The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-02-12

Things They Are Until He Has Seen
One-with All Mans Care, They Are
stiu His Unconquered Enemies.
The blizzard, as the plain mans YER
nacular designates the prairie snow
storm, is utterly incomprehensible to
one who has not experienced it. Gen
Grated in the great storm breeding re-
gions of barren British America and
swept ON arctic blasts along the vast
level reaches that stretch eastward from
the Rocky mountains, with no forest to
break its force, it becomes demon Of
the air, second only to the cyclone or
tornado in destructiveness. The moisture
is ground as between millstones, hurl-
ed with bulletlike energy over hundreds
of miles Of level plain, and finally,
transformed into yeasty sleet by the sof'
tening effects of lower ATTITUDES, falls in
bleak showers ON the ranges of Texas
and No Mans Land
Lack of cheap building material and
the brevity of the winter season on the
prairies contribute to make the settlers
cabin poor refuge When the blizzard
comes. every resource of fuel is hus-
banded, and it is faced with grim de-
termination to see it through.
But not all are prepared even so well
as the settler. Occasionally belated
emigrant, en- route either to chosen
claim on the frontier or toward the
pleasantly remembered east, where he
hopes to find old friends and helpers, is
caught by the blast. He may have q
tiny stove inside the canvas topped prai-
RE schooner, but its heat can do little
against the power of the storm. Shell
tered by the low bluff of some ravine OF
water course he may weather the drag.
ging hours of suffering, but the chances
are that team and driver will be found
CHASTITY monument to the storm king q
strength.
The farmer who has hurried 10 or 10
miles to the nearest village to secure
supplies for the impending visitation
is often overtaken before reaching his
waiting family and perisbes ON the road,
for no matter how we'll he knows the
path when the blizzard RACES his way
is as that of the mariner without com.
pass.
At the prairie schoolhouses, where
the settlers children are gathered from
a territory covering many miles in ev.
cry direction, the blizzard brings terro,
to the pupils as we'll as to their parents.
Rescue is impossible until the lul
comes, and awful possibilities Turk in
the bosom of the storm. A Dakots
schoolmistress failed to dismiss he1
scholars in time for them to reach
home and found herself and them pris
oners from a billiards. approach. A
night and day at least were before
her, during which her little charge!
must be protected Deliberately SHE
apportioned the food remaining in TIT
dinner pals, divided the larger boy
into squads to keep the fire burning
steadily, and when darkness came pu
the younger pupils to sleep on the bench
es. Then through the bitter night sh'
sang, acclaimed, told stories, invented
games and kept the frightened children
amused and cheered as best she could
The following day passed much tn
same, but still no abatement of tn
storm nor any rescue. The second nigh
was dreary indeed. The children criet
themselves to sleep, hungry and cold
With her own hands the teacher brok
up desks and blackboard to feed the vo
racious stove. With morning came
shout at the door as the settlers shovel
ed away the snow, and then the pluck.
girl to whom the children owed thei
lives showed her womanliness - AM
tainted.
The loss among stock on the plains b
each blizzard is appalling. There is les
exposure of herds and flocks now tina
in earlier times, yet every season cause
the destruction of thousands of head {
cattle and sheep on the ranges and i
the unshelterd corrals Several yeal
ago, during the height of the Texas cat
tie trade, blizzard in western Kansa
early in December destroyed more tina
half of 300. 600 cattle that were bein
herded on the open prairie. At one rail
way station, after the storm, 80, 90
hides were shipped, at another 30, 000
One ranchman found but 225 head aliv
out Of 1900 that had been grazing be
fore the catastrophe Several hundre
ponies and score Of herders also pei
ished.
The blizzard is permanent featur
of the prairie winter. Nothing but dc
cided climatic revolution can secure I
the great transmississippi religion in
munity from its death bearing presence
Better preparations are yearly bein
made to Withstand its fury and to pre-
tect more generously the dumb animal
who suffer equally with their master'
} The signal service is rendering aid
warning communities reached by tel,
J graph Of the storms approach, while tt
settlers, taught by bitter experience
take with each season better preoautior
and provide more intelligently for the
time of need, which is sure to come.
But, with all mans care and defens
the blizzard remains unoonquered. 1t
cruel, relentless and unmerciful as SON
Morse god, from whose kingdom
comes. 1t is one of the VESTS posse
sions which is wholly and irredeemabl
detestable. In its forefront is apprehel