The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-02
periIous sleigh Ride.

gronnd. and remained without interruption
ui,;l bate that spring. There Was much
suffering everywhere. The country wa
~ in the rural settlements, shantles
,vhicb could not be digniiied by the name
~ bous.s were cxtemporiZed, but too
c.o,la of resistance to the blast whict
a,.o,,t without obstruction across the pra'-
rios from the northwest, they offered ou'
little comfort and security to the poor cum
grants who dwelt in them. Inc instance
If freezing 10 death were not uhfrequen.
Even the cattle persisted by thousands, aho
during the following season "nch tue si'o"
had left the ground, their bones were 'ee
/, every direction scattered over tue pt"'
| ries. c, ho
Iieve when, in company with q youts
friend nv the name OF Charley johnson,
started from Des Moines, the State capital
Intending to go to kcokuk, on the M!Ssls'
.ippi river. In western phrase, we had
good rig. We had two horses, full of fir
and yipor. and q sleigh Of strength, ncw!!
from the hands of the manufacturer. we
were supplied also with beautiful buffalo
robe, capacious enough 10 cover four eX
tremites, and protect rs, as we thought
from the cold. Just before we started,
remember that looked mp at the clock in
the Des Moines House, and noticed that it
was on the stroke of O'Clock in the after
noon. The clerk, with an aspect Of gravity
and almost Of warning, advised Us to re.
main until morning, as there was every in
dicaion that Central Iowa would be visited
by an unwontcd snow storm in a few hours.
| remember that laughed at his advice,
and minated to him that he would be aS
safe in our sleigh carecring over the snow,
as in the best room in the best hotel IN
Iowa. SO We went our way.
1t was our intention to reach ct night
fall the little village of Munro, in Jasper
county, thirty-five miles from Des MoineS.
| The first part of our journey was uniHter-
ruptcd by any incident OF note. The horses
! lifted their feet gaily from the trodden
snow and made rapid time through viii
dcrness of wintry deSolation. We chattcd
and laughed. Our spirits were cxhilarated
I by the cool atmosphere and by the excite
ment of the occasion. As the horses
/ dashed away over the activities ana down
! the hills, We even shouted aloud III our
| clecfulucSs as children ticklcd with toy
| In less than a quarter of an hour alter
starting from the capital, we had pas>ca
through the village of Rising Sun, seven
miles on our way, and were two mics he-
yond that point, speeding on WIN ''reieSS
energy.
/ Seventeen miles distant from the point
/ Of starting was a well-knOwn stage station
Familiarity recognized as the GA hitci,e''
stand. Here We stopped an hour 4u"
half from the commencement % ""'
Journey. As threw myself on the sieiSi
with q sort of gleeful bound, my eye
j rested on a bank OF clouds gathering u
/ the west. This was ominouS. )urihE al
/ the previous part Of the day the SKY mac
been unlocked by cloud, although th'
peculiar condition Of the air gave evidence
that 4 change OF the weather was al tAhn
What cared we for changes we Wer,
warmly clad. We knew the route "hIci
We designed TO take, ana we had Il team
ON which we could rely in case oi an!
emergency. No sense OF peril admomSact
uS To remain where we We're till TN" storm
was ovcrpast.
II was 4 o'clock when we took our lcav"
of the stage station, and en,corc'd our
selves in our old position in the sleigh
The horses had been refreshed with water
and rest. and away they went with speed
greater, if possible, than that with which
they had inauguratcd their Journey. by
this time the sky was partially oyer"cn-
with clouds of aShcn hue, 50 u"si"e TIE APP
pcarance Of n summer thunder storm, "ns
lcarfullv suggestive of winter tempest
The wind came and went III tittul gusts,
swceping with maddcncd fury for 4 mo-
mcut, and then dying away into co"i3Ea-
tive Stiffness.
Eight miles more Of tie route were
achieved, aud ut hali-past o'clock we
passed through the village Of Prairie CIty,
having but ten miles to travel before
reaching our destination for the n'Ght'
The snow had already commenced 10 lai!
but as it struck us lateraiiy, instead OF
immediately in front, W" as yet fclt Il"
positive inconvenience from II. y farm,
hons, tbrcc.uuartcrs Of mile beyond
Prairie CITY was passed; and beyond that
was an uninhabitable waste, seven miles
in extent, which We were compelled IL
traverse before we could arrive at the
settlement in the vicinity Of Munro. Just
a. we began TO try the perils OF this snowy
solitude, the gloom Of evening com
menced to settle around us. The storm
seemed to have been holding It's energies
waiting for the advent Of night. There was
no moon, and there was nosvisible stars
but still! there was a reflection OF light IRON
the snow which assisted Us to distinguish
the road. Along with the night came the
wrath of the untaped tempest. The wind
rushed with Il violence which now and
then threatened to lift our lightconVcyance
from its very foundation, and send il 1t
fragments across the prairie. And tht
snow with its icy chillineSS, drlited before
the waves OF wind, dashed out upon on
checks, covered our garments, and planseC
into every accessible aPertnr" III th'
sleigh. We had no covering to our convey
ance, and were compelled by memorable
circumstances to accept the pitllcsS bias
as the only alternative, and display what
ever submissivcnc>s We could summon Il
our aid.
There have been many terrible nights il
the winters Of the Northwest region, IN
that night, with its visitation OF clouds
darkness, tempest, and whirlinE, dashin'
snow, improved upon my conceptions i"
the awful, And what was worse, the road
which had hitherto been sufficiently az
tinct To he seen without difficulty, was III
ing with snow, and was becoming more
and more obscure a the moments passc'
away. Time and again / would lean my
head over the abyss of the storm, eagerly
watching for some comforting evidence tha'
we were vet on the right way. For
while | could see the tail, naked prairie
weeds, which though Invested Of thciI
greenness, stood erect in comparattY,
darkness aud marked the boundary Of thl
road. | knew that snow that had beer
tr3dden by horses and crushed by wagon:
L - l.. 4 49, aL....