The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-03-10
A january, stage Ride-An As
- feeling, Incident. "a an

A correspondent Oi the St Louis Uemo-
crat gives his experience in a trip by, 8 age
from Sedala to Springfield No during the
recent cold tern. The distance is one han-
dred and twenty-six miles, and the ordinary
time thirty-six hours. The trip occupied
fifty hours When the coach left Sedalia
the thermomstor stood at fourteen degrees
below zero. The sutferings of passengers,
drivers, and animals were intense. We ex-
tract single incident ofthe trip. ,..,
At the different houses where we stopped,
and we stopped at nearly every one on the
road, the. inmates-men, women and chill
dren--were huddied around the chimney
corner, discussing only one thins-the cold.
The second night OFT was equally as cold as
the first, and the first was as cod as charity.
My companions in the cold remained with
me until eight O'clock Of the second night
go the: driver tod me; for when awok G
at ten O'clock, sffom a cold doze into which
4 I had fallen about seven r. m !, I found them
gone. was not long alone. however when
the stage halted at a house about nineteen
miles from Bolivar, when a lady and child
took passage for the lattet place 1851
She was plainly but comfortably chad, and
in conversation found her poscssed Of nc
mean intelle:t She hsd received wora that
her husband. who Is in the army. was dan
Igrrously in AT Bolitar, and ,hither she wa:
going. Every few miles we stoppedtd warm
and at ea.h place. until within about five
miles Of her destination. the m, ,ths r took
the babe, an 'infant Of fifteen months, ihtc
the different houses It was nearly four
O'Clock in the morning, and we were within
five miles Of Bolivar, when the Stage drew
up at q rude cabin, where the driver inform.
ed US we could get warm, and that we would
not halt again before reaching town. /
II got out and assisted the lady to alight
when we entered the domicil. noticed sh'
was not carrying the child, and asked he,
where il was. i''I have wrapped It up ant
laid it on the seat. as was afraid if the
wind blew on it. i might catch cold," wa
her reply. told her she had better brin,
it in, as it would certainly freeze. She said
"No, it Is warm and will Sleep We re
named in tho housc i,alf an Hour, and re
( entered the stage The baby was still iyin,
on the seat, and the mother, after she pick
| ed him up, remarked, aHe is asleep yet."-
1 Not a whimper, not d cry proceeded from
that child during the remainder Of the trip
The wind moaBed piteously. Closely tn
mother nestled the babe to her bosom. W
reached Bolivar before it was yet day, cold
chilled almost beyond the endurance Of ma
BY mother and diHtR et,ltahe ltahe tavern accompanie
the mother said 70 me. did you ever Sc
such a gool baby ! he hasn't cried to night
twas halfan hour before the fire was made
no one being ont Of bed when we went IN
You have often seen-perhaps you ha
been party to it yourself f-persons on
cold day, on entering a room, sc,ngregat
and remain AROUND stove where there wa
no fire, and as is usual in such cases, alway
the coldest place in the room. So it wa wa
with us; we drew, chairs. to the cold fir
place and awaited the kindling,7 which ii
time followed. The fire was lighted, an,
soon gave out its grateful! offering Of heat
The child rem'ined wrapped up; it was qui
ct. Hismotherrepeated, .."He is asleep yet ,
he was asleep-"he is asleep yet !'-th
child was frozen to death, and, in this world
she is asleep vet" Death spared him til,
colds Of earth-he was frozen into p arabs