The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-11-26

MS could Judge well of weather indi.a.
tons IN Nebraska, and our guide dii|
not suspect ANYTHING serious, for The
"oidcst inhabitant' could not recollect
q blizzard in October. and IL was new
only the 10Th OF the month. The Guide
thought. and the drivers believed. tha,
the storm would cease AZ twelve M
and we, Of course. trusted To their ind.
ment. But, instead. the storm grew
tercer, the snow fell more rapidly. and
the northwest gale increased Ia fury.
Before night so much snow had fallen|
that II i had lain rs il fell il would have
been AT least one foot deep. but now Il
had been piled into drifts so that our
poor mules stood with their feet nearly
as high as the wagon tops, and the
stove and furniture In our cooks ten,
were completely hidden from view.
The night set in upon us gloomy and
awful. We had two light canvas tents
in each Of which slept four men. with
just blankets enough 70 keep them com.
Portable in ordinary weather. But now
we must provide for the guide. two
drivers and a porter, who had usually
slept in the wagons. and as they were
but simply provided with clothing. We
must share our stock with them. So
into the larger tent we took them
There was but little sleep in the tent
that night, for the cold was intense. and
the wind was so terrible i'm its effects
that we feared every moment the larger
tent would fall. though we had strength |
ened il by poles and cords in every con
ceivable way. With the morning light
it seemed a if AL the spirits OF the air
where let loose. and all day long The
storm roared with eyer-increasing FURY.
The snow had % beaten in that when
we awokc we found ourselves buried
beneath il. and now We were obligedto
gather all our bedding into the middle
Of the tent 10 keep il from being wet
through. No man could long endure
the storm outside. and we stood Ind
died together from morning till night.
stamping our feet To keep from suffer
ing. Even then we could MOI keep
comfortable. For hours together We
stood with our backs braced against the
tent 10 keep it from giving way under
the great weight Of the snow and the
terrific force Of the gale. | know 81 10
language which can be used u convey
TO any person inexperienced in such 1 |
time any adequate conception Of the
fury Of the storm.
During the second day we succeeded |
In digging our little stove out OF the
Snow DRIFT. and setting IL up al the
entrance TO our tent we managed
10 keen n little fire through the rest IL
the day and night. But our store Of
wood was very small. and there was no
more to be had within we knew no.
how many miles. The other tent.
company had no stove and no lire.
During the second night OF the storm il |
wa impossible that all should sleep At
once. even if they could sleep despite
the cold, for what with the stove On
one side and all our provisions. brought
in from the wagons. or the other. there
was not room for all I'd lie down. Be-
sides il was necessary 10 keep the fire
going, lest we might all perish together.
SO we stood bending over the stove all
night. W at a true. while the Others
tried 10 sleep. Ii was an awful night.
To add 10 our anxiety the guide ant
drivers declared that the horses and
mules were likely to perish. ThcF
were q pitiful sight. indeed. Two Il
them had no blankets. and the Others
were little better of. AT times il wa.
difficult 10 conceive that the creatures
before us were horses. so literally COW
cred were they with a coating Of ice.
After two days and two nights the storm
ceased.
II was now Sunday morning. We
knew no: where we were. and we
doubted if the guide had more definite
knowledge than we. Every man was
desperate. Some declared il dangeroHs
TO attempt TO move through the snow.
and that our only safe course was 70 re-
main. and. in case Of necessity. use the
wagons for fuel and the horses for food.
Others declared their purpose 70 move
at all hazards and without delay. Final
ly we determined to move. We threw
away all luggage that could be dis
pensed with, and in grim silence started
in the direction which we thought would
bring us 10 the nearest hut. II was dIi-
ficult travelling through the drlfiei
snow. and il was bitterly cold. But az
day long We pushed on. never stopping
to feed q horse, breaking through the
drifts with ri ponies so that the teams
could follow, till about five D. m. when
we came in sight Of nav stacks. in ne
vicinity Of which we knew there mus
be a ranchman's hut. | never saw >
happier set Of men than were the'e
when it became certain that what W.
saw were hay stacks. and not the terri
BILE sand hills which had 80 often dr
ceived us during the day. Grave men,
merchants Of Worcester. swung ihcf
hats aloft and shotred for JOY. II hNl
49, VI. VII
(hass.) SPY.
A YOUNG man Of wealth fell down 4
cliff. 1t New London. Conn. a cier
gyman's wife carried him 10 her house'
cared for him At the cost Of great wv