The sun., 1897-02-14
sUpERLATIrEs Nv cLIMArE.
Parts OF the Country That Take the Cake
for One fecuiinrity or Aaother.

for One fecuiinrity or Another.
IRON the CHICAGO rimesIfsral
have run about tho United States good
deal for the last thirty years and have made
memory notes OF such climatic peculiarities as
have come under my observation.
Tho place having the widest range OF temper
ature Of any with which | am familiar is Fort
KeoRh. In tho Yellowstone Valley. Not infre-
quently In tho winter the mercury tumbles
down to 50' below zero. and 1t has been know
In summer to climb up to 1909 above. Here 10 an
extreme range Of 100 degrees and yet people
manage to live very comfortably there tho year
around. In the carly summer tho grass on tho
plains and hills turns brown and yellow, and all
green vanishes from tho wide landscape. except
whore fringe Of cottonwood trees skirts a
watercourse. 1t is q pecularity OF the extreme
high temperature In the arid regions that you
do not perspire At all-that is. you do not Sc n
sibly perspire. The moisture is all evaporated
extreme dryness of the air. Tho heat 10 not
nearly so oppressive. however. a. II is At a
II 0' you ar. SdSops or the snda4 the
shade of tree you arc quite comfortable.
Anything that win break the fierce rays OF
the sun Is sunicient to relieve you from all
oppression from tho high temperature. Trav-
cling some years ago across the hot billowy
plain OF the great basin OF the Columbia with a
camping party lookn up route for u rail road,
We came TO huge columnar rock OF black
nSs1 Ss NJ: ms rhedsy ed @ wss intensely not! We
shady side or the rock. we recalled tho phrase
IN the Bible about " the shadow of a great rock
In weary land" and realized that little
shade meant a. much 20 the people Of arid Pal
estins asto us tired travellers IN arid America.
questionabiy Death Valley, in southern Cali
fornia. IL Ia about 200 feet below the sea level
iains. Birds yins Scros. this yaIey Hsse in ou IN.
heated seasons often drop dead. Borax is found
here, but the mining processes cease in tho heats
OF midsummer. read somewhere Of party OF
mon who entered tho valley in July, knowing
nothing OF tho deadly heat, and who preserved
tie stream that came out OF the monntains m ia and
They were glad to escape under the cooling
The rs,nes! place IN the United statssi. Neah
Bay. on the strait OF Fuoa, In the State OF Wash.
ington. ltactunlly rains every day in tho year
and the total annual precipitation Is nearly 100
inches. There is an Indian reservation on the
making ornamental basins and carving wooden
INV !nr9twlr. which they decorate with high colors.
cedar trees. wheS sssy Rosw lhs rass ns
hre. 1 ones employed as an. artist . half.
mother was :qnSw and Whose father & wss ~sVsS ss
army oificer on duty II that region when he was
Confederate General and was killed at Gettys,
burg he had provided for the education OF
sspo ecser ESdeniy Iss Sss. "s Mss s.seisn. aHm
blhation Of the artistic talent OF tho Neah bay
Indian woman aud an inheritance OF skin from
at West Point.
The most remarkable climatic barrier In the
in Washington. In winter time tho railway
train tolls up tho eastern slope OF these noun
roofs OF the cars in a long winding lane seooped
out by the rotary pillow. Once through the
tunnel on tho Northern Pacific, or over tho
denly leave winter behind you. and. whirl-
ing down tho western slope OF the noun
the iull spring. The grass is green. Hu wnser eer
fowl swim on the rivers and bays. the crows
are are hoiainT % lhsr annual conventions In the tree
you arrive at Tacoma you lind the flowers bloom
Ing in the dooryards, The change, seems mag
Chicago In January and travel TO tho Gulf OF
McKee, Mckee :; YET % the % whole distanes you have ira.
nation in less than 100 miles.
Tho most peculiar climatic region with which
"s o Gffs Il Is ssfn IN the the
ocean on the west by the rugged snow-clad
range OF the Olympic Mountains. and its east
Cascades. Tho sound is connected with the Pm.
chc by the broad strait Of Juan de Fuca, and up
ths strait ponrs . great volume OF moist air.
brought BY the Japan current from far ont
TO sea The mountains OF Vancouver Island
on one side and the Olympics on tho other make
OF the strait AN enormous funnel, and the mois.
ture-laden winds are condensed against the
cold, snowy ranges on either hand, and are pre-
cipithted In frequent showers upon the shores
OF the sound. II rarely SHOWS there. but II rains
little almost every day from October to June.
hc 'cSh'N W pl'uuV' uente NcRelhDlo
growth IN the forest consisting OF immense
trees mrs hemlocks, spruces AMI ccdars-snd
OF underground so dense that II is al
most Impossible to force your way through
II without hard work with AN axe.
ST. Paul man OF my acquaintance
went out to that region last fsll 10 see what no
called his farm. He owns q tract OF land Ave or
ala miles from Olympia tho capital OF the state.
and had often boasted about that farm 20 his
acquaintanceu. lie set out from Olympia on
hours hard struggle IN tho forest lie turned
back without even getting sight OF his posses-
sions. and was followed as far rs the clearing
by cougar. which hestensd his progress by It's
dismal and mcnacing howls.