The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-11-25
THE INDIAN SUMMER.
WHEN 1T COMES AND WHAT is RE.
sPoNsIBLE FOR 1T.

Eoientists and gsher Investigators Dinss
In Their Vieisa Upon the subject-How
the Season Was Given It's N%me-Is tine
Haze Caused BY Smoke?
There is a great differences of opinion
smong those who are w:ss In weather
lore as to the exact time when Indian
summer makes its appearance, SONS
weather prophets declaring that it in.
oludes every warm day between MI
ohaelmas day, the 29th of September,
and Christmas, while others locate it
In the month of October. Indeed, the
opinions Of scientists do not agree any
better than those of ordinary individu.
ais, but seem to be as hazy as the season
itself.
After looking up much scientific data
on the subject, and making consensus
of popular opinion, the fact seems
established that this phenomenon Ut
seasons really belongs to the month Of
November, although the signal service
notes say that if Indian summer does
not come in October or November Il
will come in winter, as if it were sort
of movable season. Neither do scientists
agree as to the cause OF that hazy at.
mosphere which accompanies the season
a condition peculiar to North America
It was attributed by early settlers in
this country to the smoke from prairie
fires kindled by the Indians-henoe the
naEne, Indian summer. But it Is
now said by scientific investigators that
the appearance of smoke is an optioa;
illusion produced by a peculiar oondi.
ton Of the air, which might be compar
cd to a dry fog. Sentimentalists DECLARE
that it is this dreamy haze which gives
Its great charm to this short, delightful
season, when the whole world of ma.
ture appears like beautiful dream. Il
is the fifth season, the mellow ripeness
of autumn, when creation stands still
IN lazy, languorous mood, and the pic
ture is vanishing and indistinct like |
one of Ccrot's landscapes. 1t is the gold. |
en- sunset of the year, brief and evanes,
cent.
Like mirage the Indian summer
does not wait to be investigated. It is
here-it is gone-before the would bs |
Investigator was aware of its presencs
1t is such restful, happy period that
people are content to enjoy it without
asking questions, yet there is much in |
its phenomena that is worth the most
careful scientific investigation. It has
been suggested that the dreamy haze
which accompanies the season is com,
posed Of animal life Of such minute
form as TO be incapable of microscopic
examination, but of such innumerable
quantities that they obscure the atmos.
phere and REDEEM the sun. 1t is also
charged to vegetable matter, but these
are mere theories which have not yet
beef proved
Another token by which this genisl
Indian summer makes itself known Is
she absolute silence Of nature herself,
as If she were taking vacation from
winds that blow and clouds that shade.
THERE'S such a stiffness in the air from
sunrise to sunset that sound itself seems
to have gone asleep. But there is nc
loneliness in the silence. 1t is only as II
everything were resting, bathed in the
happy sunshine The flowers are gone;
the singing birds have flown to their
southern chimes; the leaves have drop.
ped from the trees when the Indian
summer comes trailing her white veil to
cover the desolation and filling all hearts
with the tranquility Of her gracious
presence. There is tonic in the air she
brings which chemists cannot bottle nor
charge commercial rates for-whiffs of
summers that have been contracted into
a few days and gone before we can an.
alyze them to say, "This is balsam, or
that is balm" 1t is draft for the gods.
The subject of Indian summer was
Investigated as long ago as 1885, when
Dr.. Lyman Foot of the United States
army in his report says that the Indians
gave the season its name by calling it
their "fall summer, which occurred
in November The doctor was stationed
at Fort Winnebago, Missouri territory.
at the time and wrote from observation.
He says:
1--WE arrived at this post the 3D. day
Of last November. We had three weeks
of Indian summer, with all the peculiar
redness Of the sky In great perfection. :"
He adds that be had long observed the
season with curious attention and calls
for an expression Of opinion on the sub
iect from other observers.
Professor Willet advanced the theory
tn report made to the government in
1887 that the dry fog is real smoke, not
produced by prairie fires, but the prod.
act of chimneys The late Professor
Henry of the Smithsonian institution
reported that a portion of the haze, FL.
tered, WINS found to contain the lava Of
volcanoes and fragments of burned veg
etables Neither of these distinguished
scientists added anything to the litera.
ture of our Indian summer, SO when
doctors disagree it is not expected that
observers will be able to for.
mulate any tenable theory Of its cause.
The next best thing is to enjoy its OPP
portunities, leaving its origin to the IN.
known source whence it is derived.
New England is especially favored by
this after summer guest. In that land
Oh rOckS ana Ills bne SGI1luesS VI tue w
casion is more delicious, the haze more
poetic and the winds more dangerous
in their passive acquiescenee in this
meditative mood of nature. Emerson
must have written of this period:
Twas one of the charmed days II
When the genius of God doth flow,
The wind may alter twenty ways,
A tempest cannot blow.
It may blow north, it sti1l Is warns
Or south, It still is clear,
Or east, il smells like clover farm,
Or west, no thunder fear.
The caprice Of the season is to wait
until winter is almost upon us, then 10
drop unexpectedly like benediction
NTH rrrnshina end warmth and q rest