The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-08
The Rainma kers


The gods took the cover of the rain
bowls for little while Saturday night
and Sunday morning but this overflow
meeting wasn't big enough. II the COWS
Of heaven, to speak in Vedic phrase, will
not give up, why they must be MIXED
by magic arts. The State Of New York
stretches entreating hands toward the
modern Cloud Compeller, Prof. CARL f.
MYERS Of the Government balloon farm
in Herkimer county. Prof. MYERS
lances the clouds with balloon bombs.
Horrendous conclusion and repercussion
follow and cataracts Of rain may be
looked for about this time, as the alma
macs say. Prof MYERS has operated
successfully on Texas clouds and made
the water gush forth over the dryest
counties. Now he has been asked to
put out the Adirondack fires. From the
top of Smith Mountain he surveys the
world. So ZEUs looked from the skyey
top of old Olympus. So OD1N from his
lid-shelf or private window.
We are inclined to think that the cows
will decide to be MIXED before the Cloud
Compeller gets his balloon half full.
We have no patience with the scof1ers
who assert that rainmakers never come
to save thirsty land until after it has
been boiled and baked for months, and
rain ia sure to fall whether they tap the
armament or not. We venerate science,
the modern magic, and magic, the print
tive science; and the ancient and noble
profession of rainmaking is dear to our
heart of heart. In twenty, in hundred,
African villages this very day, ,perhaps,
the rainmakers are pounding and splash
ing. If the clouds continue to be misery,
some sorcerer in some neighboring vii
lage has bewitched and bedevilled them.
Find the rascal and open him; and then
the windows Of heaven will open. II the
rain still refuses to drop, swat the rain
maker. Another martyr Of science.
Fortunately it will rain if people will
only wait long enough, and post hoe,
ergo propter hoe, is the universal logic.
The rainmaker ia usually justified by
results and sleek with prosperity,
There are lakes, rivers and brooks,
hard to find nowadays, into which you
have only to drop stone and rain, thun-
der and lightning leap from the sky.
But this is an unsociable fashion. The
art of communal rainmakinG is more
cheerful, and just as satisfactory. Ac-
cording to an old German recipe, the
villagers undress little girl, clothe her
with grasses, twigs and PUSHES and set
her to plucking henbane with the little
finger of her right hand. When she
plucks the henbane, it must be tied to the
little toe of her right foot. Then she
passes through the village and at every
household bucket Of water is doused
over her Water brings water. Like
produces like, or science and magic are
humbugs.
In Servia and Greece even now sub
stantially the same ceremony is prac-
tised, although the mysterious detail Of
the henbane is omitted. The girl in her
suit of natural green makes the circuit.
Is she the Spirit of Vegetation Is she
the representative and image OF that
greenness which the rain is asked to
give? Anyway, she sings from house to
house while her comrades dance in a ring
around her: and bucketful after bucket
full thrown over her reminds the supernal
water department of it's duty These
professions may not be 80 effective as
Government balloons, but they are much
cheaper and more neiGhborly.
To our mind, however, the custom Of
Barenton is best. The Gazetreer that can
not lie puts Barenton in the department
OF Manche. But Barenton is more con-
genally situated d" in the forest of Bre-
zeliande,' presumably that enchanted
wood of Broceliande, where old man
MERLIN, imprisoned in an airy circle
by WHEN the Fay, gave rise to the ex-
preston, There is no fool like an old
fool" When the Barentonians need
rain, they have, or used to have, solemn
procession, the clergy in their robes,
bell-ringing and chanting. They go
to the old fountain of Barenton and
there the Mayor doffs a shoe and puts
his foot crosswise in the water; and down
pumps the rain.
We are far from implying that Mayor
Low has habit OF putting his foot in
it y; but magic is magic and science is
science, and the town needs more rain
and there is fountain in the City Hall
Park, and the Mayor Of New York might
initiate even so humble an official as the
Mayor of Barenton.
Mr.. WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN has ideas
Of his own, and many Of them are likely to
conI inlla to he his own His lo.est opipion