The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-04-25
CAUGHT IN A BLIZZARD.

AANANANAAa NAdZlls NllAllAHE ant
heroic, that will no doubt become a par
Of the history of the vast region owe
which the storm swept.
1t was in connection with hav-haulinc
IN one of the marshy, unsettled town,
ships Of Iowa that there occurred an in
cident of extreEs peril, of fortitade and
intelligent exercise of the faculties ann I
great danger, which, at the time it cam
to light, was almost lost sight of in our
interest tc the widespread calamities
which fell upon our unprepared neigh
bOrs on the more newly settled prairies
Of the North and West.
The little railway station of Dupont,
in one the thinly settled districts, was
built entirely in the interests of the hay
pressing business. for which the unin-
habited flats of Lowland and Gull Lake
townships furnished thousands of tons of
grass.
Over this tract, dozen miles in ex-
tent, as far back from the railway as hav
can be hauled with profit, are scattered
every summer the camps of the haymak-
ers, and the low ricks or ''stacks" grow
/ and accumulate until they dot the prairie
so thickly as to become for the time the
distinguishing feature of the landscape.
There are at the station large hay barns,
containing steam presses, to which, from
September until April, the hay is hauled,
slowed and baled, ready for shipment
Among those who were hauling hay at
the time of the great storm were Dick
Jordan and his small brother Orr a LITTLE
fellow. too Young TO attend school requ-
larly. who went along on pheasant d9vs
10 tranp down the hav in the frame of
the bio rack
II had been pleasant ENOUGH for Orr
n 90 on every Trim that wealS nm IN rho
NIGHT Of the bJizza-,I and tbe dar ,,.s %
warm and fine that picks sisters Jsanie
and Carrie voupger tban himself hut oI5er
than Orr obtained tbe nerr7ission Of thor
teacher 10 go home at recess in order
that thew MIGHT 90 with their brothers
for a ride to fhe 6av-feId Their mother
had nromised that thew should 90 nnon
the first warm dav after sleigbing came
They arrived at tbe bonse insi as mol.
and Orr drove mn for a lunch hsfore 90
inc after their last had for the dar and
As il would be dark before tbev could
oct hack the girls too oot e,cb a sl7ce
of bread and cold meat to MUNICH ON Tho
road
Dicl, snread two beavv borsa-b blankets
which were ALWAYS ,arrisd in WHIT. -
throw over his horses whom standing
upop one Of the bottom boards If f5e
racl. and seated Isanie and carr;e me-,
them Then littIe dreaming wbst Tas
before tbem. the brothers and sisters
drove swiftly out -. sle;ob rod
which led them. q ~ @,ilss over
II airie almost a level as a barn floor
The bavstacks were reached and
while the bows worked at their LOADING
the little girls raced about. tumbled in
the hay. or rolled snowbaIls az tbev
pleased.
The load of bay was taken from the
bottom of stack around which the
snow had drifted, thawed and frozen
until much Of the outside hay had to be
cut loose with an axe or freed with n
shovel. both Of which implements Dick
carried for that purpose It took much
longer than usual TO load unon this
occasion. and evening was already draw
inc on when finally tbe LITTLE Girls were
helped upon the load and the team was
turned toward home.
1t had been mild and thawine all dav
so mild. indeed. that Dick had feared
this would be their last trim with a sleioh
until snow should come a6ain lint as he
climbed upou the load to start for home
he noticed that a heavy gray bank had
formed across the western skv. and that
1t seemed to be growing thick overhead.
The air had suddenly become rather
chilly.
He told his brothers and sisters that If /
would snow before they got home and
that they had better .;enddle down, in
the hay and throw the horse blankets /
over their laps. He drove forward for
a few minutes uroino the horses to a
half-trot and uneasiIv glancing toward /
the aense GRAY hank WHICH r,nidlv I
overcast the west and north and threw a 1
gloom and cold in advance as if an
nroaebed
The darkness came on ranidIv and |
som the roar Of a bioh wind broke mon +
Dicks ears
..It's a blizzard,'' he tbouobt with
alarm for he had heen horn mon the /
Northwest nrairies and knew the 4 lancer /
of beinq cauobt o,,t mon that moved |
fat. so far from apy house. for the near
est dwelling was that of a farmer across
Gull lake two miles and a half to the |
sontbeast
He had not much time 70 think or to
exercisa his fears before the oreot storm,
y,as ,,non them
II was nothing less than hurricane
from The beoinning and AZ the first fiercs
o1,st tbe b;e ,Tnv-ieI1dv racL- coreeDed with
r. Iosd 20 Thai tho iittle Girls scrsernsJ
with friebt and fine horses stonned and /
stood tnyn;nor their heads awav from the
nelting sleet which drove down af tbe
f;rst hurst Of tbe storm
rho air wss 6Ile5 instantly With tbis
driv;no ice
Dici7 shouted or the animals and
.lon,,e5 a. tbs,,, With tbe lines brt tho
coTld not 10 indnceJ 10 turn fbsir heads
s ,o,'i, ~ The storm Tbev stood ~ If