Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-04-29
GRANDFATHER's BAROMETER.
How He Learned What Immediate
Weather He Might Expect.

Not Il dainty affair, with silver or satin
trimmings, nor yet with the credentials
of Uncle Sam attached; but constant
companion, shifting from woods and fields
10 Skies-this was the weather bureau of
our grandfathers and mingled with the
signs and omens Of old there was just
enough Of fact that the old timer some
times gets the best of ii now in f0retell-
ing the weather:
Rainbow at night. sailors delight:
Rainbow In the morning. sailors take warn
ing;
Rainbow at noon. rain very soon.
Just adapt this couplet the next time
n rainbow comes yoW way, says The
Scientific American, and see for your
self.
A combination Of rain and sunshine
was also supposed 10 bring rain the next
day.
Another verse which found favor was
Evening red and morning gray
Will SET the traveller on his way:
Evening gray and morning red
VIII pour down rain upon his head.
This is but an adaptation of the adage
that red sunset is Il sign of clear
weather. And if the sun Goes down in n
cloud rain viii surely come the next day
If il clears off in the night look for
rain the next day. If smoke from the
chimney settles instead of rising there is
a storm at hand. When sound travels a
long distance there is also storm near
Never expect much storm in the old OF
the moon. The absence Of dew and an
unusually heavy dew are alike forerun-
ners of rain Not much frost need be
expected in the light of the moon. An
owl h0oting in the hollow is IA sign OF Il
cold storm; on the Hill it foretelS Il thaw
If the hornets build low the winter
will be hard. When leaves fall early the
winter will be long. When snow falls ON
a hard road it will not last long. The
last spring snowstorm never comes until
after the sugar snow" which may be
recognized by coming in unusually large
fakes and only lasting a few minutes.
If the hogs melt is found big at the
front the first part of winter will he the
most severe; if the reverse is true. we
may look for hard weather in February
or March
Bright northern lights bring severe
cold. ii the sun shines on the second
day of February 50 rs to permit the
WOOdchuck to see IFS shadow it will 90
back into its hole and remain six weeks
II March comes in like a lamb it will
20 cut like lion: if it comes in like "A
lion it will go out like n lamb In other
words, one extreme at the beginning
promises the reverse at the end of the
month. Sundays Indicate a bad storm.
Distant sounds distinctly heard fore
bodc no good weather. If the sun
draws up water it will rain. The
pitcher sweating and the teakettle boil
ing dry also indicate rain. Cobwebs
thickly spread upon the grass are an in
dicatiOn of fair weather.
Animal life seems according to the
popular notion, to have peculiar warnings
regarding the weather changes. Some Of
these are eXplainable by natural causes
1t is a fact recognized by all intelligent
stockmen that cattle have an animation
of an approaching storm some hours be-
fore it is visible to the human eye.
There is a certain restlessneSs which the
cowboy has learned to interpret Mt once
When You see a pig pasturing in the
field build for itself nest you may look
for a storm.
Chickens take extra pains in oiliug
their feathers just before rain. Pea
fowl send forth their Shrll cries as a
warning, and when the quail cries
''more wet" from the meadow, the farm
err works briSkly to get his hay under
shelter If the chickweed and scarlet
pimpernel expand their tiny petals. rain
need not be expected for few hours
Bees work with red0u0led energy just
before IA rain. If the flies are unusually
persistent either in the house or around
stock there is rain in the air. The
weather. Squirrels store Il large supply
of nuts. the husks of corn are unusually
thick. and the buds Of deciduous trees
have a firmer protecting coat if a severe
winter is Mt hand. If the poplar or quak-
ing asp leaves turn up the under side,
rain will soon follow.
If the fog rises in the morning it is Il
sign of rain: if it settles. a clear day may
be expected. Watch the smallest cloud
you can see. If it increases in size it is
going to rain: if it meltS away and van
ishes completely fair weather win follow.
If the camphor bottle becomes roily it
is going to storm. When it clears, set
tied weather may he expected. This
idea has seemingly been utilized in the
manufacture of some of our cheap ba-
rometerS. The main trouble is they sell
dom foretell the change until about the
time it arrives.
Last, brt moi Iea~t, rheumatics can al
ways tell it in their bones" when
storm is approaching. and to this prog
nostication the octogenarian of today is
as firm an advocate as were his fore
fathers.
Teeth and Temperament.