The office division first established under the law of Congress, which has been mentioned, was called by the appropriate but too extensive name of “Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce,” but great works which have been proved and not found wanting may, like great men, afford to adopt simpler titles without loss of favor, or if they will not do so voluntarily, such titles will be fashioned for them and fastened to them by the people, who have not time to regard the official proprieties that would hold them off at a respectful distance by an appearance of gravity of demeanor or by an impressive name, so the office has come to be familiarly known as the “Weather Bureau,” and the officials in charge have accepted the designation without objection. It detracts nothing from the appreciation of the work they accomplish in giving information—premonitory—of wind and rain, heat and cold, frost and snow, river flood and ocean tide, and much more of interest and value day by day—yes, and night by night as well—for the inhabitants of this continent, and in adding to the knowledge of meteorology which is eagerly sought by the scientists of the world. The service contemplated by Congress was at first intended—if we may judge by the language of the law—only to benefit persons interested in the commerce upon the great lakes and the ocean. Then the agriculturists were permitted to take share in the advantage afforded by a prevision of the weather. But we are all too greatly interested personally in the kind of weather expected to-morrow or the next day not to seek to profit by the work done for those engaged in special business when there may be great gain for us as individuals without robbery of their peculiar rights. Our interest moves us to speech almost unconsciously, as we meet our friends by the way and tell them, what they already know as well as we, about the kind of weather then prevailing, or express our hopes or fears for what soon will be. Work and play are sources of profit and pleasure, according to the influences of the weather, and the signs of olden time are numberless, to which we give our confidence, whether they come from the beasts of the field, or the fowls of the air, or the fishes of the sea, or are indications based upon a correct philosophy, well known but not well understood. The masses of the people will not give up their attachment to these signs, nor for the old-fashioned almanac which their fathers consulted for their weather predictions, but now that they have the aid of a great government institution conducted by men who study the weather as a science, and who have patiently held out to them the benefit of their investigations until the good natured skepticism and the raillery of the multitude who dubbed the genius of the weather service “Old Probabilities,” has all been banished and has given place to full faith and credit, they ought to acknowledge, and no doubt do, that their