The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-10-05

How Man Seeks Guidance from An
Ama1s and Inanimate Things.
Inc weather signs of our own and
other days would make a fair-sized
volume. Even the intelligent are apt
to take note Of the weather on Feb. 2,
when the grounding is supposed to
fare forth to catch a glimpse of his
own shadow in the sunshine. Many
also pin their faith to the old doggerel
cOuplet:
open and shet,
A sign of wet"
II the meaning of this seems vague,
1t may be said that if the sky is filled
with clouds through which patches of
blue appear rain may come at any
time, says the New York Tribune:
Thousands Of sailors believe implic-
lily in this old rhyme:
Red at night, the sailors delight;
Red in the morning, sailors, take warn
ing"
The same valuable forecast Is given
in the old couplet:
Evening gray and morning red,
Bring down rain on the travellers head"
Equally trustworthy is the old coup
let:
Grain before seven,
Clear before 'leven."
Or, the old saying:
"a cold, wet May,
A barn full of hay"
The cat would no doubt be sur
prised to know how potently it con-
trolls the weather. Many believe that
If a cat meOws on the doorstep or
scratches wood it is "sure sign of
rain. Some say that If a cat sits fac
| ing the north and washes it's face with
Its left paw, it is a sign that the wind
| is in the northwest. The paw used
by the cat and the position it assumes
are said to indicate the quarter from
which the wind is blowing.
What country-bred boy does not
, know that If he kills a snake and
hangs its dead body from the branches
of a tree, rain will result? Should he
| wish to insure fair weather he must
bury the dead reptile.
Should it rain on July Is, which Is
st. Swithin's day, certain old farmers
In the East look for forty days Of rain
in the next two months. They also
believe that thick corn husks portend
cold winter, and that If cattle lie
down at once when turned out to pas.
ture in the morning it may be accepted
as proof that 1t will rain within TWEEN.
ty-four hours, or II chickens come out
while it Is raining the storm will not
last long, but If they keep closely un-
der cover it will be long rain.
There are those who swear by the
old saying that the sun shines every
Saturday but one in the whole year
No date, however, is given for the sin.
! gle Saturday on which the sun will
not shine for a single moment.
Birds, dogs, oxen and geese are also
| supposed to have some sort Of ocult
faculty Of foreseeing the weather and
forecasting it by their actions. Even
the tiny ant Is believed to possess pro-
phetic powers, and If one finds little
ant hills in the garden or lawn paths
in the morning they are accepted by
some as proof Of fair day.
The old saying that "all signs fail
In dry weather" must be comforting to
many weather prophets, who, in err
ing, want some saying to fall back on
Rural postmen now carry flags indi
eating weather conditions, and when
these forecasts do not make good
the weather prophet says with certain
truth: "Uncle Sans got a lot to learn
yet about the weather" And yet, al
though the United States Weather Blu
reau occasionally fails to make good
its representations, one should not I'M
dervalue it's services on that account
One cannot inquire into its achieve
ments without discovering that it is q
most valuable government institution
and that it Is steadily increasing in
efficiency. It unquestlonably saves
hundreds Of lives and a vast amount
Of property. According to one insur
ance company, the United States
Weather Bureau saves no less than
$50, 100000 worth Of property annual
~.
Thought He Saw EN-.