The Portland daily press., 1898-10-21
RAIN MAKING.
What Daisy Price Did for the People of
Georgia.
(From the Atlanta constitutional

GrIcki6 from tne clouus "ieA 10y
regularity, and it has fallen with the vel c.
ity of a cloudburst. To sum 1t up. taere
has been rain-rain without ceasing, ana
rain enough to wipe out the deficiency Oh
precipitation which our weary friends OF
the Weather Bureau have been engaged ID
carrying over from one year to another.
Speaking of precipitation reminds us
that tor years past our rain supply has
been short, and that in the beginning OF
the present year that shortness promised
to be increased. 1t was dry when the
crops were planted. 1t continued to be
dry when the budding seeds reluctantly
pushed forth their exuberance through
the earth and greeted the piercing rays of
the sun.
The effect was felt by men as they
walked the streets. 1t drove the women
to cooler resorts, only to be followed eve
rywhere by that warm air which blew
over an arid earth parohed BY continued
heat. ,n a h31
This was the condition in our neighbor-
ing city of Macon, when suddenly Daisy
Price-the genial, light-hearted Daisy
became pensiye, and in the language of
the governor of North Carolina, slightly
paraphased, he exclaimed:
cit is long time between rains"
He went to the city hall to see his COL
leagues in government, and they all
agreed with him that an emergency had
deed, when suddenly its gravity was
broken by Daisy eXClaim1Dg:
"Oh, for snake II
In answer to the surprised expression
of his companions, Daisy told them Of
the old belief that the hanging up of q
black snake would insure a fall of rain.
But little faith was placed in Daisy's en-
thusiasm. Nevertheless he proceeded to
advertise for snakes, for black snakes, 30
cents apiece, and even more for one which
might prove to have an extra polish in his
blackness
There was ill-concealed amusement in
Macon when this advertisement was read,
but that amusement was turned to CON-
sternation and curiosity when country
men began to inquire for the city hall,
every one armed with from one to 9
dozen of the shiny black reptiles. 1t was
evident that Daisy got more than he bar.
gained for, but with his usual good hu-
NOR he accepted every one offered and
had them set aside and numbered.
There were short snakes and long
snakes, snakes with rubiound body, and
snakes strung out with remarkable sinu-
oeity. Some wers lively, some were stu
pid. In fact, character could be read in
the attributes of these snakes as well as
in the attributes of SO many men as
sembled together. Early next morning
Daisy's scheme developed.
During tho night he had all the reptiles
killed, and hiring a dozen boys, he
bo oif 10 nail nm
in the various public places. With his
own magisterial h nd Daisy nailed one
I'D over the mayors chair and another
one at the door entering his office.
The stranger visiting the city found
snakes hanging from lamp posts from the
lintels Of business houses, up on the bill
boards and in fact everywhere upon
Then said Daisy, rs he returned to his
office from long and weary walk over
the city: s.
now"
That night when the people retired in
the vain effort to find sleep it was swell
tering heat. At midnight d little gust
from the west famed the weary thirsters
for repose and they dropped off into I'M.
consciousness. In few moments they
were awakened by slight pattering, the
rain pattering upon tn roof. 1t was q
welcome sound. and sent the sleepers
back to repose, all except one-Daisy
Prioa-who sat upon his front porch
watching the results of his experiment.
With the first wisp of the coming rain he
danced double shuttle, and as the fall
increased he ran down to Mulberry street
and engaged in solitary Irish jig. Any
chance person who happened to be awake
might have seen the figure Of the mayor
as It pirouetted from one sidewalk to the
other. At last when the shower had
reached the proportions Of a sweeping
with his success which he had brought to
the city.
Days rolled on, and the rains continued.
Those who had at first welcomed the
falling showers began TO wonder VIII en-
they would cease, and this wonder grew
even stronger when conviction began to
come that there was entirely too much OF
the rain.
Farmers came in and complained of the
destruction of their cotton. Even Daisy
Price himself began to wonder If he had
not hung up entirely too many snakes.
1t became evident to him that it was
waste of the raw material to hang up
more than one black snake at time, but
he justified himself by the re collection
that 1t took great many snakes to con-
vince the doubling brethren.
The dog days have about faded into the
past Not day has passed without it's
shower.
In fact whole weeks have been but one
continuous shower, and still IL rains at
midnight, 1t rains in the morning, 1t
rains at noon, 1t rains at sunset, and
there is no prospect of abatement.
1t was but day before yesterday that
Daisy Pric,. taking walk by himself
along Third street, met little country
boy whom he accosted and took aside into
a dark alley. "Can you tell me-" he
said to the astonished youth, "where you
can find some guinea pig holesp"
The boy had never thought of guinea
pig holes, but at. once undertook to find
them. "I'll give you S. bill,n. said
the mayor, "if You will find me a guinea
pig hole. They do tell me- said he,
growing confidential with the little fell
low, THAT If you can coax a guinea pig
out of his hole it will stop raining.
Now, mind you, find rue a guinea pig
hole and I Will find you a SIS bill. l
think if stood at the hole and sung the
soothing lines of Annie Rooney the pig