The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-22
PAGES 8 TO 10.
BILLIARDS. AND NoRTHERs.
The Terrible storms That sweep
over the Northwest.

NtQm the chicago TtmeS-Herald.
The language Of the West Is becoming
more conservative with passing years. A
leading state officer was saying the other
day: 81 never use the word blizzard
hot winds or cyclone nor do / allow them
to appear in any of the reports Of my Of
fice. They are in most cases a libel on
the Mississippi valley and ought 20 be la
booed by the intelligent people Of the
West As a matter of fact there is less
common use of such extreme expressions
among the Western people. In the early
days when the actual condition were less
understood. it was characteristic of the
newcomers to exaggerate all the phenom-
ena OF nature. Every wind was destroy
ena of nature. Every wind that destroy
ed a building was a cyclone and every
snowstorm was a blizzard But now these
terms occur most frequently in the cores
pondence columns of newspapers and only
occasionally are they really deserved.
But there are such things as blizzards
and cyclones This is the season of the
former, and more than one owner of cat
tie and sheep will be aware of it before
the arrival Of spring. II cannot be hid
den nor can the effects of its reign be OBJ
scured. 1t Is irresistible, and the sacri-
flee that IL demand every year are
mighty. Inc SLoftnS OF the plains nave
been for several years not out of the ord
mary. Owing TO the better preparation
for winter, stock does not suffer as much
as in the old times. Then there are scat
tered the signal service bulletins to such
an extent that there is scarcely commu-
nifty where timely warning cannot be Sc
cured. This helps many a ranchman and
farmer to escape loss. 1t Is, Of course. a
matter of doubt as TO how closely the sig
nails are followed. Up I'm Western Kan
sas county the other day a stranger saw
q black flag. indicating a blizzard, flying
from a pole, and as he had long drive
10 make, was worried He went to the
druggist who had charge OF the signal
service bulletins.
rs that he latest buleltln?" he asked.
BLESS you, no. The flag was put up a
week ago for the last storm and we forgot
TO take 1t down. The indications for four
or five days have been fair and warmer
They are the same to-day"
II may well be doubted IL Uncle Sam
gets value received from all his bulle.
tins.
The blizzard is the most to be feared on
the open plain. The cattlemen have a
theory that stock can go through the win
ter without any shelter and that 1t pays
TO gamble on the number of head that a
severe winter will kill Sometimes Il does
and perhaps the cattlemen get out with
less expense than food and shelter would
have cost. But when real blizzard
comes, there Is another story. The first
thing the cattle do Is to drift. Every cat
tleman knows what that means. No mat
ter what the roughness of the prairie, re-
CARELESS of the possible shelter of friend
ly blum, the bewildered steers go on and
on with the wind until they are stopped
by wire fence or some other obstruc-
ton If there Is none they go until they
fall exhausted. II one falls there Is sim.
ply a tramping of hoofs and death. II
the fence intervenes the herd piles up one
on top Of another until no more can climb
There they stay, and In the morning the
owner finds a CHASTITY sight awaiting him
Such events make the great losses on the
plains In a storm. Thousands of cattle
are thus lost which are never reported in
the papers or at the round of the assessor.
In the winter al the end Of the famous
cattle trails glory 1874, there came sucn
a storm. IL was estimated that 600 00J
head had been driven UP from the ranches
Of the South to the shipping stations along
the lines of railroad just completed TO the
mountains. But the market in Chicago
was off" The buyers were afraid OF
Texas fever and other things. The prices
were 80 low that the cattle were scat
tere over the prairies of Nebraska and
Kansas, TO be held over until spring Sleet.
followed by terrific period of cold came
upon the plains When 1t was over the
slaughter was simply awful On herdef
told men that out of 100 head under his
care just one lived through. Out Of one
herd of 5000 on the Upper Republican
only 200 were found in the spring. From
one Kansas station were shipped $1,000
hides taken from the dead cattle; from
other stations half as many were carried
II was the severest blow ever given the
cattle industry on the mid-prairie pastures
and II took years for the business to get
back to is ld-time vigor.
In modern days the blizzard is less
Dn cAf ar hat a
for IT'S coming. Their houses are better;
there Is something to burn IN the wood
shed or coal bin. SO we hear less OF
loss of life on the plains. though there is
a great deal Of suffering that never comes
10 the knowledge of the world. Stock is
sim handled without much regard
TO the weather possibilities on the
farther western plains, but In the more
thickly settled regions preparation is
made
The use Of the word "norther' has crept
into the West i'm the past few years IL
has come up from the South, and has
perhaps been carried by the cattlemen
themselves. IT is taking the place OF
blizzard on the prairies south Of mid
Nebraska when the conditions are not so
severe as to warrant the stronger word
Indeed the tendency is in all descriptions
of the weather In the West to use mora
moderate terms The norther is in effect
the tai-end Of a blizzard. 1t comes. upon
the traveller in a minute and Is as fierce
as the attack Of an airy cavalry II was
its prevalence that caused the westerner
to give this advice to an eastern friend
who asked him how TO dress for a three
mile trip over the plains Take an over
coat fan and an umbrella" II is fire.
quently almost as serious in its results as
the blizzard, because OF the unexpected
ness OF its coming. The sky may be as
clear and the air as balmy as June when
YOU sit down to lunch; when you arise the
mercury may have dropped thirty degrees
and the wind may be coming out OF a
gray north sky at a race-horse speed The
only redeemng feature in the performs
ance is that the storm is likely to last
only a short time The blizzard In its na-
tive lair gives a fair warning to those
versed In the lore of the weather but it
takes days for 1t TO spend it's force.
TO one living In the city, where there
Is the constant accompaniment Of steam
heat and even temperature whatever the
nature OF the atmosphere outside, IL Is in-
comprehensive how the families In the
little cabins out on the plains can stand
the days when the storm IS raging But
fhov do and the fuel used is ar fha r~oet