The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-07-02
SNOW IN SAVANNAH.
4 Novelty which Almost Made the Peo
pie Wild One DAY Last Month.

When tho mautle Of snow was spread
over tho city that Friday morning III
February, the people did not know just
how to take it at first. Then they turned
in to have fun. All day the city was
practically in the hands of merrymak-
ers. The people Went wild over the
snow. 1t was worse than three years
go. Then, IN the occasion OF a very
slight fall of snow, some merchants got
outside their stores and began snow
balling each other, and a policeman in
terfered with the sport. They turned
on him and made it so hot for him that
be was glad to retreat, at first slowly,
but afterward at double quick, and he
finally broke into a run and was chased
to the barracks, a distance of about ~
miles, by q bowling mob Of a thousand
men, women and children.
The school children were dismissed
for the day after roll call in the morn
ing, so they joined the throng on the
streets. Staid and sober business men,
bankers, lawyers and clergymen went
along the streets with tightly packed
balls Of snow in their hands ready to
pelt acquaintances, or, in fact, anybody
that made a good target. Bang! and
the silk hat worn by a banker or lawyer
would leave the head of wearer and
land far out in the street. AS the owner
attempted to capture it a volley of snow
balls would come from another direc-
ton. The electric cars were a mark for
a large portion of the merrymakers,
and conductors and motormen were
treated as targets put up expressly for
the SNOWFALL sharpshooters. The con-
ductors hid themselves inside the cars
most Of the time. Along in the after
| noon, when the fun had become more
furious and the snow was SO soft that
snowballs could be packed like solid ice,
the motormen, after leaving one street
crossing, would 60 inside the car and
stay there until the next crossing was
reached, thus escaping the bombardment
directed at the cars.
The women, both young and old,
were not far behind the men in the
sport. The height of the excitement was
reached late in the afternoon, when an
i%mprovised sleigh turned from one OF
the side streets into Bull street. 1t was
followed by about SO men and boys, but
once OH this principal th%oroughfare the
crowd increased tenfold and the noise
correspondingly. The sleigh went uI
the street and down again. Every man,
woman and child wanted a sleigh ride.
The frail conveyance was swarmed with
passengers all the time, and the horse
was we'll nigh exhausted by drawing thu
load and being pummeled with snow
balls. The breaking of windows became
o favorite pastime. On many street CAR
not q whole pane Of glass would b.
found when they returned to the car
house, SO the order was given to hau
off the closed cars, and after that onl,
open cars were run, and the conductor;
and motormen alone were left as tar
gets. No passengers ventured to ride il
the open cars. At the Screvan Hous,
several large plate glass windows were
broken, and in other parts of the cit,
damage of a similar nature was report
ed. Requests We're sent to police head
quarters that the snowballing be stop
ped, but no attention was paid to them
the police remembering the experience
of three years ago.
There were a few serious accidents
One man was struck in the eye with
SNOWFALL in which was a small stone
The eyeball was injured, and loss O
sight of one eye may follow. Savanna
Letter.