Semi-weekly herald., 1911-02-23
STORM TALK.

0uVRW
When q person Is In doubt there
are always three subjects which can
be taken up, the tariff. religion and
the weather.
Al the tariff 10 Of interest and use
mostly to politicians and the matter
of religion Of more Importance to the
dead than to the living, we have chos-
en- to dwell upon = theme OF interest
to US all. the weather, for our topic
this Afternoon.
We all like to talk and tell how
things ought to be and the more q
matter IL out of our Jurisdiction and
power the more we like to tell just
how It ought to be and how we would
manage 1t II we had the chance, just
as old maids delight In giving instruc-
tions to wives and mothers relative
to the management Of husbands and
children for. as the poet says, They
Jest at scars who never ielt wound"
Every particular locality has its own
private brand Of weather, the location
with regard to the north or south
pole, and elevation, build up for that
place . homegrown variety Of weather
and NO two places on the earth have
Just exactly the same kind. even in a
city this difference Is sometimes no.
ticeable.
The storms OF this locality are OF
the quiet and inobtrusive kind. you
retire at night and leave the world
bare and dry and wake up in the morn
TO find the landscape effaced and COW
ere with soft blanket OF snow which
has fallen silently during the Silly
night for the weather, like the famous
caacaret works while you sleep. the
post tops. or any surface which al.
fords q Judgement for the snow, will
be found to carry a load of equal depth
with that OF the streets for no wind
howls and means and sweeps the sift-
ing snow from exposed places.
In the plains country, where for
more than thousand miles from
northwest to southeast there exists no
more substantial windbreak than the
stands of innumerabls wire fences, a
snow storm is vastly different propo-
sitlon and often means loss OF anil
NAL and human life and always a great
discomfort to both man and beast.
The wind, gathering strength as 1t
traverses the unbroken plain, sweeps
the snow before 1t, tearing each flake
into a hundred atoms OF dry and icy
crystals which blind the eyes and
choke the lungs Of those who are
caught out by the storm and who must
drift with It hoping TO find shelter
in their path and knowing that to fail
to md It Is TO die, all sense Of direc-
ton becomes lost and the wind swirls
until II seems to blow from all points
Of the compass at once and II be-
comes. for those unable to ind shelter
4 matter OF endurance only.
In western Kansas and eastern
Colorado men have died In these
storms while almost within an arms
length OF their own doors. men have
lost their way and drifted out into
the storm to perish in trying to find
their way from their home to the sta
BILE. perhaps q distance OF few feet
only. and women. who have been
forced by the cold to step outside their
homo to get wood or coal for the
stoves. have perished in their own
dooryards.
In the year OF 81. as we remember
It. one Of the worst billiards In our
experience swept the Nebraska and
Kansas plaina. The day had been one
Of exceeding beauty. warmth sug-
gestive of the coming spring prevail
ed but all along the horizon. to the
north and west, lay black and omi-
pious cloud which caused the old tim
ers in that country to mutter pessi-
mlatic talk about the morrow. About
the middle Of the afternoon the cloud
began to rise rapidly and farmers who
were In town began hurried prepara-
tions to start homeward. teachers look
cd out of the window and seeing the
approaching storm quickly dismissed
their schools. Soon the storm was
uIon the country and for three days
tho terrible blizzard continued and
the greatest loss OF life of man and
beast ever caused by storm In that
locality was recorded against this bliz
sard.
Families were frozen in their ve-
hicles while attempting to reach their
homes, men, women and children. who
In each particular case had gone out
into the storm to bring In the live
stock went out to return no more and
school children whom the storm
caught ON their way home were quick
ly numbed by the intense cold and
death reaped bounteous harvest.
Ono teacher. we are sorry that we
have forgotten her name, knowing that
not enough fuel remained In the shed
to Keep them warm and realizing
something OF the fury OF these storms.
took the children's scarfs and book
500 Reward, 500.