Evening star., 1925-10-22
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.
Templeton Jones. having purchased
/ barometer. found himself about

Templeton Jones. having purchased
barometer, found himself about
ready to begin competing with the
United States Weather Bureau.
ut is only fair" Jones said, fondly
eyeing his glistening instrument, that
make no reference whatever to the
published predictions of the bureau.
1t wouldn't be fair"
First, he had to work out his own
system of taking observations. He
knew that the big Government estab-
liShment at Twenty-sixth and M
streets took barometric readings about
once every 4 hours. day and night.
Jones decided instantly that 1t would
not be at all necessary, in his one-man
home weather bureau, to make any
reading of his instrument at am.
Perhaps he might be able to make 1t
by o'clock. but am. was unthink-
able.
II guess It isn't necessary anyway"
Templeton told himself. The main
thing Is whether she is going up or
down, and | can find that out by
taking a reading in the evening and
one when l get up"
Upon these two observations, then.
Jones sought to prophesy what the
weather would be for the next day. 1t
was Il hardy undertaking, one that
man. But Jones is not scientific; he
is filled with the milk Of human kind.
ness. as they say, surcharged with
interest In life, that Is all.
He honestly thought he could do
as good job of weather predicting
as the Weather Bureau. Thousands
have thought the same, thousands
still imagine they can do II. Who.
however, except Templeton Jones, has
ever gone to the trouble OF trying?
4 X 4
When Jones went to bed that first
evening, after the barometer arrived,
he hied himself up to the "observa-
tory" as he called it, to take his first
reading. The blue hand had stood at
1910 when the instrument arrived.
Now 1t read 1892, and a glance at
his chart OF instructions told him,
"29.6 to 2a.9. fair weather, with fresh
winds tonight and tomorrow"
Fair" predicted Jones.
''Any one would know that" said
his wife, looking out the window.
Jones said nothing, but solemnly
jotted his observation down on a piece
of paper He referred again TO his
Directions for Reading and Adjust
ing Barometer" They were very pre-
else, and read as follows:
Rising Indications:
"(a) A gradual but steady rise shows
settled fair weather,
"Cb) very slow rise from low
point usually means high winds and
dry weather.
"(c) A rapid rise indicates clear
weather with much wind.
Failing Indications:
"td A gradual but steady fall tndi.
Gates unsettled or wet weather.
'(e) a very slow fall from a high
point usually means wet, unpleasant
weather, without much wind.
20 A sudden fall indicates a sud
den rain or snow, or high winds, or
both"
The gist of that" Templeton Jones
mused, lis that rising barometer.
In the main, means fair weather,
and falling barometer, unsettled
weather"
He read over the approximate
Readings for Different Sections of the
Barometer Scale" Here was some
thing very definite, indeed. How
could one go wrong? He read:
Rising Barometer:
''29 to 29.3 in, Clearing, with high
winds and cool wave.
"29.3 to 296. High winds, with cool
wave preceded by squalls.
1895 to 299, Fair weather. with
fresh winds tonight and tomorrow.
1898 TO 30.2, Fair, with brisk Winds,
which will diminish.
''3o.2 to 30.5. Generally fair weather;