The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-01-30

L
crees below zero. hut the wind blew nj
the rate Of thirty miles an hour. was
travelling with half-brecd guide and
dog sleigh. We upset the sleigh. got 4
The dogs and ourselves under il as well
a. we could. wrapped the furs around
us. and lct II blow away The sno"
soon piled over n until We had az ir-
regular wall a quarter Of mile long
and ten feet high on each side 81 "
next morning when the blizzard abaied:
This may surprise You. but mound
six inches high is enough 20 enable the
snow 10 lodge and pile up until y
forms blockade live miles long on the
praires. As for the dogs we fed them
on fish. We gave each dog a ish AZ
the end Of days journey. Fish are
light To carry. and the dogs like them
We can. TOO. II near the lake. always
get fresh supply BY cutting through
the ice and putting bait down the
hole
Yes. il is cold; but il l. not the cold
we object 10 so much rs the length ~
the winters. The snow i, on the ground
for seven months in our Northwest.
Fortunately there is not much Of y.
We never have more than foot Of
snow during the winter, or just enough
10 make good sleighng. Al the base
Of the Rocky Mountains the ground y
clear Of snow for the greater part Of the
) season. The climate there j. a. tenn
perate as il j. in New York. his !
owing to the Chinook winds. These
. winds come from the Pacific Ocean
!. through the Chinook Pass. They affect
the temperature Of The adjoining coun-
try. Ont there have seen cattle feed
ing on the plains in January and Feb
k ruar But the region thu, affected y
small. and we hay, no other modifying
Influences in our climate.
The absence Of great bodies OF
: water j.. in my opinion. the chief cause
4. Of the intense cold in our Canadian
Northwest One 81 the best proofs
- can rive YOU Of the severity Of the eli
y mate i found in the fact that YOU may
: travel for hundreds If miles on the
plains without seeing bowldcr or =
e. stone. The frost pulyerizcs them. They
= burst asmndcr as though blown apar'
with gunpowder. and solid materials
have thus been converted into soil. lh'
worst Of il i that the cold comes &
early and stays so late. We can ra .
neither apples. pears, nor peaches vi
there. Nor can we raise Indian corn
and for that reason our Canad Al
Northwest can never be a great porl
country. Small fruits. cherries rasp
berries. currants and strawberries, how
ever. will ripen. but we can not hope Y
make fruit abundant. The cold j. TO
severe 10 enable Us 10 raise anythin
but the hardest kinds Of fruit and cor
those which r.pen early
I'VE who live in the cities do Nc
ew suffer from the cold half n much a. IN
rw farmers. Wood j. scarce all over IN
IN country. and the farmer i obliged
economize his fuel. This is one Of h
~ greatest hard,hip~. Along the line I
on railway he can get coal. which i no
am found in great abundance on Il
hat Saskatchewan but when the farmer hi
I'D "a depend on wood for fuel he has
- hard time 81 il in winter. He som
times makes fuel out Of his manu-
heap in the autumn. after the mann'
az Of the Mrnnonitc,, by mixing u WI
an. straw AMI working II int, the consis
ust ence OF peat. This burns well. but
old the end il will be found expensive. 1
~ must let his fire 20 oul every night ~
~. LIGHT il next morning when the tn
le'' MON ter may be twenty. thirty. or for
IN degrees below zero. His dog general
peg sleeps at the foot Of his bed. Ever
owe thing in the house freezes. II he ha
49, pens 10 put his lips 70 any iron 81
49, stance before he lights the fire his II
I'LL stick 10 il and the skin peels oil befo
"a, he can release them. II his cellar
II. not good he will find everything he hs
gbt in the way Of catables. fsozcn
err never wears boots. II he did his *
chs would freeze He puts on three or TO
ar pairs Of stockings and pair Of mocs
80 sins. II he wants ID visss ncighb'
;xcs who probably lives miles away.
~ must travel on snowshoes. The air =
vim raretied that his coming can he heard
,nlx mile away. As he beats down the sn'
III in walking the noise will make q
tfe bark nj the distance OF hall mi
NO. The stiffness il depressing. lie ne,
~ sees bird all through the winter.
,rdv the sight Of coyote Is always WELDON
80. The cav. cav Of crow 70 him
sees messenger Of JOY. for II precludes
49, spring. That cav. cav j. the Nor
. ~ west Canadian farmers opera. and
man lover Of music ever listened 10 the qu'
who OF the operate stage with more pleas
ovas than he does 10 the crow a. i gives
-a.,s lis cav over the bleak plains OF NJ
,,r,l itoba. Alberta. or Asnaboid. He
nm indeed. the aurora to look ut in winl
,,a,,, and he does not tire Of il soon eitl
lord. The great streamers Of trcmulous 4
nee. are his only outside attractions In
ostlv seen. more than one, u,1su ..',
our 20 UP rom every POM = ~. ,an,
- Of great brilliancy was formed.
Dr..
much occurred ~ rince AorI,. mms" -,
- mcnt in |. = Canadian northwest.