The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-04-03
Our O)liO.
TIE BLIZZARD.


Ia the East without knowing exactly what
Il meant nor did know whether 1t had
ihe dignity Of a place ia Webstcrs una.
brdged, nor did | care, as never sup
poscd should use it.
a It was not till went to the great North.
swcst, aud found myself dcnizen Of its
metropolis, st. Paul, that discovered that
b had, in Minnesota at least, significant
meauing
Not long after my arrival | asked a
Friend the purport of the word as they
nscd it; he looked at me as though | was
quizIing him, aud said do | under
Stand You to say you don't know what We
mean by blizzard p
Honor bright, said |, II do not.
"Wcll, you Eastern folks arc very j.
norani' said he.
pleaded guilty to ignorance, and was
then told to wait till next winter and |
would fud out all about it.
81 may die or get well before theu,' |
persisted.
People don't die here, aud the climate
will do you SO much good you II stay |
gave him up.
TO another friend, / said What's a
blizzard p
He too, seemed surprised at the ques-
ton, aud after little hesitation said -
"lt's a kind of storm we have here; it
comes like a-well, regular blizzard %
This was something, but not very def
Mite and When pressed for more ex-
tended description was told to wait till
saw one, and then | would be thorough.
ly satisfied
Some weeks after this, as was going
through a cemetery | saw a tombstone IN
memory of an entire family, aud this was
the laconic epitaph -" Caught in the great
blizzard Of 1873 | was getting on, here
were the tangible results Of blizzard ii
nothing more, aud began to have some
respect for the word
Ny friend number one was right, for
did not die, and the climate did me SO
much good that staid and found out to
my entire satisfaction what bizzlrd real
q ly was.
hope may do better for my readers
in describing it than my friends did by
me.
In the early part Of winter found my
self in the northwestern part of Minneso
"a. | drove one day fifteen miles from
the railway to small town to see an olC
friend My visit over, was about to re
turn; in fact, had my oycrcoat on, aud haC
ordered the team, when a neighbor cam,
10. He said:-"Stranger you had bette
not start; there's going to be blizzard O.
l'm no Judge
# That's exactly what want, exclaimed
i I'll 6nd out what it is if I'm caught ii
one.
Aud to your sorrow, said my friend
Pull of your coat. Ii Mr. =. say
there's going to be blizzard you can
lcaye my house unit! it's over; he know
nll about il, and the weather; he is ou
Weather bureau in this section, and he car
iell you all about Billiards, for he has live
- Minnesota for thirty years.
The result was, | was not persuaded bu
ordered to stay till the weather prophe
hnd the weather were more favorable.
Then | demanded to be at once enlighI
ened on the whole subject.
Well, said ueighbor p Everybody be
gins with well when they speak of thi
subject) it | was 10 tell you Of some sight
I've seen you wouldn't believe me.
Give me your first experience, said |, t
get at something definite, and this time
was successful. | won't try to give it i
neishbOr P's language exactly, as it woul
take too long.
| was living in one ofthe southern cour
lies. Twas soon after had moved frol
Ohio. The day was warm and pleasan u
nnd Id drove TO town in u two-horse Gu
Ter, | started back about one. The wit
Ger road across the lake was about twel,
miles, altho' twas shorter by land. | tu
thc lake road as twas the best going
HE lake was irregular like, and the roa
ran down an arm three mile, and turne
pn to the west round pint. After turl
,ng that pint 1t was seven miles TO Il
touse.
had just turned the pint the wind "
!fom the south and warm looked we,
saw cloud coming down the lake n,
known then what know now. I'd dr.,
tssk round the pint aud went to tho woot
pnt kept rite on. The cloud cum dow
q ihe very ice, and when il struck ms
Itirly raised the cutter of the Ice. |,
hq1ses stopped aud held their heads dow
y tho they couldn't help il, The snc
NsA bllndin' aud sharp as needles. II
Nsnd druv il thru to the skin, as tho y
had no close on, and il was hundr
iimes colder than ice.
As soon as could get my breath
yelled at the horses aud beat en- with I
whip they give a snort aud started on /
run--one Of EN- give yell such as nc,
heard aiore nor since. | soon got 81
the thermometer had gone down twer
degrees below yexo, aud it don't take 10