St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-04-08
The Winter in the West.
THE EAST THE ONLY ToLERABLE WIN
TER RESORT, AFTER ALL.

THE EAST THE ONLY ToLERABLE WIN
TER RESORT, AFTER ALL.
The st. Adams Messenger sums up
some of the effects of the awful weather
West the past winter, as follows: The
past winter has been the most severe
in the northwest of any since that coun-
try was settled. There has been a sue
cession of the ''worst storms that ever
were known" in upper Michigan, Wis
cOnsin, Minnesota, Dakota and northern
Iowa, and the sufferings of the people
have been such as to remain long viv-
id and painful memory. Several entire
families have frozen to death in their
houses. Their fuel was used up early
owing to the severe cold, and shut in
as they were by the beleaguering SHOWS
they could not procure fresh supplies.
The Iowa papers give thrilling accounts
of the experiences of families in differ
ent localities In the northern part of
that state and in the territories west.
There was in southern Minnesota and
northern Iowa heavy snow fall in Oc-
t0Oer, but the winter actually set in
early III November and continued with
out relaxation to the middle of March
The whole amount of snow which has
fallen IN Minnesota reaches the extra
ordinary depth of I2t feet. But these
figures convey no idea of the character
of the weather on these prairies, to the
people who live in a country sheltered
by trees and broken up by hills and
mountains like Vermont. The winds,
which have an unObstructed sweep for
Inn, 10 Al
plains, driving the snow like thistle
down before them, make the region a
bowling wilderness, as unfit for human
beings to live in us the natural habita-
tion of the polar bear. The railroads
heve been blockaded for weeks at a
time, and on one line extending through
southern Dakota, business has been en-
tirely suspended since the beginning of
the winter. The story of Sterette, a
settler at Big Lake, Dakota, shows
what the people have had to endure.
In February he found it necessary to
rescue the families of two neighboring
farmers and take them all into his own
house to save their lives. The fuel
gave out, and the men, digging through
the snow, first cut down the fences and
Out-hOuses and burned them for fuel.
Then they dug tunnels, under the snow,
to the railroad track, and chopped out
and burned the ties. When all the ties
and telegraph poles that could be reach
ed by the most desperate exertions
were consumed, it was decided to dig
through to the abandoned cabins of the
families sheltered at Sterette's and use
the frame work for fuel. This was
done, and every stick burned. The arc
tic weather continuing, Sterette's fur
niture had to be sacrificed for fuel
''even the bedsteads, trunks, and child
ren's toys" What followed is thus
told:
While the coldimprisOned pioneers
were upon their last supply of fuel,
consultation was held and it was decid-
ed to make desperate attempt to OBJ
tain relief. John Becker agreed to go.
A sleigh was prepared, and with five
horses hitehed to it Becker started. 1t
was terrible undertaking, and when
the brave man left there were tears
frozen upon his cheeks. SteIette and
his companions became alarmed when,
at the end of two days, Becker did not
return, and they started out to find
him. They had not gone far when they
discovered a large hole in the snow,
where Becker was found curled up in
the bed of the sleigh, frozen dead. His
faithful dog was lying huddled up
against his breast, also dead, and the
five horses were standing lifeless upon
their feet, all frozen stiff. Soon after
this, and just as the party were nearly
starved to death, the weather modeIa-
ted sufficiently to break the snew block
ade, and Sterette and his friends OBJ
tained relief. A neighbOring family
during this time had no other food than
the soup made from an OK pelt which
happened to be in the house when the
blockade began.
The western papers which are en-
gagged in promoting the interests of the
country are very careful to make mat
tiers appear well and the one which tells
this story concludes in vein worthy of
Mark Tapley as follows
Notwithstanding all this suffering,
Mr.. Sterette says, the people like the
country and will remain there, and in
future be prepared for severe winters.