The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-05-12
MICHAEL uRIELL.
ELKADER. Nav T. 1879

Dear Im,es.-A day succeeding one of the
recent protracted storms, found some of your
friends vending their miry way to the seat OF
Science and Literature of Northern Iowa, the
thriving town ofFAYETTE.
In certain states Of the roads, people not in
tensely green are expected to stay at home :
and certainly business the utmost Importance
only, would justify an attempt to travel on the
| day aforesaid.
Whether circumstances, or lack of good sense
impelled the journey, we have you to conjecture,
but we were out, or rather in, not far enough
down to entirely lose sight of surrounding oh.
Jects, but some distance from the surface. We
had heard of being "slued," and as we raised
along, saw numerous evidences of our prede
cessors having met fate we did not coyet
but we trusted TO our good steeds, and our sa-
gacity in choosing the best way, and proceeded
without fear.
AS we saw rails scattered in different places
which had been used for "prying out" we felt
some curiosity to know how it was done. and
wondered where the performers in such drama
found foothold. Our curiosity was finally
grained in away not very desirable. A great
part OF the way had been safely accomplished,
when before us lay long stretch of road of
unusually formidable appearance. Brush and
poles which had been thrown in, and some
such improvements, q lured us on till past
backing out when we found to our dismay,
that the perpetrators of these Improvements,
had become weary in well doing before their
task was accomplished. and several rods were
left to be fathomed by helpless travellers as
best they might
Believing that "what had been done, could
be done,' we plunged boldly in. What had
been done, was done. We were ''slued." The
horses could find no rest for the snles of their
feet, the foundation OF the road was "now here
and every plunge sunk them deeper in the
mire. They displayed their wisdom by resigning
themselves to their fate, and one noble animal
and then the other ceased his struggles and lay
calmly down.
1t is not certain how long any part of them
would have been visible, had not series of
rapid and well directed efforts, disengaged them
from the buggy and drought them up stand
'ng,' at some distance from it. The children
were conveyed to terra firma, and while Young
America held the horses, his sister did the
screaming and acted the "conniptions,' an i'm
rortant Fart Of such performance. Some
rails were obtained from neighboring fence
and attempts made to disengage our vehicle
from the fix it was in, but one man, with help
not mete for such an occasion, made but
small Roadway. Even the pull together
failed to extricatc it, and our ultimate success
seemed doubtful, until assistance arrived. And
here let me say word in favor Of the much
abused article of hoops. They present an ex-
rensivc surface for the application of diluted
dirt, but give the wearer delightful feeling
Of security in the circumstances in which we
were placed. No lady thus attired, can have
any rational fear Of passing out at the "littlc
end Of the hom," or disappearing in mud
hole.
We mast have presented very comical ap-
pearance in the midst of our muddy labor, when
gentleman on horse back passed that way, and
after the comforting remark that we "might
have kept out of that, by going around" dis
mounted, and rendered efficient aid,-the result
proved, that in some departments of efforts,
woman has her superior, and that in some cir