The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-01-14

not go to see where their children
were. Mr.. John H. Griffith's home
was only twenty rods from the school
house, twelve rods east along a fence
and eight north. 1t we could only get
there, we would be able to get plenty
to eat and to drink / was afraid to
risk it. After debating with myself,
the l,adVisab ility of an attempt to
reach the Griffith home, finally de-
cided to take the risk and formulat-
ed a plan whereby we could reach it.
l asked the larger boys, and girls if
they could find the way to Mr.. Grit
fith's. They said that they could go
there blindfolded. 1--WE will go them
l said, l ordered them to go out one
at a time and take hold of one an
others hand and warned them to, hold
fast l was the last one to leave
and l took hold of the hand of the
one next to me, closed the door and
we marched in a semicircle. | was
find the gate to go from the road to
the house. / found it and then we
went through, found the house and
knocked on the door. It was opened by
Mrs Griffith, and we all rushed in /.
Mrs. Griffith made supper for us and
we were now fairly happy Mr..
Griffith had gone to Mankato and had
not yet returned, Mrs. Griffith want
ed all of us to stay in the house until
the storm was over. | told her that
there were too many of u.s.. that /
would leave the smaller ones there
and the rest of us would go back to
the school house. She told us to be
sure to come back in the morning for
breakfast. We started back in the
same order as we had come. 1t was
harder to find the school house than
it was to find the Griffith house
had left the lamps burning, thinking
that the light would help us to see it.
We had great trouble to find it, but
finally we ran against the building.
Oh, how glad ! was. We were now
safe. After | had got the room warm
had an entertainment of spelling
fspeaking pieces and singing, which
all enjoyed. They were now getting
sleepy. had the benches, which were
long, turned so that they would face
each other, forming kind of box in
which four small ones could sleep Each
OF the larger scholars occupied a whole
seat. They all went to sleep and
kept up the fire all night. The storm
was as furious in the morning, as il
was the night before and had turned
very cold, so cold that the children
preferred to stay in the school rather
than to go to Griffith's for breakfast
l called the school to order, heard the
classes recite, as usual, because thai
was the only way could keep order
/ In the afternoon the storm had abatet
some. We could see for short dis.
lance. Fathers came with baskets O.
food after their children, and after
/ we had eaten lunch, which we were
| in great need of, We all left the
school house and went to our re.
I spective homes, except those thai
| remained at Griffiths. l was glad to BIZ
relieved of the great responsibility
that devolved upon me so unexpect
eddy and rejoiced that | had saved the
lives of all of my scholars. Thus the
great blizzard, as it is often called
came to an end, and from that time
on was, as have said before, record
! ed in the annals of the life history O
those who were victims of the storm
as the severest blizzard ever known
! in this part of the country.