Evening star., 1925-10-21

Templeton Jones, along with other
people, had an idea that he could fore
cast the weather a great deal better
than the whole Weather Bureau put
togther.
Every time the bureau predicted
rain, and 1t did not rain, Jones would
say: Wrong again"
How many of you have done that?
AS explained before in this column,
Jones is "A kind-hearted chap. Not
for the world would he hurt any ones
feelings, and, being a man of unusual
intelligence, he is not given to run
ming down" the efforts of others.
When he cast these reflections
upon the United States Weather Bu-
reau. therefore, he was only doing
what thousands do every time the
bureau fails to hit it."
The trouble is that no one says a
word when the forecasters predict the
absolutely correct weather day, or
two days, or even three days ahead of
time.
SO wags the world along.
How often each one Of us has
wished that some one would notice all
our good deeds, all our kind actions,
all our fine points
How quick. on the other hand, is
every one, even our home folks, TO
find fault,
The United States Weather Bureau.
il seems to me, has to bear the brunt
of this attack for the rest of the Gov
ernment establishment. Everybody
pans" the Weather Bureau every
time 1t fails to hit the exact state
of weather affairs.
Being a human agency, the bureau
does miss it, now and then, despite
its latest instruments, its reports from
all parts of the United States, and its
careful Judgments made by long eXpe-
rienced meteorologtsts.
Most Of the time. however, il sue
Cessfully forecasts the weather. Tenn
pleton Jones found that out, after
he had gone to Il great deal more
trouble than most will go. He is,
as stated, an eminently fair man.
I'm going to get IL barometer and
try to predict the weather" he told
his family Wouldn't 1t be Il joke
IL 1 could do it as well as the whole
Weather Bureau"
His wife assured him II would be
funny, indeed.
"I'u bet can do it better with a
good barometer" said Jones. Like
most people. he had never investi-
gated the barometer, scarcely ever
His acquaintance with this useful
instrument was restricted TO reading
about il in tales Of adventure atioat,
In which the master of the vessel
was always telling the mate that the
barometer i falling"
Some way or other Jones could
not recall ever having read that q
barometer went up. But rise they
10. ne was assured Of that. especially
a -. ..A.-is
! in the encyclopedia.
He did not arise from the large
! volume very much encouraged in his
project. for the book said that the
markings on the dial OF the average
anerOid barometer We're purely EN-,
| piriCal."
THAT means" said Jones To his
adniring family. that the markings
are put there IN u rather arbitrary
manner. and are not based on actual
! scientific study
| Tempieton Jones had his mind al
| filed up with air pressures, highs,
! lows" lie could tell YOU who in
| vented the instrument. how the first
| one was made with a tube Of mercury
and how this was not easily portable
50 u tube with the air abstracteG
| was used.
What did Tenpleton Jones do then
! but buy himself IL small barometer
! declared to be highly efficient" il
| the advertisement?
{ 1t was the first real day ot Autumn
| when the instrument arrived After
| some rain the weather had CleareC
| and fresh, cool winds had sprung VI
| late in the afternoon. with u bright
! sun.
! Jones carefully unpacl,ed the la
| rometer.
! It looked for ali the world like al
] alarrn clock With It's Two little leg