The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-04-21
NICE COUNTRY.


NICE COUNTRY.
How Dakota People Pass the Winter
Burning Fcnces and Hay to Keep Warm.
Gary, D. T., Letter to 81. Paul Pioncer-Preas.
To-day the first mail from the East
since February 19 arrived in this place
by team, it having been left in Candy,
Mimi, twelve miles distant, some two
weeks since, ard was brought up by the
work of the citizens, who turned out with
shovels and teams and wallowed through
about six feet of snow on the level to
obtain it. In it we're letters and papers,
the latest being copy of the Pioneer.
P, ess, dated February %. In it I noticed
that grave apprehensions are entertained
as to the condition of the settlers of this
section; and, as rumors of all sorts are
flying, take this opportunity of settling
the fears engendered thereby at rest. l
intend relating things as they are, with
no deception about it. The winter, as
you are aware, has been of character
almost unparalleled. The oft.quoted but
not always reliable "oldest inhabitant" is
bewildered. 1t beats anything in his
memory-which is usually quite capa-
cious. sotting in, as it did, on October
Is, it took all by surprise. No ono was
prepared for it. The farmer had not
threshed, and potatoes were frozen in the
ground, The merchants of this country
had not ordered their winter stock, and
the fuel dealers were also caught short.
The previous mild winters had taught all
to believe that they would always last,
and that communication with the COM
mercial centers of the East at all times
would remain unbroken. The fallacy of
such thoughts will, with this winters ex.'
perience, doubtless be thoroughly eradi-
Gated. AS soon as it became evident that
WINTER IN EARNEST HAD SET IN,
and when trains began to move irregu
larly an attempt was made by our mer-
chants, 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 over 1000
freight cars in the Sleepy Eve switch
yards awaiting shipment hitherward.
The experience Of this winter in this re-
spect will not soon be forgotten. Since
October 15 the ground has been covered
with snow all the time. 1t has not
thawed to speak of, 80 that at the present
writing, on the level, the snow is from
five to seven feet deep; while in the
gulches, in some places, it is from forty
to sixty feet deep. The timber in this
country grows in these gulches, 80 that it
will be seen that no wood can be cut.
Under ordinary circumstances wood in
sufficient quantities to tide over bliz-
zarL-which also means stoppage of all
trains-could be obtained. Even this
winter the supply of fuel was deemed
ample to last until new supply could be
shipped in on the cars. But the block.
ade coming upon us on December %, the
date of the arrival of the last through
train, with no intermission up to the
present time, and no prospect of any for
month hence, tie situation is
BECOMING TRULY ALARMING.
The farmers are burning hay and straw,
which 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 citizens of this and other
towns have been burning cedar posts and
lumber, and, where they can be spared,
some have taken the outbuildings for
fuel. Travel with teams is almost an
impossibility. No attempt, in fact, has
been made to "break roads," save that
which brings the mails. So far but four
mails have arrived since Christmas.
Business is at g complete standstill.
Goods of all kinds, especially groceries
and provisions, flour and meats, were
long since exhausted. Since the flour
supply gave QUE feed-mill, propelled by
horsepower, has been engaged in the
manufacture of course, unbolted gra-
ham -four, which has proved a God-send
to the settlers in both town and country.
Many people absolutely have nothing to
eat save that coarse flour and molasses,
and even the latter commodity is about
exhausted. Many of the settlers of this
county (Deuel), who reside at distance
from Gary, are
GRINDING THIS COARSE FLOUR IN COF-
FEE-MILLS!
Think of it! Being reduced 10 an ex.
tremity which compelled you to manu-
facture your own -four in puny coffee.
mill, or starve! And yet that is the
predicament in which many of the peo-
pie of the frontier find themselves.
Tough rs the situation is, I have heard
of no cases of starvation, but it comes so
near it there is no "fun in it." Still the
settlers are not disheartened, being con-
tent and happy in the thought that in
the East, as we'll, are they wading up to
their necks in snow, the only difference
being that there the tables, doubtless,
contain more of the luxuries and "neces.
saries Of life" than do those of the set
tiers here.
The weather here has not been as cold
as there in one instance only has the
thermometer reached thirty-twe degrees
above zero, most of the time it being in
the neighborhood Of twenty degrees or
thirty degrees below zero. The trouble
is not owing to severity of the weather,
but is due 10 the great fall of snow, and
the winds blowing the snow in great
drifts, filling up road.cuts and roads as
fast as they are shoveled over or "broke,"
and thus rendering them impossible.
The general and only reliable means of
locomotion this winter is the Norwegian
snew.shoe. 1t consists of board eight
feet long, five inches wide and half an
inch thick, with one end pointed and
turned up, with raised foot.block in the
middle, so that it resembles 9 huge skate.
In travelling over deep snow it is of great
value, and an expert can easily travel
thirty miles on them in day. Farmers
come to town on them, and the Postmas-
ters come after their Office mail on them.
Our business men drive care and the
"blues" away by sliding down hill upon
them, and when one meets with mishap
and turns somersault or two, the others