Semi-weekly herald., 1913-10-30
INDIAN SUMNER.

Why and what is Indian summer
| There is more of tradition and less Of
| fact about Indian summer than any
other season of the year. Indian
summer seems to be an accident of
nature, pure and simple--and it has
just the same chance of being repeat
ed from year to year as any other
accident, and no more! The facts
| about Indian summer briefly are
these: The latter part of Septem-
ber is, as every one knows, noted
for its severe wind and rain storms
People call these the "equinoxes" and
other names. The storms are often
very destructive. The sun has cross
ed the meridian and the temperature
is beginning to go down. The in.
fluence of the sun on general wealth
er condition is now known to be very
great. Therefore, at the time when
the season of warm weather is chang
ing to season of colder weather, it
is only natural that there should be
more or less storm and stress in the
atmosphere. When we have several
days of high winds and heavy rains
it is also natural that the tempera-
ture should go down. AS with all
things of nature, the winds and the
rains soon exhaust themselves and a
dry period of sunshine succeeds. The
contrast between the cold, dreasy,
rainy, wind-blown days and the
bright, sunny, dry days is most
marked of course, and it is especial
ly marked at this season. The air
dry and is filled with smoke and
dust, which makes it hazy in the ex-
treme. Besides that, as the period
is Immediately following severe at
mospheric disturbance, there is lit
tie, or no, movement in the air and
the tendency Of the air currents is
downward from great atmospheric
heights rather than horizontally
across the face of the earth. Such is
the explanation for the condition we
call "Indian summer" The experts
of the weather bureau, however,
made an ivestigation of the subject
and they found that in a period of
Al years there had been but 8 years
dian summer? In II years there was
slight change that could be called
by that name, and during eight years
there was absolutely no time that
could be termed unusual enough to
be noted. During the remainder Of
the years there was more or less of
change, but it was not worth re
cording. Weather experts declare
that the same kind of weather as is
experienced in the fall and called
Indian summer could and does occur
at any other time of the year. Some
very pretty stories have been woven
about the period which since 1894 has
been called Indian summer because
of an old Indian legend dealing with
it. 1t seems, according to this, that
great Indian named MudJekewls
with his nine brothers, subdued a
chieftain known as Mammoth Bear
and captured the Sacred Belt of
Wampum. Because he was the lead.
er of the expedition, although the
youngest of the brothers, Mudjekewis
was given by the gods the govern.
ment of the winds and was renamed
kabegun-"Father of the Winds.
He had four sons, and on one Of
them, Shawondasse, he bestowed the
government of the south winds
Shawondasse was rather a lazy sort
of man who liked to take his ease
and live calm, peaceful life. He
always kept his eyes toward the
north, however, and the Indians all
believed that it was his signs OF con-
tentment that caused balmy southern
airs to blow, which makes Indian
summer. In England Indian summer
is generally known as st. Martins
summer, and in Germany and other
sections of Europe it has other
| names.