Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-02-15
Stuck in the Sn0u- DRIFTS.
From Portage City Register.

From Portage City Register.
Passengers who have been so fer
quently now.bound on the trains ,hi'
winter will enjoy FRANK HATCu's re
cital of his experience on Empire
Prairie last week. This man HArcr
is the correspondent of the La Crosse
Leader and draws his saIery as as
sistant postmaster of the Assembly
this winter. The letter is long one
but il is so full OF good local points
that we give it entire, seeing no good
place to curtail it any;
MADISON, Jan. %, 1879.
THE BEAUTIFUL sNow-BREAKING THE
NEWS. UP AND AT 'UM, &C.
Editors Republican and Lea9er :
We should like to know where the
individual resides who wrote "Beauti-
ful Snow" We want him. Heis essen.
tial to our happiness and great desire
of lie. We feel toward him as the
man who suffered sea sickness did to.
ward the author of Life on the
Ocean Wave" The because is sim
ply this: Together, with number
of more distinguished members Of the
Legislature, we practlced the art so
highly rated in the prize ring, namely
the cart of getting away qnick. >
Our first attempt is failure hardly
had the Speakers announcement
echoed through the hail last Friday,
that the Assembly was adjourned to
Monday evening, ill we were on fall
retreat from the Capitol to the depot.
We made good time running, but in
justice to trained steppers, aud with
feelings akin to sorrow, we must own
up that thirty.iive members beat us in
the race, and secured the most com
Portable seats on the train.
Well, we visited La Crosse, but 1t
is the getting back, that troubled us
most
Al PORTAGE
we found the regular Madison train
waiting to receive the transferred pas
Sengers, and Capt. Geo. Clinton, the
Superintendent of the Road, appear
ed to be bossing things, After start
ing, for fear Of accidents, ! prepared
a careful list OF our human freight-lt
is handy to have it accompanied with
notes in order to identify the various
persons therein mentioned, IN case
they get mashed. Thus; " Milton
Barlow slightly bald, with light
complexion, benevolent face, express
sion Of frmness; has copy Of Sum
ner's last speech in his left hand coat
poci.et; preserves n countcnanne inn
perishable in death, and a tree pass
in his waistcoat: handle with care,
or the whole 9th District will prose
cute you" Others in proportion AS
follows: Assemblymen Nichols, Rich
ards and Corning, Senator Miner and
daughter, Chas. NJ. Webb, aud
others.
BREAKING THE NEWS.
While We were enjoying cigar
and medltating nice dinner at ;he
Villas " where all the dinningfoom
girls dress in green checked muslin,
and wear their own hair, Capt. CIn.
ton drew us to one side and whisper
ed words to the effect that we should
have fun to-day, and if liked he
would give me a chance at "the
front"
/" AT the front " we found an cxtra
engine, the boys called her " 49,"
she was an uneasy piece OF animated
hardware, and Kissed and smoked
like mad. She was harnessed for
war an ancient breastplatc and iron
armor covered her head gear, and
one would think the swords Of all the
ancient knights had been " beat into
plow-shares " to make the one snow
plow that she was to farm with that
day. The man who knew her every
whini, and controlled her temper and
strength in all yicisitades, was none
other than Wash Saon; one OF the
most daring and competent engineers
on the ST. Paul road. This engine
was TO lead the way, and No. l--or
the alittle rooster "-as the boys call.
ed her, was to draw the passenger
train. Lyle Meat stood on his foot
board, and handled the levers with
as much ease as a ieweler would ad-
lust q balance wheel in watch.
"Lyle will stand by in tn hours
that Try mems souls, and if lie ever
should leave the track and jump the
ditch, why We want the pleasure Of
doing the fair thing by writing an
obituary that will do him justice, and
a pattern for others to follow.
All being in readiness we were as,