Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-02

steps. Besides this, it would have
been. an all-night's journey, and was
too much exhausted for such task.
The growing numbness of my feet and
the drowsiness which was gradually
stealing upon me made realize more
and more the extreme danger into
which / had placed myself. Feeling
that possibly had but a very few
hours at the farthest during which
could hope to use my lower extremi-
ties, / determined to make the best of
my time and pushed on.
Bitterly Cold.
The rage of the storm seemed to in
crease from minute to minute. To
ward midnight, with temperature of
from 20 degrees to 40 degrees below
zero, the wind blew at a rate of from
thirty to fifty miles an hour. Over
powered by the conviction that could
not hold out much longer, occasional
ly halloed as loud as my strength
would permit, in the hope of making
myself heard by some one. But the
maddened winds only seemed to mock
my efforts.
With death staring me in the face,
| could not help specializing upon the
probable fate of my body. 1t flashed
through my mind that the wolves
would be likely to pick my bones, and
that when my skeleton would be found
in the spring and my identity discov-
cred or surmised, the newspapers
would contain an item to the effect
that l had been found dead on the
Iprairie between Rochester and Vino
ma, that presumably had partaken too
freely of strong liquor, and, straying
from the road, had frozen to death.
AS had never even tasted of liquor,
this thought worried me greatly and
seemed to revive my tagging ener-
gies. From that day to this have
been careful not to ascribes any seri-
Gus accident to intoxication, unless in
dication clearly justified such q
charge.
While these and similar thoughts
were still engaging my mind | came to
a partially constructed pioneer cabin.
The structure consisted of only four
walls of roughly joint logs. It had
neither roof nor door nor window, and
the logs were not even chinked. Some
one had probably commenced building
this cabin on his claim late in the fall,
but had been compelled by the APP
proach of winter to abandon it.
The discovery of this symbol Of
pioneer civilization in the snowy de-
sert greatly encouraged me and ! at
once resolved to make it my head
quarters for further explorations. Al
short survey of this airy resort fully
convinced me that to rest here was
to surrender. to grim death without a
struggle Remembering that there is
well marked disposition among
pioneers to settle in clusters, deter
mined to walk in a wide circle around
this embryo cabin in the hope OF find
| ing some human habitation near it.
A Welcome Friend.
| Taking radius of about sixty or
eighty rods, proceeded to carry out
my plan. I had passed not much more
than half around the circle when, af-
ter surmounting a long swell in the
prairie | discovered a small grove in
the distance at once abandoned my
former base and quickened my steps,
| fully assured that if there was house
< anywhere upon that wide prairie it
!. would be found in the shelter of the
grove before me. | had not advanced
very far before espied faint glimmer
4 of light proceeding, as it seemed to me
4 from a snow bank across a small ra-
vine. Flying in the direction of this
4 light as fast as my benumbed feet
4 would carry me, presently found my
self before small log cabin, which
was half buried in a snowdrift. 1t
had but one little window, of which the
Hover portion was hidden by the snow,
while it's upper panes were so thickly
II covered with frost that they scarcely
u permitted the light to pass through
! them
The Joy which I experienced at the
:. sight of this lowly cabin may be mag
ined but cannot be described. rap
ped loudly on the door, and when it
was opened did not even wait for an
invitation to enter. but boldly stepped
,, in. The house was occupied by. "a Mrs.
Foot with her three sons. After they
had listened to the brief story of my
cold adventure the young men pulled
i, off my boots, and then brought in a
pail Of water to thaw out my frozen
: feet. They gave me a warm supper
and bed on the floor of the small at
tic. 1 slept close to the stovepipe and
!, had a good nights rest. Never shall
j, forget the hospitality which I receiv-
gu dI Tie udLuS VI IuSoC hlAu A1SeIl IOS
+ people. From them l learned that
theirs was the only house within one
mile of the main road for a distance
of twenty miles, and that several per.
!, sons had frozen to death on that road
} the previous winter.
: A Beautiful Sight.
! The next morning with the mercury
!, lowering about the point of congela
/ ton, walked fifteen miles to ST
, Charles and on Christmas morning
f proceeded from there to Winona. The
: wind had given away to a complete
: calm, and as came in sight of that
: city most beautiful spectacle, only to
1 be seen in such climate, presented
t itself to my eles. The smoke from
! hundreds of chimneys rose in almost
;, perpendicular columns until it semed
4 to vanish in the azure sky. Beyond the
/ city lay the crystallized leve1eof the
Y majestic Mississippi, bordered by the
snow covered bluffs of the Wisconsin
shore.
5 l went to the land Office and after
paying a premium of 5 per cent fol
: exchange of my wild cat money fol