The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1897-02-25
BlOckaGeS and Bansinas.


valley below-andi it has been coming
more or less ever since, making this
winter what the boys would call a
"cracker-jack," something extraordi-
nary. Blizzard has followed blizzard
and blOckades haye been so close to-
gether that in the dim and misty
hence the oldest inhabitant" will
swear that they Tapped over onto
each other about two car lengths.
This, however, would not be Royal
Baking Powder correct, and true
historian just abhOrs any kind of
correctness except it be absolutely
pure. So as a matter OF fact-which
is against both Hicks and the Oldest
inhabitant--we enjoyed fine Deem
Der. No magnolia blossoms nor
watermelons, but good winter wealth
er, and the blockades began about
January 22d, since which time the
roads have been opened up SO as to
admit of about two mails each week
Last week, as announced in the
pHES', tie c. { y. ". rotary Snow
plow bored through the cuts from
Huron to Pierre and back. The first
train from the east came Thursday
morning, carrying cart loads of mail
and express, followed by the regular
train Thursday night. Friday n
freight train with two engines passed
west, and-that's all. The freight
was last seen entering .Daly's cut,
four miles east of Highmore, where
it collided with a blizzard. Any infor-
nation OF this freight's whereabouts
will be suitably rewarded. We saw
the blizzard, and it wasn't feeling like
the Pettigrew party after Kyle was
elected, either.
Another freight train started east
from Pierre the same day, and the
last heard of it the engineer was soft
ly whistling ''just tell them that you
saw me-" as he steamed into q snow
bank near Harold.
Tuesday at noon the Northwest
ern's big Iowa rotary came in from
the east, two days out from port
Huron. with her main top-sail and
jib-boom close reefed. All hands
were safe and hungry. She was fol
lowed by an extra engine and ca
boose, which carried some of Miller's
brave young men, armed with shOy-
els, to the scene of the freight battle
on our western frontier. A passen-
ger train soon followed carrying a
lot of mail, some express and John
Baldwin who was going to Pierre to
see the legislature for the first time
in his life. John wanted to know if
the legislature worked anything like
the roatary, and he was introduced
to senator Frank Saltmarsh and
Judge Pusey, who once upon time,
had been out to Pierre-with dra
matte company playing "Above the
Clouds" We all ioiNed in warning
John not to 90 near the river, and
his friend Pusey kindly asked the
conductor to tell John when Pierre
was reached.
The Northwestern people have used
every effort possible to keep the road
open, but it has been beyond human
possibilities-whether of the straight
bucking or of the rotary variety.
The weather will come out smiling
and bowing one day, dressed in her
best bib and tucker, and the railroad
men doff their caps and go to work
cleaning the tracks. The ladies look
their prettiest and smile their sweet
est in the hope that our troubles are
past. The male men pass Jokes that
ought to stop any blizzard. We get
one or two trains through-then Mrs
Blizzard finishes her house work all
up early and in the afternoon OF the
first day she swoops down upon us
again, with her regulation society
war paint on, and she don't do a
t';n,, =, da no ;lrno 6sr-but leave her