The record-union., 1897-08-16
THE WEATHER BUREAU.
HISTORY OF THE LOCAL Of
FICE SINCE JULY, 1877.
Valuable Service 1t Has Rendered
the Public Since It's Es-
tabIishment.

Government building (PostOffice), on
The northeast corner of Seventh and
X streets, was established in this city
ON the 1st day of July, 1877 (by Ser
geant r. B. Watkins) in the St. George
building, southeast corner Fourth and
J streets, room 107 third floor.
Sergeant Watkins remained in charge
Of this station until April 10, 1879, he
being relieved by Sergeant NJ. NJ. Sick
ler
In speaking of Mr. Watkins the first
observer, It can be said of him that he
went from here to Red Bluff and from
Red Bluff was transferred to Cincin-
natl, o., from which station he was
promoted to Second Lieutenant in the
United States Signal Corps, the Wealth
er Bureau at that time being in charge
of the War Department. During Mr..
Watkins short stay in this city he
committed matrimony, as we find in
the family record OF the United States
Signal Service Bible Ga book which is
on file in every Weather Bureau office
in the United States) the following no
tce under marriages: AT BeechwoOd
Everton Ind, August 6, 1873, at the
residence of the brides parents, Ser
geant r q. Watkins, Signal Service.
y. 5. A, Of Sacramento, Cal, to Miss
Lillian Belle Cockefair" Since those
lines were written in the biblical record
of this office, and which were penned
by the bride herself. many changes
nave taken place. The happy bride of
that day lies moldering in the tomb
awaiting the great day Of resurrection,
when, according to Holy Writ. we shall
all stand before our Creator to give an
account of our short sojourn on this
mundane sphere. Sergeant Watkins
has since married again
The Weather Bureau office was re-
moved from the St. George building on
November %, 1879, to the F'ratt build
ing, on the southeast corner of Sec
ond and K STREETS room II, third floor
Early in the year 1881, Mr.. Sickler re-
signed his position in the service of the
Weather Bureau to go in business with
his brother at Pala, San Diego County.
He was a married man with several
children.
Mr. Sicl1ler was relieved from duty at
this station on the 18th day of March,
1881, by Sergeant James A. Barwick
who still remains in charge Of this sta
ton 1t will therefore be seen there
have been but three changes in the
personnel Of this station during the
past twenty years, viz: Mr.. Watkins
from July l, 1877, to April -, 1879; Mr.
Sickler, from April 10 1879, to March
II, 1881, and Mr.. Barwick, from March
10. 1881, to the present time.
The office was removed from the Fratt
building June /, 1882, to the Arcade
building, No. 1905 Second street, rooms
% and %, third floor, from which build
ing it was removed to the Lyon & Curtis
building, III J street, room 80, third
floor, on February 1, 1884. The office
remained in that building until its re-
moval to its present cOmmodious and
pleasant quarters, which removal took
place on the 1st day of May, 1894.
This local service has grown greatly
in Importance since Mr.. Barwick first
took charge Of the office. over sixteen
years ago. At that time reporters of
the daily press had to wiggle their
weary way up three flights of stairs
TO obtain data for their papers, but
a change from that course was speedily
inaugurated by Mr.. Barwick, so the
pencil-pushers of those days ceased
dragging their weary limbs a hundred
feet in the air. Daily reports were
afterward delivered to the daily pa
pers BY the Observer himself To note
the growth. interest and value of the
constantly accumulating records of this
office it viii only be necessary to scan
the files of the Record Union, "
which has almost constantly contained
concentrated contributions on the eli
matte condition of this city and vicin-
ity.
Mr.. Barwick had not been in charge
of this station six months before he
began the collection and collation. of
the rainfall records over the entire
State, which We're published from time
to time in the columns of this paper
Through the kind and hearty co-Op-
Grafton Of Ed F. Smith, Secretary of
the State Agricultural Society, with the
Weather Bureau, Mr.. Barwick's collec-
ton of State data was annually pub
lished by that society, whose reports
from 1882 TO the time Governor Budd
set his veto on the State Printing Office
appropriation have been replete with
valuable data covering every county in
the State but Alpine and Tuolumne.
Hundreds of pages each year can be
found in the Agricultural Society's re-
ports. giving tabulated data and orig
inal essays on the varied climatic
changes Of this great State. In fact, fu-
ture historians in writing of California 5
climate must depend solely on the data
that can be found in that society's re-
ports.
In 1888 Mr. Barwick was appointed
Meteorologist to the State Agricultural
Society. and he still holds that (now)
empty honor. for Governor Budd's veto
1,tD++aa ont tba va1l,a and iroDOrf a0ce
of that office to the State Agricultural
Society.
The thanks Of the people OF California
should be extended to Professor Willis
/, Moore. Chief Of the Weather Bu-
reau. Washington. D. C. for having
these reports printed at the cost of the
United States Weather Bureau Depart
ment. for had he not done so this val
uabIe branch of the State climatic and
crop service would have indeed been
badly wrecked.
In the spring of 1891 the weekly crop
bulletins We're inaugurated by the
Weather Bureau in cooperation with
the above-named society. In Septem-
her 1891. the California State Weather
Service was established. Monthly bull
letins were issued by the Agricultural
Society from September. 1891, to and
including February, 1897, and weekly
crop bulletins during the spring and
summer seasons from 1891 to June.
1897. The stoppage of such valuable
data 10 the farmer, scientist and miner
has been severe blow to the wide
awake and advancing rising generation
of our State, and it is to be sadly re
GREETED that the power OF the state