Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-01-06
THE GAZETTE
CEDAR FALLS, JANUARY 9, 1871.
A Storm on the Prairie !
A Chapter In the Life Of Citizen Of
..m Cedar Falls.
WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

{
In the years 1857 and 1858, / was
residing in one Of the anerganized
counties. in the Northwestern part of
Iowa, where, with q few friends, I
was improving q claim ON. Govern
ment land, and where we confident
ly expected to found q city, which,
as the tide of emigration which was
then rolling over the State should
reach us, would become of .mport~
ance as trading point for large
extent of country. A year or two
before, the valley in which we had
located had been the scene of a raid
by the outlawed Inkpahdutah and
his gang of murderers and thieves,
aud which eliminated In the Spirit
Lake massacre. The families which
had been, at that time, settled in the
valley where we were had fed and
abandoned the claims which they
had made, fearing the return of the
Indians. This had served to pre-
vent the rapid settlement of one of
the most fertile parts of the State. -
The prairies on either side OF the Lit
tie Sioux are among the largest in
Iowa. and at that time were entirely
unsettled except along the banks of
the rivers. Between our location
and Fort Dodge intervened what
was then known as the "big prai-
rie," and which for forty miles con-
tained neither house nor tree nor
bush. 49, s----r- s $4,000
In the fall Of 1858 I was called by
business to make trip from our
home to Fort Dodge and eastward.
Knowing that in wint ter the journey
would be attended with danger and
hardship, had made my arrange
ments to go before the winter should
set in, but as / was about to start
was unexpectedly compelled to APP
pear at Sioux City to contest with q
Jumper" for my claim. This de-.
layed me from starting until the first
part of December. The winter had
set in unusually early, and with great
severity. / had already delayed un-
til 1t was impossible to wait longer,
ard finally determined to start out
alone and on horseback, believing
that to be the best as well as the
safest mode of travel.
/ anticipated crossing the forty
mile prairie, at least, in one day, aud
reaching grove at the head of the
Lizard in which / could, If necessa-
~, camp for one night, and even If /
should fail to reach the grove / felt
confident that / could pass one night
oh the prairie without suffering ma.
terial damage. II Is true the pros
pect was not pleasing Que, yet this
nor the expostulations of my wife
and friends could not cause me to
change my determination. -
4 prepared myself with rations for
myself aud my horse sufficient for
one day, and on the morning of the
3D. Of December, just at day break
| started. The morning was clear
aud cold, but there was no indica.
ton Of a storm. All went we'll for
the first hour or two, and had made
some nine or ten miles of my journey
when observed unfailing signs of
storm, aud, as believed, q severe
one. Well knowing the danger that
menaced me, and the unprobability
of any human being surviving one of
the severe nor-westers which sweep
oyer the pIairies SO frequently in
winter, ] turned my horses head
and made haste TO retrace my steps,
and endeavored to gain the shelter
OF our house. But I'm vain. it was
too late; before l had made o mile
upon my back track the storm had
burst upon me. To describe such a
storm Is beyond my powers. The
WIND demon was loosed and ragged in
all his fury, bowling and shrieking
like a very fiend, tossing the snow
about in such clouds as to obscure
the sight, aud freezing the very life
blood of any unfortunate being ex-
posed to Its blasts. Those only who
have, by sad experience, realized the
horror of being caught out I'm one of
these storms can form any adequate
idaa OF the awfulness of a winter
storm on the great prairies of the
West. They can be likened to
nothing but the raging of the most
violent storms at sea. when the great
vessels are but piaythings in its
grasp and are whirled hither and
thIther, the tall masts snapped in
twain like frail pipe stems, and the
strong bulwarks crushed like paper,
until, tired with its horrid sport, it
engulfs them. AS the crew are
poweriess TO control and save the
ship, and are at the mercy of the
merciless wind and waves, SO is the
unfortunate man who may be out In
one of these storms at the mercy of
the storm fiend, unable to do any
ttiuing TO saye himself, he must bow
and bend to the storm.
1t was one of these terrible storms
which had burst upon me, and / was
soon convinced of the utter impos-
sibility of facing 1t and making my
way back against tie wind, and was
compelled to again turn and go with
the wind as the only means of sav-
ing my life. 1t was but about eight
miles to our house, but neither hn-
man being nor animal could face
that terrible storm and live. TO re-
main where was on the open prai-
rie was quiteimpossible, and / had
therefore no other alternative but to
drive before the storm, in the hope
that. before night, L would be able to
reach some shelter where / and my
horse, now as frightened as myself.
might be protected from the cold and
the fury of the wind. Much valua-
BILE time had been wasted I'm the vain
attempt TO return, and knowing that
no time must be lost If expected to
get to the grove that day, again
turned my horses head and made
all haste forward. For short Time
I was able to make considerable
speed, and / felt confident that I
should be able TO reach the grove