Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-01-17
MISCELLANY.
The Winter of 1867 Compared
with Other Winters.

Il
EDS. JOURNAL: The first winter I
spent herc--lS36-7-was much like
this, SO far. TWAS a long, cold win
ter, and the ground was we'll covered
with snow, thin, heavy, hard, and
good sleighing in December, the
snow increasing later, SO that i'm Feb
ruary there was eighteen inches on
the level. Robert c. Kinney and nv
self went to Rock Island on horse
back in February, all the way on the
Ice OF the river, which was covered
with foot or more Of light snow.
We had an Indian path to follow. We
passed many Indians on the way. 90
ing to "Sockolosss Mai. Davenport's
trading housel On Rock Island, They
appeared to be moving their wicket
tents, cooking utensils, squaws, pa
pooses and dogs. The "plunder" was
loaded on a little sled, drawn by a
pony, and on the pony's back was a
sqaaw, two or three papooses, and a
small dog or two, in mating seats,
with their heads sticking out. The
thermometer was below zero every
hour for five consecutive DAYS i'm
February. 1t was a very late spring.
The next MISUNDERSTANDING as
open as last winter, with the excep-
ton of about four weeks in Decem-
per and january, when we had snow
and sleighing. February was warm
and March was warmer, the frost be.
ing all out of the ground. BY the 10th
OF March had the cellar where the
postofiice now stands, dug out with.
out breaking frost. /, and my broth.
Ter, from Rochester, New York, GUAR.
ried stone at the point of the bluff
near the freight depot, the first GUAR.
rying that was done there, and had
that cellar wall built in warm wealth.
er in March, without frost to interfere
in the least.
| Then followed two cold winters
lS3S-9-40, with plenty of good sleigh.
ing from here to Chicago, in which
there was considerable teaming done
by carrying wheat and raw hides tc
Chicago, and bringing back salt
leather, and other merchandise.
Then followed an open winter, and
then 1923, the longest winter or
record in this place. 1 have said il
was the coolest, but Walton and Par.
win both came down on me with thcil
long range of records, and caused me
to, change my tactics, and I now say
1t was the longest-commencin tht
Sth of November and continuing five
months. 1t was SO cold that the ict
in the river was three feet thick, fol
Mr.. Matthews and cut through and
measured it; and this ice remained
until in April, for l went on it with Q
horse and sleigh on the 9Th of April
and there was snow and sleighing il
April.
The next twelve years were vary.
ing from warm and soft to cola and
hard. A few years after had en-
barked in the nursery business, name
ly, 1851, there were two, winters
of extreme cold, killing large quaint
ties of nursery stock and orchard frui
trees. The fall being dry and tn,
ground bare, contributed much to TIL,
killing of fruit trees. The slight GOV
ering of snow in the intense cold o
: this winter will afford much protec
, ton to plants and the roots Of trees
But the bodies and branches Of tree
, are sometimes killed by the intcns
cold. We are yearly getting into on
nurseries and orchards trees of sutli
, cient hardness to Withstand thes
severe winters. The Iowa Horticul
tural Reports tell us what trees ar
hardy, and what tender, better thai
, the tree pedlers can. SUEL FOSTER.