The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-12-18


force. caused the passengers to defer to hin
as leader whose strength and courage fit
ted him for the post, and so he presided a,
the distribution of the chickens without
dispute.
TIE fuel in the stoves was rcplenshed
and qaite large space was cleared to the
leward of the locomotive, where q fire was
built from ths neighboring fences, so that
in an hours time. from the finding of the
poultry The entire body Of passengers were
busy picking the bones of roasted and broiled
fowls. 1t was not so bad dipnsrh To be
sure, It was rather chilly, now and then,
when the opening Of a car-door, to let in a
haffrozen gen tleman with halfcooked
lchicken in his hand, admitted with him a
snow-laden blast from without; and then
the viands were not served la Soyer, but
there was an appetite for sauce and certain
gypsy like feeling Of being at picnic that
served as relish And so, in the year OF
our Lord 1S-, two hundred strangers sat
down together Mt most extraordinary
Thanksgiving dinner, of which no account
has hitherto been published, if I except a
vote ofthanks together with an exceeding.
ly chaste and richly chased silver goblet
ESQ the newspaper description read,) which
were presented to the conductor by "the
surviving passengers" after he had procured
help and rescccd them from their perplexing
perdicament.
But dinners end Twelve O'Clock came,
and still the snow was falling thick and fast,
and still the white plain about them mount.
ed slowly and surely towards the Skies
Then the passengers became vet more weary
and unhappy. Old Wooden, the unfortu.
nate, detailed his woes to more and more
appreciative audiences. Even the Funny
Man--with fress flask of whiskey--sighed
almost dismally between frequent uneasy
"cat-naps." And Samson Newell, first see
ing his wife comfortably settled, and his lit
tie ones safely disposed about her, strobe
up and down, from car to car, with gloom
of disappointment on his face that was almost
ferocious. "Too bad ~ he muttered, "too
bad too bad -
One o'clock came, and the snow held up |
At first the passengers noticed that the
fakes fell less thickly. Then, gradually and
ever slowly decreasing clouds drifted from
before the face Of the heavens, and the sun
came out. 1t shone oyer broad surface of
glistening snow, with here and there fence
post obtruding into notice, but otherwhere
cold, bleak expanse of whiteness. One or
two remote farm-houses, with blue smoke
rising in thin, straight columns from their
chimneys, wide stretch of woodland to the
right, distant hills bounding all the prospect
and everywhere snow. No fences, no
roads, no paths,-but only snow
The passengers gazed out of the window
or stood upon the platforms, s,-drawn thith-
er by the warmth of the sun,-with feelings
almost akin to despair Presently it was
proposed to make for the farm-houses, and
fifteen Of the more advanturous started. A
few struggled through and arrived in some
thing over an hour at the nearest house, wet
to the skin with melted snow, and too much
fatigued to think of returning,-bu most of
them gave out at the end Of the first half
mile, and came back to the train.
! So the prisoners sat down and whiled
away the time as best they might, in the re
lation of anecdotes, telling stories, and
few slept, anc large number tried to do
so, without success.
The slow hand of Time, moving more slow
ly for them than they remembered it to have
ever moved before, crept on to three o'clock,
and still there was no prospect of relief and
no incident Of note save the arrival through
the snow Of dozen men sent by the con-
ductor. They brought word that help was
approaching from the nearest station where
sufficiently powerful locomotive could be
obtained, and that they would probably be
started on their way during the next FORE
noon. These messengers also brought a
small supply Of provisions and number Of
packs of cards, with the latter of which ma
ny of the passengers were socn busy. They
now resigned themselves to another night in
the drift
But at half after three occurred an incl
dent that restored hope Of more speedy
deliverance to few of the captives.
Through the low pine-lands to the right
ran road which was very thoroughly pro.
tected from drifting snow by the overhangine
trees, and along this road there now appear
ed two pair Of oxen. In front Of the oxer
were FIVE men armed with wooden snow
lshovels, with which they 5eat down ant
scattered the snow Behind all was small
square box on runners 1t was very small
and contained only one board seat
Three persons could sit and three stand r
lit: no more.
i Upon the appearance of this squad of road
breakers with their team, three hearty cheer.
went up from the train. They were mme
ldia'ely answered by the approach Of the ap
parent leader Of the expedition. He was
small, active, spare old fellow. SO encrusted
with frozen snow, which hung all over him
in tiny white pellets, as to resemble more ar
active, but rather diminutive white bear
than anything else known to Natural Histo
ry. lie scrambled and puffed through tn,
snow till he found mounting place upon ar