The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-06-18

Mr.. Arlington finished map
ping the curve of rainfall with
red ink and laughed. THE
weather mans only diversion is
weather." he said.
1--WE weather men don't have
time to cultivate hobbies. Weather
has a habit of running over
leisure time. I may have to run
back from a ball game or picnic
to issue flood warning"
A S Mr.. Arlington talked on in
IN his pleasant, quiet voice, the
reporter had a picture of the
weather man as the victim of
one-sided battle, with no holds
barred. The reporter thought of
him as one of the last survivors
of a race of men who grappled
with roaring winds and laughed
in the face of the rains.
Mr.. Arlington admitted there
was something poetic about being
a weather man. Although" he
added, most people think of
weather men as graybeards lean
ing out of window and predict
ing storms by a tingling in their
corns."
Mr.. Arlington said that he was
interested in amateur bookbind-
ing and used to play a cornet
before the drought took his time.
He admitted this rather apologet-
ically, as if such frivolities were
out of character with those who
deal with the wild winds.
The reporter was reminded of
the humorous story of rustic
seer in Brown county who gained
a nation-w wide reputation for pre-
dieting the weather correctly.
When curious reporter went to
interview him, the aged gentle
man hobbled out, spit through his
teeth and said: tits thisaway. I
read in them indianapolis news
papers what fellow named Mr..
Arlington writes and then I tell
everybody the opposite
Mr.. Arlington laughed good
naturedly over the yarn. but pro-
tested that it had "whiskers"
on it.
THERE is no one subject upon
l. which men differ so violently
as the weather, Mr.. Arlington
said. He frequently is called upon
in court to settle a case by giving
weather conditions upon a certain
date.
Every Monday morning, women
call the weather bureau to ask
whether the weather will be suit
able for washing.
Some years ago, before the in
vention of sensitive instruments,
weather man had to be on constant
duty actually observing weather
conditions.
Today, the indianapolis weather
forecast is made as the result of
an almost worldwide survey of
conditions, noting carefully the
low pressure centers that sweep
over the continents.
The duty of the weather Office
, is to catch the recordings on in
struments showing precipitation,
pressure, wind, temperature and
general conditions. These then
are reported to other stations.
II u
XXTHEN it rains, the ladies' aid
w societies demand irritably
just why the skies had to over
pour on the date of the benefit
supper. When the sun blazes, as
it has a little monotonously in
the last few weeks, farmers burn
the weather man in eff1gy.
But when the weather becomes
meek and even loving, with balmy
skies, languid winds and splendid
glowing sunsets, the weather man
may sit in vain waiting for calls
of praise. He would, that is, if
he were not cynical of the &C
claim and scorn of the world.
The weather man hides under
the vague anonymity of being a
''meteorologist," a term which
confuses no one. He may be a
meteorological to his family and
his scientific friends, but to the
YoI1h1ir uyhicIo rr1i,,orNcoc him 0vo11y