the central stations
of the weather bureau. Hundreds and thou
sands of people get the daily weather fore
casts by these means, and are b, MELTED by
ITEM; but there are hundreds and thou
lands more who do not see the daily p.pers
and who are not near enough to the regular
display stations 70 know what the predic-
ions are. Different systems for giving the
forecasts to those in the immediate vi
cinity have been devised, such as
the flags signals, the ball system, the semo-
phore system, flashing electric lights at
night etc., some of which are good and in
operation. Last year, however, the post
master at Augusta. Maine, MIR. Walter d.
S inson, in his efforts to benefit the agri-
cultural interests in his county, began a
system of distribution of forecasts which is
widely spreading and coming into general
favor. Mr.. Stinson was receiving the fore
cast, from Boston daily, at about IL o'clock
A. M giving the probable weather. until p.
M. ,on the follow ing day. He with some SIM
ple duplicating process made copies of the
messages and mailed then ~ nearly every
posloflice in his county. The printed fore
casts were invariably received by late after
noon or carry evening. and as must vi .l,e
postoffices in the small villages and towns
are in the county stores, they were seen
by great many people during the evening,
who came in for social chat, or for the
mail and small trading. This plan was
brought to the attention of the chief of the
bureau by this office, and active steps taken
to extend the work into other sections, AID
with marked success. There are nov five
distributing centres in New England, from
ahich forecasts are daily sent to five hui
ired and thirty post-offices. These centers
are at Augu-ta, Msiac, Concord, N. H., st.
J, hns bury, VT, Norihampt, Mass, and
Hartford, CT: the p,stmat RS in each
place, except az Con ;urd, N. H., kindly
duplicating and mailing the fore
casts. Franked cards are furn shed from
this office addressed t. all the post flie-s on
e ,ch list, and n set of logotypes with stamp
ing outfit furnished by the elf of the
bureau. Ga receipt of the telegram it is
Immediately duplicated with the logotyres
and the cards stamped and mailed. The
8, stem has met with great favor among
the patrons of the small postotfices, and they
snxiously aw 1T The recei st of the cards. The
postmaster at Augusta, who had the plan in
operation ell last season reports that farm
ers were in the habit of dri,iog several
miles to town each evening to get the in'li
cations and lay their plans for the following
days planting or harvest
We see no reason why this system cannot
be further extended and trust that it will
not be long before the forecasts can be
sent to every postof :e in New England.