The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-16
WINTER.
How Dakota is fixed
during that season.
Using Fences and Hay for fuel
--Nice Country.

-
Zens, who turned out with shovels ant
| teams and wallowsd through about six fee
OF snow on the level to obtain it. In i
were letters and papers, the latest being
copy Of the Pioneer Press dated Februarl
%. In it l noticed that grave apprehen
sious are entertained as to the condition O
the settlers of this section; and, as rumorl
of all sorts are flying, take this oppor
tunity of setting the fears engendereC
thereby at rest. intend relating thing:
as they are, with no deception abou
it. The winter, as you are aware
has been of q character almost unparalo
leled. The oft. quoted but not always
reliable oldest inhabitant" is beWild.
cred. 1t beats anything 10 his memory,
which is usually quite eapacious. Setting
in, as it did, on October Is, 1t took all by
surprie. No one was prepared for it. The
farmer had not threshed. and potatoes
we're frozen in the ground. The mer-
chants of this country had not ordered
their winter stock, and fuel dealers were
were also caught short. The previous
mild winters had taught all TO believe that
they would always last, and that oommun-
ication with the commercial centers of the
East at all times would remain unbroken
The fallacy of such thoughts will with,
(uAs CApCItCGSCs oSoO(EtoS NC
thoroughly eradicated. As coon as it be-
came evident that
WINTER IN EARNEST HAD SET IN,
and when trains began to move irreeuarly
an attempt wcs made by our merchants,
fuel dealers and others to get in supplies
for the balance of the winter. How well
they succeeded is attested by the fact that
there are now oyer 1000 freight cars in
the Sleepy Eve switch yards awaiting
shipment hitherward. The experience of
this winter in this respect will not
soon be forgotten Since October Is
the ground has been covered with snow
ell the time 1t has Dot thawed to speak
of. SO that at the present writing, on the
level. the snow is from FIVE TO seven feet
deep; while in the gulches some places, it
is from forty to sixty feet deep. The
timber in this country grows in these
guIches, SO that it will be seen
seen that no wood can be cut. Under
Ordinary circumstances wood in sufficient
quantities to tide ever a btizzard-which
also means q stopage OF all trains could
be obtained. Even this winter the supply
OF fuel was deemed ample to last unit! a
new supply could be shipped in on the
cars But the blockade coming upon US
on December IS. the date CT the arrival OF
the last through train. with no iutermis-
sion up to the present time, and no pros
pect OF any for a month hence, the situa-
tlon is
BECOMING TRULY ALARMING
The farmers are burning hay and straw,
y hich also. owing to the extreme length
OF time which they have had to feed their
stock, and having made Calculations
for only an Ordinary winter, is
getting very scarce. The cItizers
Of this and other towns have been burning
cedar posts a1d lumber, and, where they
ran be spared, some bav9 taken the out
buildings tor fuel. Travel with teams is
almost an Impossibiitv, No attempt. il
lact, has been made to break roads,
save that which brings the mails. So i;rl
bat four mails have arrived siUce Christ
mas. Business Is at complete staDdstIii
D foods Of all kinds. especially groceries and
-four and meats, were loug
since exhausted Since the -four supply |
asve out a feed mill, propelled by horse
power, has been engaged in the mgnufaco
lure Of course, uubolted graham foAr,
v hich has proved God send TO the sett-
ers ia both town and country. Many
people absolutely have nothing to eat save
hat coarse -four and moIasses. and even
he latter commodity is about exhausted |
Many of the settlers OF this county Deuel.. |
+ Tho reside at a distance from Gary, are |
GRINDING THIS COARSE FLOUR IN COFFEE
MILLS!
Thick Of i'll Being reduced to an extrem-
tY which compelled you to manufacture
FOUR own flour aud IN penny coffee niiil. |
II starve! And that is the preaioa uent
puhTah - ba IS 10
frontier 6ud themselves Tough as the
situation is, have heard Of no cases of
starvation. but it comes so pear it there is
10 fun 10 it" Still tie settlers are not
being content and happy in
he thought that III the East. as we'll, are
hey wadiDg up to their necks in snow,
he .only difference being that there the
tables. doubtless. contain more OF the
uxurles and 'nccessaries Of life than do
those of the settlers here.
The weather here has not been as cold
8s there; IN one instance only has the
thermometer reached thirty two degrees
above zero, most of the time it being in
he neigh borhoCd of twenty degrees below
zero. The trouble is net owing 10 severity
If the weother, but is due to the great fall
II snow. and the winds blowing the snow
o great drifts, filing up road cuts and
'oads as fast as they are shoveled over or |
broke" and thus rendering them i'm
)assable. The general and only reliable |
neans OF locomotion this winter is the |
Norwegian snow shoe. Il consists Of
board eight feet long, FIVE inches
vide and half an inch thick, with one end |
pointed and turned up. with raised foot
,!ock in the middle, so that il resem bles
huge skate. In travelling over deep snow
il of great value, and an expert can east
= travel thirty miles on them a day. |
Farmers come to town on them, and the |
come alter their mail on them |
Dur business men drive care and the
'biues" away by sliding down hill upon |
hem, and when one meets with mishap |
nd turns a somersault or two, the others
i've evideuce,of their enjoyment tbereat by |
Flld, uproarous shouts of laughter. They |
een to be boys again ln this mauuer
,asses the daytime. At night, surprise
'arties aud dances engage the attention Of
be people of the town and all If the
ountry who can possibly manage to get
0 town. Up to New Years the ladies Of
iary gave several leap-year parties. eod
hey did it well. too Since then surprise
arties have been the order of The day.