The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-04-18
THE FROST KING.
Terriers OF the Csid la MantIsba a-Sems Of
the PhoasmsaR OF Arctic weaIher-Ths
HiiEEATd of the NsTth-A Trapper's Rem-
tntsrSnres.

/ A correspondent IN britihh America
writes from Winnipeg, Manitoba 10 the
New York Eroning Post. giving read
able account of the extremely cold
weather which prevails in that region
during the winter m0nthB. We quote :
The still days are the cOldest. We have
every winter IA dozen or more DAYS So
magically still that all the usual sounds
Of nature seem 20 be suspended when
the ice cracks miles away with report
like n cannon: when the breaking oi a
twig reaches one like the falling Of tree !;
when ones own footsteps, clad in soft
moccasins, come bafk from the yielding
snow like the crunching of an iron heel
through gravel when every artificial
sound is exaggerated Il hundred fold,
and nature seems % start at every break
IN the intense silence. The atmosphere
is as clear as crystal, and the range Of
vision seems 10 be unlimited. Seen from
window, from the oosey limits of an
clear sunshine and crisp freshness Of the
day appear 30 invite one forth % enjoy
its seeming mildness. But the native
knows better than 30 venture out. A
fifteen minutes walk in that clear ether
is fifteen minutes fight for existence.
A sudden prick and ones nose is frozen;
next 60 both cheeks; one raises his hand
81 rub away the ghastly white spots,
only 10 add his fingers 10 the list OF lev
members. Rub as You will, run hard,
swing your arms-all 20 no purpose !;
the little white spots increase in size,
until the whole face is covered with the
wa1en leprOsy. The breath cOngeals al
most upon leaving the mouth, and the
lev yapor falls instead OF rising Spit
and instantly there is lump Of ice where
the spittle fell. All, Il is cold beyond
belief The spirit registers tempera-
ture away down in the forties. / have
seen stAlwArt man, after two hours
exposure ON such day, walk into the
room where every football clAnked upon
the door like blocks of wood clApping
together his feet frozen solid as Jumps
Of ice / remember going sixty yards
% shoot a rabbit'and returning with fin
gers frozen fast 10 the trigger guard.
On such a day one may stand for
hours in the snow with moccaSined feet
and leave no trace 81 moisture behind.
The snow is grAnulated like sand; there
is no adhesiyeness in il. II is difficult 10
draw a sledgc through a bed Of sand
Slpperiness has gone out OF IT, A
horse gives out in no time. And vet
the aspect Of all nature is calm, still,
and equable a. on "A May dAy.
One Of these st nights upon the
prairie is unspeakAAy awful The cold
is measured by degrees as much below
the freezing point as your ordinary sum
mer temperature is above H. Scraping
away the snow, the blankets and robes
are spread down. Then Won dress for
bed. Iour heaviest coat is donned,
and the hood carefully pulled up over
the heavy fur cap upon your head; the
largest moccasins and thickest socks are
drawn on common leather boots would
freeze ones feet in q twinkhng); huge
leather mittens. extending to the elbows,
and trebly lined, come next: you lie
down End draw all the available robes
and blankets about you. Then begins
the cold The frost comes ont Of the
clear gray sky with still, silent rigor.
The spirit in the thermometer placed by
your head sinks down into the thirties
and furties below zero. Just when the
dawn begins 10 break in the east il viii
not unfreQuently be at fifty. You are
tired, perhaps, and sleep comes by the
mereforce Of fatigue. Butnever from your
waking brain goes the consciousness Of
cold. You lie with tightly folded arms
and up-gathered knees and shiver be-
meath all your coverings, until forced 10
rise and seek safety by the fire.
With the advent Of a blizzard,
however. all the still life ends and chaos
begins. A blizzard is the white squall
Of the pniries, the simoom OF the
plains. Like It's brother of the Sahara.
when il comes all animate nature blows
before it. The traveller prustrates him
self in the snow, il he is Of the initiated,
and, covering his head, waits until it
passes by. To pursue q different course
and journey on is 90 bc lost In con-
versation Pierre Bottineau, the noted
guide and trapper. related to me the
following incident, illustrating the
power and rapidity Of the blizzard
storm. Bottineau was engaged, some
years since, in guiding two gentlemen
from Pcmbina 10 Georgetown during
the month Of February. The country
was an unbroken wilderness. and the
snow Law very deep upon the plains.
The party travelled on snow-shoes. and
10 carry their provisions used tobogRns.
or hand-sleds-mere slips of board
turned up NJ one end. Shortly after
midday, toward the close Of the journey,
when all the party were walking close
together, blizzard came up. The
timber skirting a small stream lay be-
fore them at the distance of not more
than n quarter OF n mile. II had been
intensely cold before, and the wind
bearing the storm on its wings, now
made il terrible 90 face. They at once
started at n run in order 10 gain the
shelter Of the forest before being over
taken by the storm. Accustomed 10
travel from infancy, and an expert in
the use OF snow-shoes Bottineau passed
his companions in the race, never think
ing for moment but that they could
find their way with the timber full in
view before them. Notwithstanding
the hardest running, however, he was
unable 10 gain the skirts Of the wood
before the storm WAS upon him. II was
OF the most terrible description :. no
man could face il; nothing could be
distinguished at the distance Of yard.
From long experience in plain travel
Bottineau knew IL was fight for life
every man for himself. Lying down
upon the snow he crept upon hands and
knees toward the wood. After infinite
toll and difficulty he reached its friendly
shelter, and took refuge under the lee
Of fallen log. Hoping his companions
might have reached place of safety,
but not daring 10 60 in search of them,
he lay shivering for an hour.
At the end of that time the storm
abated somewhat, and Bottineau started
20 the rescue. About Ave rods from the
edge Of the timber, upon the open plain,
he found one of the unfortunate gentle
men wrapped in n winding. sheet OF
snow and drift, and sleeping the sleep
that knows no waking frozen stiff while
in the act Of crawling on hands and
knees 10 shelter. A more extended
search revealed the unfortunate man
wandering through the timber, with
, hands, feet and the greater part OF his
face frozen solid. A man Of quick con-
clusions and ready resource, the old
, gui le knew his patient could tramp no
more. So he made him bark hut IN
the forest, supplied him plentifully with
wood, placed the provisions near him,
, then sped of 10 the nearest military post
for a conveyance and the post surgeon.
| He was gone three days. He returned
only 10 find that the poor victim in
some sudden craze had torn the band
| ages from his frozen limbs, cast off his
4 l,a NNx-