The Opelousas courier., 1895-01-05
INDIAN SUM M Err.
The Literature Is as Hazy as Its Delight.
full Atmosphere.

The Literature Is as Hazy as Its Delight.
full Atmosphere.
There is u great difference of opin.
ion among those who are wise in
weather lore as to the exact time when
Indian summer makes its appearance:
some weather prophets declaring that
it includes every warm day between
Michaelmas day, the goth 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 in.
dividuals, but seem to be as hazy on
the subject as the season itself.
After looking up much scientific data
on the subject, and making a con
senses of popular opinion, the fact
seems established hat this phenome-
o of seasons really belongs to the
month of November, although the sig.
nal service notes say that if Indian sum
mer does not come in October or Noven.
Der, it will come in winter, as if it we're
a sort of movable season. Neither do
scientists agree as to the cause of that
hazy atmosphere which accompanies
the season, a condition peculiar to
North America. 1t was attributed by
early settlers in this country to the
smoke from prairie fires kindled by the
Indians-hence the name, "Indian
summer" But it is now said by scien-
tiic investigators, that the appearance
of smoke is an optical illusion produc-
ed by a peculiar condition of the air,
which might be'compared to a dry fog.
Sentimentalists declare that it is this
dreamy haze which gives it's great
charm to this short. delightful season,
when the whole world of nature ap-
pears like a beautiful dream. 1t is The
fifth season, the mellow ripeness9f au-
tumn, when creation stands still in a
lazy, languorous mood, and the pictu;e
is vanishing and indistinct like one of
Corot's landscapes. 1t is the golden sun
set of the year, brief and evanescent
The subject of Indian summe was
investigated as long ago as 1885, whey
DIR. Lyman Foot, of the United States
army, in his report says that the
Indians gave the season it's name by
calling it their fall summer" which
occurred in November. The docaor
was stationed at Fit. Winnebago, Mis-
souri, Territory, at the time, and wrote
from actual observation. He says:
"We arrived at this port the Sd day
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 he had long
observed the season with curious atten-
ton and calls for an expression Of
opinion on the subject from other OBJ
servers.
Prof. Willet advanced the theory in
a report made to the governmental
1867 that the dry fog is real smoke, not
produced by prairie fires, but the pro-
duct of chimneys. The late Prof.
Henry, of the Smithsonian Institution,
reported that a portion of the haze, fl
tered, was found to contain the lava of
volcanoes and fragments of burned
vegetables. Neither Of these distin-
guished scientists added anything to
the literature of our Indian summer, SO
when doctors disagree it is not expect
ed that ordinary observers will be able
to formulate any tenable theory of its
curse. The next best thing is to en-
joy its opportunities, leaving its origin
to the unknown sourc whence it is
derived.-Detroit Free Press.