The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-04-19
WAS BROWNE
RIGHT ABOUT
C0LDSUMMER?
Fasteners Are Wondering
IT Weather Prophets Pre-
dictiOn Will Stand
tBy CHARLES r. STEWART

Washington, April l9.--Herbcrt
.Ianvrn Browne. the weather prophet
who declared last fall that the sum-
mcrs Of 1926 and 1927 wouldn't be
summers at all, but that we might
expect to shoot our Fourth Of July
fireworks in the snow. got himself
pooh-poohcd for his assertion.
But just look ut the spring we've
had
Browne himself is not a scientist
and doesn't pretend to be. For the
strictly scientific information he re-
quires to enable him to peer into
the meteorological future. he relies
on specialists.
Originally Brownies interest in the
w or was purely incidental to
o:aer activities he was engaged in.
He began his career as 4 ncwspa-
per man a Washington correspond
cnt
Now there arc Inducements in
Washington changing undercurrcnts
which it pays big business"
throughout the country to know all
about. Early knowledge possible,
advance knowledge the changes
enables big business" to avood losses
and make more money.
A good Washington cOrrcs pOnde Mt
becomes sensitive to these changes.
Browne did. So presently he became
u purveyor Of such inside" informa-
ton to select list Of big business
clients.
Weather Always Important
Very early in this game of try
ing TO read the future. with a view
To enabling business men the better
10 shape their policies, | discovered"
says Browne. that few business cal
culations arc worth much which fail
to take the weather into account.
Il turned to the weather bureau.
What good did that do! The bureau
Insisted that a few days was its
maximum limi, ahead.
"A building contractor has to make
his plans in advance Of q whole
season. A grain dealer must look
forward a full year. Suppose you're
a dry goods merchant you've laid
in your stock expecting normal
winter. and it's unusually mild
through are you helped by hav-
ing the weather bureau tell you so.
day or two at timc?"
"'Weil. it can't be helped said the
weather bureau went on Browne.
by no means known to science can
we make a seasonal forecast
II had my doubts. and looked into
the mater. not as a scientist, but
for strictly utilitarian purposes, to
make m business predictions as good
as | tD'iI.
That's how | became long-dis-
lance forecaster on my own ac-
CONT"
Depends on Sun
Brownies theoH was that the
earth's weather depends on the sun
He went to Soils observers for ad.
vice. The suns heat varies, they
said-not be very many degrees. bu'
perhaps enough TO count grea,
deal translated into terms Of tcrres
trial temperature.
However, with cool sun, some
times the earth was warm. The
scientists had noted that. And il
often happened, with the sun getting
in its best ticks. that the weather
here was cold. They'd observed that
too.
Browne was "a sailor as we'll as .
newspaper man.
All for himself, he evolved tn,
idea that the ocean warns up ant
coos off. as the suns heat varies
and that the oceans currents spreat
the difference around.
1t takes three years. he estimates
knowing the currents as he does.
There's the concentrated essence o
the Browne-ian hypothesis of earthl
weather changes. The weathe
bureau doesn't think much Of it blu
scientists of very respectable reputa
ton do