The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-01-15
William Riley Tells About Some Snow
storms.

We met our old friend and occasional
contributor, William Riley, on the street
the other morning as we waded our way
through snow banks to our domicile.
Good morning, Mr.. Riley - said we.
''Mornin', mornin',' he replied. ''What
you going to do with that thing?" point
ing to wooden snow shovel in which We
had Just invested a quarter. THAT, we
answered, sis snow-shovel 1t is lighter
and works better than the old metal SHOW
els "Humpl,' he said ''we didn't
have them things when was boy. | eX-
poet you think now that this is something
of y snow storm, don't you?" We re-
piled that it did seem to us as being pretty
nearly up to the requirements of an old
fashioned sleighing snow. Let me tell
you, young man., said he, that yon
don't know nothin' about it. | reckon
You wasn't about time of the big storm
in 81 ." We admitted that our acquain-
lance with this world began at a con-
siderable more recent date than he named.
"Well, he continued, THAT was a storm
let me sect commenced along i'll the
AFTERNOON on February-on Friday it
was-and it Just showed right on and on
how long do you sposc ?" We hazarded
guess that it might have lasted for "a
hours. 'HWcll, that shows what you know
about snow storms. 1t jist kept right on
stiddy till 'leven o'clock the next Monday
mornin. Guess yon and your wooden
shovel wouldn't a had much chance on
that snow. don't rightly remember how
deep the snow was un a level. There
wasn't any level for that matter it was
all drifts, but some places it was way up
above the house doors 1t took me half a
day to dig out to our barn. There was
lots of farmers had their sheep and geese
showed under in the fields and couldn't get
'en out for days afterwards. They had to
die a path all the way from Woodstown to
Salem for horse to get through with the
mail | remember my mother started for
market that Friday momin before the
storm. Onr folks was farmers, and we
didn't have no railway runnin' by the door
where we could ship our stuff in them
days. Our folks used to iine teams with
another farmer and go TO market every
week, up to Philadelphia. Well, this
time mother went, and they got their stuff
all sold out early Saturday and started for
home, but they couldn't get no further
than Carpenters Landin'. and had to turn
in and stay till the middle OF next week.
Then they made out to get as far as Null
lica Hill and the team give out, and they
acrosr the fields the best way they could.
I've often hccrd mother telln' of it. That
snow staid on the ground till arter movin'
time that spring. ''Did you have any
sleighing then2' We asked, as one Of
Crother's little slcighs went dashing past.
eyes indeed, he replied, ''but we didn't
have no such little cookie shells as that.
We had great big old sleighs-l don't sec
any of en- nowadays--big enough to take
the hull family ont in and we used to
spread comfortable over the back and let
it hang down behind, and pile in the robes
and quilts and hot water jugs, and the
hull family of us would climb in and the
driver would stand up to make room and the
bic strings of bells made music, tell you.
We often used to get up sleighin parties
and 90 down to the old glass house. You
may think you young folks have all the
fun, nowadays, but | guess we used to
have our own times. And the old man
chuckled softly to himself at the recolic-
ton of days gone by. But what's the
matter with you?'' he said, as he watched
MS stamping to warm our feet and SILVER
inc with the cold, ''Cold are you, we'll,
folks amt what they used to be. This ain
no cold day. Guess if you had cord OF
wood to saw or twenty head of cattle to
fodder this mornin' you'd soon get warm
enough. I'd like TO see you out a roughin
IT. like | used to, and We babe him good
morning. mentally thanking our lucky
stars that We didn't have TO trough IT. in
the old time fashion. But that was big
snow in 81 for certain.