The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-10

the operation Ol lne pow 10 NtdlIu on
the edge of the drift by his side SO he
could see the SNOW fly TO the best ad
vantage. When the rlow reached
them Farley turned his back and
assumed position by which most Of
! tie snow iiew over him. ahile }he
/ poor coun:ryman was completely over
, wheimcd, much to the amusement Of
the whole crew, After leaving Verdi
/ We soon arrived at the curve cut lead
ing down the valley to Lake Benton.
which was the worst drift yet en-
countered and the most dangerous to
( buck on account of the curve In
! many places the drift was nearly as
high as the engine stack and SO hard
that walking made little impression
upon IT. After several hours work
We got through and ran into Lake
Benton without again getting stuck,
arriving AT about 2:30 p. III.
II j. a strange fact that the western
line of the "h!izzard belt is bounded
by the western boundary of MinpesO-
! ia; yet this l. clearly proven for this
winter 1t least by the condition OF the
drifts along the line Of railway. Al
though the trip from Huron To the
State line WAS mGde in q wind storm
and covered distance OF about 90
miles. the whole time spent in bucking
snow did not exceed three hours To
open the Il miles from the State line
to Lake Benton with the same crew,
down grade to work on and favor
able weather took at l.ast six hours
hard work at hucking and shoveling:
After procuring Our dinners we
agnIn boarded the train for Tyler, the
road having been opened during the
day by the crew stationed at Lake
Benton As We passed east the drifts
kept increasing in depth and fire..
qncncy. Conductor Cutters train
had arrived from Huron and rs the
road was opened only two miles fur
ther we prepared to return, While
we wore waiting for a large quantity
of express which was being transfer
red by team from Sleepy Eye the
superintendent sent the work train
back after Mr. Hopp and the writer
SO that we might see still further the
beauties Of the blockade. We found
the drifts larger and higher than ever
and Train master Johnson informed
us that they were SD close together
that the men walked from one to the
other although the train stood ready
to carry them.
On our arrival 2i0 men and Snow
plow We're actively engaged in clear
ing the track.
Our party stood on a point OF n
drift which was carefully estimated
to be Is feet above the rails Of the
tracE. and still further on depth of
23 feet had been found. The men
were compelled TO throw the snow
from the bottom Of the cut to niche
made half way up the bank aud from
there it was thrown to the top
The .psOws used were not built on
pitch to throw snow over such
bauk and consequently their useful
ness was greatly impaired The
snow WAS 50 hard III many places that
il WAS almost impossible to cut it
with Il shovel,
When the company have shoveled
through these drifts, higher than the
average Dakota house, and the work
is all rendered useless in Il single day
or night, is not the undertaking al
most hopeless even for 80 able a cor
poration as the {. x y. ". Railway
company? We have 40 desire to dc.
fend the company against the inter
ests the people, but we believe even
railway company should be given
the credit it deserves. 1t has been
urged that a thousand men, or even
many thousand should be engaged.
" hen il is known that the crew now
there j. provided for with The great
est Of difficulty, il may we'll be asked
how thousand men could be cared
for Men cannot sleep III the snow
and they must eat. Some Of the
parties who have been supplying them
and the snowbouud travellers have be
come completely exhausted and are
obliged so refuse further entertain
ment. Huron may easily furnish
LOCO extra meals per diem. but when
ii comes to a village of 200 or 800 in
habitants with meager supplies 10 do
So, it is a different thing.
1t has been urged that .supcrin
tendDnt Sanborn has kept his division
open while Mr. Nicholl has failed.
, We know that Mr. Sanborn is a very
energetic man and We respect his
ability. yet we do not believe he could
f, have kept the east end of this. divis-
ion in operation. The big snow plow
with three engines, which opened his
road from Sleepyeye to Tracy in two
days was then put On this division
with the same crew. ~ p
Thirty additional men and two
more engines were added to the force
yet in ten days only g. miles OF road
had been opened. No corporation or
individual is more interested in sDa-
kota than the Chicago and North
western Railway Company They
depend upon the rapidity OF our de-
velopment for the profitable employ
ment Of their lines i'm the territory.
They practically lose the use Of over
400 miles Of road by the blockade IT
- miles and their own interests de-
mani all possible exertion.
Trains have been run at loss on
| the western division for our accom-
mediation with frequency and regu-
larity which we fear our people fail
|. to appraciate They should remem-
ber that the southern Minnesota and
the Hastings and Dakota divisions of
, the C. NJ. & st. T.. in Dakota have
long been abandoned. As soon as
spring opens the Northwestern will
construct their southeastern line