West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-05-01
A WELCOME REFUGE.
An Experience in a Genuine Iowa
Blizzard"


Early in the winter of 1888. l wa,
travelling through Northwestern Iowa
and stopped one evening at a well-kept
hotel in Fort Dodge a prosperous and
beautiful little city.
Upon arising the next morning and
looking from my chamber window. |
saw furious snow-storm was prevail
ing. 1t had evidently been i'm PROGRESS
for some hours, for huge drifts were
piled in front OF the house. which was
bare the evening before. was now thick
~ covered with the white drapcrv of
winter. Driven before strong wind
clouds of snow swept down the street
almost yelling the buildings upon tbc
opposite side from sight
Upon repairing to the Office. [ asrcr-
tanned that | would not be able to leave
the city that day, and, in fact. | would
be fortunate if | were not detained for a
number of days All the railroad lines
we're blockaded with snow. and while
the storm continued, any attempt To
GEAR them was useless, rs the cuts would
I'LL again at one.
found L should have several com
panions in my enforced captivity. There
were two or three commercial traveller.
and other persons like myself de.
tanned by the storm. But our situation
was not unpleasant. The hotel was
warm and comfortable; the table was
well supplied with excellent food: and
all we need do was to be patient until
the storm ceased and the railroads were
again opened.
In our company was an intelligent
young farmer, who had come to town
the day before with a carload of cattle.
which he had shipped to the Chicago
markets.
A gentleman remarked that he sun
posed the storm was what is tenn al IN
Iowa a blizzard,
The young stock-raiser said no. II
was merely an ordinary snow-storm.
Said he:
IF you should be caught. as | cnce
was in a genuine blizzard, YOU would
understand what the term really
means 1t is half a dozen storm, in
onei the wind is almost as fierce as a
hurricane; the air is so full of snow that
one can hardly see a foot before h's
lace, and the cold soon becomes so in
tense that life can not be long main
tanned by those exposed to the full fury
OF the gale. | have seen several of
these peculiar storms, and came very
near losing my life in one of them.
Being pressed TO relieve the tedium
OF our detention by the relation of his
story, he readily assented.
Ten years ago, he said. INV faith
er was serving as cashier OF "A bank i'm
one OF our larger Eastern cites. His
close devotion to business had i'm
paired his health. and he was informed
by his physician that he must seek en-
pioyment less combining in its nature.
ne mad saved sufficient money TO pur-
chase a farm, and the following spring
we removed to Iowa and located quite
distance northwest Of this city
Land was cheap. and my father
bought several thousand acres. intend.
ing 10 engage extensively in stock-rais-
ing.
10 me, just from city. everything
was strange aud interesting The
Prairle3' carpeted in living green and
stretching away in the distance as far
rs eye could reach-the limitless OK
Panse OF earth and sky, relieved only
mere ana there by q growth Of timber
hiohB some stream--werc an impressive
sight have never tO this day tired of
the prairie landscape. 1t grows more
beautiful TO me with each recurrip Pr
year
at that time it was the custom 70
SEND vast herds Of young cat lc from
tne more thickly-populatcd portions of
Vne state 10 be- pasturcd through the
summer IN the region where we had lo-
Gated
proved most of 1T being virgin prairie.
upon which the nutritious upland ora
grew IuNur antiy Men who made
herding their business had CHARGE of
these drOves. They came as early i'm
The spring as possible. and remained
until the fall frOsts had rendered the
heritage unit for pastura0c AZ pi0bt
The herder- gathered the cattle I'm LARGE
yards, called corrals. which we made
If posts and fat rails. The incentive in
small houses Of the rude-t description
tWlt close 10 the cOrral-. where thew
cooked their own food and .'opt af
night When they went away I'm fba
tau, they lcfi their simple furniture I'm
their nuts, confident they would find N
safe upon their return boo tho -priu0
he people were honest iu that IycaIi.,
Houses were too far apart ~ warrant
tramps in visiting it, and the value of "a
herdcrs outfit was 10 small "a. fg bo
hardly worth stealing
" 10 may seem that ann IonV time
getting TO- my adventure. but thc fact. /
nave related arc necessary toa full uu.
dcrstandiug Of what occurred
J was much Interested I'm One lonely
DIE of the herdcr and often si-.f.d
them. whore ] was AWAY. welcome
One u them. Canadian who went bv
the name of French Joe. was ar boz.
ler1stng character Most of nj. Efo
had been spent in hunting and frapr.ny
DO The great Nor.hHe.t and hi- tdrc.
OF adventure were aIwat. eagerly G.t
sncd 10 by me- BE waf now au old
man and no longer ft for the chase. so
be- adopted The easier and more quiot
life u % bcrcer lu selecting p4c.
for his little house. Joe bad b cu wise.
u was situated just go the foot of a
steep blun. which surrounded ID on
three sides leaving it open CO. the a4..
Upon level piece OF bolt m land be-
bad built Dis cOrra' and wide creek.
with steep banks. formed if. ra4f,r,I