The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-06

Ulan eltner OF us.
"At one-thrty in the afternoon we
left Alsen i'm a hig bobsled behind
two huge draft horses. They couldn't
do much in the way Of speed, but
THAT wasn't the need. The snow
lwas so heavy and drifted that only
big horses could wallow through It.
Nels confidently assured me that a
few miles out we would find better
roads and less snowAt eight o'clock
that night we we're nowhere near
Starkweather, clear out of our
course, and the question was not
how to reach our destination but to
find shelter.
''Flof snow storm came on soon
after starting. 1t was not the polite
little furry Of Ohio that cheers the
schooboy. This was the hearty po-
lar article, a thick mixture of pull
lverized ice and hurricane advance
agent of the blizzard There are
no roads visible, no fences, no
phone poles; just one smooth
white plain. We had gotten into a
lregion where the little farmhouse
were mile or more apart. We
were driving across wheat fields,and
steering clear of straw stacks or
Ithe occasional sod buildings, for
these were invariably banked about
with mountains Of snow. Every
little "slue" or depression was Inn
passably deep with snow. The
problem was to pick our way along
the high spots. Every little while
we would go down into "slue'
IL l., cfplr almost
10 their necks and struggle frantic
ally. Then we would get out and
unhook them and try to pull them
and the sled back to dry land. so
we clung to the sled, now almost
full of snow, stamped our feet
clapped our hands, and tried TO
keen our faces turned from ne
west whence came that diabolical,
sclineing wind. The horses could
not be kept southwesterly: they
turned their heads away, and pore
10 the south in spite OF Nels' whlp
and continual crupt'ons of "hells
Try as we would ourselves we
couldn't keep warm. That wlnu
leaks throu7h TO the skin like wa
te through the seams OF n boat
uWe were struck in a DRIFT longer
.a,ar usual Both horses were down
wn's" a zoo tired 10 struggle. Nels BE-
gan TO cry. "Ay bane LOST; ay qGm ~
kno.y ware We be- cheereu NV
os hest I could. hadn't the slisna.
oct idea OF direction now bor ~
was dark, and when we hsheu ou'
the team the storm was driving so
mont of the time the horses were
hidden. We turned around and trieu
to go eack toward Alsen. Our oaoN
tracks were already oblite@ted'
nudge we went in circle, TOT
presently we drew up at tne place.
u,nere we had turned. We founder
ed on for more than an hour apler
this, letting the horses go where
they pleased. But even they seemed I,
lost and would stop at times, too
worn to move.
"Nels had faced more cold, and
was still able TO ching to the lines. H,
But had burrowed down In the
snow and robes in the bed, dumb
to the middle My fingers had lost
feeling. | was sleepy and had lost
all interest in Starl1weather. | was
to get comfortable. Then
somebody mile away shouted I
me. paid no attenbion. 1t was
Nels beside me, and when | didn't
respond he kicked me and shook
me until scrambled up. 1t was
probably well that he assaulted me
when he did. We by and by noticed !
bhe horses pulling better. They
ploughed briskly on and then stop
ped. saw light, faint point
miles away. Then a man yelled. He
was standing twenty feet away with
q lantern, but the storm deceived
us. The team had gotten the scent &
Of the barn and had evidently pull
cd us to It.
This house we had reached stood
On the edge of an area of more
than three miles with no settle
ments. Had we gotten into It, we
would Inevitably have frozen Nelth-
pr of us could stand when we were
helped out of the sled. 1t was the
home of Russian Mennonite, a lit
lie square building with scarcely
'oom enough in II for his own fam
NY but he welcomed MS in his
Drokes English. Never did palace l.
look so inviting ana splendid as II
did this shelter from the howling lC
blast to two half-frozen wayfarers. d
lhe Russian and son took care of /
Inc team while Nels and / stretched {
put around bis red stove My nose h
was white, ii was frosted: so were
both ears, and the rm Of the right
Iout, Nels had fared better. an C
piied snow to the frosted surfaces h
Us directed and afterward the blood
oegan to circulate. write this ,
Iwo days later, with beautifully req k,
swollen fingers, nose and ears. Il
The good frau of the house set
before us chunks of clear fat hog }
siding with black bread and cof-