Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-26
DAKOTA WINTERS.
Grain Fields that Reach TO the Horizon
on All Sides.
Especial Correspondence.r !

Nsw YORK, Dec. O-I went TO Dakota in
the September Of last year-harvest time In
that country had left Portland behind me
little while - Portland on the Goose, in
| Trail county-and found myself in the midst
OF grain field that reached To the horizon in
all directions A blue, autumnal sky was
| overhead. A soft, sutumnsl wind blew in
through the open windows Of my car. Over
| the rattle of the rails changed the machinery
| Of innumerahs mowers, moving the wheat
in great, glttering svaths say "innumera-
ble mowers"-I mean it
"North-wco-oo-d,- yelled the brakes
man
Istepped ont on tbs platform
so this is to bs my home, is it," said to
! myself
o! but felt lonesome and sick at heart as
/ paused in front Of the depot and looked
round me. II was a town Of perhaps 200 in
habitants The houses were all frame and
painted a ghastly, glaring white. They hud-
died close together, "a IL they were afraid Of
getting lost in the illinitable green prairie
that spread off 10 tho sky line Not hill
and not . hollow WAS visible. The plain was
as fat as your parlor floor. No foliage broke
the monotony In all that wild, wide land
scsps no tree lent a touch OF change and
beauty 10 the seems. The only thing that
broke the eternal samensss Of the picture was
the sod Shanty Of g farmer hers and there,
supplemented by haystsck.
Well. Well.T l muttered, and with q
heavy heart started for the printing Office
Ii was q little bit OF shanty.
.Is this the Office Of The -fr inquired
of a dashing young fellow who sat sstraddle
OF a stool picking type
Yes | introduced myself II am Just
going TO press, continued the dashing young
fellow who turned out 10 he the editor, pro-
prietor, solicitor and compositor OF the paper
My wife lamed her wrist this morning and
can't roll. viii you roll for me,"
declined the distinguished honor as grace
fully as | knew how.
We are a little crowded for room, as you
see," continued the journalist
i didn't contradict him. The shanty had
only one apartment, l0x2O, and it served
for editorial sanctum press room news room,
bedchanber, parlor, kitchen and conssrva-
tory
few days later drove out into the coun-
try with the eiitor. We passed q sod shanty.
It consisted Of a cellar six feet deep. A sod
structure Of the same height was built over
il The whole was thatched with straw. A
cave close by attracted my attention.
Winter came, and what surprised me most
was that the SHOWS so common here were un-
known in Dakota The terrible billiards
keep the prniries swept bare, save in places
where great drifts, often twenty feet high,
catch the flakes One night in December there
came a rain. A sudden change, and the frost
turned the whole prairie into a skating rink.
Colds
Well, should conjecture; Al deg.. below
zero.
Co. said to the utility boy belonging TO
the hotel, go and bring ME some wood. I'm
freezing. Go!"
Not much, misterI-
"Why, you fractions little reprobateT" l
exclaimed. How dare your
well, l wasn't hired in this here hotel to
freeze, an the man what sticks his nose out
doors this mornin' is soner. Jee-ru lisa lem,
but it's cold
you rascal" roared, picking up my cap,
ovsrcost and gloves, Il suppose Ill have to
do your work and pay you for doing it" aud
l went out in towering rage opened the
front door and couldn't see across the street
The wind WAS blowing from all directions
and the falling snow blinded me as ii whirled
and curved. stepped out, and down / went
OH the wooden platform in front Of the hotel
A soft, summery zephyr came tearing along
from four directions, spun me round and
hurled and whirled me off upon tie cold and
cruel ground Isruggled to rise. Mockery!
i struggled again, and was plunged back
with a dull, unssnitary thud that made me
sick hovled TO the hotel keeper. The pit
lies blizzard bore away my voice to the ut
terrnost ends of the earth, and l supposs
everybody in the world heard it but the
hotel keeper himself Then in e slow, deadly,
remorselcss way l began to crawl l crsvled
and crawled till got on top of the platform,
l crawled and crawled till got to the door,
and after giving it terrible kick and find
ing myself inside, lay painting for breath
and rubbing my hands till l was partly re-
stored 10 my normal condition.
That's Dakota winter.
WILL HUBBARD KKRNAx.