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

past few week esrecially,a a growing
sentiment that the {. y y. ". Rail
way company was not eXerting itself
rs 1t should 10 open the road. Nari
0us ngwsaWrs on thes line of the
Z. VI. \ St L. have stated that all at
tempto to establish communication
with Tracy had been abandoned for
the winter This.with reports of the
activity on the W. 81 ST. L. division
and ignorance OF the real difficulties
of the situation has naturally caused
a feeling of Anpatience. While dan
ger Of suffering for the
actual necessities OF ilfe has not boen
at al apprrhendcd. the rapidly ap-
proacLiug exhaustion of "A few Of the
principal commodities has added TO
the -unp piedsantncss Of the SITUATION.
The absence of mail and the fear that
great damage might be done the fu-
turo prospects Of the Territory have
perhaps been the most prominent fea
tures Of the uneasines,. The facts
that som" immigrants who were
blockade at Tracy with stock, had
exhausted their funds II telegraph
ed the Governor OF Minnesota for aid
and had complained that the railway
company was not doing its duty, was
iudustriouSiy " circulated and Of course
added to the general discomfort.
Occupying position whore criticisms
were constantly coming ~ our ears
and desiring 10 know the trUth in
the matter We began to enquire earn
e-tly. We first discovered that the
Governor of Minnesota had inquired
into the case and had expressed HIM
self satisfied that the railway compa.
NJ were doing all that could be rea-
sonably expected. We also found
that with the exception OF Il few days
after q severe storm it had been con
stautly engaged in persistent efforts
10 open it, line We found that high
disastrous and filled the cuts nearly
IA quickly as with SHOW and that
while We were having many pleasant
DAYS bore that the blizzard belt" in
Minnesota, between Tyler and Tracy,
was the scene Of violent storms We
also recalled the extremely cold
weather which prevailed during the
early portion Of the blockade and TIE
difficulty Of operating engines III
snow banks with such temperature.
Alter considering all these things we
naturally began TO doubt the justice
of the criticisms on the company aud
when Superintendent Nicholl invited
lis 10 accompany him TO the scene OF
operations We felt it a duty as a Jour
naliet 10 accept The invitation, As
we have never seen an account OF
snow buckin8' IN print, we shall at
tempt to give an idea OF what we saw.
Awaking at about ) II. III. on the
morning Of t,riijty the 23d We found
strong south wind with hight snow and
drifting So badly that we were almost
tempted 10 retire without making
even an attempt 80 start. Our bet
ter half with de aid Of gasoline
stove soon reinforced Us with q hot
breakfast and we started through the
storm for the depot Here we found
Nlr. Leslie Durley--a friend OF Mr.
Nicholl who had been invited TO ac-
comps,y y Nas,e A train consisting OF
IN engine. twocoaches filled with sec
tion men and q caboose. was waiting
ready to start. The Superintendent
soon arrived. and finding the same
kind OF weather prevailing all along
the line ordered ont n snow plow
This neCessitated considerable
delay during which breakfast was or
dercl for tho shoyelnrs. Sergeant
Glenn. Of the Signal Service, soon
made his appearance and his report
Of unfavOrable indications was most
discouraging for start, however
orders were iinallly given and at s a
IN. We departed. Ia our car we found
beside Superintendent Nicholi and
Mr.. Durley, III. B. Farley, superin
tendent of bridges. John Shoehan,
road master and John Esterberg,
bridge foreman The train was III
charge of"Jol.nYy Prothero and his
brakemen, j. Cheesbro and Steve Iay
lor Engineer VIM. Idgerton and
Geo. Fatlycr. G-man, occupied the
cab. When we reached Cavour the men
were ordered out Of the ears and re
arranged with regard to the sections
upon which they. We're engaged.
Their nxnes were taken and. being
checked off showed that we had l22
workingmen. They were almost OK
clusiyely section men and most Of
them had brought blankets and also
provisions sufficient 20 last them scy
eral days.
Between Nordland and Nolga we
found our plow which had preceded
lis stuck in a drift. The crew soon
dug it out and we then went through
to Nolga arriving about noon. The
wind had increased and as reports
from all other points were discourag-
ing it WAS decided to putthe engines
IN the round house aud remain unit!
morning. After several hours agree
able chat with lIr. Durley, the idea
of going 10 Brcplings occurred to MS
aud at 3 p. m.ip COMPANY with A. NJ.
McGrew, section foreman at Aber-
deem We started ont. and arrived at
onr destination six miles distant n
little before FIVE, We. received a
hearty we&ome from oar friends. Ed
itor and Airs, Hopp, and.spent very
pleasant evening AT the Brookings
House we were shown to neatly
furnished room with the remark that
we were lucky FOR it was the last un-
occupied room in the house, thus
showing that good Dakota hotels are
doing rushing business notwith-
standing the blockade.
We we're called ats 40 SO that We
might be re;aly for the train which
x,nn 70 lnnra Nnlnn 81. 81 m Iha