The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-01-24
WATER COOLED WITHOUT ICE.
Pueblo Indians Secure the Desired Result
-2 - BY Mems of Evaporn ton.

u Pueblo Indians Secure the Desired Result
58 by Means of Evaporation
OF course, everyone likes ice water.
y It is an American habit, and, patriotic
ally speaking, all American habits are
! good. But if people only knew it, says
the Washington Post, there are better
ways of keeping water cool than put
ting ice in it. And the water that is
cool without being cold is twice as cool
ing to the drinkcr, to say nothing Of
being several times as good for the
stomach into which it is put. One Of
the simplest ways of cooling water is
by evaporation. The Pueblo Indian Of
our southwest. with his untutored
mind, discovered this fact hundreds of
years ago, and has been using the dis
covery in his quiet, unobtrusive way
ever since, while we of the higher civ
ilization have been buying ice, depict
ing our pockets and spelling our diges-
ton at the same tii0c. The pueb bio In
ing pottery. and the result is that all
their earthenwan1 is more or less
porous. and when Eilled with water alb
serbs it sponge-like, keeping the out
side always moist. This moisture
evaporating cools the vessel and the
water it contains, just as one can feel
the GOODNESS that comes from breeze
on the body when wet with perspira-
ton. In the dry air of the southwest,
where the Pueblo Indian finds his
home, this evaporation is very great,
and the result is that the pottery ollas
are used by whites, Indians and Next
cans alike to hold cool drinking water.
Anyone who has travelled through
the southwest cannot fail to recollect
the old brownish buff colored ola with
its curious Indian decorations in con-
ventionalized pictures Of birds, beasts
and fish that were sure to be found i'll
the fork of a dry cottonwood branch
standing just inside the door with q
yellow Gala bash, Or if. in a very modern
house, tin cup hanging from a nail |
on the door jamb. And water from it |
after long, dusty ride in the boiling
sun tasted many times better than the
coolest ice cream soda he ever paid ten
cents for in the states. 1t may have
been what Col. Tom Ochiltree terms
the large, elegant thirst that added to
the supposed virtues of the ola as a
water cooler, but the scientists of the
National Museum will tell you that the
cooling qualities Of the porous pottery
are quite as real as imaginary. In the
better class of Mexican houses the
Clipped and battered ola in its pictur-
esque rustic support will usually be re-
placed by more daintily ornamented
carthen one shaped like an army cam
teen. suspended by gray Mexican
scarf in the draught of a window or a
highly ornate bowl of couple of gal
Ions capacity, swung in the same way
in a netting of twisted yucca fbers.
But the cooling principle is always the
same.
WATCHING A GROUSE DRUM.
The Noise Said to Be Made by the Wings
Against the Body.
Early in October l had the only op-
portunity which has ever presented
itself in my twenty years of expert b
ence in forest and field of studying the
method employed by the cock part
ridge in producing that peculiar sound
known among sportsmen as drumming,
says a writer in Forest and Stream.
was out with my gun looking for quail
quite early in the morning and was
toward small wooded
swamp, where knew the birds found
safe shelter at roasting time. as we'll as
from the gun when flushed by dog, for
10 hunter. no matter how ardent,
would have the te1nerity to brave the
suclz-holes and wild brier vines. Hear
ing tive call Of a quail. | stopped to
listen and locate him positively.
stood facing a stone wall. distant about
six rods. on each side of which grew
lazcl bushes Suddenly out of those
IN the opposite side sprung a fine old
cock partridge and dropped on the
wall directly in front Of me, tail
spread, ruff standing out and crest
picture of alcrtness. What
/ chance for an artist. | hardly !
orea thed. Between u, was a small
alder bush. tall and slim. This was {
he only shelter. yet th>. bird did not J
seem to notice me. for after standing
he began rrrcning himself,
seeming to enjoy the rays OF the sun,
which slOne warm and bright. | stood {
md watched him thus for probably ten !
minutes. and vas considering whether !
% let him go altogether or flush and 1
ry shot. when lie stopped. shook {
himself. stretched one wing and Lee,
hen the other. tool;. look around and, I
dignity raisl" his feathers. IS set
ing hen when disturbed. raised his 6
wings little above (; horizontal line
md brought them down against his l
,ody. increasing the time until it 1
nded in q tutter, as it seemed. This I
watched him repeat; the third time {
moved slightly; he spotted me and
moved also. l am perfectly satisfied t
n one point, however, that the mysteri-
us noise, as some term it, is produced t
y striking the wings against the \
'ody. AS many will admit, who have Z
lad the opportunity to observe, the t
ound is more pronounced and distinct e
t a distance than very near it, where l
has mutfled. Auttering sound.
I