Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-01-29
REALLY COLD.
Talk with a Canadian About the
Weather in Manitoba.
How the Farmer Dresses-What We Eats
Ills Daily Life--Thc Intense Heat OF the
summer-Keeping Warm
la winter.

In Winter.
"Coldi" said a Canadian from Win
nipeg to a representative of the New
York Sun, during the cold snap a few
days ago. "Coldl Why surely you
don't call this cold. Up in my country
it is occasionally so cold at this season
of the year that the lows give ice-crcam
when they are MIXED. i tell You that
there can be no trlhing with the cold
up there. Look at the way we drcss.
In winter we all wear furs. The police
men at Winnipeg have buffalo coats
down to their heels, and every man,
rich or poor, in the Northwest must
wear a fur cap. / nave known the cold
to penetrate the skull of a mar who
wsAt cut one day with an ordinary felt
hat, and ~brain.feyer carried him off in
three DAYS. The streets of Winnipeg
Just now are full of men who move
about like animals in menagerie-cages.
You see nothing but beaver and otter.
and Persian lamb and seal, and mink
aud %raccoon. and marten and muskrat,
and all the furs that ever adorned the
Goths or Ostro-Goths. who first brought
the choice furs of the North to Southern
and Central Europe. And the sleighs
are covered with black and brown bear,
and grizzly skins and buffalo robes,
while an occasional Astrakhan gives
evidence of luxury and costly furs.
Without furs we could not live in win
ter up in that country. We not only
use them as articles OF luxury, as the
Chinese use the ermine, sable or the
fiery fox, but we are Obliged TO use
them as ARTICLES Of necessity. And ev-
cry piece OF skin is utilized. The hardy
voyageurs and coHrcurs du bois dress
themselves in bucksin with h~ead-dresses
OF wolf, lynx, badger or wildcat hides,
while silver and blue-fox furs may be
seen on toe heads of the rich. A man
must be very hard up in Winnipeg who
does not own a fur coat. cap and gloves
or mittens. A walk through the streets
may be turned into a lesson in natural
history by those who read as they run.
In fact 4 great many people buy more
expensive furs than they can afford.
Winter is our season of e%xtravagance,
and in our attempt 10 possess costly
furs We often 60 ruinously beyond our
means
las for the ecld,' he continued. .it
Is severe, but we do not feel II as much
MS you might fancy. We are dressed
for II, and our houses are built TO resist
1t. All our houses have double doors
and double windows. Fires are, of
course, kept going night and day. We
are not much out of doors in winter,
and yet nearly everybody gets frostbit-
ten a. times. When We see a man on
the street with a white spot on his
cheek or nose we stop and point 70 the
afflicted part. He will understand at
once. II the weather Is very cold we
can't speak to each other very well,
for u mustaches freeze TO our boards
and form a crust Of ice over our mouths.
We must thaw this off before we can
talk. On the plains, sometimes. a man
Is frozen 10 death, but this does not oft
en- happen. II is no joke 10 be caught
IN a blizzard On the prairies. Il hap
pened to me once a little north Of
Medicine Hat II was in January,
and the thermometer was about five de-
grees below zero, but the wind blew at
the rate of thirty miles an hour. / was
travelling with a half-breed guide and a
dog sleigh. We upset the sleigh. got
the dogs and ourselves under il as well
as we could, wrapped the furs around
rs, and let Il blow away. The snow
soon piled over US until we had an ir-
regular wall a quarter of a mile long
and ten feet high on each side Of us
next morning when the blizzard abated.
This may surprise you, but a mound
six inches high is enough 10 enable the
snow 10 lodge and pile up until ii
forms a blockade five miles long on the
prairies. As for the dogs we fed them
on fish. We gave each dog a fish al
the end of a days journey. Fish are
light TO carry, and the dogs like them.
We can, too, II near the lake, always
get n fresh supply By cutting through
the Ice and putting a bait down the
hole.
Eyes, II Is cold; but it Is not the cold
We object TO so much rs the length Of
the winters. The snow Is on the ground
Tor seven months II our Northwest.
Fortunately there u not much of IT,
We never have more than a foot of
snow during the winter, OF Just enough
10 make good f~leighing. AT the base
Of the Rocky Mountains the ground Is
clear OF snow for the greater part of the
season. Tho climate there Is as tenn
perato rs Il Is In New York. Tais Is
ewing to the Chinook winds.' These
Winds cone from the Pacific Ocean
through The Chinook Pass. They aHecs
the tomperatnro Of The adjoining coun-
dry. Out there ! have seen cattle feed
ing on the plains 10 January and Feb
ruaiy. But the region thus Affected Is
email. and wo have no other modifying
inilusrcce IN eur climate.
Tho nheenco OF great bodies Of
water "a. n my opipioi. the chief cause
81 lhe niienso cold in our Canadian
NcrlhWost. Ono Of the best proofs
tau give yon Of he ceferty Of The eli |
mnlo h found IN lho fael that rou may |