Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-03

Interest In Thermometers mounts with
rising temperatures. bat still there are
hundreds Of people, evidently, who deign
to look at them.
Standing recently at the Kiosk on
Pennsylvania avenue, we were in an ex-
cellent position to note how relatively
few pedestrians stopped to take look
at the interesting instruments there.
Perhaps some Of them went on the
ready. and that knowing the exact tenn
perature would do them nothing but
harm,
In this. one may think. they erred.
knowledge is never harmful, II one
knows how to handle 1t.
There is one section of human opin-
ion, however. which believes that as little
knowledge as possible Is the most de-
sirable state Of mind.
These people. to be found in all walks
OF life, extend ignorance to cover al
most everything, and would much rather
not know than to know
This attitude is based on lack of In
terest: There is scarcely any other way
to look at 1t.
- %*
Those Of the opposite school Of thought
find any instrument or device Of man.
kind Of keenest interest. worth at least
glance.
Measuring instruments Of all sorts are
OF particular value to humanity. If one
knows what they show, he may do some
thing about it.
He may help himself out of disease
into health. out Of discomfort into COM
fort. The United States Bureau of
Standards Is q great organization based
solely upon the desire Of mankind for
accurate measurements. in which term
may be included standards Of all kinds
The thermometer, the barometer and
the hygrometer-here are three instru-
ments which the layman may use him
sell, II he wants TO. Accurate Their
mometers may be purchased for very
little money. Barometers cost more, but
are available for most purses. The same
may be said Of hygrometers.
OF the three, the ordinary everyday
thermometer IS the most intriguing to
the average mind.
It is probable that country bred or
small-town bred men and women are
most interested in thermometers. Per-
hapS that accounts for so many city
people walking by the collection OF
measuring devices at the Kiosk without
glance.
Out in the great open spaces, where
1ueu are SuDumely supposed 70 De men,
good thermometer appeals to every
body as helpful and always interest
ing thing.
Every man swears by his own, and re-
sents asperSionS cast upon its accuracy.
1t is the desire of every householder to
possess thermometer which always
goes the next fellow one better-or may
be several degrees better, in either di-
rection.
We have never been able to discover
whether the thermometer which usually
reads degree or two higher than most
thermometers also reads o degree or
two lower in Winter, or whether the
high-reading tube keeps its difference
all the way along the scale.
After all, to the average reader. 1t
makes little difference. Most of the fun
in reading thermometers, barometerS
and hygrometers comes with contrast.
With thermometer, it is whether lit
Is going up in Summer, or down in Win
ter: with the barometer whether the air
pressure is decreasing or increasing; and
with tire device which measures the
moisture content Of the air. whether the
relative humidity is high or low.
y \
Let 1t be admitted that most human
beings can make some approximation
to guessing the temperature changes by