The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-28

, your jackass as weather clerk in place
of the astrologer whom 1 have recently
dismissed Now gentlemen of the
jury said the attorney general, Il want
you to dismiss from your minds all Of
this expert testimony, and in arriving
at your verdict be governed by the
strong chain of circumstantial evidence
that we have presented, throw science &c
the rear and bring common sense TO
the front. If you do, you must return
a verdict of guilty" But such was not
the finding of the jury. So strong,
however, was public sentiment against
the accused, that, Notwithstanding her
acquittal, she was socially ostracised,
and shortly after her trial removed
from Baltimore.
This is somewhat of depression, as
it is my purpose to tell something
about the weather man." whose utter
ances command more attention than
those of any other individual in the
country. for he speaks daily through
the press, the telegraph, the telephone
and the mail to millions of people. In
fact, his brief message to the publlc
announcing the coming changes Oh
weather or heralding an approaching
storm, is one of the first, if not the
first. item perused in the daily papers
I nv a large and ever-increasing num-
her of readers. Time was when the
Weather Bureau had on its swaddlng
clothes. that the mariner was the one
who was chiefly interested in the in
formation which it disseminated, but
at the present time there is not
handicraft, nor a profession, nor d
calling. that is not more or less bene-
fted nv its forecasts and warnings.
The weather man" has become ne
cessitv and is a part of our national
life. He is with us to stay, in word,
he is as much a fixture as any other
public servant.
like all other public officials. he has
much to contend with that would nave
a tendency to curtail his earthly ca
reer were it not for the fact that ne
is one of the best natured most cour-
teous, obliging and patient Oh ilorta rs
The unnecessary, absurd and o1ten
nonsensical queries that are put 10
him daily would cause even JOB TO
occasionally loose his equanimity ana
use language somewhat expressive ana
emphatic, if not profane. For instance
frequently in answer to some inquiry
as TO the weather when ne INFORMS
his auestioner that the night ana en-
suing day will be fair, he is then asked
whether It will rain on the morrow
Again II the forecast is for showers
and when it will end, or If high south,
erlv or northerly winds are forecastd
some one viii inquire If that means
storm on one occasion some years
ago al one of the lake stations the Cd
server was sitting one evening IN ms
once trying to solve some meteorologl-
cal nroblem. when the rain was com.
inc down in torrents, "A rather unusual
oceurrence for that section OF the couh-
~ when he was called up by tele-
n6one and greeted by young lady IN
her most persuasive and dulcet tones.
IL /, raining ?" she asked. ~ mat was
.,...ersi wears before the jarring pro-
cess came into use, be- was not Ja .,l.,e,
but politely Informed ne qvssilo M,
ma n was raining just q niue ~
~ saother occasion in one 81 me
eoythsrn cities the same observer w., W.
.,lettgs by s rather scholarly leoNl"s
,,erflafnan ~ enc presence VINO ~
sermsd hlm that BE- would iles - y
lha..r fhs once. Instrument HpN
..gaahsrnalla ~ weather tpfraA sia-
49, gslukina fhaf his flslf9f wee
s.s.e dlstingulfhed peraQnagf, ''ir