Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-06-03
AND THE STORM CAME

story, SUCH as the newspapers printed
during the recent unreasonable cold
snap, that I'm not reminded OF phe-
nomenal fake forecast that made Its
appearance in one of the New York
yellows q few years ago, when Farm
err Dunn was New York's weather
prognosticator, observed one of the
Chicago correspondents.
1T was a Chicago man who, on the
first day he went 10 work on the New
York saffron sheet few summers ago
sifted some of the thickness out OF
Farmer Dunn's plentiful locks and
caused him to be berated over the tel.
ephone as he had never been berated
before.
The Chicago newspaperman had
some unique ideas on the subject OF
over work, and when, on the first
morning OF his employment on the
afternoon paper, his city editor told
him to go down aud get the weather
story from Dunn. and he ascertained
that Farmer Dunns prognosticating
tyrie was about a mile distant. he
mentally bucked.
I wonder II that assignment-maker
thinks I'm going to hike II for all that
distance just to fix up weather
yarn?' unused the newspaper man just
out of Chicago. Not on his natural.
Nay Nix. Similarly, not none
$50 he repaired across the way to
the high-ball chemistry of o, Upton,
Esq, hung the recently deceased Only
William up for three OF the same. re-
tired within the shade of cool alcove
produced a bunch of mussed-up copy
paper, and indited the days weather
story
ut was rara avis Of weather
story when he got through with 1t.
while he was writing it the skies
were of sapphire. the summer sun
shone resplendently and there wasn't
even symptom of haze to portend
the arrival OF different meteorological
conditions. II was, in brief, a perfect
summers day.
But the reckless young man from
Chicago wrote forecast that predict.
ed the star headiiner OF an electrical
storm of the season, and the prediction
announced that the same was going to
happen early on that same afternoon.
"He went into the details of the fore
cast deliberately. and stated that New
York scientists interested in the photo
graphing of electrical displays had
their cameras all ready and pointed
for the celestial pyrotechnics that were
going to blaze out on schedule time
along toward two o'clock that after
noon.
1.-THE new young man from Chicago
sent the copy over to his paper by a
messenger and then he leaned back In
the alcove and continued the absorb
ton of the products OF the Only Will
liam's facile fingers.
About an hour later he purchased
the first editions OF the other after,
noon papers to fnd out II his weather
story was anywhere near being In line
1T wasn't.
THE genuine Dunn forecast, an SET
forth in all the rest OF the afternoon
papers, including the chief rival of the
yellow for which he worked, was that
beauteous weather was to continue In
definitely.
I" Which Is a good enough tip for
me to remain AWAY from the ONCE,
unless I want TO experience the morti-
fication Of being dumped ditched. fired
and mangled at the extreme bottom OF
the elevator shaft unused the newspa-
per man fresh from Chicago.
Then he Jared forth TO reflect, in
the open air, upon ways and means
whereby he could obtain employment
on some other newspaper that would
permit him to take an occasional
chance with long shot.
1T was then one o'clock in the aft
ernoon. and the big. black clouds had
begun to roll over Brooklyn.
"At exactly 1850 the opening gun Of
the electrical orgy was fired and for
a solid hour II Numbered and light
hinged SO hard over Manhattan island
that it made peoples teeth ache.
"It was a continuous performance
OF heavenly artillery for straight 60
minutes or more, and the biue, purple.
green and pink lightning caused SUI
perstitious persons to imagine that the
world had about arrived at its finish.
ut was about as tremendous an cleo
trical disturbance az New York had
ever been through. and the photo
graphic sharps did take hundreds OF
views OF the lightning ribbons ripping
the heavens from zenith to horizon.
THAT, probably. was the meanest
afternoon of Farmer Dunn's Official
prognosticating life. The city editors
of all the other afternoon papers
streaked for their telephones as soon
as they saw the yellow's exclusive
weather prediction in the act OF being
perfectly verified and INDICATED, and
they completed the sizzling of the
wires that the Chicago mans electrical
storm had begun.
I" 4 pass was all Dunn could say
over the phone to the storming city