Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-02-17
UNDER DIFFICULTIES
An Exhibition in the Midst
OF SnOwdrifts.
TIED UP FOR FOUR DAYS
The Ennuied Passengers on a Snow
bound Train Are Treated to
a StereOpticon Show.

The numerous tales of blockaded trains
In the northern part of this State re-
Gently have called forth various more or
less novel and interesting accounts OF
similar occurrences with their attendant
incidents, thrilling, annoying or peculiar.
One story, told by Mr.. Marshal, seems
worthy of printers ink and space by
reason of it's novelty, and is here given,
as nearly rs possible in Mr.. Mar rshal's
own language:
l have considerable sympathy for the
poor fellows shut up in those blockaded
trains, for some three or four years ago,
perhaps five, l had similar experience.
We we're travelling through Kansas, and
were obliged to lay over on side track
at little station with big name fer sew
eral hours before we were finally stalled
in the snow, to wait for the snow plow to
pass. Finally the plow passed us
with rush and roar and
our train moved off in the opposite di-
rection. We made pretty good time for
awhile, then we struck drift that
stopped the train. The engineer and
trainmen managed to get US free and
then ran back until we struck another
drift that had formed since we passed,
and there we stopped for four days. l
remember that some OF US had laughed
at the large supply of fuel which had
been stacked mp at one end of the Car
when we stopped at a station early that
morning, but tell you, we were glad we
had that stuff to burn before we got out
of there.
Talk about monotony! think l
know what it means since then. We
had most of us been travelling for several
days already; whatever we had brought
along to read was used up by this time
and there was nothing for us to do but to
sit still and invent new cues words TO ex-
press our views of the situa
ton. The news agent sold all his
paper-covered trash the first day,
the second day he sold a few
bound volumes, then put newspaper
covers on the remainder, to keep them
clean and salable, and set up a circu.
lating library with them, which was we'll
patronized. But reading is pretty hard
to fall back upon for those unaccustomed
to it, and this exhausted the resources OF
weather afforded the only variety there
was in the programme, and it did it's best.
The first day and night it showed stead
lily, and on one eide of the train the
snow drifted level with the tops of the
cars; the second day it rained and
sleeted, but during the night it cleared
off, and thermometer outside the car
went down to thirty degrees below zero.
L,la III l..
spelle, and the wind blew directly from
the north pole and got ten degrees colder
on the way to Kansas.
In the next section to mine was little
old man, who, during the first two days
of our imprisonment, occupied himself
with lot of letters he drew from his
travelling bag, apparently writing an
answer to each one, which he carefully
enveloped, directed and stamped, occa-
sionally carrying them for ward into the
mail car, as if they could be hastened on
their way by promptly turning them
over to the care of Uncle Sam. By eve-
ming of the second day the old fellows
supply of stationery gave out, and on
the third day he was the most uneas,
man in the whole train. l was feeling
too cross myself to look upon his un-
easiness with anything but annoyance,
but about 2 O'Clock in the afternoon q
big fellow from, another car, who l
afterwards learned was minister on his
way to the bedside of sick brother in
San Francisco, came in, sat down beside
the little old man and entered into con-
versation with him 1 could not avoid
overhearing the conversation, and from
it learned that the old man was
lecturer-one of that class which makes
a somewhat precarious living by travel
ing from town to town and giving lectures
in churches and schools for share of
the proceeds. He was on his way at this
time to deliver lecture in large town
beyond, but the date of which had
already passed, owing to the blockade.
The two men talked together for some
time, then the minister arose, and with a
few cheerful words, left the Snowman and
returned to his own car About an
hour afterwards he came in again and
took seat beside man about in the
center of the car. After talking with
him for while, they looked up suddenly,
and catching my eye beckoned me to
join them, which 1 did, somewhat aston
lshed. The minister opened the conver.
saton without delay.
Excuse me Tor speaking to you with
out formal introduction, but perhaps
my errand will be excuse enough. That
old man whom you have probably
noticed In the seat next to you is
stereopticon lecturer. He has lost one
appointment through this delay here.
and as he depends upon his lectures for
support, this is somewhat serious mat.
ter tor him. Now it occurred to me that
he could rig up his apparatus here if the
night is clear. and give his lecture in the
car. thus amusing us and par
TALLY making up to him bis loss
through missing his appointment. ri
have already spoken to most of the pss-
sengers and they have agreed chat. con.
sidering the circumstances, it is no more
than right that we should pay fifty cents
instead of quarter piece for ticket.
Would you net like to contribute toward
this object?" Here he showed me a nile
of silver already collected, about s2O
should judge, and of course added nv
own four-bit piece to the; pile. The bio
man tackled all the passengers in the
car in turn, and finally approached the
restless little Snowman again. This
time l could not hear the Conversation
between them, but it was amusing to SOC
the rapid changes of expression on the
old mans face and the look Of hlanL
astonishment it wore when he saw the
quantity of silver which had bsan
collected for him. The hjo mon Al -