The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-05
A TRIP WITH A RAINMAKER.
The Author of Gin His steps" De-
scrfbes a Thrilling Experience.

Rev Charles NJ. Sheldon. in August st.
Nicholas.
| 1 had been attached to the United States
signal service in one of the Western States.
| he writes. and. obtaining leave of absence
| for two weeks. had also, by dint OF care
| full and influential correspondence with the
| division superintendent of the y. X. X,
obtained permission to make trip over the
road with the professional rainmaker en-
ployed by the company.
| The car was divided into two compart-
| ments. One was fitted UP with sleeping
and dining arrangements; the other con-
| tanned the mechanical and electrical appli-
ances used by the rainmaker. 1t was in
| the professional end of the car that was
seated, watching the rainmaker as he
| busted himself with certain pieces OF APP
| paratus that looked as mysterious to me as
| IL they had been the stock in trade OF a
necromancer. Presently he finished his
| task and came and sat down beside me.
| We sat looking out on the prairie as we
| sped dustily along. and the rainmaker an
swered my questions with good-natured
amusement at some of them. The whole
affair was mysterious to me, and the pro
fessor's' explanations only added to the
mystery. To tell the truth / had no faith
| I'm the power of the rainmaker's combina-
| ton CT chemicals and electricity TO produce
| g drop of moisture.
1t was nearly dark when we drew up at
| the town where We We're to be sidetracked
and left to make the trial Ii was a rail-
road town, with group of shops and three
| or four smelterS. We were backed upon
| the siding uncoupled from the train, which
went on, and at once the rainmaker made
his preparations for letting the gases out
| into the air.
| A crowd of curious men and boys had
| gathered, knowing that the rainmaker was
| coming. committee of citizens from the
| town was on hand. By this time it was
| dark, and the apparatus was in shape. The
| battery was turned on, and in few mo-
ments 1 was informed that the gases were
| being liberated. There was little noise in
| connection with the work. and the whole
| thing was very administrative.
I'VE might as well eat our supper now"
| said my companion.
Don't you have to watch anything?"
mo; it goes ITSELF" he answered. That's
| the beauty of it,
II think we shall get a storm within
| twenty-four hours" said the rainmaker,
after supper.
1 did not say anything. To get little ex-
| ercise 1 stepped out of the car and strolled
| UP the main track to the little station. l
was surprised to find large gathering of
| men there.
Whats going on?"
Haven't you heard? The big strike is
on, and all trains on the line have stopped
running"
| 1t was true The greatest railroad strike
ever known had begun, and there we were,
| stranded in that railroad town full of des-
pull Quit
In the morning we looked out upon the
same dusty, bleak, hot prairie. Our car
was surrounded by a perfect mob of men
and boys all day. Some of them made
| threats against the company's property, but
we thought nothing of them. There was
| a feeling of excitement on all sides. AT
| night we felt obliged to close the doors OF
our car to shut out the mob. had made
| my arrangements to sleep. and had, in fact,
| in spite OF the excitement OF the evening,
| supposed that all was going to settle down
| again, when a shout outside brought me
| up standing, and the rainmaker and /
pushed open one of the side doors a little
| way to look out. large group of men
| could be seen running down the track to-
| ward us. They stopped on the other side
| of the switch from the siding, and by the
| light of the burning smelter we could see
| them tearing up the rails. The rainmaker
| closed the. door and locked it. He then
secured the other door in the same way.
! A small lamp had been burning on a shelf
| He blew it out and whispered to me: Its
| our best chance of escaping notice. The
men are excited; they have been drinking
| and there is no telling what they may do
| now their blood is up
| Ten minutes went by. Suddenly strange
| crash was heard. 1t was followed by an
| other and another, each nearer than the
| first. and accompanied with great yells
and cries.
What can they be doing?" 1 could not
| help asking.
At that instant. before my companion
| could answer, a peal of thunder rolled over
the prairie and above the shouts of the
| mob. The rainmaker smiled at me, as much
| as to say, Il told you So" and what he
| would have said do not know. for the next
| moment We felt the car sway violently up
| and down, as If caught on the swell Of an
earthquake.
| The heavy trucks went up on one side
| and then came down with a jar that
| smashed nearly every bottle on the rain
| makers shelves. There was an awful yell
| from the mob, and again the car rose on
| one side, as If being lifted by giant hands.
| They are trying TO tip the car over!''
1t was true. The mob had resorted TO
| this method of destroying railroad prop
| erty. and the crashes we heard had been
| made by the overturning of cars. Ours, be-
| ing like the rest on the outside, may not
| have been distinguished by the men. We
| tried in vain TO unlock the doors and get
| out. We screamed and pounded, but the
car rose, swayed on the trucks sickeningly
| for one second, and then over it went, with
| The crash that followed so stunned me
| that for while did not realize what had
happened.
| My first return of clear ideas came on
| finding that l was drenched with water
| and dripping as if in a river. j thought
| at first of the rainmaker, curio'Isly won
/ dering II he thought this was the scien-
| tific way of producing moisture. The tank
| in the top of the car had broken OPEN and
| the water had splashed out all over US.
The side Of the car had split in such a
way that l was able to crawl out from
! where lay and get my head and shoulders
| out. By this time some of the more sober
men in the crowd realized the situation
| / was half kindly, half roughly dragged
out from the broken car, bruised and
| bleeding. but with no bones broken Next
| / saw the rainmaker standing near the
track, his face cut with broken glass and
one arm broken. The cofored cook was
nearly killed by fright. but he escaped
with severe bruises
| / spent the rest Of the night in the home
| of a private citizen who kindly cared for
| the professor and myself. The strike con-
| tnued week longer, ana were unable
| 10 get away even IL We had felt we'll
enough
| l should say, to make the story complete
that on that memorable evening. about
| midnight. tremendous thunder-storm
burst over the town, and drenched the
| country for miles around. My friend the
| rainmaker. claims it as the result of his
scientific efforts.