Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-11-21
WINTER IN MANITOBA


Weather i'll the Northwest.
The snow outside our house was from
six to ten feet deep from November to
April. tried to wear boot, last Novcm-
Der, and one of my feet fruzc Moccasins,
made by Indians, of moosc-ekin, are used
instead of shoes to cover the feet which
are first CaSed in several pairs OI stock
ingS. For travelling ON foot, SHOW shoes
are best Mltteu~ supcrSede gloves dur
ing the winter, as the fingers if Scpara-
ted, generally freeze
We were forced To melt snow for all the
water we used last winter. The cold wa,
50 intense that when melted SuOW-WHter
was poured from the boiler INTO Il pail,
and taken at once across to the stable, the
ice on it Frequently had to be broken with
Il stick before the cattle could drink, it
froZe 50 hard whilst being carried Il dis
lance of some sixty yards in the open air.
My husband would sometimes come in
from Il short visit to the stock yard with
his nose frozen indeed, it is rather il com
mon sight to see people partly frozen.
The part affected turns Us white rs mar
bic ana loses all feeling. Unless you see
yourself in il glass, or are told of it, you
are not conscious Of being frozen, In this
plight it il not best to 90 near Il fire, as
sudden thaWinG is very painful. People
generally try friction, rubbing themselves
with snow, or, better still, with paratiine
far from help, the part frozen, if an cN-
tremity, will snap of. My kitten : ears
froze and broke off last winter and Il
neighbOr's pony lost its ears in the same
way.
was surprised when | first found the
mustard freeze in my mustard-pOt which
stood Il foot from the Kitchen Stove-plpe
and two feet above the stove, where there
was blazing fire all day and every day
through the winter. Yet the mustard
frozc between every meal. Bread frozc
if left for half an hour i'll room without
IA fire. once left Il pitcher full of milk Ill
the kitchen all night, and next morning,
on trying to move it, the pitcher fell to
pieces and LETT the milk standing solid in
its place We could buy frozen milk by
the pound, frozen So intensely that when
put lump of it in Il tin into the oven,
or on the top of the stove, the first part
that melted would burn to the tin before
the rest of it had been thawed man
aged to melt it by first chopping the ice
milk into very small pieces. Clothes which
/ had been washed frule before could hang
/ them ON the line To dry. | used to leave
them out two or three nights for the snow
and ice to bleach and they always needed
thawing and drying again when they were
brought indoors Even after being damp
ed and folded they would freeze together
and when have been ironing the top of a
peck I handkerchief the lower part would
freeze to the table, which was close 10 4
roaring fire. Ironing under these cOndi
tions is rather slow work.
such stories must sound almost incredi
bic, except To those who, like myself, have
witnessed the facts, though of course
only in the most severe weather. y beard
ed Englishman who stayed with us last
winter was often forced when he came in
doors to thaw the icicles from his mus
tache, which froze to his beard and hinder
ed him from talking to us \ pail of wa
ter left in the kitchen all night wOulC
freeze solid to the bottom before morning
This happened every time one was left fol
two months.
In such Il climate every one who can af
ford it is dressed in fur. The WinnipeL
policemen all dress in buffalo coats down
to the heels in winter, The keenest wine
cannot pierce them
Winter L., of course, not equally severe