The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-06
e. Dawson Wandered Alone in
Storm for Hours.
FORTUNE FAVORS HIM.
Western knowledge Alone Saved
Him From Freezing.
Cattle Drifted Away Before
Storm and Many We're Lost.

Garden City, Kan.s Jan. o--b-
Dawson being in a reminiscent mooo
the other day, related his experience
in the big "blizzard" which occurred
in the early days. before these storms
left Kansas and went further east
IT was living up in Lane county at
that time" he said, "and had a rev
cattle and was farming some. Our
son, Carey, was but a small baby and
we, like most of the new folks up
there, were holding down our claim.
ION this particular morning, Mrs
Dawson had begun to prepare our
dinner early as it was our wedding
anniversary and she was anxious to
have something extra. 1 took our cat
lie down to a field, which had had
in cane that year and which still hao
some good feed on it, and the morn
ing was very nice except that 1t was
damp and foggy. l think 1 had been
down with the cattle not more than
an hour when the wind turned to the
north and the snow began to fall; hrst
only very slowly, but it took only
few moments for the full storm to
be upon me.
Cattle Drirted in Front of Storm.
Il tried to drive the cattle against
the storm up to my barn, but 1 had
not gone far when they turned and
ran past me and went with the wind,
and / knew they were lost. I now
the lister rows on the field ran north
aud south and that near the south
end of the field, out on the buffalo
grass, there was a small sod stable
and a sod house, and 1 decided to try
to find shelter in one of the them
The storm was now coming down over
the prairie with such fierceness that
] could not see, and found 1T easy
to drift with the wind, but was soon
off the field and had to get down on
my hands and knees feel for the
road. I could not find it, and so
turned back and faced the storm till
] felt the lister burrows, and then 1
tried to drift toward the sod barn,
which I soon ran up against without
seeing it.
Sod Barn saved His Life.
II got into the barn and started a
fire out of some old sticks of wood
found in there and I remained out of
the storm for an hour or more, but
1 saw that my little fire would not
keep me from freezing. I tried several
times to make my way north across
my field to our home, but each time
I came back bafiled in my attempt to
face the binding snow and the icy
wind. 1 was chilled and felt that L
would soon freeze. / was about a mile
from Dighton and was near the public
road, and as 1 knew the road was
we'll travelled and was worn down into
two big ruts, 1 finally decided would
try to get to the road and then go
to Dighton. 1 can never tell how hard
worked to get to town and I am
sure never want to take such a walk
again; but when 1 got to the first
house stopped and got in by the fire.
The folks were very kind to me and I
stayed with them for dinner. but,
mind you. all this time my wife and
the baby were at home alone.
Thought Only of Wife and Baby.
NO, / did not think of the cattle.
/ was thinking of the wife and the
baby. and I became so uneasy that I
wrapped up and faced that blizzard to
my home. nearly a mile and a half
away, that afternoon. When 1 got
homo 1 was badly frozen, but I did
not suffer any great harm. I found
the folks all right, and our wedding
dinner was eaten for supper. Some
Of our neighbors were not so for
tunate as we were, and the number
who were frozen to death, l imagine,
Vas far greater than was ever report
ed. Yes, that was what I call a 'bliz-
eard,' and that is the only one I was
ever in. and 1 hope 1 will never have
10 be in any storm like that again."