OCR Text |
Show THE INDIAN JSUMMEIL WHEN IT COMES AND WHAT IS R3 SPONSIBLE FOR if. Scientists and fitttier Investljfator. Ditto In TUelr Views Upon the Subject How the Season Was Given Its Name Is the Haze Cansed by Smoke? There is a great difference of opinion mong those who are wSea in weatke lore as to the exact time when Indian summer makes its appearance, some weather prophets deolaring that it includes in-cludes every warm day between Michaelmas Mi-chaelmas day,- the 2th of September, and Christmas, while others locate it in the month of October. Indeed, the opinions of scientists do not agree any better than those of ordinary individuals, individu-als, but soem to be as hazy as the season itself. After looking up much scientific data on the subject, and making a consensu! of popular opinion, the fact seems established that this phenomenon of seasons really belongs to the month of November, although the signal service notes say that if Indian summer does not come in October or November it will come in winter, as if it were a sort of movable Season. Neither do scientists agree as to the cause of that ha2y at mosphere which accompanies the season, a condition peculiar to North America It was attributed by early settlors in this country to the smoke from prairie fires kindled by the Indians henoethe naroe, "Indian summer." But it ii now said by scientific investigators that the appearance of smoke is an optical illusion produoed by a peculiar condition condi-tion of the air,, which might be compared compar-ed to a dry fog. Sentimentalists declare that it is this dreamy haze which gives its great charm to this short, delightfui season, when the whole world of nature na-ture appears like a beautiful dream. It is the fifth season, the mellow ripenes of autumn, when creation stands still in a lazy, languorous mood, and the picture pic-ture is vanishing and indistinct like one of Corot's landscapea It is the golden gold-en sunset of the year, brief and evanescent. evanes-cent. Like a mirage, the Indian summer does not wait to be investigated. It is here it is gone before the would be investigator was aware of its presence-It presence-It is. such a restful, happy period that people are content to enjoy it without asking questions, yet there is much in its phenomena that is worth, the most careful scientific investigation. It hat been suggested that the dreamy haze which accompanies the season is composed com-posed of animal life of such a minute form as to be incapable of microscopio examination, but of such innumerable quantities that they obscure the atmos phere and redden the sun. It is also charged to vegetable matter, but thesi are mere theories which have not yet beef proved. Another token by which this genial Indian summer makes itself known it the absolute silence of nature herself, as if she were taking a vacation from winds that blow and clouds that shade. There is such a stillness in the air from sunrise to sunset that sound itself seems to have gone asleep. But there Is no loneliness in the silence. It is only as 12 everything were resting, bathed in the happy sunshine. The flowers are gone; the singing birds have flown to their southern climes; the leaves have dropped drop-ped from the trees when the India summer comes trailing her white veil to cover the desolation and filling all hearts with the tranquillity of her graoious presenoe. There is a tonic in the air she brings which chemists cannot bottle nor charge commercial rates for whiffs of summers that have been contracted int a a few days and gone before we can analyze an-alyze them to say, "This is balsam, or that is balm. " It is a draft for the gods. The subject of Indian summer was investigated as long ago as 1885, when Dr. Lyman Foot of the United States army in his report says that the Indians gave the season its name by calling it their "fall summer, ' whioh occurred in November. The doctor was stationed it Fort Winnebago, Missouri territory, At the time and wrote from observation. He says: "We arrived at this post the 8d day of last November. We had three weeks uf Indian summer, with all the peculiar redness of the sky in great perfection." He adds that he had long observed the 6eason with curious attention and call for an expression of opinion on the subject sub-ject from other observers. Professor Willet advanced the theory in a report made to the government in 1867 that the dry fog is real smoke, not produoed by prairie fires, but the product prod-uct of chimneya The late Professor Henry of the Smithsonian institution reported that a portion of the haze, filtered, fil-tered, was found to contain the lava of volcanoes and fragments of burned vegetables. veg-etables. Neither of these distinguished scientists added anything to the literature litera-ture of our Indian summer, so when doctors disagree it is not expected that ordinary observers will be able to formulate for-mulate any tenable theory of its causa The next best thing is to enjoy its opportunities, op-portunities, leaving its origin to the unknown un-known source whence it is derived. New England is especially favored by this after summer guest. In that land of rocks and rills the stillness of the occasion oc-casion is more delicious, the haze more poetic and the winds more languorous in their passive acquiescence in this meditative mood of nature. Emersor-must Emersor-must have written of this period. Twaa one of the charmed days When tho genius of God doth flow The wind may alter twenty ways, A tempest cannot blow. It may Wow north, it still ia warm. Or south, it still is clear, Or east, it smells like a clover farm, Or west, no thunder fear. The caprice of the season la to wail until winter is almost upon us, then t drop unexpectedly like -a benediction with sunshine and warmth and a rest-fulness rest-fulness that soothes and comforts hei fractious children and whisper to them sweet promises of heavenly death. Detroit Free Presa |