Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1917 — THE UNCHANGED CLIMATE [ARTICLE]

THE UNCHANGED CLIMATE

Some persons still cling fondly to the belief that weather changes. Weather has its vagaries, to be sure, but the skeptical to the contrary notwithstanding, the general average from year to year remains unchanged. Winters as a whole are neither colder than they were nos summers hotter ,than they used to be. In an interesting volume published by the Indiana historical commission, and edited \>y Harlow Lindley, accounts 'of early travelers in Indiana are assembled, and from these many pertinent tacts regarding the weather in those days are obtainable. More than 100 years ago, for instance, Constantin Francois Chassboenf Volney visited Vincennes. “Even in January,” he observes, “they experience hot, sultry days. And. he says-again: “The spring is ushered in with showers, and the heats become great and permanent within forty days after the equinox. •For sixty or seventy days ensuing .the summer solstice, they prevail with the greatest intensity, the thermometer ranging between 90 and 95.” David Thomas, in 1817, journeying from Vincennes to the northern boundary of Indiana, recorded, the observations of the settlers regarding the weather. Even the “oldest inhabitant” makes his appearance in these accounts afid testifies that “the summer is generally dry, especially in the month of August, and? “in winter, the atmosphere is generally clear and cold,” while snows “are seldom more, than three inches deep, and are commonly melt-, ed by sunshine.” Some readings of the thermometer, too, are added to Dhvid Thom-

f as’ account. In December, 1816, the lowest point reached by the mercury in the vicinity of Vincennes was 17 degrees below zero. In January, 1817, 11 beldw whs the minimum; in. February of the same year, 5 below was registered. In all three months, there were days, when the mercury rose to 60. In March, 18, was the lowest registered and in April, 100 years ago, an early careful' observer of the temperatureone Judge Parke, so Mr. Thomas informs ns ——found that 39 marked the minimum for the month and 83 the maximum. t And those “showers” that ushered ’in the spring 100 years ago did very ; much as they do today. Mr. Thomas’ account speaks for itself. There ■ says he, “one. conxenience at- ’ tending this country, exclusive of. the overflowing of the Wabash. All its tributary streams after a heavy shower of rain, rise above the banks and overflow the low land adjoining, which on all, is of considerable ■ extent. In times of high water, it ! is. one of the most .difficult countries to travel through I ever saw. These same streams, a century later, have but little mended their ways. And the weather today is very much as Mr. Thomas found it 100 years ago. ,

The effect of the amendment to the postal law, which has passed both brandies of congress, on the prohibition law passed by the Indiana legislature a few days ago, will be to add this state to some fourteen or fifteen other states into which it will be an offense against the federal law to bring any kind of liquor for beverage purposes in any way except, as stated in the Washington . dispatches, “in the stomach.” It is suspected that the measure was introduced by the “wet” forces as a means of check-» ing fe the progress z of prohibition in states which as yet have not passed prohibition laws, and it may keep states like New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts from passing prohibition laws, for some time. But apparently the “wets” overlooked the possibility of a federal prohibition amendment, ■which w ill solve the whole problem at one stroke. It is quite possible that if all of the states except four or five pass prohibition laws it will require little persuading to get congress to agree to make it unanimous. The question .of how the federal authorities will be able to enforce -this provision of the law is of great importance, because if the government determines to enforce the law’ to the letter, the enforcement of the Indiana law- by state and city authorities will be made much easier.