The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-02-02
RaIHMAkIHG HOT a FAKE
WESTERN Kansas sIIsREPRE-
SCENTED BY ILLINOIS MAN.
JayhawLer Promised Rain for $500
and 1t Cams-Ehas's the
Matter with That?


fdea-a truth-and then have
',auslanders' come down upon your
enterprise with a big stick This is
what happened in Topeka the other
day when a real estate man OF Chi
cago, In talking Kansas. tried to do
And after ne had used his club, he
finished the poor western Kansas rain
maker theory BY delivering a hook on
the jaw and a solar plexUs blow, and
down IL went all in a heap
Here is the way he went at the jay
hawker rainmakers, not forgetting
GOOdland, which, ne says, was a cen
ter OF the enterprise:
kansas has unIOaded a great many
opponents OF harmless freak notions
on the country and won well earned
reputation for the proposition OF
cranks, but I think that only once has
the state been responsible for a fake
that cost the country a great deal Of
money" remarked c. J. Caste, a
Chicago real estate man who was in
Topeka on business the other day Il
refer to the 'rainmakeEs.' I think I
am within the truth in charging kan
sas with responsibility for the spread
Of the theory that certain promoters
could make it rain over a given area
at viii by use Of scientific processes
Of a secret nature
kansas got wise first, though, and
when the game played out here the
'rainmakers' sought new fields and
strange to say they were usually sue
cessfuI in harvesting dollars. Along
in the early 'nineties I was a resident
OF South Dakota. Like most Of my
neighbors I was continuing as a resi-
dent Of that state for the very good
and sufficient reason that I did not
care to walk out OF the country. We
had been without a crop for two years
and We're threatened with a third fail
IRE. Times were so almighty hard
that practically every farmer in the
country was discouraged and ready to
quit trying
"One afternoon late in June while
a bunch of US were sitting around the
pOstofice in the little town in which I
lived, discOnsOlately watching the
bIistering sun blast our hopes for a
return Of our seed and meditating
what a wonderful country Dakota
would be if we could only get the rain,
a counterpart of Father Time, except
ing the fact that he carried no scythe,
strOIled leisurely near and Joined
our group.
I presume you men would all
like to see it rain the stranger re
marked in a mild and unObtrusive
voice, by way Of Introductory.
In view Of the fact that we had
not enjoyed even a sprinkle for three
months you can imagine how the re-
mark was received. If the man had
not been a stranger, and old at that
his remark would have started a riot
in which he would have been the cen
ter. AS it was we just looked at him
in utter establishment Would we like
to see IL rain2 Well, I should rather
reckon we would and when we re-
covered breath we so informed the
stranger in sulphurfc language.
% Well, can make it rain at viii,
he said, I am a scientist and have
discovered a way to make it rain by
the proper use Of chemical for
formula
The old gentleman then explained
to Us that he had been operating in
Kansas and that his experiments had
nearly all been successful He was
so confident that he could get US a
rain that he made a proposition, no
rain. no money. Naturally, we were
ready to try anything but his PROPOSE
ton was a good one anyhow. We
4
in a local bank with the provision
that it was to be paid over to him if
it should rain over an area covering a
radius of six miles in each direction
from the town within forty eight
hours after he began operations.
I'VE just started out at once to
raise the money We needed rain too
badly to waste time on an investiga-
ton Of the old mans antecedents.
Merchants, lawyers, doctors, bankers
and farmers were simply stood UP in
corners and compelled to contribute.
1t was as much as a mans life was
worth to refuse to put up or try to
discourage US. Not that we were
thing but just that we were ready to
try anything.
The $500 was raised early the next
morning and when we carried it to
the bank I think the sack contained
all the coin there was in the town ex-
cept the small amount that was al
ready in the bank. The old man put
up a little shack just at the outer edge
OF town and prepared to 60 to work
He had two small holes pOked in the
top Of the shack and surmOunting
each joint Of ordinary stove pipe
THE 'rainmaker' carried several
JUGS "a GllEAlAAEclAS QOMAl 10 his Su1lCAF
took them inside and shut himself in.
Practically every person who lived
in the town congregated outside,
with a few who had been attracted
from adjoining towns. Not a cloud
vas IN sight and there was absolutely
nothing to indicate that it was ever
going to rain. For two hours or more
We watched the shack without seeing
anything TO reward US. So far as we
could discern no vapOr was escaping
from the pipes. We began to show
signs OF losing what little faith We
had in the old man.
lust before noon some Of the more
sharp-eyed among us discovered q
small cloud, apparently ne larger
than a mans hand away OF on the
horizon 1T moved slowly toward US
growing larger. By o'clock the sky
was overcast and thunder was heard.
BY ? o'clock it was sprinkling and at
3 O'Clock It was raining IN torrents.
The people Of that little town.
nearly went crazy with JOY Men
stood IN the streets with barred heads
laughing and shouting like children
as the water feH on their heads and
drenched their clothing I don't think
that day viii ever be forgotten When
reports came in from the country we
learned that the rain fan had ex-
tended over practically the area our