The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-02-03
A PULLING CLIMATE,
The Curious Way Rain Falls In
BaImy Honolulu.
PERPLExlNG SPECTACLE

Oo~npours Half Mile Away That
Threaten to Drsneh You Every Ne.
mont, but Never Arrivs-A Riot Of
Broken Up Rainbows In the Valleys.
The most perplexing thing about
Hawai's climate to the new arrival
Is the matter Of rainfall. You begin
to experience this perplexity before
you have set foot ON the dock at Homo
lulu, when you consult anxiously with
your fellow travellers Is to the advisa-
bility Of digging out an umbrella or
rainproof before you 60 ashore. The
chances are that you are all Convinced
that the heavy veil Of black clouds
which shuts out portions Of the noun
tain scenery from view and the few
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 pass on the street appear to
be in the least perturbed by the posi-
blity Of getting caught In the impend-
Ing shower until after awhile It dawns
on you that the storm keeps right on
impending-and nothing more. As you
ride in a 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
appeared so brilliant. But Off to
the left in a beautiful little valley
tucked like a deep pocket in the noun
tains and seemingly scarcely half a
mile away there car be no doubt Of
the fact that a 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 it
seems, for the wind nov and then car
ries refreshing dashes Of it into the
open car causing a few of the passen-
gers to change their seats to the oppo-
site side. 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 a great jagged pile Of
volcanic rock that marks the vent of
a prehistoric volcano, and the red base
and sides which support a stunted,
mesquite-like growth and a few cacti
look as though they hadn't had a good
shower for six months. And they prob
ably haven't.
In time one learns that Hawaii's eli
mate is purely a 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. 1t
would not be true for a place half or
tbree-Quarters of a 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
ers Of green foliage which surround
beautiful homes are only possible
through constant irrigation. And there
to be found almost every degree of
moisture between these extremes.
Like everywhere else, II finds peo-
pie Of every urn 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
1ourishes 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 a dozen or more
may come in a 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 a few minutes after a
shower has passed. The heaviest pre-
cipitation also usually occurs at night.
In the dry sections, II one has plenty
Of water with which to irrigate (and
Honolulu has a splendid system Of wa
terworks with ample supply, n may
more easily control what he would
grow and at the same time escape the
Inconvenience of oft occurring show
ers. Some Of Honolulu's most beauti-
full 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-
ton 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