River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-03-03
NEBRASKA,S LAST BLIZZARD.
Peculiarities of the CIimate---The
Recent Terrible StOrm---A Blow at
the Cattle Interest.
Chicago Evening Journal

Chicago Evening Journal.
The present winter has been a re-
markable one for this state. The "old-
est inhabitant fails to recall winter
so severe as the present one. 1t has
long been the boast of the people of
Nebraska, that, while the winter
weather is usually as cold as other
northern states, there is scarcely ever
any snow, and the air always dry and
the roads good. 1t is the favorite
pleasure of the old settler of this state
to contrast the dry, smooth, prairie
road, all winter long, with the frequent
ly almost impossible roads of Illinois
and other states during the winter
months. This winter the "old settler :"
is knocked clear out Of time; he does
not know whether to brag about the
climate of Nebraska, or keep quiet.
The latter is probably the better plan,
for the climate of Nebraska, if Judged
from the weather of the past twelve
months, is not very attractive. The
summer was very long and very dry,
and an unusually number of disagree
able dust and wind storms prevailed.
There was scarcely any fall. AS early
as the LIST of November winter set in,
and has been soing it ever since. From
the LIST of December up to the present
time there has been good sleighing in
Nebraska, which fact is regarded as a
remarkable one, rs the ground is usual
" bare all win.er. There has also been
a lower temperature here than ever
before in the remembrance of those
who have resided in the state many
years. There have been number of
very hard storms this winter, and sew
eral blizzaltls." One of the latter.
and the roughest one, has just conclud-
ed its visit, ard this is how it came and
went:
A slight fall of snow in the morning
which turned into water as it struck
the ground; warn wind from the
southwest, which shifted gradually to
the northwest, and then more snow
and wind the latter cold and piercing
BY o'clock in the afternoon of Thurs
day the snow was blowing in every
direction and drifting into huge piles
on the sidewalks and In the streets,
and the wind was no wore nor less
than terrific gale, whirling the snow
high in the air, az making outdoor
travel impossible This was the
" blizzard" out of which the whole
State is just emerging. 1t continued
three days, and all This while business
was almost at Il standstill. The trains
have been delayed out of all reason,
and all the available force on the diff
ferent roads has been ut work, fairly
and literally digging the trains out of
the snow.
To what extent TIE stock interests. of
the frontier have suffered by this last
storm, / am unable to say. Thousands
of cattle have persisted of cold and
starvation this Winter on the Nebraska
frontier. Cattle men have trusted to
the usual mildness of the climate, and,
the same as in previous Winters, have
allowed their stock to run at large,
feasting on the cured grass that covers
the prairies in the Winter months.
This grass is now, and has been most
of the Winter, covered with a foot or
more of snow, hence thousands of cat
tie have died of starvation, and thou
sands more, being with out shelter,
have persisted of cold. A wealthy
stock-raiser, whose interests in that
line are enormous, told me before this
last storm set in, that his losses this
Winter of stock would aggregate at
least $4,000 and have no doubt this
last blizzard" will increase the amount
$4,000, if not more. The present
Winter has beena very disastrous one
to the sheep and cattle interests of the
State, and it will serve as a lesson to
those who have cast aside all advice in
in the matter of securing shelter and
feed for their stock, and trusting too
much to possible Winter of sunshine
and thaw A few hundred dollars ex-
pended in securing cheap shelters for
stock, and as much more in putting
up hay for Winter use, would have
saved the cattle kings of the western
part of the State thousands, and, per-
haps, millions of dollars. At present
there is no way of making fair esti-
mate of the total loss, but it is without
doubt so great that more than one
man will be financially bankrupted
who has made money other years in
the business which is now his ruin.
IT