Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-25
The RAINMAkERs.

0\&SAASASsS ~~~~~e
to be setting out to destroy all our
Illusions and to knock the props from
under all our popular beliefs. some
time ago historian said Cleopatra
was red-headed and freckle-faced ana
not at all the great beauty we had PIC
tured her. Another says Paul re
vere's ride was myth, another tnat
the liberty bell has no historical slgnln-
canoe. Betsy Ross and Barbara
Fritchie are denied any claim to fame.
washington is assailed as poor gen
eral. Thomas Jefferson, another says
had nothing to do with the deciaratlon
Of independence more than 10 ACT %
clerk in transcnbing it.
The scientists have told us there IS IS
no merit in the forked stick theory OF
locating wells. Now they tell US tnat
artificial rain making is all take: we
suspected as much about these e1orts
to blow rain out of the sky with oyna-
mite and gases, but we will insist on
believing some of the other Things IN
spite Of what the scientific gentlemen
may say.
has Just issued bulletin warning tne
farmers against spending any OF thelr
good money in attempts at artlnclai
rain making. DR.. Chapel, the mead OF
the Iowa weather bureau, follows up
the weather bureau bulletin with
recital of some Of his experiences IN
Iowa with the rainmakers. he says:
ssThe last session Iowa had Win
rainmakers was in 1894.
..They were busy around the state
then. as we'll as in many other states,
and a lot Of people had faith IN the
efforts of the demonstrators to reheve
the unusual drought that prevailed
that summer. In my opinion. not one
experiment had anything to DO Win
.The method involving the use OF
. large quantity OF powerful explosive
and the gas method are the ones most
generally attempted.
cone man with his retorts and q
lot az Junk will generate mixture OF
some sort that would steam out OF
time toward the heavens. He agrees
to make It rain within certain num-
her al. days as the result OF the ACTON
~ HIS chemical mess upon the atmos-
nhere. That scheme was often trled,
hut It always has been proven pure
fake.
3. ..TherA have been instances where
snch an apparatus has been set up,
and within the time limit fixed. rain
has resulted but 1t was due, and the
chemicals didn't hasten It. 1t was these
scattered instances of rain when sucn
stnnts were being attempted that IN
dmced many people to believe 1t pos
sible to make 1t rain IN large quahti'
ties. hxa
been exploded not far from here LOT
that purpose. Producing rain by con
cussion, Earring 1t out, Is the most
popular idea Of the medium: An arsu-
ment Of the believers In this theory
WAS thu fact that rain followed many
battles In the civil war. The real
trnth IA that rains in the vicinity
where the battles occurred take place
rep,,larly In that season one day out
~ three The further explanation is
that commanders generally begin
movements in fair weather rain max
ing them impracticable.
1I know Of an instance Wnere
rainmaker set up his apparatus ana
manned for results In week, | think
i was. At any rate, he just missed
II q day. for on the day after his con-
tract called for rain or no pay, the
rain came. He was disappointed, GER
tain1v and although he insisted that
he nroduced results, did not attempt
- harvest the dollars. In another IN
stance It rained all around a given
TERRITORY. but In the region where the
cnarator had contracted to get re-
!. I,ouo1,+ continual -