Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-04
4 pUHtlACs sC[lMkTE,
The Curious Way Rain Falls h
 Balmy Honolulu.
pERpLExINe SPECTACLE.

The most pcrplexinc thing about Hawaifs climate to the new arrival is the matter of rainfall. You begin to experience this perpiexity before you have set foot on the dock at Hono- lulu, when you consult anxiously with your fellow travellers as to the advisa- bIlity of digging out an umbrella or rainproof before you go ashore. The chances are that you are all convinced that the heavy veil of black clouds which shuts out portions of the moun- tain scenery from view and the few drops of rain which the fresh shore breeze dashes in your face like fash ing jewels torn from that bit of rain. bow are warnings too plain to be ig- nored, and you prepare accordingly for the downpour which seems imminent.
 You observe with some surprise that none of the wearers of the dainty cos tunes you pngs on the street appear to be in the least perturbed by the possi- bility of getting caught in the impend- ing shower until after awhile 1t dawns on you that the storm keeps right on impending nothing more. As you ride in street car along the flashing seabeach. vivid with color of break. ing surf and of flowers in trees and hedges along the way, the sunshine never appeared so brilliant. But off to the left in a beautiful little valley tucked like q deep pocket in the noun tafns and seemingly scarcely half a mile away there can be no doubt of the fact that good, heavy rain is fall ing. The sunlight striking through the falling drops fills the valley with a glory of broken up rainbows--a riot of color that causes one to gasp and exclaim in admiration. There can be no doubt that the rain we have seen fall ing is real and that it is as near as 1t seems, for the wind now and then car ries refreshing dashes of 1t into the open car, causing few of the passen- gers to change their seats to the oppo- site side. i. But still the street is per fectly dry and the sunshine as, bright as ever.
 Five minutes later we leave the car at ,he foot of great jagged pile of volcanic rock that marks the vent of a prehistoric volcano, and the red base and sides which support stunted, mcsquite-like growth and few cacti look as though they hadn't had good shower for six months. And they prob ably haven't.
 In time one learns that Hawairs cli- mate is purely matter of locality; that the report of the rainfall for any given time, published by the United States weather bureau, does not mean for every place in the territory nor for the island of Oahu nor even for the city of Honolulu, but only for the place where the rain gauge stands. It would not be true for place half or three quarters of mile away. One learns that he may live in Honolulu under very different conditions as to precipitation, according to location. In some of the valleys rain falls practi- cally every day of the year and varies in amount in different parts of the same valley, which may be only a mile or two long. There are other sections in which the splendid lawns and bow CTS of {, green foliage which surround beautiful homes are only possible through constant irrigation. And there are to be found almost every degree of moisture between these extremes.
 Like everywhere else, one finds peo- pie of every turn of mind in Honolulu as to the most desirable places in which to live. In sections where the rainfall may amount to two or three hundred inches per year vegetation dourishes most luxuriantly and with a minimum of attention. There is also an absence of humid feeling in the at- mosphere or disagreeable dampness which one usually associates with much rainfall. This is accounted for by the fact that the rain comes in showers, of which dozen or more may come in day and may occur while the sun is shining brightly, while the never failing trade winds and a porous soil dry up the surface moisture within few minutes after . shower has passed The heaviest pre- cipitation also usually occurs at night.
 In the dry sections, if one has plenty of water with which to irrigate (and Honolulu has splendid system of wa- terworks with ample supplyl. one may more easily control what he would grow and at the same time escape the Inconvenience of oft occurring show CTS. Some of Honolulu's most beauti- ful residence districts as well as the beautiful Kapiolani park, one of the most beautiful tropical gardens in the world, was originally barren sand plains, practically devoid of vegeta- tion and once thought to be worthless. The newcomer Is often puzzled to hear an old resident refer to "the plains" when speaking of a section of the city in which are located some of the most magnificent homes and beautiful grounds in the whole territory.
 The variation of rainfall. together with the difference in temperature due to elevation, give to Hawaii diversl- ty of climate that can scarcely be equaled in the world, lacking only in extremes of either heat or cold.--will Cooner .