Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-01-21
ANNIVERSARY OF
JANUARY BLIZZARD
IN THE DAkOTAS
Storm Is Subject of Midwinter
Tales Told by Pioneers to
Their Children.

Salem, S. d, Jan. 14.-Twenty-two
fears ago Tuesday, Jan. IL, more peo-
pie died from freezing on the p~rairies Of
the Dakotas than in all the years since
the date of the f~iercest blizzard that
ever scourged the northwest. The
deaths OF fully 60 people were reported
in what is now the two Dakotas, while
those who were MANNED through the
amputation of frozen members reached
a much larger figure.
Following a heavy now storm on
Wednesday night which only needed
cold and wind TO dry 1t and raise ii into
the air like fine powder. the "twister'
reached this part of the state between
j and 2 O'Clock in the afternoon OF
Thursday and had practically blown
itself out by daylight on Friday morn
ing. In that time lives had been lost,
people had wandered Over prairies un-
able to see even objects so close that
they could almost touch them, stock
persisted by herds where caught away
from shelter and in man cases was
suffocated by the snow which found its
way into barns and sheds. All over the
country teachers n pupils were kept
In the school houses over night, in some
cases without fuel. In this county one
young man left the school nous where
he was teaching to secure relief for his
comrades, and when the snow drifts
departed IN the spring his dead body
was found in a sitting posture with one
hand raised above his head as q signal
to those who would come searching for
him after death.
The tales of heroism and narrow es-
'capes constitute the fund of stories
which are now told by old settlers to
the younger generations as they sit
about hard coal fires on stormy nights
when wind, snow and cold are driving
across the prairies.
What Tobacco Juice Did.
Near Montrose, Grandpa" Bliss, a
pioneer near three score and ten," left
his aged wife and made his way TO the
stable TO feed his stock. He didn't re-
turn and when morning came the alarm
was given and a searching party was
organized. His footprints Were traced
from the stable to- a large drift near
the doc of the house, and several
splotches of tobacco juice had refused
TO be covered up or blown away. The
conclusion vas that he was in the drift
and all day poles and shovels were piled
to locate him, but to no avail n
search was abandoned by all save an
other old timer whose scent was strong
where tobacco was in evidence. Wan
dering about the premises the searcher
discovered another splotch of juice IN
the snowcrust several rods southeast
of the first discovery, and taking his
direction accordingly, he traced
Grandpa" Bliss over four miles
through the only offensive habit that
the pale face eve acquired from the
Indians, and found the object of anx-
iety sitting by a settlers stove eating
doughnuts. Grandpa" had drifted
with the storm over four miles and fall
len into a we'll near the door of he
farmers home and his yells had
brought about his rescue, out not in
time TO prevent the publication of his
obituary in the local paper at Mon
trose. He took the experience calmly,
simply remarking that a man should
die about once a year to learn what the
people thought OF him"