The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-03-14
THE HAsKIN LETTER
The Weather Bureau and the Settler.
81 Fredsrla J. Hask1n.

The w eat 2 I ther Bur,
ID By Fredsrl'
is one visits relative in com.
munity with which he is unfamiliar
and II rains during the whole week
LOT his presence there. he Is always
iassured that It is the worst spell o,
weather in the history OF the town
# the wind blows hurricane while
he is sojourning at a. resort. he n
told that it is an unprecedented oc,
currence. II he wants to buy farm
where it never frosts that he may
grow oranges. the land agent swears
that his holdings offer that advan.
ffage. II he wants to live where the
dry air will reriFlfy his bronchial
tubes, he is directed to score oi
communities and knows not what de
!pendence to put in the information he
receives.
Yet this is one matter on which he
can get the facts. There is an of1ic-
ial and absolutely reliable source Oh
Information as to the weather his
tsfory Of any community in the United
States. One may find out from the
federal weather bureau just how cold
It gets, how hot it gets, how dry ii
gets. how often the wind blows-all
the weather facts about any cummun-
lty. These facts are not for single
season. which might be exceptional,
but extend over period OF ten or
twenty or more years
Not only have these facts been ac-
cumulated. but they have been pub
lfshed IN such a way that when any
individual asks for Information about
any community under the flag, the
weather bureau man has but to reach
into pigeon hole, produce pamph-
let. and there it all is, handfly classi-
fed
Inc average American is an in
sstanctlve pioneer and there constant
~ kicks about in the back Of his mind
the idea That he would like to move
TO some other community than that
IN which he resides and try his luck
under new conditions 1t is not pra,.-
ttca!ble for this man to travel to many
communities and personally inyesti-
gate them. He has much difficulty In
finding reliable information about
various localities, but there is one
element with relation to any COM
nuniy of which he may absolutely
make sure. The weather conditions
may be definitely known and these
nave much to do with other elements
Inc United States is divided into
l06 sections that represent regions Of
som ewhat uniform climatic confIi-
tons. For each of these sections.
tables are published showing temper.
AZURE rain and wind This Is SIM.
plenented by a general statement as
TO climate, geographical and agricul-
tural conditions. In each section
there are many observation points If
lne1ng possible to find one OF these
WITHIN twenty or so miles of zny in
dfvidual farm in the nation. The
weather facts are set forth for each
Cd these observation stations and
therefore get very near to any point
about which Information NAV ha
wanted Ill L. :
NJ. ira man residing in Pennsylvania
should be offered land In Florida
which was recommended for the pro-
auction OF grape fruit. he would wish
TO assure himself that the climate was
lsufficiently warm for this indusfry He
would write to the weather bureau AT
Washington. asking for the weather
data for southern Florida. tt woa,id
be sent him free OF charge. He would
turn TO the tables for the observation
point nearest the land he cas- under
consideration. There he would find
the record from actual and Official OBJ
serVatfons, OF the times, during the
last generation, when the 3tempera-
ture had fallen below freezing He
would find the minimum tempera t1r-
es reached during all those years He
would be able to check the weather
Information given him by the land
agent, and, therefore, to get a pooo
indication Of the reliability OF that
gentleman's statements. If he knew
anything about the grape fruit indus
Try e would be able to tell abosluter.
! ~ whether, from the standpoint Of
climate. it would be safe to go info
the business on the land under con-
sideration.
Or. possibly, the man in question
was q corn grower and contenplat-
ed moving fEo4n Allah anna to Nebraska
He knew the amount OF raj nthat was
required to make a corn crop and he
knew that this rain must fail in the
summer months. He asked for the
weather chart for Nebraska and found
what was the rainfall In the section
Under consideration, when 1t came
and whether or not it would be s,,f-
nclent to make his venture safe. He
I found out what were the years Of
bountiful rainfall and how often there
came sea- sons that would endanger his
success. He was sure OF at leas
these facts in the community unde,
consideration.
Y ecords OF this sort are OF particu-
| IA Il value in such se1ni-arid regions
| as some OF those in the west where
tsenorts are being made to- develop
"A ~.