The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-09

/ The winter, of 1856 in Minnesota, was
| characterized by the usual amount of
cold weather, snow and storms, and peo-
pie operating on the frontier were COM
PEELED to exercise great care and eau
ton to prevent disasters. All old-timers
who have had occasion to live beyond the
settlements, and travel long distances in
the open prairie country, well know that
the danger Of being overtaken by storms
is one Of the most terrible that one can
/ be exposed to. Most Of the casualties,
however, that result from being caught
in these storms may be attributed to
want Of experience, and consequent lack
OF preparation to meet and contend with
them. have employed many men Of all
nationalities In teaming long distances
on the prairie frontier in the winter sea-
son, and while the American Is always
reliable, and dextrous in emergencies, /
have found the French Canadian always
the best equipped for winter prairie work,
In the knowledge in this line that can
only be gained by experience. His an
cestors served the early fur companies
from Montreal to McKenzie's river from
Hudson's bay to the Pacific, and knew
how to take care of themselves with the
unerring instincts Of the cariboo and the
moose, and the generation of them that
came in contact with, had inherited all
these characteristics.
I have known a brigade of teams, man
ned by Germans. Englishmen and Irish
men Che Scandinavians had just begun
to make their appearance in the North
West), to be caught in a winter storm,
and result in the amputation of fingers,
tees, feet and hands from freezing, but
1 cannot remember ever losing a Cana
dian Frenchman. l recall one instance,
when number Of my teams
were caught in blizzard where
no timber was in sight. The men
built barricades with their sleds and
loads, and took refuge to the leeward
Of them, where they passed quite COM
Portable night for themselves and their
teams. With the coming of the morning
light. they discovered a timber island
not very far off, and started for it with
their horses, to make fires, feed the
teams, and get breakfast. The storm had
abated, and the sun shone brilliantly.
One young American lad shouldered
sack of OATS and not realizing that it
was very cold. did not put on his nit
tens but seized the neck of the sack
with his bare hands. When he arrived
at the timber all his fingers were frozen.
and had to be ampuated. 1t was merely
one Of the cases of serious injury have
known arising from ignorance.
No one who has not encountered biz
card on the open prairie can form an
adequate idea of the almost hopeless
ness of the situation The air becomes
filed with driving whirling snow to such
an extent, that 1t Is with difficulty that
you can see your horses, and the effect is
the same as absolute darkness, in de-
stroying all conception of direction. You
may think you are going straight for
ward, when in fact you are moving In
a small circle; the only safety is, to stop
and battle it out.
I remember case which happened in
this region before it became Minnesota,
which fully proves the dangers Of biz
card to a traveller the open prairie.
Martin Mcleod, Pierre Bottineau. togeth-
er with an Englishman and a Pole. start
ed from Fort Garry for the headwaters
of the Minnesota river. They were we'll
equipped in all respects, having a good
dog train. and in Bottineau, one Of the
most experienced guides in the Northwest
While the party was In sight of timber
it was suddenly enveloped In a blizzard,
and, of course, wanted to reach the tim
Der for safety. Here, controversy arose
as to the direction to be taken to find It,
the Englishman and the Pole insisting
on one line, and Mcleod and Bottineau
on another. They separated: Mcleod
took the dogs, and he and they soon fell
over q precipice and were covered up in
deep snowdrift. where they remained
quite comfortably through the night. Bot
tineau, through his instincts, reached the
timber, and was safe, where he was join
ed the next morning by Mcleod. The
Englishman was afterwards discovered so
badly frozen that he died, and the Pole
was lost The only trace of him that was
ever discovered was his pistols. which
were found on the prairie the next spring.
the wolves having undoubtedly disposed
Of his remains
The remedy for these dangers is. to
avoid them by a close scrutiny of the
weather, and never when it is threatening
venture onto big prairie. II you can by