The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-27
A Graphic Story of
the Real Article.
REV NAHUM FAINTER
Tells of a Thrilling Expert
encc i'll the West.

England winters are disposed now
adays to think that the storms that
frequent this section like the recent
one, from which the traffic of the coun-
try has just recovered, are about as
severe as they desire to encounter.
They are accustomed to call everything
of the sort a blizzard" but, according
to those who have been in the western
sections of the country, the term biz
gard is not at all applicable to our
New England storms.
Rev. Nahum fainter, one of the best
known Of the retired clergymen of the
city, has had numerous experiences
with the real article while sojourning
in the west, and he told the following
graphic story of one of them to The Spy
man recently:
I have often compared the city of
Worcester to that of Minneapolis,
Mimi. in this way: Imagine this city,
with all Of Its hills fiateened down, so
that it would be but a gently rolling
surface, with here and there its parks,
rivulets and boulevards it's streets and
avenues. though making various
courses and angles, yet in q greater
number laid in regular blocks, thus
enlarged by the extended area-and you
have quite nearly a birdseye view of
the city of Minneapolis
In a westerly direction from this
striving and beautiful city of Minneap-
oils, from 10 to SO miles from the
bluffs, ravines and scattered groves of
the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers
and you have far extended, rolling
prairie. Upon this there is here and
there clump of stunted trees border
ing upon shallow lake, or large
slough, filled with water, canes and
PUSHES, with only a portion of hard
shore. Thus the trees have escaped
the prairie fires of many years, as the
tornado blaze has been diverted from
fits course.
Surrounding this prairie on either
side are scattered dug-outs, sod huts
and shanties of first settlers; while in
the oblong centre for 80 miles across
not house is to be seen. In such
a location was my experience of one
of the worst of Minnesota billiards.,
just 2S years since, upon the same days
of this month as was this of our city
and suburbs
AT the conference in October 1 had
been assigned to the upper Minnesota
valley, or partly organized circuit of
the previous year, having the then little
hamlet of Montevideo as headquarters.
Upon the Sabbath had held service in
the village, then out six miles, at
p. m, at a private house. 1t was a
lovely day, with good sleghing and a
pure Minnesota atmosphere. Services
closed, accompanied a family home,
two miles further out, even to the last
residence, a northeasterly direction.
From there it was 25 miles across to
nf md
Pacific railroad. The cabin was first
of one roomI partly under ground by
the shore of a slough, having walls and
roof of hay and Sods laid upon poles
A few boards covered the floor. Fail
ing to get his money so as to build, the
proprietor had made an addition for
winter of sod walls and roof, of about
floor, and rug by the bed. There
was bachelor homesteader boarding
with them for the winter, and they
had small boy and girl
Monday morning was calm and
cloudy, with a little damp snow falling.
The men hitched up oxen and sled for
the village and timber for wood. About
noon I went to the stable to care for
my horse and the stock. AS l was
drawing water from a surface we'll by
pole and bucket, [ saw that the wind
changed from southeast to northwest,
and that snow, like a March squall was
in the air Directly the blizzard was
on. / hastily closed the stable. This
was of sod, three feet thick, having
board doors on each side and a supply
of hay within. l chinked the cracks in
the doors with the moist snow by hand;
otherwise large drifts would have
formed inside.
When | returned to the house, I con-
Guided I would not leave IN a buster
e. ae,E, na lNy n0ly
would be so soon filled. And l did not,
until the second morning after. l had
not then learnedehow to forecast for
billiards.
There was sufficient wood in the
house and near the door. Although the
air was full of snow, chafed by the
terrible straight onward wind, till 1T
was as fine as flour; one could scarce
~ see their hand before them, yet l
was able to go to the stable each day,
being guided by farm tools and hay
stack. We hung the lantern out over
the door each night. This was com
mon practice for guiding persons home,
for even in summer the tran was
not sufficiently worn to be followed IN
the dark. But no one could have seen
that lantern ten feet away; nor could
their cries have been heard above the
bowling blast. OF course the lady could
sleep but little.
When early on the third day, the
storm being entirely spent, l had
opened the passage out, she went upon
the roof to see if there was any sign
of the missing. But there was none.
All was as clear and calm as though
nothing had happened, except the
beautiful snow" glistening in perfect
whiteness everywhere.
had my rig ready and was off fol
the village by sunrise. At the first
dwelling, the men there had reached
home, but thought the others did not
leave the village. Soon came across 8
sled loaded with WOOD, but no team OIL
man buried under the snow beside it
One elderly lady with a 10-vear-olo
daughter was alone, until the two sons
came home the night before HAVING
put up little way back. When the
wood in the house was all gone this
lady partly filed her stove kettle WITH
ashes' and then Whitfield up Il home
made wash bench, burning it TO keer
her hands and Feet from freezing.
There was an elderly man re.
turning, among the younger. who conf
not well see or walk, and they had hin
take, and hold by the tail, one Of The
oxen so as to keep from falling.
When near the village had STONED
to warm, when 4 saw the men 7 was
looking for coming / had remarked
when they left home that | would re.
main to read and rest. till afternoon
So when they saw rle here, they were
alarmed, because they supposed that
had left the family before the storm
But for that assurance, they wouic
have made an effort 20 get home. whicl
in all probability they never would have
done. Hence, the man has ever fell
that | saved his life. One man was
found frozen upon the Chippewa river
above the village. Within six miles al