New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-27
,oyxs OF WESTERN TRAyEA
COLD wEArHER-wfsCONSIN.

1000 :. no b4lov zero There was very little
- h.v.vsr and the hrst train for three days on
SAs (3ajens Rood carried of the passengers VINO nad
Aeen .eeuu ulasing in that time. John q. SAKE who
..mss from the Canadian frontier went of TO Beivi'
Se,s 10 spite Of the temperature, and the Rev. John
ps.rpoint Who bad arrived during the night, looked
- es IN bis white cravst that 1t needed the full effect
n his besmipg face 10 convince me be was not
ehy;esl icicle The effect OF the weather on frame
HE NINE made sensitive by two years in the Tropics
vss not at all agreeable The sir felt bard aud rigd'
and could almost imagine tina. heard it rustiins
safny around me, as walked.
ret ont the next morning, on my way "es'"Hu
On reaching the Depot found that there wS
h;sbt tain either blocked up by the sno" or on mo
t,.sl. ard We must wait There we're h'e OF sA Pa'-
rcsrs. crowded with anxious raVeie's' LUG
,ereury was still some ten or twelve degrees Deio"
,rse. and soon found my nostfih puckered up
b, the cold, as If 10 compare kindred sensstons)
had been smelling at a green persinmon. Aitsra
delay OF an hour and half the freight tram came H.
and we got under way, though with small hopes Oh
settire TO our destination that day Eight mles IRON
Chicago, at place called Oak Grove, we reached
the sticking Point 1t was l)ng cut through rice
IN the prairie filed up with snow 10 the level OF the
bsrls on ether ride The drifts brushed the car
through the narrow lane which had been saoveled for
ma. At Cottage Ill., ten miles further, there was
another line Of enc Wy breakers before our squadron
could hope for smooth water. The wind blew fercey
over the open prairie, whirling the powdery scud
from the loI z lines Of overOppiog waves, aud the
colo was 20 nten,e that it required al my ii ne to
keep little loop hole open in the white ice-crust on
The window. Finally, the dreaded point vas passed;
red the rolling prairie, where occssionaigrov
of,c,ub oak broke the violence Of the winds and pro-
tected the track
Al the junction Of the fosd 10 Lane and Dixon, we
Nailed for Refreshments The detention Of the last
few DAYS had evidently occasioned run upon the
harder for our dinner consisted Of pigs feet, mince
n;es and coffee The landlord however, made his
cbsrets proportionate to the fare, SO at we did not
eopp' ain. At4P. NJ, we reached Belvidere, and
after little delay took the for Beoit aud James
vile. was exceediI ely anxious % reach the latter
place by o'clock, and possibly this Anxiety made
The monotonous scenery both sides Of the road ap'
pear more aresry than its won't Certainly no one
who sees the Rock River Valley on suck day will
believe its praises merited. But l remembered its
beauties ss had seen them in the sunny days of last
March.
At sunset we bal.ed at Alton, the terminus Of the
road six miles from Janesville The sleigbs for
veyipg passtngers were at stable nearly mile of,
and we must wait half an hour for their arrival /
tried to coax or brbe the agent TO give me seat in
the f,st that left that might lore time, but his
only snswer was: "When you see the first sleigh
'1conipg up, look out and jump into it q" Thus ad-
nonished, took up my baggage and transported it
Q little distance On the read toward the stable.
Presently long, low, black affair, with white can.
vas cover, drawn by four horses, came Studying
alorg over the crisp snow. With great effort l
swung my baggage n as 1t passed. tumbled after it,
and supposed j was booked through among the 6rst.
The slegh filed instantly, but still we remaiDed.
Another and much larger sleigh was filled and drove
of, ind there We sat. "Driverp shouted an imps-
tent passenger, "when will We start" "When We
"get ready" was the satisfactory reply. The fellow
looked 80 exceedingly cold with his purple face and
numb hands, that one could not resent his Ilhumor
OF at last, our queer vehicle, mounted two sleds
that ran upon different tracks going around cor
per went off toward Japesvle in the Arctic twilight
We skirted the banks Of the beautiful Rock River,
now q river no more, but hard, snowcovered bot
TOM win ding among wooded hills. 1t was already
past seven, the hour when was due at Janesville,
when we reached the outsklrts OF the town. Very
room we approached lighted church, which recog-
nistd and called to the driver TO stop He paid not
the least attention to me, nor to an Irshman, who
wished to get of at the same place. The latter
jumped, and saw him double up and roll over in
hesp. Having had some practice on Sixth. avenue
carr, was more successful, and alghted bolt up
right In snow. drift lwas just in time, a. 1t hap
peped, hut no thanks to anybody.
The next morning was as dazzling winter picture
% remember ever to have seen. There was not 9
cloud In the sky, nor movement In the air-nothng
bat silent, intense, tun-lit cold The smokes from
houses along the hills the eastern bank Of Rock
River rose In straight slvery columns; the breath Of
men and homes fosted In frosty clouds around their
nost1ils the snew under foot was white and crisp
- the icing on wedding.oske. The shone ohesf-
ny on the groups around the depot, on the dumb
river below, on the wide sweeps of snowy prairie,
lying clearly cut against the pale-blue sky. The
Badgers, Who are q remarkably healthy and vigorous
rase had that morning the jolest red their cheeks
and the keeDest sparkle In their eyes, believe
should eroy Nova zembla II its days all like this.
The locomotive started with frost ON is whiskers
and cices hanging to ts chin, but % the track was
toleraby clear, we had no misgivings. very
amusrg accident took place this road during the
spow-storms A company Of Irshmen were en-
ployed In shovelipg out one Of the deep-outs under
the direction of one Of the officers. The snow he'd
drifted In behind them, nllirg up the track again,
when q powerful locomotive, with snow-plow st-
tsched, was sent, under Q full head Of steam, to
clear Il out. On che came, fingng the drifts over
her spoie-siack, and walking straight through I'll
obstseies till she rushed bolt upon the company Of
shovelers. They heard the whistle, but supposing
ske would halt, kept on with their lsbon. The en-
ginser, on the contrary, supposed they would clear
The track and shot down on them 10 rapidly that the
superintendent had barely time, by powerful jump,