Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-03-23
\ GENUINE STORM.
"reminiscences of Three Memorable Days in
Minnesota.
THE >i.GIItE STORY OF JOHN
NI>1p\'s GHOST.

lfi MY years. DIS tllt itCoitS htlt dl
Fort Smelling showed. 1t was VIC
lent electrical storm. extending over
the whole Northwest. 50 that the tel
egraph wires West Of Chicago re-
fused to work.
1t struck Minnesota on the eth IT
January. 1873, and ragged for three
days. the wind blowing a gale, the
temperature being about eighteen
degrees below zero, and Oh the
prairies the air Was filed with snow
as fine as flour Through every
crevice. keyhole and hail hole the
snow penetrated, putting into houses
like steam. The number of human
lives lost in Minnesota was about
seventy.
The morning Of January :. 1913,
was beautiful and bright. The air
was mild and still. and farmers set
out for town or went to neighboring
farms with their teams. Generally
it was thought that a January thaw"
was imminent; but Prof. Humiston.
who had a good anaroid barometer.
foretold storm. The barometer had
been failing for "a hours, and never
was known to fall so low before.
Between II and l o'clock Il white
wall WAS seen moving up from the
northwest upon Worthington. The
front of the storm was distinct and
almost as clearly outlined as great
sheet. When it struck the town
farmers began to scatter to their
homes A number, however, remained
and were housed up for three days.
Persons visiting in the village. only
a few squares from home, in some
instances remained till the storm
abated, not daring to venture out upon
the streets.
j. II. Maxwell drove four miles
against the storm and then took
refuge with a neighboring farmer.
not being able to reach home. The
Rev. Mr.. Stone walked five miles
facing the storm this side of jackson,
and finally took refuge in a sod
shanty. A party of Worthington
men, among whom were Dr. Langdon
and Cornelius Stout. were caught on
the road between Worthington and
Jackson and also remained showed
up in a sod house. A man north of
Worthington was caught on the
trackless prairie driving an OK team.
He unhitched and unyoked the team,
then took hold of one OK by the tail,
and, by twisting it, kept the animal
on the trot. The other OK followed,
and the man brought up against his
own wood pile. The school in In
dian Lake township was Taught by
young lady in log schoolhouse.
The snow drifted in through the
crevices, and soon covered the floor.
The supply of wood was soon ex-
hausted, and then teacher and
scholars split up furniture and eked
out scant fire till the storm abated
To keep up circulation they formed
in Indian file and marched around
the stove through the dreary days
and long nights till, on the third
day they made their escape. Joseph
Poots was caught in the storm in
the western part of the county, and
lay for several days in a snow drift
Unfortunately his feet became ex-
posed, kicked the cover off, so to
speak, and both feet were frozen and
had to be amputated.
A Mr.. Small, who lived four miles
southeast of Worthington, started
from town with an OK team and sled
just after the storm struck us. He
drove within a few rods of his own
door, and wandered over the prairie
till he came to some hay stacks
around which rail fence had beer
built. He evidently attempted t.
climb the fence, but was too neal
gone to accomplish it. When found
the day after the storm, he was stand
ing with one hand on the fence. GOV
cred with ice, and as stiff as an icicle
A Mrs Blixt, who lived a few miles
beyond MIR. Small, went to the stable
when the storm came on to turn the
cattle in. In attempting to return t.
the house the snow blinded her, ant
she wandered on the prairie and
persisted.
But the one case, among the three
fatal ones in Mobiles county, which
has been the subject of the greatest
interest because of the ghost story
connected with it. was that of Johr
Weston, of Seward township. Mr.
Weston had been to Graham lake.
and was returning with a load Of
wood when the storm caught him. He
drove across his own farm and missed
the house. Turned and went in a
circle, making the same circle twice
as shown by the tracks of the sled
He then turned north to the vicinity
of the place now owned by H. d.
Winters, in Graham Lakes township
He abandoned his team, and the oxen
after wandering awhile, turned the
yoke and choked to death. Mr.
Weston, from this point, evidently
concluded to walk with the storm,
and made bee line for Hersey. He
walked about twelve miles and fell
forward on his face, clutching the
grass as he fell and the blood gushing
from his nose. His body was found
the following spring, with the hands
full of grass and the blood on his
face.
The story of John Weston's ghost
was first published in the Advance
and widely copied SO that it became
known throughout the country.
Western appeared to Mr.. Cosper, who
is still resident of Seward township
and was an intimate friend to West
on. A few days ago we caught MIR.
Cosper in town and had the story
from his own lips. He is a practical,
unimaginative man, and gives the
story in a circumstantial way.
The day after the storm Mr.. Cos
per had been out with some neigh
bors searching for Weston's body.
He had returned to his home, and
was at the stable feeding his stock
just before shutdown. He came ont
of the stable, and passing around to
the east end, saw John Weston com
ing up the path from the creek.