Evening star., 1903-11-28
WEATHER FOLKLORE q
National Bureau Issues an
Interesting Pamphlet.
WORK OF E. B. GARRIoTT
BOOK OF oMENs AND PREDIC-
TIoNs; ANCIENT AND MODERN.
Local Indications Treated Seriously
Farmers Taught to Guard Against
Danger From Frost and Wind.
WORK OF E. B. GARRIOTT

The United States weather bureau has
just issued one Of the most interesting
pamphlets ever prepared in a government
department, pamphlet treating subject
which appeals to all parts Of the country
the weather.
Never mind the weather." goes an op-
timistic old saying, but there are few who
can bring themselves to such a happy
frame of mind. Atmospheric conditions
appeal too strongly to the human frame to
be ignored, this volume OF Weather
Folklore and Local weather Signs is
bound to prove Of interest not only to the
amateur weather sage, but to all who have
noted the tendencies of the elements to do
queer things in certain localities and still
more unaccountable things in other
places
The pamphlet is the work of Prof. Ed
ward B. Garriott. meteorologist, and was
prepared under the direction of Prof. VIII
lis Moore, chief Of the bureau The old
weather saws and proverbs have been col
lected from many lands by the author,
who states that the object OF the paper Is
to segregate from the mass OF available
data the true sayings that are applicable
to the United States. With this material
is combined the reports or the weather
bureau stations in different Cities making
one of the most important features or the
publication the local weather signs as
classified by cities Washington comes In
for a proper share of treatment IN tnls re-
spect, and the local conditions which pre-
sage good or bad weather are set Iortn IN
concise and readable FORM
Old Weather Proverbs.
The old weather proverbs in rhyme and
prose are classified under various heads.
These deal with the relations OF ammals
to the weather, Of significant arrangements
of the clouds, vagar.es of the moon ana
sun, the wisdom of the fish and birds, the
sagacity of insects, the sensit1veness OF
plants and finally the forecasts made from
the weather conditions on any given oay'
such as grounding day All the sayings
one ever heard of seem to have been col
lected by Prof. GarriCtt, who refers 10 MS
work by way Of introduction as follows:
TT is safe to assume that our first par
ents acquired weather wisdom by observing
weather sequences and noting the IoTe-
shadoweG effects of certain atmospheric
conditions on objects animate ana mann
mate We may assume further that the
knowledge thus acquired was commun1-
Gated to their descendants, and that 1t was
handed down, with additions and ampl-
ficationS, from generation TO generation.
We find in the earlier writings and In the
Scriptures expressions of weather wisdom,
many of which appear in collections OF the
popular weather sayings OF today. Ihus
by assumption and education we know that
quired weather wisdom in the daily affairs
of life. When flocks and herds have con-
stituted his earthly possessions he has
been prompted to lead his charges to places
of safety when signs of impending storms
appeared. AS a navigator his interpreta-
ton Of the signs of the air has. in innu-
merable instances enabled him to adopt
measures calculated to avert disa ster to his
frail craft. AS an husbandman he has
closely scanned the sky, the air and the
earth for signs that would Indicate the
weather of the coming day and season
The wisdom thus acquired has been per-
petuated in the form of trite sayings and
proverbs. Many of these sayings are pol
ished gems of weather lore, others have
lost Nheir potency by transfer to foreign
lands where dissimilar climatic conditions
obtain. and large proportion have been
born of fancy and superstition"
One of the tr1te rhymes to which the gov
ernment experts give credence. runs:
Rainbow at night, sailors delight;
Rainbow in morning. sailors warning.
Another:
Evening red and morning gray
Will set the traveller on his way;
Bnt evening gray and morning red
Will bring down rain upon his head.
While the peacock comes in for a share:
When the peacock loudly bawls
Soon well have both rain and squalls.
| Even Shakespeare is referred to as an
authority on weather signs:
red morn. that yet betokened
Wreck to the seamen. tempest to the field,
sorrow to shepherds, woe unto the birds,
Gust and foul flaws to herlInen and herds.
| 1saak Walton's wise advice to fishermen
| is given prominence:
When the wind is in the north
The skfllful fisher goes not forth;
When the wind is in the east
Tis good for neither man beast;
When the wind is in the south,
1t blows the flies in the fish's mouth;
| When the wind is in the west
There it is tie very best
| The influence of the days has one example
| quoted thus:
If Friday II rain
Twill on Sunday again;
If Friday be clear,
Have for Sunday fear
Meteorological Lore