The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-01-16
A RIDE IN A PRAIRIE GALE.
scenes In Iowa a. Pictured By the Famous
Owner Of Them stssrs."

At Charles City I missed railroad
connection and had to drive across the
country to Cresco. fifty miles, and 1t
was the first cold day Of the season.
The wind came with Q sweep across the
prairies, and when Il struck, shaved
Ike Q razor. The tree-tops Of the
groves planted around the farm-houses
broke or bent like whip-sticks, and
sometimes the buggy was lifted from
the ground. The driver got out and
put In rocks TO hold the machine down
to the earth. We did not want to make
the trip to Cresco through the air. II
was lucky that we struck stretch OF
country where there were powders.
The road for the first ten miles was on
the section lines, and the settlers were
Irish and Norwegisns. They had large
farms and large stocks OF cattle and
hogs, and plenty Of corn and haystaoks.
We stopped at Q farmhouse to warm.
The proprietor was an Irishman. he
said whom he lived In the old country
he did not taste mest once . month.
Now he sold cattle and hogs BY the car
load. he came 10 this country thirty
years ago, Q Storage passenger on an
emigrant ship. he went back TO Ire
land last year on o visit. He went In
q sleeping.car to New York and across
the SEQ cabin passenger on On ocean
steamer. BE found the old country
Just % he left IT, There had not been
@15 spent for improvements In the little
town In which he was raised since he
left IL. He had changed so much he
was homesick 40 dog. He had grown
up with the United States and was so
changed himself that the old country
had no attractions for him. He had
three horse teams plowing-one follow.
ing after the other; and hundred
acres of corn that would make" sixty
bushels 10 the acre. His ''shanty" was
Q two-story white house with green
blinds. When he returned to the land
Of his birth he found no attractions be-
cause he had changed, become Ameri-
canised: and the old country had not
changed.
The wind blew gale and sometimes
spit snow until we reached the "Wap-
sys." The horses kept dog-trot up
hill and down. and made about seven
miles IN hour, In spite Of the wind.
The "Wspsys" are the forks Of river,
and sheltered by. timber. The woods
are full Of hogs and cattle; they had
taken to the timber TO get out of the
wind. The road in the "Wapsy" coun-
try was crooked and steep, washed out
and wound around among the trees.
At 10 o'clock the last fork Of the
"Wapsy'' was crossed. Before rising
up to the open prairie the driver took
more rocks from the creek to ballast
the buggy. The road took bee-line
for BusL We had not gone far before
we met o Norwegian with his load Of
boards al blown away. The boards
lay scattered over the prairie to the
windwsrd. Q distance Of forty or fifty
rods. The town Of Busti consists OF o
hotel, O store, and o blacksmith-shop,
and 10 hallway between Charles City
and Crssco. The landlady fried side
bacon, cooked eggs. and made the best
dish Of tee ! have seen since ! have
left Chase's mills. Arailroad had been
surveyed from La Crosse 10 Charles
City, by thsway Of Bush.
When the country 70 ell b tied the
roads run on the section line that 10 due
north and south or east and west, and
there 10 no direct road between business
centers. When the land IL "laying
out, !" the roads run angling" to the
section lines. The angling" roads
run on the divides and are more direct
than the roads on the section lines.
From Busti we took the angling"
road. The settles were few and far be-
tween. Thousands OF sores of % fer
tile land Is the sun ever shone upon
lay as left by the hand Of nature.
Large hocks Of prairie chickens few
up ahead Of the horses Hike scared par
tridgss. As the sun went down the
wind went down. The driver began to
throw overheard ballast and we arrived
ct Cresco ct 9 p. m, In the midst Of o
dssS :sl@ Ets0J,! ! scck = . The buggy