Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-03-13
DAKOTA BLIZZARD.
An fneisent in n Country " here Cold
Weather s. Gold.

Weather Is Cold.
81 livedfor several years in the North
west" remarked the Colonel THE
greater part of the time was in Dakota.
YVES IN Pembina County in the winter OF
1881 i dent suppose a colded winter was
ever experienced in the whole Northwest
The thermometer registered from 10 TO 80
degrees below zero for weeks together, and
billiards. were of almost daily occurrence
had some business TO transact In the
northern part of the county. 1t was a
bright, sunshiny morning in January
when left the county seat and started
Tor foung's farm, which was situated
about fifteen miles distant. l had fast
team, and the cutter was piled full OF
bnilalo robes. l wore pair OF rubber
overhals, which are about the best thing
to keep the wind ont that have ever been
invented. had rubber overshoes on lined
with fur, fur hat which came down over
my head like the snuffer Of candle, fur
gloves, and over all long wolf-skin ulster
that trailed after me on the ground 1t
didn't take long to reach 1oungs. 1t was
too cold to linger by the way. 1oung's
place was laid out as most Dakota farms
are. His house was comfortable frame
building without any more rooms than
were absolutely necessary. Lumber costs
money 500 miles away from the nearest
Sawmill. His woodhouse was Joined to
his kitchen, and his barn, which was by
all odds the best building on the place,
stood at Tho Othar aT,H pf tho ward shout
500 feet away. While we were eating
dinner we heard roar like the tramp OF
an army in the distance, and the house
trembled as if it Was afraid. Nearer came
the roar and nearer, until it sounded as IL
battle were being fought in the yard.
The house shook until the dishes ratified
on the table, and then it rocked on its
foundation like cradle. We looked out
Of the window, and it seemed as If sheets
had been spread across the frames. You
could no more see out than If they had
been closed in with sheet iron. All this
time the sun was shining, and we could
see it through the slow rather dim but
still at work
Blizzard, by Thunder!' remarked
Young laconically when we had recovered
from the shock, well, l hope it won't
last long, that's all. I'm getting tired OF
'em. This makes the fourth we've had
this month and the frost lasted nearly q
week. We like tove starved to death"
" All that day and night the storm con-
tinued without seconds &C SatiOn. And
all the next day and the next until we had
been in the house for four days and four
nights In the meantime the horses and
the COWS were nearly furnished, and none
of us dared to venture cut in the bowling
storm to feel them. Finally, ut the BERN
ming of fifth day Young conclaed he
would try q trip to the barn and give them
some food. The weather was bitter cold.
l don't think | ever knew before what
cold weather meant. Young banded up
until he looked like an EsqTimGUX mann
my. He wGs wrapped in furs from his
his head to his feet, and around his waist
was tied piece Of clothes me This was
intended to insure his return. II he stop
ped too long by the way or fell or became
demanded we could use the rope t9 pull
him in will, otherwise he might freeze to
death in u very few minutes before he
could reach either the house or the barn,
for he couldn't see foot before his face.
After he left we waited with considerable
anxiety for him to give three quick jerks
to let us know that he had reached the
barn In about fifteen minutes we felt the
rope tWitCh three time1, and we knew he
Ind gotten there all right. Then we wait
ed again fer him to pull the rope ans let
Us know that hEG vas ready to start be-,
for all he had to do would be to follow the
rope, which we would pull in. In the
course of an hour we began TO be uneasy
The rope hadn't moyed. Finally offered
10 20 so the barn and see what had become
of him. | bundled up and started ont
[ followed his rope and reached the barn
in d very few minutes The horses wcrg
all feeding; the cows wire up to their
horns in fodder, but Young was nowhere
to be found. Not n trace Of him was Lett
The barn door was tightly closed, which
showed that he had rot stepped outside
| intending to return in q moment. Shouted
until Was hoarse, and finally returned
to the house and MADE my report. Then
| the hired man and / went back with two
| lanterns, for it was growing rather dark
We searched the barn Us thoroughly az
possible, but he was not there. Then we
Stumbled around the barnyard, keeping
| hold of one end of the rope, but all to no
avail. We were obliged to go back with
ont our host. Ills wife was inconsOlaEle
| She insisted that he must be in the barn,
and to please her we made third trip,
but with the same result ss before. Two
days attcrwarits the storm lifted and we
started out to search for Young. We
found him about twert; feet from the
barn door frozen stiff. He had O. rope
around hiswaiSt. He had evidently made
| o mistake in fastening on the rope in his
hurry to return and tied on the wrong rope.
| The one he used was not attached TO the
| hoIlse at all, but was lying in the barn be-
side the one he had just taken off. He had
| probably tramped around in the snow for
| an hour trying to reach the barn or the
| house, but was unable to do either, and
! finally fell within few feet Of his starting
point. That is all the blizzard ever want"