The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1907-02-14
A BRAVE Girl.
OUT IN A STORM
Young School Teachers Expert
ence in Sparsely Settled
Part of Jerauld Co.
Graphic Story Written by Her
self as asWarning to
Others

JeraUld county papers publish the
experience Of young girl school
teacher in that county, during the
recent cold wave. She was teaching
in thinly settled district, and being
a new conner, did not realize how
severe a snow 81 orm was on the
prairie with no shelter or wind
break. But here is her own graphic
description of it:
''The storm struck the school
house about ] p. m. / dismissed
school just before o'clock. There
was only one family Of children there
and as | thought the storm too bad
to venture out in it | amused the
children by blowing soap bubbles
and decided we must stay in the
school house all night, In short
time however, their father came
after them. ! never went to the
door, never even saw or spoke to
him, but hurried to bundle up the
children. They ran out, climbed in
to the sled and he drove away. The
man is an old resident and after he
had gone | thought the matter over
and decided if it was a blizzard he
couldn't have come for the children
and if he could come | could get
home to my boarding place. / stay
ed at the school house until 5 o'clock
and knowing business must have
called Mr. Howard away from home
and the storm preventing his return
so he could not come for me, start
ed out. When short distance from
the school house, realized the storm
was bad and tried to go back, but
the wind was so strong and there
was such smother of fine snow
when | tried to face the blast that
reluctantly gave up and was COM
PEELED to turn south to Mr. Hanson's
house. kept the track without diff
ficulty until within a short distance
of the house when a fiercer gust
caused me to stumble and fall
as supposed on the east side of the
track. This | felt sure of and hunt
ed westward to find it, going farther
away all the time. Suddenly ! found
a fresh track and thinking it led to
the house and the wind had changed
so | must face it, | followed it until
it drifted full. Later found it was
Mr. Howard's track made only a
short time before. | was turned in
my directions and followed it the
wrong way. ! spent no time in use
less screaming as | knew it was ex-
hausting and must save my
strength. | knew ! was lost and
must drift with the storm and trust
in God that ! would find shelter and
be saved if | but did my part.
! turned, drifted with the storm
and wandered around at the foot of
the hills in snow from three to four
feet deep most of the time. final.
ly ran into track and knowing my
only hope for life was to keep exer.
cising so | wouldn't freeze, ! kept
in it. | finally found claim shanty
which was locked. tried to break
in the door, but as my fingers and
hands were numb with, the cold haC
not the strength. On going to the
barn | found dry hay and arranged
little nest in one Of the managers
intending to stay there, but later or
going back to the house | found 9
broken window pain 12xl4 about five
feet from the ground covered with
shingle which | at once pulled off
AS this opening was too small to per-
NIT me to climb through with coat
and wraps on | tried to take then
off. The button holes and loops
were frozen fast with solidly packed
snow and ice and by this time my
fingers were freezing, SO | went back
to the barn Aand by swapping my
hands and stamping started circula
ton again and by degrees worked
my snow incrusted outer wraps
loose. Then going back to th'
shanty took off my heavy coats
thrust them one by one through th'
broken window and at last wigglet
through myself and fell all in heal
on the floor in the darkness. AS
realized that was once more in
house away from the awful how
and swirl of the drifting smotherin,
lsnow., | actually laughed with JOY