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Gr 8 Up—In the early 1900s, California sewing machine salesman Charles Mallory Hatfield claimed he had developed a "scientific" method for producing rain. Dramatic newspaper accounts publicized his successes. Brimner now tells the enigmatic Hatfield's story, placing it into the context of an era defined both by widespread belief that science would conquer all problems, even the weather, and flimflam men who exploited a credulous public for fame and fortune. He discusses Hatfield's life...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Scientist or huckster? During the early twentieth century, Charles Mallory Hatfield claimed that he could coax rain from the sky. His services were offered to drought-plagued cities at the price of up to $1000 per inch of rain, and his success rate was remarkable. (His younger brother, Paul, and his self-appointed "promoter" Fred Binney ran the business side, leaving Charles to focus on his "secret chemical" concoction.) In December 1915, the San Diego city council contacted Hatfield, who p...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Charles Mallory Hatfield claimed he could coax rain from the sky; in 1915, he promised to fill San Diego's Morena Reservoir. Brimner's well-paced account p...Log In or Sign Up to Read More