Glacier County chief., 1940-05-03
BY GLADYS MAYO


The future looked grim for Mon:
November, 1896, as unusually
heavy early SHOWS blanketed the
grazing ranges Of the state from
the Rockies eastward. Many
Treasure state cattlemen predicted
that the spring Of 1897 would see
depleted as they had been that
fafeful. heart-breaking springtime
of 1887, just a decade before. But
this time fate decreed otherwise
as a friendly chinook wind,
natural phenomenon peculiar to
the American northwest, saved the
herds on Montana ranges. II was
cheering, dramatic change of
weather that would have caused
men Of another age to cry,
.'Miracle!"
The state was in the grip of a Sc
rere cold spell when that welcome
htnook came over the mountains: It
ood ne at Is a degrees sne bei s50m aere
Garcely breath of wind stirred over
he ranges when tens of thousands of
Montana cattle stood starving in 80
inches of crusted snow. Things looked
hopeless, for the winter had scarcely
Earted.
Alvin T. Barrows, United States
Teather bureau observer, has left us
vivid account of the coming of the
,hinook which meant reprieve from
financial ruin for most Montana cattle
anchers. Describing the coming of the
rind, Barrows wrote:
suddenly over the edge of the
Mountains to the southwest appeared
! great bank of black clouds. their
outer edges blown to tatters by the
rind. In a few minutes a short puff
n hot, dry air had reached the plains,
( md in the following seven minutes
he temperature had risen "a degrees
NE wind increased in velocity to 70
niles and the temperature rose to 81
:egreeS above zero. Within II hours
very vestige of the 80 inches of snow
+ lad disappeared, leaving behind bare
ILLS and the plains covered with
later"
All Montanans know the warm
reath of the chinook wind, but one
ach as Barrows describes comes but
nee in a lifetime, and If his story
Tere not a part of the official records
\ the United States weather bureau
n might be one difficult to believe.
he rapid change Of temperature he
escribes was observed at Kipp. Mont,
ut similar reports came from other
arts of the state. Dillon reported a
smperature rise of from 6 degrees to
b In two hours. In Red Lodge the
4 rercury jumped from 81 below zero 10
above in one hour, and Miles City,
savre and Helena reported similar
1dden movements of the mercury.
Such quick changes of temperature
&c characteristic OF the CHINOOK Wihd,
. nd are to this day something OF a
4 tystery to the experts of the weather
IA ireau. The most common explanation
the winds Is that they are caused
II the surging to and fro OF warm
Il I'D cold air currents high above the
arth. In an earlier day the general
n slief was that chinooks we're caused
II the japanese current along the
4 birth Pacific coast of America, but
Fl days scientists discount this theory.
. plnting out that even near Alaska
II he japanese current is but mile
q rde, and that the difference between
4 be temperature of the water in the
Il purse of the current and in the rest
/. the sea is but few degrees.
RusseIrs Famous Picture
The late great Montana artist,
harles NJ. Russell, called the worlds
Il ttention to the importance OF chinook
4 inds to cattlemen with herds on the
7 pen range when he painted his cele-
rated picture, waiting for CHI.
4 Ook," or 1.-THE Last of Five Thousand
= his painting, perhaps RuSsells best
aOwn single work, shows starving
beer standing knee deep in snow as
! Dives circle about waiting to make
be kill The story of how Russell hap
Eened to paint this moving bit OF
eStern life is an interesting tale in
self. The scene has become familiar
thousands of Americans through
be many postcard reproductions OF it
hat have been mailed from Montana
IL all parts of the world. Travellers re-
ort that the picture is a favorite in
England. where it is used often as a
slendar decoration. The original Of
be picture Is owned by Mai. Wallace
Elidekoper Of the American Fork
Ench. at Martinsdale.
The swiftneSs with which the Chi
Ook does its work early became part
the folklore of the cattle country.
the words of one commentator.
The highest testimony regarding the
Ehnook wind is its place as hallelu-
III in the speech Of the people. with
coined verb and a folkish, affec-
Nonate neuter gender-'she chinooks.' :"
photographers have traced the use
the word Chinook" from its origin
the Pacific coast to its use In the
Elumns Of staid New England news
pers. Harvey w. Scott. the historian,
rites:
E"Within the past 25 years the word
Is been grated into the speech and
He written language of a vast terri
Ery east of the Cascade mountains,
Id circulates freely throughout Mon
na and Wyoming. 1t has been car
led into western Nebraska. In recent
+ airs 1t has crept into Boston news
Epers, with local application. Any
Eft, balmy winter wind is called a
Hinook Thus we see the vicissitudes
r. written words in an age of high
Utilization and universal knowledge"