104 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 15 



it is really painful to do either mental or 

 physical work until I have my dinner. 



Well, it was one of my " happy surprises " 

 when 1 discovered that it was not lack of 

 food that made me feel faint, but lack of 

 rest. One noon, after getting my nap, I ran 

 over to give the carpenters some directions, 

 and then "got busy" with my chickens, and 

 actual ly/or^fo^ I hadn't been to dinner. Mrs. 

 Root didn't find me, and told the rest not to 

 wait; and when I told them I hadn't been to 

 dinner 1 found I was just feeling fine with- 

 out any. 



Another thing, I do not think 1 ever en- 

 joyed my daily food, at any time in my life, 

 as I do now; and I am resolved from this 

 time on to avoid sitting down to any meal, 

 if it can possibly be helped, until I am thor- 

 ougly rested, especially after I have been do- 

 ing much fatiguing work of any kind. Think 

 of asking the delicate and complicated ma- 

 chinery to do the work your very life and 

 existence depend upon when you are too 

 much used up to do any thing but sleep. 



Yes, I know what a lot of tired women and 

 some others will say to my great ' ' discovery. ' ' 

 My excellent friend Mrs. Rood (and she is 

 one of God's jewels) said when I was talking 

 about this very thing: 



"Mr. Root, just think of my taking a nap 

 before dinner, with all this family to look 

 after at such a time." 



I replied, "My dear good friend, when you 

 feel you are failing, just force some one to 

 take your place, exactly as you would do when 

 the doctor, a little later, tells you to go to 

 bed and stay there until he says you may get 

 up. Twenty minutes or half an hour before 

 meals may cost something now, but nothing 

 like what medicines, doctors, and possibly 

 funerals, will cost later." 



Christmas morning I wrote to the Medina 

 people that my 68th Christmas morning was 

 certainly the happiest if not the "merriest" 

 of any in my recollection. 



While making these statements I recognize, 

 or try to, that this outdoor life, with the sea 

 breezes from the Gulf always around me, 

 may be quite a factor in giving me health 

 and enjoyment. In my after-dinner naps I 

 often awoke, even here in Florida, with a 

 bad taste in my mouth, and a dull feeling, 

 until 1 had stirred around a little. After a 

 nap before eating there is nothing of the 

 kind. On the contrary, I invariably wake 

 up with an exultant feeling and a disposition 

 to shout, "Praise God, from whom all bless- 

 ings flow," and "Is not this the land of Beu- 

 lah?" By all means take this noonday nap 

 in the open air if possible. On account of 

 flies (and at times mosquitoes) I sleep before 

 a wire-cloth-covered window. This window 

 is low enough so my pillow can be pushed 

 over on the sill; and one of the delights of 

 living is, to me, feeling the delicious cooling 

 breeze across my face as I lapse into uncon- 

 sciousness. 



BLOWING OH BREATEtING WELLS, ETC. 



Mr. A. I. Root: — I read with interest your account 

 in Gleanings of your visit to Wind Cave, and note 



what you say in regard to the air going out and in, 

 and also that there are other places that exhibit the 

 saufe phenomena. I thought then I would sit down 

 and write you about the wells in this part ol the coun- 

 try, but have not done so till now. I live in what is 

 known as the semi-arid country, being located in the 

 northeast corner of Colorado. In countries where the 

 rainfall is light, water is not usually found near the 

 surface unless it may be springs on low ground, and 

 these are not dependent on rainfall, as the moisture 

 that supplies them comes from long distances, some- 

 times hundreds of miles. In our county (Phillips) 

 the depth to water varies from 25 or 30 ft. up to 250 or 

 more, owing to location. Just around where we live, 

 the depth is from 150 ft. to 175. When water is ob- 

 tained it is in a bed of sand or gravel, and is usually 

 found in unlimited quantities. Before water is reach- 

 ed, there is more or less gravel. This is because of 

 being below where rain ever reaches; and above, the 

 strata that supply the water are dry. Indeed, it is 

 often found with scarcely a trace of clay in it; and in 

 boring or drilling wells this gravel will slide or roll in 

 from the sides as fast as it is lifted out, just the same 

 as if you tried to go through a pile of wheat. 



These bodies of dry gravel vary from a few feet in 

 depth to sometinaes nearly 100 ft. In the writer's well 

 we went through nearly 100 ft. in one body in which 

 there was not enough clay to make it stand alone. If 

 there is any way for air to reach these bodies of gravel 

 it will, of course, fill up all the air-spaces. 



When I first came west I heard of the blowing wells, 

 and many and absurd were the theories as to the cause 

 of their blowing and sucking, for the air goes out and 

 in just as you say at Wind Cave. People soon learned 

 to forecast the weather by the wells. I began to study 

 out the cause of the air at times coming out and at 

 others going in. Later I read how all our changes in 

 weather are preceded either by a high or a low ba- 

 rometer, and at once decided that I had solved the 

 mystery. The solution is simply this: When what is 

 termed a high barometer passes over any part of the 

 country the air in that part is more dense, and is, of 

 course, heavier. The air among the particles of 

 gravel below the surface, not being of the same den- 

 sity, the outer air will naturally pass down into the 

 well to equalize the pressure. When the " high " 

 passes over, and a " low " takes its place, the reverse 

 will follow; and in proportion to the intensity of the 

 "high '" or " low " will be the current of air going out 

 or in; and I might add, too, the volume of space to be 

 filled below the surface modifies it. 



If the opening between the two be large the current 

 of air may be scarcely perceptible; but if confined to 

 a small opening it is at times very strong, as noted in 

 your remarks about Wind Cave. 



Our wells here are mostly drilled, usually not over 

 6 to 8 inches in diameter. With this space the cur- 

 •rent is sufficient at times to life a light hat when held 

 close to tbe opening. When the pump is in, and the 

 well covered, sometimes the opening left will not be 

 larger than a pencil. At times the air will pass with 

 sufficient force to make a whistling or roaring that 

 can be heard at a distance of 50 to 150 ft. 



Now as to foretelling the weather, we have learned 

 that, when our wells blow, we may look for a wind- 

 storm from the northwest, with colder weather. The 

 severity of the storm will be indicated by the force of 

 the current coming from the wells. If the air goes in. 

 look for warmer weather with southern winds. The 

 change is indicated, usually, about 10 to 12 hours pre- 

 ceding. 



You spoke in one place about ice in wells. I know 

 of a well half a mile from where I sit, in which one 

 winter the iron pipe (pump) was frozen sufficiently to 

 burst 130 ft. below the surface. This may look like a 

 Western lie; but in view of my explanations above, 

 should tbe air be entering rapidly, and a very low 

 temperature, it might as readily freeze there as 

 higher. We generally do not have these extreme 

 conditions. We have, however, a good deal of bother 

 with pumps freezing in the winter; but by making a 

 small vent 15 to 25 ft. below the surface, and covering 

 the well closely, the difficulty is reduced to a mini- 

 mum. 



I have written this out fully, as I find but few, even 

 in the West, who understand why wells blow. 



Holyoke, Colo., Jan. 8, 1907. K. M. Aikin 



Many thanks, friend A., for your interest- 

 ing description of these " breathing wells." 

 Your theory as to the cause is, I think, rea- 

 sonable, and in agreement with the conclu- 

 sions of science. 



