The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-11-12
INDIAN SUMNER.
THE CURIOUS DIFFERENCES
OF VIEW
on the subJeot-Characteristies Of
Pleasant Period of the Year.

Pleasant Period of the Year.
sThey don't have any Indian sum
mers now like did when l was a boy
said the big man regretfully. why
can remember when was a boy back
in New York the sun in Indian sum-
mer used to come up in the morning as
red as fire, and the clouds were red'
and the sun went down at night in
crimson glory. The hills were haZy
and smoky, too, and everything was
dreamy and soft and lazy. 1t was as
Quiet every day as Sunday, and you
could hear the tinkle Of the cowbells
away off. 1t made you feel sort of good,
the weather being so gentle itself. But
they don't have Indian summer now.
Many people, like the regrettul man.
think there is no Indian summer as
there was in the days when they were
young. They think that a change
must have come over the climate that
has done away with this delightful
season of the year. Other people be-
lieve that the brand of Indian sum-
mer now furnished is much superior to
that of years ago, while still others as
sert that there is not and never was
such a thing as an Indian summer In
fact. ideas and opinions too numerous
to mention are held regarding this IN
definite but alluring season Of the year.
An official of the United States wealth
er bureau once considered the subject
of Indian summer of sufficient impor-
lance to justify an investigation as 10
its origin, time, extent, characteristics
and the way in which it got its name.
He summed up the result of his Ia
bors as follows:
SIT has been stated that this spell
Qndian summer) appears in Septem-
Der; that it comes in, October; that 1t
occurs in November or not at all; that
1t takes place in January; that 1t lasts
from three to five days only; that II
extends over a period of more than
four weeks; that it is peculiar to New
England; that it does not occur in New
England at all; that it is now more
marked than was formerly the case;
that In former years it was more pro-
nounced than it is now; that it has at
present ceased to exist anywhere"
AS to what Indian summer is, there
is not so much difference of opinion.
Patrick Conner, head of the govern
n1ent weather bureau at Kansas City,
says:
saThis period of the year is character
lied by hazy condition of the at
rnosphere, a redness of the sky, alb
sence of rain and a mild temperature.
This appears to result from dry or
stagnant state of the atmosphere, dur
ing which the air becomes filled with
dust and smoke arising from numer-
our fires, by which it's transparency is
greatly impaired. A heavy rain wash
Is out these impurities and effectually
clears the sky"
Speaking of the extent of Indian
summer Mr.. Conner said:
.'This phenomenon is. not peculiar to
the United States, similar condition
of the atmosphere being frequently OBJ
served in Central Europe"
The greatest diversity of opinion
seems to be as to just what season of
the year should rightfully be designat-
ed as Indian summer, and it may sur
prise matter-of-f fact people to know
that so romantic a thing as Indian
summer has been the subject of much
scientific discussion and that pages in
government weather reports have been
devoted to a discussion of it and the
origin of it's name. Some writers con-
tend that Indian summer begins as
early as September. Others say that it
has its birth in November, but the ma
jority seem agreed upon November as
the proper time of the year for it to
put in an appearance. All are agreed
that there may be years when there is
no such thing as an Indian summer
The general concensus of opinion is
that Indian summer must follow a
period of cold weather, and usually it
comes after the first frost, Or possibly,
after the first snow. Then there is
calm when the sun shines day after
day with pleasant warmth, the air is
unstirred by any breeze and fills with
dust and smoke, giving it the hazy ap-
pearance peculiar to the season.
But if there is a difference of opinion
as to the time of year that should be
called Indian summer, it is nothing to
the controversy that exists as to where
the name originated. Some writers as
sert that it was called by the earliest
settlers .. America, the name being
4 CONF mic. ted to hem by tie Ind, MS
It has been pretty generally establish
ed, however, that the term itself was
unknown until the last decade of the
eighteenth century, the first record of
its use that can be found being in 1884
It also seems certain that the phrase
had its birth in Western Pennsylvania
and that 1t spread from there to New
England and thence to England It
n has ceased to be an Americanism, and
in the short space Of little over 100
years has been adopted into the Eng
lish language. An English writer says
In England the term is now generally
used to designate that season of the
year which used to be known as the
little Summer of st. Luke" The sea-
son was referred to by Shakespeare in
Henry VI as est Martins summer
Kansas City Journal
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