The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-28

ment and as full of machinery as a battleship, but from the standpoint or
 successful inducing of rain precipita-
 tion it would be valueless.
 "It was my success the winter or
 19o3-4 that led to my contract with
 the merchants this year. There were
 fears that another dry year was in
 store for Los Angeles. I was confident
 of the ability I had attained with my
 apparatus to induce rain at will and
 had no difficulty in securing signatures
 of thirty merchants and business men
 to subscribe various amounts, ranging
 from S10 to $1o0, to a contract which
 bound me to induce a fall of at least
 eighteen inches of rain before the first
 of May of this year. When l began
 operations, December 15, Los Angeles
 had had only 1.15 inches of rain. San
 Diego had only .16 of an inch and other
 southern California points made
 similarly poor showing, while the
 northern part of the State, was re-
 ceiving a normal rainfall. San Fran
 cisco had had 7.53 inches, Red Bluff,
 9.13 inches. Eureka, GOT inches, Fresno.
 5.04.
 "Just three months after. according
 to the government reports, Los An-
 geles had had 17.66 inches of rain, and
 San Diego, 12.69 inches. San Francisco
 had run up to 17.93 inches; Eureka to
 
 In other words, 1t had been abnormally
 wet during the period I had been en-
 gagged at Esperanza in the southern
 end of the State, while the northern
 portion of California failed to show
 more than normal rainfall. During this term of engagement conducted twelve demonstrations. each time tell ing in the daily press of the rain. that would follow and when it could be ex- pected and in from two to five days after the vapors had been freed. rains fell.
 During February. when conducted my most extensive demonstrations. the figures are specially striking. Eureka, in the northern part of the State, show ed only .99 of an inch of rain for the month; Independence. .73 of an inch; Los Angeles, 6. 06 of an inch; San Fran cisca, 2.70 inches; San Luis Obospo, 751 inches; San Diego. 6. 90 inches; Sacramento, 3 inches; Fresno, go of an inch. In other words, a glance at the figures and at the map of the State will show that the heaviest precipitation was in the Southern end of the State and the greatest fall was always near the point where conducted the tests.
 "As soon as can arrange to do so intend to visit those parts of the coun- try east of the Rockies where droughts have done untold damage. There, un- llldI eAiu Ihb AAOSA 1h- vorable, I wish to prove again the fact that I can bring air, surcharged with moisture to the locality that needs it. Time and persistency are sure to con vince any reasonable man that I am making no wild claims-nothing that cannot fulfill"
 Examination of the rain records show that the statements made by Mir. Hat field are accurate and his mass of print ed matter, published records, bear out the veracity of his claims as to success full prediction of practically all the rainstorms of the past season. It may be, as certain doubters aver. that 1t is one of those remarkable cases of a se- ries of coincidences, but if so, Hatfield is the most astute and lucky guesser on the contient. That he believes in his own process and is sincere in his idea that he has solved mighty problem has entered into partnership with Ju- piter Pluvius as it were-cannot be doubted by any one who converses with the young enthusiast as to his work.
 Hatfield, if what he has achieved can be accepted as conclusive, has done which scores of others have labored in vain to do. dozen years ago the papers were filled with ac- of the efforts of men in various places to produce rain by more or less fantastic devices. All claimed to have gain ed results. but all failed to prove the merits of their claim. But 1t does seem convincing when body of mer- chants pay over money for fulfilling q contract to produce rain.
 The possibilities bound up in Hat fields discovery, if 1t is q discovery. stagger the imagination. It means that millions of acres of lands in the | arid regions which lie too high to be by irrigating canals can be made as productive as the lowlands | The whole vast empire of the sunny | West may be converted into garden | which will afford homes for millions.
 Charles Hatfield was born in Minne- l sota 29 years ago He removed with l his family to California seventeen | years ago. and here he gained his edu- l cation. He devoted his attention largo | ly to physics and science and has evil | dently been a student along lines Of | Individual experimentation. In ap- pcarance he is of medium height and | slendec build. His head is noticeably | large and well rounded. A pair or | keen gray eyes, set wide apart, look | his visitor squarely in the face when | he talks and at such times his manner | is not that of a boaster. The nose IS | rather thin and prominent and the chin | and lips firm.
 The "rainmaker" talks slowly, but | with the air of conviction and sincerity. | of his purpose. At present he is plan l ming a lecture tour since the success of his work in California has been notsed abroad he has been deluged with requests for help from outside points. | It is probable that he will accept soIae of these proposals to demonstrate his skin. but 1t is highly probable that California will think she can get along without him winter. If she