The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-02-27
RAIN MAKING.

Recently pointed out of the efforts
made by various scientists and near-scientists to
draw rain from atmosphere that contained no
humidity, not enough humidity to precip
itation in the form of rain. That of these
methods of producing rainfall received the back
ing of the United States government does not
prove that they were successful as a correspondent
who writes us seems to infer. What success fol-
lowed the experiments carried on at the expense
of the government was problematical As we point
ed out, the success was not startling to
rant the expenditure of the whole amount of the
appropriation for the purpose of experimentation.
About half of appropriation of $4,000
turned to the treasury of the United States.
However. the efforts of white men to produce
rain have their counterpart in efforts by savage
races and we have records of pretended rain makers
among the aboriginees of America. To be sure,
the methods of the Indians were not Scientific"
as were the later experiments carried by the
white men. In this day the Indian rain makers
would be called '4akers" And that is what they
were. Although they tried the experiment of
discharging explosives in the air. they shot
into the sky, especially cloudy days and if rain
followed their method was indicated, and the
soothsayers or sorcerers were acclaimed by the tribe
as the one simon-pure rain makers and genuine
prophets. The Indian rain makers also tried fires,
though the effects sought to be attained were from
the burning incense in the form of tobacco or
weeds They offered prayers and lamentations, too,
and by shrewdly studying the various cloud forma-
tons and general atmospheric conditions the rain
makers very frequently gained credit for producing
rain, which of course would have fallen without
any extraneouS help.
In his account of the Indians of Pennsylvania
published in 1919. Heckewelder gives an interesting
account of the efforts of the Indian magcians to
produce rain. He says:
There are jugglers, generally old men and wom-
en-, who get their living by pretending to bring
down rain when wanted. In the summer of 1899 a
most uncommon drouth happened in the Muskin-
gum country (Ohio). An old was applied to
by the women to bring down RAIN and after various
ceremonies declared they should soon have rain
enough. The sky had been clear for nearly five
weeks, and was equally clear when the Indian made
this declaration; but about o'clock in the after
noon the horizon became overcast, and without any
thunder or wind it began to rain and continued to
do so until the ground became thoroughly soaked"
Unfortunately the character of the ceremonies
is not given in the account but that they would
appear ridiculous there can be no doubt Hecke-
welder gravely adds that experience had doubtless
taught the uggler to observe that certain signs in
the sky forerunners of rain" and in this re-
gard the iuggers we're no different than any OBJ
servant person of this day, especially if that per-
is afflicted with corns or rheumatic
Another writer, in telling the story of the Mooui
Indians, says that tribe had charm for calling
down rain, which was no doubt as successful as
some others In describing the charm, it is said to
consist of "a small quantity of wild honey wrapped
up in the inner fold of the husk of the maize. To
produce the effect desired it is necessary to take