Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1907-03-08
WEATHER PROVERBS
MANY, BASED ON OBSERVATION,
ARE RELIABLE.
Not All the Familiar Verses Dealing
with Meteorological Subjects Are
acknowledgements Notable
Exceptions.

Ildu, anu lLllSIu AAl ISS "bNSS ~N
ditions of life force them to rely upon
the soil for the means of subsistence,
are 10 dependent upon the changes OF
Temperature and the alterations OF
foul and fair. vet and dry, that 1t Is
o surprising that questions regard
ing the weather should from time I'M
memorial have been made Il subject
for particular attention. Long, there
fore, before there was any mcteorolog-
ical bureau to enlighten the world
with its scientific predictions, people
had begin to study the face OF the
sky, the settling OF the wind, and the
changes. OF the moon and to cmbody
the results OF their observations In
rough and ready rhymes and proverbs
for the guidance OF themselves and
those who should follow In heir steps.
These opinions, as usual, found ex-
preston in verse. For instance, there
was an old Latin stanza which was
very popular, and Of which the follow
ing lines forms one Of several English
versions:
III St. Paul's Day he fair and clear.
1t doth betide n happy year;
If clustering winds do blow aloft.
Then wars will trouble our realms full
oft;
And II IT CHANGED to snow or rain.
Then will be dear all sorts OF grain"
Even more important for the wealth
er-wise OF the past was the 10Th OF
July, 4 day which, as the feast OF st.
Swithin. is V q to-day by no means
shorn of all its former reputation. In
England. at all events, 1t is not un-
usual to hear people of some pretensc
to education. frequently in joke, per-
haps. but sometimes partly In earn.
est, remark that as ST. Swithin's day
is wet or dry las the case may bel, SO
for 40 days thereafter there would be
n continuance of the same kind Of
weather. Thus the old rhyme ran:
est. Swithin's Day. II thou dOst rain
For forty days IL VIII remain
st. Swithin's Day. II thou be fair.
For forty lays twill ruIn no more"
The commonly accepted explanation
of this ancient and widespread super
stitiou Is too curious to be omitted,
though its value, even as tradition,
has been authoritativcly ~impGgHcd.
st. Swithin Tas a bishop Of Winches-
ter, who. after his death In S62, was
canoniZed by the pope. II Is said that
he had expressed Il wish TO be buried
In the opcr c~hUrchyard. and not, as
was usual IL the case of bishops, in
the chancel OF the cathedral. Some
time afterwards, however, the monks
of the establishment we're seized with
a fit Of pious indignation at the
thought that So great and good a man
should sleep his last sleep in 80 hum
BILE, and, for a saint, so unscemly a
spot; and needless of his we'll rCmem-
. bercd desire. they determined to ON
e. the body in great state into the
cathedral and RENTER It there. But
Just as they were on the point Of
their operations a heavy rain burst
forth, which continued without inter
mission for 10 succeeding days. The
monks eve ready to regard any de-
parturc from the ordinary course OF
nature In q miraculous light, at once
interpreted the tempest az n special
warning from heaven. and r~elinquished
their Observation-Disclosures II is said
st. Swithin's day derived It's prophetic
character in relation to the condition
of the weather for tho ensuing six
weeks.
But when our forefathars we're con-
tent to limit themselves to a less eX-
tensive field of prophetic yision-whcn,
instead of undertaking to settle the
weather for weeks or months before
hand, they simply attempted TO pro.
vide against the changes Immediately
approaching, they were 4 great deal
moro successful. Many OF the wise
saws upon which they placed such I'm
pliclt reliance are not to be laughed
at or thrown aside with sCorn, based
though thoy were. not upon scientific
data or reasoning, but on simple oh.
seryation and experience. Everybody.
] suppose, Is familiar with tho curt
little verse which runs:
"A rainbow In the morning
Is the shepherds warning:
a rainbow at might
Is the shepherds delight"
But not everybody who repeats II Is
aware that n statement which IL con.
tains is capable Of scientific verinca.
ton. So, too, with such common
adagcs as
III red tho sun begins his race.
he sure the rain will fall apqce."
And
Evening red and morning gray
Set the traveller on his way;
Evening gray and morning red
BRING down rain upon his head"
'Aro something moro than old wiyes'
fables, for they embody at least q
rough approximation to establish
truth. Both OF these latter proverbs,
indeed, seem TO be fashioned directly
upon words found in the gospel of ST.
Matthew, whore We read (chapter
xvii: "fn the morning, yo say IL will
be foul weather today, for the sky IL
read and lowering;" and again. "NNhon
IL Is evening. ye say It will be fair
weather. for the sun is red"