The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-25

Mr.. Smith has been a we'll known
character in Topeka for many years.
His weather predictions have won for
him a reputation which extends be-
yond the immediate circle of his
friends and acquaintances in Topeka.
His predictions were looked for, in fact
religiOusly watched for, by many peo-
pie in all portions or the state. He
rarely made q mistake in forecasting
the weather con editions.
Cider Smiths name is Synonymous
with weather forecasts He did not
make his forecasts by the aid of the
primitive wish bone and corn huSk signs
in a hit or miss manner but he made
them scientifically, following the same
principles and rules as the government
prognosticators, but he proclaimed
with more accuracy and many who have
followed his weather warnings printed
in the State Journal agreed with him.
Mr.. Smith made his forecasts for peri
DDS covering several days or even
weeks, While Uncle Sans warnings are
sent out not more than "a hours in ad-
vance.
Mr.. Smith kept a record of the wealth
er for the last so years. That record
is complete. So far as Topeka is con-
cerned it dates from 1871 when he came
to Kansas. There was no weather too
cold nor none too hot for him to be
about as usual
'Cider" Smith was a character in To-
peka- Anyone whose name is on the
tongue of nearly every one is a charac-
ter and the people OF Kansas, as well
as Topeka, watched his warnings as
diligently as they did those handled by
Observer Jennings.
Il have studied the weather for SIS
years." said Mr.. Smith when asked re
Gently how long he had observed the
elements and the conditions governing
them. L became interested in the study
while in Wisconsin in 1S47. Then I no
ticed the conditions of the trees and
other things produced by the weather.
Some time after that I secured the re-
ports OF the department of agriculture
and studied them. learned a great
deal about the storms going across the
country. I studied their route from the
Rocky mountains or from Behring sea
across the country to the ocean. 1t
was an easy matter to study the con-
ditions at various places in the United
States from those reports
4 found where the barometer was
the lowest. For instance, a low barom-
$3.50 here today. The next days report
from St Louis shows the barometer
has lifted a little and stands at 2s so
and at some place in Illinois is q. 55.
This shows how long it takes for it to
go from Topeka to certain places.
found out of course, how fast the low
barometer would travel. 1 studied out
the conditions by years. pay no at
tenriOn to present conditions in this 10
cality in making my forecasts, but to
coming conditions. The wind has moth
ing to with it.
The best explanation can make is
this: If you ask a surveyor to run
some lines for you he finds 4 certain
monument and from that gets his
bearings and then does his work. In
making weather forecasts I have
monument that never changes. 1t gives
me my bearings and I make no mis-
takes.
Mr.. Smith did not often impart any
proverbs but one of his rules was that
three white frosts in succession will
always bring rain and sometimes two.
Another was that "sun dogs general
ly indicate rain. He says that there
are many conditions which govern the
elements and that the positions of
the planets have much to do with the
weather He says there are from five
TO six weather periods in a month and
the planets govern those periods.
The story of Smiths life is an in