Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-02-02

hear them and talked with them
about what they read.
JAMES GoLDswoRTHY.
IA TRIP TO DAKOTA AND BACK.
EDS. DEMocRAT:-A telegram re-
ceived on Saturday, called us to
Dakota, to attend to our claims.
Wednesday morning, John Black
ney and myself took train at Rewey
and glided along nicely until we
reached Madison. There we were
compelled to wait for the Chicago
train which was behind time. At
3 o'clock we left Madison and found
no trouble until we reached tt e
prairie of Minnesota. Twice ere e
reached Tracy we found the tra,k
blockaded, but reached that place
finally at noon instead Of at break
fast time. Upon arriving at Lake
Benton we were informed that
freight train was blockaded at the
next station and that we were oblig-
ed to seek quarters for the night.
There being no room in the hotels
some of us were compelled to spel d
the night in the car and it was a
night to be remembered. The
coaches seemed to have been built
for a midsummer excursion as they
are very well ventilated; and as the
atmosphere and snow had formed a
co-partnership, united they entered
the coaches through the innumera-
bic cracks and crevices and thus
they dissolved partnership, the one
piercing the very bones OF the pass
engers and the other spreading its
self upon passengers and furniture
alike, giving them light downy ap-
pearance, the beauty of which was
marred, only by the thick cloud of
smoke which filled the coach. Had
this not been thick enough to be felt,
we would not have known of its
presence rs there were no lights
with which to see it. In fact the
stove seemed like ourselves, com
pietely turned around.
Arctic explorers inform us of
places where the atmosphere is so
rare that ordinary fuel will not ig-
mite. From this, or some other,
cause we were unable to keep up
fire although three or four were con-
tinually coaxing the stoves. So
cold were the cars that one standing
by the stove, would feel comfortable
upon one side while the other side
was numb with the cold, and a
sheet of snow lie within a few feet
of the stoves. In this condition "a
bout 80 of us remained until day
break when we were permitted to
enter hotel and after waiting q
couple of hours had warm break
fast. 1t is to be hoped that the
next time we go exploring Arctic re-
gions the C. & n. w. Co. will fur
nish cars suitable for the occasion,
and not send cars suitable for ex-
ploring tropical regions. During
the whole day (Friday) the storm
ragged SO that no effort was made to
extricate the blockaded train. Sat
urday morning about 25 men with
2 engines, snow-plows, shovels &c,
from Lake Benton together with a
force from Verdi went to work, and
by clock ?. NJ we were able to
leave our snow quarters and arrived
at Redfield at $3.50 A. NJ. Sunday.
Finding that we were destined to
remain here a week on account of
the snow in Minnesota we con-
Guided to surprise our ex-Sheriff L.
Blackney and SO started off, and
after travelling 8 miles in south
easterly direction we landed at the
door of a 16x24 frame building, one
and one-half stories high, and upon
giving the signal were met by the
smiling countenance of Mrs. Black
ney, who welcomed her unexpected
guests. We found friend Blackney
comfortably situated, being the
owner of $40 acres of as good land
as ever was titled, 05 acres of which
are under cultivation and nearly
every foot of the remainder can be
plowed. He intends securing tree
claim in the spring. From thence
we went to the house of Mr.. Harvey
Cushman, who left Miffiin last Sep
TENDER, in search of a western home.
Him we found settled down like an
old time settler, having barn room
for "a head of stock, a pasture of
leo acres, two wells, upon one of
which there is a windmill to which
he can attach a grinder, thus grind
ing his own meal. For the benefit
of those who contemplate moving
west we will say that beyond any
doubt the water in four of the wells
of which we drank is as good as the
spring water of Wisconsin. The
| depth of these wells ranged from I
to So feet. and we are informed that
good and poor water are found but
a few yards apart. Mr.. Cushman
took up $50 acres of land at govern
ment rates and purchased a tree
claim for $3.50 and Mrs. Burton has
secured an adjoining tract of $40
acres. These persons say that
$1,000 above all expenses would be
no inducement for them to return.
Leaving these kind friends we Sc
cured our own claims which are one
and one-half miles west of the
County Seat of Faulk county. We
started home ward after having been
snow bound from Sunday until Fri
day. But to our sorrow we were
destinrd to another delay of twelve
hours at Tyler, Minnesota, where We
were doomed 10 spend one more
night in the palace car Refrigerator
of the C. & n. w. Co.
1t IS strange yet true that while
the sun shone brightly in the vicini-
ty OF Huron and Redfield d. T., at
Lake Benton and Tracy, Mimi, a
distance of 100 miles, the storm
ragged so fiercely that the roads were
SO suddenly blockaded that trains
were unable TO 60 backward or for
ward and trains were sent from Ira
cy with supplies. The snow fall in
Dakota will Average about three