Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1881-04-01
Ara,p OVERLAND AND UNDER WATER.



Representative In tho Ji,n River Valley.
Left Yankton Monday morning, ut (:
o'clock u. M, by the Dakota Central stage
owned by our former townsman, j.
Brinkerhof, now residing in the city OF
Scotland There were three passengers
Mr.. Chris. Dilger. Mr.. Lee, Of Cleveland,
Ohio. and myself. Our driver was Mr..
Hurd, one Of the oldest stage drivers in
the country. We all started happy and
rejoicing over tho nice warm weather we
had to make our trip to Mitchell, the fu-
ture capital of this territory, in the mind
of the Mitchcllites. The wind came
from the soutl, and was quite warm. We
went down Broadway on lively trot,
and passed the Rhine bridge in good
shape. Arrived there, Mr.. Hurd made
the remark that lie was little afraid OF
the creek, which the road CROSSES half q
mile from the bridge ut the foot Of
Broadway, there being three feet of water
in it last Saturday night, and by the
thaw of Sunday he was thinking that
there might be enough water to drown
our horses, and perhaps drown the whole
of lis. Chris Dilger, who had been ours.
ing the saloon keepers Of Yankton for
keeping open on Sunday, and selling
poor whisky to poor, innocent young
men from the country, said he knew
road which would save lis from crossing
the creek. and therefore save us from IL
cold bath, and offered to take lis round.
Mr.. Hurd told him that if lie was sure he
could take lis through all right,
he might take the lines and drive
until we reached the upper road.
He was given the lines and told to go
ahead. The night was pretty dark, and
we could hardly see the road. Suddenly
we came to q halt and heard some one
crying for help, and on looking out saw
Dilger wallowing in four feet OF water
and trying to raise the head of one of the
horses. who was drowning. Mr.. Hurd,
the driver, jumped in the water and ,,n-
hitchcd the horses, and after vigorous
whipping, they came ont all right on the
other side. The next thing was to draw
the sleigh over the bad place. jumped
back of it and helped to push it across,
trying meanwhile to walk on the edge Of
the road in order to keep myself from
falling into the ditch. But luck was
against me, and fell in the pond, huv-
ing water up to my hips. came out on
the other side, shivering and wishing
was back in my little bed. Mr.. Lee, our
other travelling companion, also fell in
the water, aud lost both Of his rubber
shoes.
After hitching the horses, we walked
ahead, trying TO warm up our frozen
limbs. A few minutes after, our guide
admitted that he had lost the cross road,
which joins the main road somewhere,
and suggested that VIC drive across the
prairie at right angles. Mr.. Hurd, know.
ing that there was danger to attempt tc
recross the ditch in order to find the cross
road, adopted the suggestion and We
started, the passengers on foot, to walk
on that beautiful sheet Of snow. twent
all right for fifty yards. the snow being
hard enough to hold the horses and our
selves. But in going down slopinl
hill, the snow commenced to cave in, and
under it we struck it rich, finding from
one to two feet of water. 1t was indeed
very agreeable for morning walk. Al
we advanced it became worse, and W.
struck about three feet of snow, and eacl
step we made, would bring us to the bot
tom, with water up to our knees. Ou
horses fell down half dozen times, ant
We had to go and help them out, breal
the frozen snow i'll front OF the runners
and push the sleigh ahead. We KEEP
jogging along for about mile and u hal
when We struck high ground. 1t wal
then daylight. 1 looked at my watch
and it marked $40 a. IN. In turnin.
round we bcheld the city OF Yanktol
about one miles and half from lis. w
left at 3 o'clock and in two hours m,
forty minutes we managed to be that ia
away from home.
Before jumping into the sleigh pei
ceived that had lost my rubber shoes
but concluded that wouldd't 60 bac
after them, that is not until July o
August. We fonnd the main road fe
minutes after we had struck the hig
land, and reached the first postot:ice q
8 O'Clock, . miles from Yankton. W
took breakfast there, and while we wei
eating it we put our shoes and stocking
in the oven to bake. We started imm'
diately after breakfast, and before VI
were one mile away, we fell in anotht
hole and Ind to wade through three fe
of water. The wind turned to the mort
little while after that, and we had
snow storm. which turned to . bliaEar
Being wet up to our hips. you must judi
how comfortable we were. We manag
to reach Scotland at 3 o'clock in the !
ternoon, after having had to unhitch o
horses dozen timesand draw the sleia
through creeks and ponds. We stopp
at Gen. Campbell's popular hotel aud
soon as the general saw the condition
which we were. he made a reqnisition Il
on his boarders, aud in few minui
after our arrival. we were provided wi
dry pants, stockings and shoes. We
. hearty dinner, and felt much bet
after it. II it had not been for the co