Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-01

\ tNcl futiliStl II III tiiC IINi'i'iS VI 49,
oldest settler. Snow fell to an enor-
nous depth. and the mercury not Ia
| frequently ranged from 20 degrees %
40 degrees below zero for several days
| In succession A series of great storms
now called "bhzzards" from the
boreal regions swept the pralries
whiring the dust OF the poWdery snow
in wild dance and piling up large
! banks wherever natural or artificial
obstacles interrupted their turbulent
course. During that long and severe
winter nearly all the deer in north
ern Iowa We're destroyed. some freeZ-
| ing. others starving to death, still
| others getting fast In the deep. crust
covered snow and being killed by the
| merciless settlers while in this help
| less condition. Few of the frontier
people We're prepared for such a win
ter and certainly none had anticipated
it. Thousands suffered for want of
clothing and fuel, and many man.
overtaken by a binding storm. or
tired out wading thru the deep snow.
froZe to death on the prairie, perhaps
only stones throw from home Such
winters are fortunately of rare occur
renee, even in the northwest More
over. the people of this region have
learned no provide for cold weather,
and probably keep now as comfortable
and get as much enjoyment out Of the
cold season as their countrymen east
or south.
During the month Of December. 1856,
with my years earnings in my pocket.
journeyed thru the southeastern part
of Minnesota with a view to select q
good quarter section of government
land. / finally made my choice, and
then, to enter the land, set out for
Winona, where the land office was To-
Gated. >
On the morning of the 23d of Decem-
Der j left Mantorville and walked to
Rochester, a distance OF about seven
teen miles, where / arrived about 4
o'clock in the afternoon. 1t had COM
menced showing before reached that
town, but. anxious to make few more
miles before dark. i took lunch at
Rochester and again pursued my jour
ney.
+ AS night approached fierce wind
arose and enwraped me in binding
eddies OF snow. The road followed a
ridge between the Jumbo and Root
rivers There was no house, no fence
or other landmark in sight AT first
a wellbeaten track served as my
guide, but this was soon obliterated by
the drifting snow. / found that l had
lost the road and was forced to rely
upon the wind to indicate my course.
The snow was from one and a halt 70
two feet deep and was covered with
an icy crust Having already walked
more than twenty miles, plodded
wearily thru the sea of snow
The wind increased in severity as
the night wore along. and every new
gust seemed to be ushered in by a
more furious howl. The high. treeless
prairie presented no obstacles to the
lev wave. AS the blasts swept by me
they seemed to penetrate every pore
of my body was but thinly clad
Like other newcomers l had not yet
learned to properly protect myself
against the severity of the western
winter. wore neither <overcoat nor
oyershoes, a pair of stockings and
cowhide boots forming my sole foot
gear For few steps the snow would
bear my weight and then suddenly
give way below me; and as l fell
headlong upon the snow or broke
thru its crust the fine crystals worked
into my boots and gradually melting
there chilled my feet till their numb
ness reminded me that they were be-
ginning to freeze My body, however,
was perspiring freely from the severe
physical exercise, and perhaps also IN
of the fear occasioned by
the thought of freezing to death.
had probably travelled eight or
nine hours and was from ten to twelve
miles out of Rochester before l fully
realized the desperateness of my stu
alton. I had no means of knowing how
far I had strayed from the high road. L
had walked mile after mile without
discovering the least trace of settle
ment and the chances of finding hu-
man habitation during the remainder
of the night were small indeed. The
whole landscape seemed to be wrapped
in a cloud of white dust, and unless the
elimmer of a light happened to pene-
trate the snow-filled air l was almost
as likely to step upon mile stone be-
low the snow as to find human resi-
dence while cropping my way thru the
binding storm.
Tt could not be far from midnight,
and as I was we'll aware that farmers
are wont to retire early the hope of
being rescued by a guiding light ap-
peared to me extremely slight
Somewhat discouraged. 1 paused to
consider the ACCESSIBILITY of turning
around to find my way back to Roches-
ter. but a moments reflection con-
WINGED me of the utter impracticabil-
itv of such an undertaking. l had but
little chance to successfully retrace my
steps. Besides this, it would have been
an all-night's journey, and 1 was too
much exhausted for such task. The
growing numbness of my feet and the
,drowsiness which was gradually steal
ing 1,pon me made me realize more and
more the extreme danger into which L
had placed myself. Feeling that posi-
bv had but a very few hours at the
farthest during which I could hope to
use INV lower extremities. l determined
10 make the best Of my time and
pushed on
The rage Of the storm seemed to
increase from minute to minute. To-
40