Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-12
Aide corrsets Critics

Weatherman's AIDE CorreetS Crttlei
70 the Editor Of the Epen.no Public Ledger:
Sir-Thc "Conestoga' letter intro.
. ducing weather proverbs and the news.
paper article that called forth the let
ter both indicate some ridiculous con
ceptIons the public has Of the work oi
the Weather Bureau. Surely an insti =
tuition whose records arc in constant
demand and whose forecasts are twice
daily given the widest possible distribu =
tion deserves TO be better understood by
the millions of people it serves.
To suppose that Mr.. Bliss or any
other Weather Bureau official ought to
be an authority on old weather folklore
or that he would quote an ancient
weather proverb with any thought Of II
being seriously applied is just about as
fitting as to suppose that tailor ought
to study medicine or quote Shakespeare
when talking about the cut of SUIT.
Being one of Mr.. Bliss assistants
and having been in the Office at the time
he was interviewed know that no such
ridiculous conversation as was reported
ever took pace. Mr.. Bliss did not quote
any weather proverb. lie was asked
about a rainbow proverb and certain
superstitions concerning rainbows. lie
disposed Of this proverb and these su =
perstitlons in short order, making ref
erence to what he termed a better
proverb on red evening sky. which he
said was considered good sign Of fair
weather. He explained that this prov
orb has the merit Of indicating a con =
dition that Is an evidence of widespread
fair weather. The version of the prov
erb in the paper was not Mr.. Bliss !;
II was the reporters.
In the conversation As related in the
newspaper. Mr.. Bliss was ridiculousIy
represented as attempting some six
AREA of barometric pressure while
the reporter was almost desperately
trying to find out something about the
recent rainfall. As published Mr..
Bliss part Of the conversation was
Just about like what you would expect
from lunatic. As 1t actually occurred,
the conversation was one Of much in.
terest in which he was asked for in
formation that he gave explicitly, with.
out the slightest hesitation, and with
the manner Of the class of highly ener-
getc and competent men to which he
belongs. g.
Again. Mr.. Bliss was spoken of ms
gazing gloOmily out Of the window"
There would be no such uncomplimen-
tary representation in newspapers or
elsewhere, u It were generally known
that his office collects telegraphic re-
ports Of weather conditions twice daily
from 141 stations we'll distributed
throughout the United States and
southern Canada; that 1t prepares.
prints and distributes nine different
periodical publications. three Of which
are issued dailv hasides Dr;ntSo. g..
periodicals. for other Offices; that his
office maintains twenty one different
mailing lists. has charge Of 1870 co.
operative stations, three storm warning
display stations. seven river gaueing
stations. tho distribution of weather
forecasts and the collection Of clima.
toIoglcal records for all of Pennsyl-
vahia; that 1t complies volumes OF
local records obtained from sixteen DIFF
'srent Instruments, prepares daily six
sspr'al charts for forecast work. mani
.olds and distributes four bulletins daily
Ior newspapers, prepares five other spe.
.ial daily bulletins for public institu-
IONS prepares daily two large public
ulsplay maps with crayons, stencils and
wafer colors: that 1t attends daily to
esozens OF calls In person or by letter
lor service and informal ton and 15O or
more telephone calls; that it handles
o'nPr lines of work too numerous 10
mention and conducts its affairs in 50
Im,nmooratc q manner that more than $50
,Tlncrent Kinds of printed forms and
form letters are required.
~ GEORGE W. MINDLING.
u :. Dept; of Agriculture,
y, weather Bureau,
Philadelphia, June 0, 1922.