Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-02-06
The Quality of Minnesota Cold.

Inc Quallty OF minnesota COlu.
The present winter, which is one of
unusual severity through a wide range
of latitude, strikes recent Corners to this
State with positive dismay. The oldest
inhabitants maintain that nothing like it
has been experienced here for a quarter
of a century but old age is a period of
forgetfulness, and [ suspect that the
oldest inhabitants of Minnesota form no
exception to this general rule of senilty.
The cold meat must be once felt in or
der to gain a correct impression of its
intensity. During Christmas week the
thermometer here in st. Paul ranged
from % to 80 degrees below zero. AT
several railroad stations on the prairie,
westward, thermometers indicated ~
degrees, while at Kandiyohi, neaf the
middle of the State, the mercury froze.
Mention of a few of the visible effects of
the cold Will aid in forming an opinion
of its severity. In this connection, per-
haps I cannot do better than to give a
bit of personal experience. Having
never spent a winter here, [ was caught
mapping. On rising, the Monday morn
ing before Christmas, I discovered that
every article of food in the house, the
contents of the cellar not excepted, were
frozen solid.
"This must be a pretty cold morn
ing,"I observed to my wife, who re-
turned an emphatic assent, and added
that the w~ater-pipe had burst in two
places. AS no water was to be had,
we dispensed with coffee for breakfast.
You had better wrap up your ears"
she said, as [ prepared to go down
town.
I wrapped up my ears and went out.
On gaining the street the air seemed
much less keen than L had anticipated,
but I noticed that the snow creaked re-
markably under my feet. When L had
walked a square and a half I met a
who said, "Look out for that nose when
you get into the house." I regarded
this remark as impertinent, and made nc
reply. I had walked another square,
when I met another man who stared at
me with such u~nfeigned commiseration
in his eyes-I could not see his face
that I said:
well, sir, what is your great dis
covery?"
"Your nose is frozen,'' said the man.
"How do you know it ?" I asked.
cts as white as chicken meat" said
the a "and as solid as q stone.
Put some snow on it quick, for Gods
sake"
The same morning there were many
cases of frozen members, and even faces.
A young man in the pineries, stalwart
and robust, as full of vitality as a chest
nut is full of meat, had his feet SO
badly frozen that amputation was neces-
sary.
The intensely cold weather lasted
about eight days. During that period
probably nine-tenths of all the potatoes
and apples in the city were frozen, and
the same fact holds good throughout the
State. Notwithstanding its severity,
the winter has attractions. The air is
certainly pure, dry, and invigorating.
One has but to be well protected by
clothing out of doors, and by warm fires
within, in order to feel first rate. Head
ache and lassitude, except from special
causes, are impossible. The nights are
beautiful, generally there is not a cloud
to be seen. The moon and stars shine
Respondent. Even when the moon is in
her quarter, it is light enough to read.
No wind stirring, the smoke from the
chimneys rises in white, vertical col
umns, that can be seen at a long dis
lance. Under foot the snow creaked so
loudly and unsteady that the tread of a
man may be heard distinctly at a
distance of a quarter of a mile. 1t
glistens whitley on the roofs of the
houses.
The cold weather causes our streets to
present a really picturesque appearance.
Fur cap and overcoats are much worn
by the men. These garments vary in
style and quality, according to the
wealth OF social position of the wearer.
For instance, Gov. Austin, who, by the
way, is a very estimable gentleman,
wears a seal-skin overcoat worth $40,
and a cap of the same material worth
$15. A teamster wears a shaggy buffalo,
costing perhaps $40. Between these
two extremes are costumes of every con-
ceivable style. Many of the laborers
wear moccasins and boots of Indian
cured buckskin, the same being, when
new, of a bright yellow color. Silk hats
are almost as rare in the streets as are
white foxes. Occasionally a Boston or
New York drummer makes his appear
ance in a tall hat, but finding himself
the object of derision on the part of
hackmen and newsboys, he speedily in
vests in a cap. A due regard for his
own comfort has equal influence, proba-
bly,. The fact is, one must dress warm
~ here or freeze. The ladies bury them
selves in wrappings to such an extent
finishing off with a white nubia about
the head and face, which reveals nothing
but the eyes, that to recognize one of
them on the street is as difficult as it is
to detect an acquaintance among the
yelled women who walk the streets of
Cairo.-St. Paul Cor. Boston Globe.
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