THE PATTON COURIER
’
Indian Summer
(Copyright, W.N. U.)
|
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
¢
HEN and what is Indian
summer?
Here is a case, indeed,
where “doctors disagree,”
for there are many the-
ories as to the origin of
the name, the reason for
, it and the time when it
occurs, Most people will agree upon
the fact that it means a period of
warm weather in one of the three
months of September, October or No-
vember and that it is characterized
by three peculiar elements: By a
warmth greater than preceding days
or weeks, by tranquii}ity of the at-
mosphere and by smoke and haze.
But when an attempt is made to pre-
dict a definite time for the appear-
ance of Indian summer, then diverg-
ence of opinion begins,
Consult the dictionaries and you
will find that one such authority, the
Standard, says, “A period of warm,
dry, calm weather in late autumn
with hazy atmosphere.” But Noah
Webster goes inte more detail as fol-
jows: “Indian summer: in the United
States, a period of warm weather late
in autumn, usually characterized by a
«lear sky, and by a hazy or smoky ap-
pearance of the atmosphere, especially
near the horizon. The name is de-
rived from the custom of the Indians
to use this time in preparation for
winter by laying in stores of food, or
from their belief that it is caused by
a wind blowing directly from the
court of the southwestern god.” How-
ever, he expands upon the theme by
giving two quotations, one from Free-
man and the other from the National
Intelligencer, in regard to this season.
The first quotation from Freeman, is
as follows:
“The southwest {is the pleasantest
wind which blows in New England. In
the month of October, in particular,
after the rrosts which commonly take
place at the end of September, it fre-
«quently produces two or three weeks of
fair weather, in which the air is per-
ifeetly transparent, and the clouds,
which float in the sky of purest azure,
are adorned with brilliant colors. This
charming season is called the Indian
summer, a name which is derived from
the natives, who be ve that it is
caused by a wind which comes imme-
diately from the court of their great
and benevolent god, Cautantowwit, or
the southwestern god,
The explanation from the National
Intelligencer also Is based upon an
aboriginal custom. Iv says:
The short season of pleasant weather
occurring about the middle of Novem-
ber is called the Indian summer, from
the custom of the Indians to aval
themselves of this delightful time for
harvesting their corn. It is a bland
and genial time, in which the birds, in-
sects and plants feel a new creation
The sky in the méantime is generally
filled with a haze of orange aud gold,
intercepting the direct rays of the sun
yet possessing enough of light and heat
wo preverit sensations of gloom or chill,
while the nights grow sharp aad frosty
and the necessary fires give cheerful
forecast of the social winter evenings
sear at hand.
So here are two authorities dis
agreeing on hoth the time—one says
October avd the other November—of
tndian summer and the reason for the
name. Perhaps the earliest known
geference to the term was that made
ty a Frenchman, St. John Crevecoeur,
in 1778 when he was living at Pine
Hill, Orange county, N. Y. In an essay,
«pA Snow Storm as It Affects the
Long “I” All Right
Casual readers of poetry sometimes
get a mental shock when they discover
the noun “wind” rhymed with such
words as “blind” or “find.” But, ac
cording to the Mentor Magazine, the
grouble is not with the pronunciation
of the old-time poets, but with that of
modern readers. The noun belongs to
a group of words which for many cen-
guries have been pronounced with n
tong vowel. The group includes kind,
When the Acorns Drop
There's a whisper on the hilltop
and a murmur in the wood,
There's a dream of golden
glory everywhere;
On the beech a russet cover, on
the elm a mottled hood,
While the walnut lifts her
branches brown and bare.
Oh, the crows hold their meeting
in the old oak’s top,
And ho, for Indian summer when
the acorns drop!
There's a bloom upon the meadow
like the ghost of summer ¥
flowers,
But the forest and the valleys
are aflame, :
And on hillside and in hollow
throughout all the misty
hours
Pescend the rustling drops of
autumn rain,
Oh, the squirrel’s at his feasti-
ing in the old oak’s top.
And ho, for Indian summer when
the acorns drop!
|
When the chestnut and the hazel-
nut put on a richer brown,
And the blackbirds all are
gathered in a flock,
When mallow - in - the - marshes
buttons yp her yellow gowns,
Then it's time ta heap tka fod-
~._ der in a shock.
Oh autumn’s on her waning;
Better gather in the crop!
And ho, for Indian summer when
the acorns drofy!
—Cornelia R. Doherty.
American Farmer,” printed in 1782, he
called it “I'Ete Sauvage,” a free trans-
lation of which would be “Indian sum-
mer.” In this essay he said, “After
the fall of leaves, but. before any
snowfall, comes a rainy period. Great
rains at last replenish the springs, the
brooks, the swamps and impregnate
the earth. Then a severe frost suc-
ceeds which prepares it to receive the
voluminous coat of snow which is
soon to follow; though it is often pre-
ceded by a short interval of Smoke
and mildness, called the Indian sum-
mer, This is in general the invariable
rule: Winter is not said properly to
begin until these few moderate days
and the rising of the waters have an-
nounced it to man.”
The origin of the term, which is
most widely known, occurs in a book
printed several years later than
Crevecoeur's essay. This was Dr.
Joseph Doddridge’s “Notes on the Set-
tlement and Indian Wars of the
Western Parts of Virginia and Penn-
sylvania From 1763 to 1783.2 Dodd-
ridge traces the term back to early
colonial times when Indians still were
a menace to the backwoods seftlers.
All during the summer, settlers in
the more harassed sections had to
live behind stockades in constant
dread of Indian raids. When the chill
bhiasts «f winter came on, everyone
breathed a sigh «f relief. No longer
would the Indians attack. The sever-
ity of the winter would prevent that
danger.
The hemmed-in settlers now
to the open, going to their log cabins
outside with the joyful feeling of
men released from prison.
It happened sometimes, however,
that the welcome inclement weather
gave way to a few days of unseason-
able warm weather. This was called
Indian summer because it gave the
Indians another chance to wage de-
structive warfare against the colonists
once more,
took
blind, mind, rind, behind and the verbs
bind, wind, find. The New Standard
dictionary gives both pronunciations,
the one with the long vowel being in-
dicated as the pronunciation used by
prots.—Detroit News,
When Birds Sleep
Very few laymen can understand
why a t~o-perching bird does not fall
oft the nder branch when it goes
to slec. and becomes unconscious.
The answer is that it cannot, accord-
ing to Mr. Richard Kearton, the well
The term ‘second summer” was
also used fer Indian summer, but that
wns not until some time later, By
1798 the name “Indian summer” was
widely used in New England, in New
York by 1809 and in England by
1830. The name Indian su.nmer is an
Americanism, but the season to which
it refers is not limited to this country.
The same phenomenon of delightful,
balmy weather occurs in Europe. In
England it is known as St. Martin's
summer or All Hallow summer, refer- |
ring to the time of the year, if oc- |
curring, when it has made the most
impression (St. Martin's day, Novem-
ber 11, or All Hallow Even and the
days following, All Saints day, No-
vember 1). In Germany it is called
Old Woman's summer or St. Luke's
summer, commencing about October
18. and in the Mediterranean regions
it is commonly called St. Martin's
Little summer.
So as nearly as it can be fixed
Indian summer may come any time
between St. Luke's day, October 18, |
and St. Martin's day, November 11,
although the Indian summer type of
weather may be experienced before
or after either date—in September or
even in December. Science cannot find
any fixed period to correspond io pop-
lar ideas of when Indian summer is
and it cannot be predicted any more
than thaws in midwinter, Science can,
however, account for its appearance
even if it cannot predict it, and it
accounts for Indian summer by say-
that it is a phenomenon resulting
from a sluggish movement of the
areas of high and low barometer
across the country, and the fixation |
for a time of high barometer in the
South with low pressure in the
Northwest, giving general southwest
winds and mild weather.
Concerning Indian summer one
scientist says:
In the United States this indefinite |
spell is likely to be more apparent in
the upper Mississippi valley where it
is more inclined to be in strong con-
trast with the climatic conditions that
precede and follow it East of the
Mississippi valley, the autumn periods
of dryness and tranquillity become ir- |
rezular in their occurrence and of brief |
duration. The rainfall is normally so
light in the western states of our |
country that the chief elements of the
mehuine Indian summer are not suf-
ficiently unusual to attract attention.
The peculiar haze which may occur
at this time of the year ® chiefly
caused by the accumulation of dust and
smoke in the almost motionless at-
mosphere. Tt is frequently called dry
fog and usually appears in what is
known as an “anti-cyclone” when
fine, dry weather prevails. Minute
diatoms and volcanic dust and the |
dust from decayed vegetable matter |
contribute to the density of it. It 1 ay
also be increased by the smoke from
prairie and forest fires which may he
transported great distances through the
upper atmosphere, while at the same
time the air near the earth may re-
main quite clear, often producing a
peculiar vellowish or pinkish effect due
to the blue rays of sunlight being ab-
sorbed
Indian summer has become a part of
the English language even though it
is not recognized by science.
Even though Indian summer is not
recognized hy science, it has always
and probably always will hold fits
place in American tradition and Amer-
ican literature, It is a favorite theme
of poets—especially among the New
England group—essayists and cartoon-
ists, nll of whom have told in one wav
or another of the glories of this sea-
son.
known ornithologist. The bending of
the knees in the act of sitting down,
he suys, tightens the muscles of the
toes in such a way as virtually to
lock the sleeping bird to its perch,
and it cannot leave until they are
straightened and the muscles of the
toes are relaxed.
Visual Acquaintance
| Bowman,
i at the 1924 meet.
“Betty’s father is familiar with
wany tongues.”
“Quite a linguist, eh?”
“No, a physician.” eda
Olympics of 1928 Give
Borah Chance at Paddock
Charles Borah, southern California's
sprinting sensation, has a definite pur-
pose in view in directing his atten:
tions and 1928 efforts at the Olympics
in Amsterdam, Holland, next summer
He is anxious to settle the discussions
which have been flying through sport
dom concerning his 100-yard races
with Charles Paddock and Chester
Bowman. Borah will get a shot at
both at the same time at the next
Olympiad.
When in 1926 Paddock was given
the decision over Borah in a ques-
tionable finish, Paddock and not Borah
got eredit for a 9.5 seconds hundred.
“Hard luck.” the fans said. A world’s
record is asbig thing to lose by a par-
| row margin,
And then Borah figured in a 9.6 sec-
2
| onds century at the A. A. U. champion.
ships. Although Borah was first an-
nounced as winner, a H-to-4, vote by
| judges gave not only the gold metal,
but a tie for the A. A. U. record to
A few years hence fans
will see only Bowman's name in the
books and forget about the close race.
Paddock and Bowman both placed
They, with Borah.
will probably be in the 1928 affair.
{ There will be no previous meeting be-
tween them.
Has “Winning Spirit”
IIL
Art Fletcher, former fiery Giant
shortstop and Philly manager, who is
now coaching for the Yanks, has al-
ways been known as possessing a real
“winning spirit.”
In a recent game Babe Ruth came
to bat in the ninth inning, with his
team nine runs on the deficit side of
the boeks.
“Come on,” screeched Fletcher from
| the frst-base coaching lines, “Nine to
tie and ten to win! Let's get ‘em,
Babe.”
Ruth, steaming hot with perspira-
tion and ready to drop prone on the
field with weariness, cast an ugly eye
on the vociferous coach and remarked
pointedly, “That guy has been out in
the sun too long.”
Olympic Club Players
to Meet Californians
former University of California
football stars will play against their
alma mater when the Olympic club of
San Francisco faces the California
varsity on October 22. Among these
ex-Californians are Jimmy Dixon,
crack halfback, and John Sargent and
Ed Giddings, stalwart guards, all of
whom played on last year's Golden
Bear machine.
The annual contest
California varsity and the Olympic
club has assumed increasing impor-
tance each year, especially since 1925,
when the clubmen handed the Golden
Bears thelr first defeat since 1919.
This year’s game will witness the
unusual occurrence of a former club
player performing in a California
uniform. The player in question is
Lee Eisan, clever quarterback, who
between the
| led the Olympic club to its victory
over the Golden Bears in 1925.
Lefty Grove’s Control -
Is Quite Remarkable
Lefty Grove's control against the
Yanks recently was phenomenal. At
one stage of the game he pitched the
ball over the plate nineteen times In
succession before Umpire McGowan
had to call a “ball”
In the course of this streak of
plate-cutting Grove fanned Meusel.
Lazzeri aad Dugan on ten pitched
balls. The latter, after two strikes,
fouled one off. Then came Dugan's
third strike, retiring the side. Start:
ing the third inning, Grove pitched
nine straight pitches, all of which were
strikes except those hit by the batters
for flies and grounders. During the
string of nineteen “strikes” no Yank
reached first base. When they hit the
ball they were retired.
Philippine Fighter Is
After the Bantam Title
Ignatio Fernandez, the latest Philip-
pine bantamweight to invade America,
can neither read nor write, even in
his own language. He never went to
school. A thumb print accompanied by
an “X" is his signature on a contract.
But Fernandez never makes a move
without consulting his friend and ad-
visor, Senor Thomas Cortez. graduate
of an American university in Manila,
Cortez supplies the business sense for
the combination.
Fernandez, in his American debut,
knocked out Abe Attell Goldstein.
winning a mile-wide uecision by whip-
ping over a finishing blow in the sev:
enth round.
5:
. John J. McGraw.
because 1 realize, and s
more baseball than we
know.
“There isn’t any friction
on the club, either. You
hear stories about wran-
gling in the clubhouse or
on the bench once in a
while. They're bunk. We
may not always work
smoothly, but there isn’t
any argument over who's
cunning the team or why.
“You know, they think
I'm hard-boiled, too. They
said that of me when 1
was managing the Car-
dinals last year. I don’t
do any kidding around on
the field, if that's what
they mean. When I'm out
there, it’s all business.
“I like McGraw’s wmeth-
ods. It wasn’t difficult
for me to adjust myself
to the Giants’ style of
play. The game is the
When Mac puts con-
as though he were on the bench.”
Sporting Sauibs
Schalk wil not be retained as mana-
ger of the White Sox next year.
* * *
Harvard has increased its athletic
facilities by 20 tennis courts and 3
football fields.
* * iw
The New York Giants boast of a
future rival to Ruth and Gehrig in a
rookie catcher named Bill Barrett.
* - *
Ralph Judd, pitcher of the Peoria
(I1l.) club in the Three-Eye league,
has been purchased by the Washing-
tons.
- . *
Ted Ray says the British golfers
need more bunkers to improve their
play—and the British boxers less
bunk.
* * *
Croker Wade, hard-hitting leftfield
er of the Winston-Salem Twins, Pied
mont league, has been sold to the
Detroit Tigers.
* * .
Jack Kolza, hard-hitting Southeast-
ern league player reported bought by
Brooklyn, is the property of the Bir-
-mingham Southern league club.
* * -
The first triple-steal ever recorded
in the National league was pulled off
by Miller, Cruise and Long of the St.
Louis Cardinals on June 14, 1917.
* * *
Joe Hendry, professional golfer at
the San Angelo (Texas) country club.
recently set a record of «“29" for nine
holes and finished second round with
yy»
a total of “63. ‘
* . *
John Levi, former Haskell Indian
football star and All-American full-
back in 1923, has been engaged as
assistant to Coach John Thomas of
the Haskell team.
* * .
Many a football fan will catch a
$50 cold this fall while waving a 50-
cent pennunt. But what's a little
thing like pneumonia if alma mater
gets a touchdown?
» LJ .
Albert “Chief” Bender, veteran In
dian pitcher, has signed a one-year
contract to coach the Navy nine next
season. It will be Bender's fourth
season with the midshipmen.
» . .
The longest baseball game on record
was played between Boston and
Brooklyn on May 1, 1920, according
to “Liberty.” The game went to 20
innings for a score of 1-1.
» . -.
The shortest game on record was
played in New York by National
league teams on September 28, 1919
The game lasted 51 minutes, and the
score was, New York 6, Philadelphia 1.
* LJ .
The cost of running an internation-
al polo series is between $350,000 and
$400,000. More than three hundred
persons are directly concerned with
the preparation and the management
of the matches.
«1 would rather work for McGraw than any other man in baseball
do all the other players, that he’s forgotten
same,
fidence enough in me to
let me run the club at times I attempt to follow out his plans just
}
Giants’ Boss Not Hard-Boiled
Rogers Hornsby, discussing his baseball playing code, his ideas of
“4 leadership, attitude toward the game and the fans, leaves the distinct
impression that he comes
of the same school that
turned out John J. McGraw
—or perhaps it was Mec-
Graw that stagted it.
At any rate, it is general-
ly understood that McGraw
will turn over the full reins
of leadership to Hornsby
when the gray-haired veteran
decides to retire. He has
given Rogers a pretty free
hand this scason a number
of times and the results
haven’t been unsatisfactory.
“A lot of people have the
idea that McGraw is hard-
boiled,” Hornsby said, “but
they have him all wrong.
“Probably they got the
notion because Mac is deci-
sive and forceful in the way
he does things. He gives
orders and expects them to
be followed. He doesn’t do
any second-guessing, If a
mistake is make on his or-
ders, the: player isn't
blamed.
ofeefooferferfecferforferferfortertororiertorerferterbororocheeteofeoereriofelnted
Rogers Hornsby.
Feinting Is Lost Art
Among the Heavyweights
Joe Choynski, famous heavyweight
of past years, who knocked out Jack
Johnson, says the big boxers of today
do not know how to feint.
“It seems to me the big fellows take
numbers of unnecessary puches,” said
the veteran. “They seem content to
take a punch to land one. They ap-
. parently have not been taught the art
{ of slipping punches or how to pull
away from or get inside of long
swings.
“Back in the old days even Jeffries
knew a lot about feinting,” he went
on. “Fitzsimmons was a great feinter
and so was Jim Corbett. Even Peter
Maher and Gus Ruhlin knew how to |
draw their opponent's leads.
“I wish,” he concluded, after watch-
ing Jim Maloney, Big Boy Peterson, |
Arthur De Kuh, the Italian, and Jack |
Sherry of New York perform recently |
in Chicago's first all-heavyweight bill,
“that I could go back 25 years. I would |
be a millionaire in less than a year.”
Some Aged Golfers
(IIs
LATTES
Members of the United States Sen-
iors’ Golf association assembled at
Itye, N. Y., for their three days’ tour-
nament at the Apawamis club. Their
ages range from fifty-five to ninety,
according to report, but the highest
acknowledged age seems to be eighty-
six. The photograph shows Horace
L. Hotchkiss, octogenarian golfer and
founder of the United States Seniors’
Golf association,
Hooper’s First Row,
The deportment card of Harry
Hooper, former Red Sox player, has
at last been spoiled after 20 years
of professional ball. Hooper prided
himself on his amicable relations with
the umpires. The
Oakland Mission club ventured a pro-
test, however, during a game with the
San Francisee Seals, and Umpire
Casey sent him to ‘the clubhouse.
manager of the |
"HOW MRS. WEAVER
WAS HELPED
|
| By Taking Lydia E. Pinkham’s
Vegetable Compound
As Mrs. Weaver herself says, “I was
never very strong.” This is a mild
. statement describ.
ing her condition,
for,according toher
letters,she was sub-
jected to no small
amount of ill health.
Fortunately, hersis-
ter was familiar
with Lydia E. Pink-
ham's Vegetable
Compound and
begged Mrs. Weaver
to try it. “After
: three or four
| weeks,” writes Mrs. Weaver, “I felt a
| great difference in myself, I would go
to bed and sleep sound, and although I
could not do very much work, I seemed
stronger, I kept on taking it and now
| I am well and strong, do my work and
| take care of three children. I sure do
tell my friends about your wonderful
medicine, and I will answer any letters
from women asking about the Vege-
| table Compound.”—Mgs. LAWRENCE
| Weaver, East Smithfield St., Mt. Pleas-
| ant, Pa.
If you knew that thousands of
| women suffering from troubles similar
to those you are enduring had improved
their health by taking Lydia E. Pinks
| ham’s Vegetable Compound, wouldn't
you think it was worth a trial?
In some families, the fourth genera-
tion is learning the merit of Lydia E.
Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound.
einen i tri etree ete
N
Porters
o
ff Pain King
A Liniment
Powerful, penetrating
and soothing, this time-
tried remedy bringsquick
relief from menacing
coughs and colds. For
other uses read the
directions with ev-
ery bottle, now.
The
Geo_H. Rundle Co.
Piqua, Ohio
“Specials” for Pigeons
During the present pigeon racing
season in England one railway is run-
ning special trains to carry the birds
from the homes to the starting points.
So far 20 such trains have been
planned. The road has 44 special
cars in the racing area. Each car is
35 feet long and will carry 540 birds.
The cars are steam heated and have
special ventilators. Pigeons occasion-
ally race 700 miles, and birds are val-
| ued at as high as $1,000 each.
Many a so-called absent-minded man
remembers the peor.
| The louder a man talks the
| is not to believe what he s
The BABY
easier it
Why do so many, many babies of to-
day escape all the little fretful spells
and infantile ailments that used to
worry mothers through the day, and
keep them up half the night?
If you don’t know the answer, you
haven't discovered pure, harmless Cas-
toria. It is sweet to the taste, and
sweet in the little stomach. And its
gentle influence seems felt all through
the tiny system. Not even a distaste-
ful dose of castor oii does so much
good.
Fletcher's Castoria is purely vege:
table, so you may give it freely, at
first sign of colic; or constipation; or
diarrhea. Or those many times when
you just don't know what is the mat
ter. For real sickness, call the doc-
| tor, always. At other times, a few
drops of Fletcher's Castoria.
The doctor often tells you to do just
that; and always says Fletcher's.
Other preparations may be just as
pure, just as free from dangerous
drugs, but why experiment? Besides,
the book on care and feeding of babies
that comes with Fletcher's Castoria is
worth its weight in gold!
| Children Cry for
aR
ee cee Nc tO -
LTT ee ret No”
Originality and y
mirrored in this a
black chiffon velvet
tionally modish
flounce and yoke of
ly studded with dull
5
Je
. BR:
deofreioodeelectooferferfonfortorfoler
" OUTH with ft
ings” is the +
puts it. We are all
and youth possibly
age; and worshipir
want to be like him
be like him, we cas
role. All of which
explanation of the b
The boaster is amb
like to arrive, hut, |
the ambition withou
and the energy to at
I had a long letter
time ago, written i
the page with a p
legible but net alwa,
Is ten, and his amb
athlete. Red Grang
borne and Pug Dau
Rue are his heroes.
many things of gene
on in his family, but
erence to these in
grandmother is seric
8 2 matter of whi
Such Is
NOUR TEACHER
ON “THE WAY |
Susteren
Invisible Sear
Penetra
Washington, —
searchlight, which
be capable of pe
and rendering na
tary smoke scree
warfare, has been
Scotcinman name
Commerce depart:
vised by a cons
Lindbergh.
“Noctovision” i
given the device,
to have a penet
sixteen times gre
beam of ordinary
fog or smoke.