The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-03-31
A MISSIONARIES PLEASURE
TRIP.

l had promised to assist at we'd
ding on a Thanksgiving Day some years
ago, at a farmhouse near Bisbee, one
of the missions in the Devils Lake mis-
sion district of North Dakota. In
order to get there, left Devils Lake
Tuesday evening, taking a train to
Church's Ferry. From there l started,
on Wednesday morning, in a sleigh
for Cando, eighteen miles away; arriv-
ing there l changed the team and got
another driver to take me to my desti
nation. We travelled along the railroad
track, considering this the safest
course. The whole day long it showed
hard and the wind blew fiercer and
fiercer towards the evening. When we
should have turned from the railroad
track towards the farmhouse, about a
mile away, we found it too risky, and
lowing the telegraph poles and the rail-
road we would finally reach the town
of Bisbee. There we found lodging in
a new hotel, called the Grant; it was
the only hostelry in that promising
town of two elevators and one store.
The hotel was really grand in it's
pioneer style; it was frame building;
the first story showed the rough
framework of outside boards and tar
paper. Only part of the rooms up
stairs had been plastered; one of
these was assigned as my bedroom.
ct nf tNun
wood-stoves, one in the parlor, the
other in the dining-room. Luckily, my
heavy fur coat helped to keep me
warm in bed.
After having been out in the cold
snowstorm for more than eight hours,
l slept the sleep of the just till day
light. During the night the snow
storm had turned into terrible bliz-
zard. Big snowbanks surrounded the
house, and it was impossible to see
farther than ten feet, the snow flying
as thick and fast as the dust from a
fanning-mill. The landlord, a kind
hearted Norwegian, had his hands full
trying to carry firewood into the house
and cleaning the kitchen from snow.
He claimed he found more than a
foot of snow on the kitchen stove.
This may seem incredible, but experto
crede Roberto. Remember the defini-
tion which North Dakota statesman
gave a blizzard: CAS- long as you are
able, by holding a wooden blanket be-
fore the keyhole of your front door,
to keep out the snow from your house,
it is not yet blizzard" Well, on that
Thanksgiving Day we had real biz
Yard and, therefore, a rickety kitchen,
built on the north side of the house,
could not keep the snow out.
The landlord tried to saw wood
outside of the house, but found it i'm
possible; we encouraged him to take
the firewood into the parlor and there
we took turns helping him saw wood.
When not employed in this healthful
exercise, we sat around the stove, fur
coats and caps on, in order to keep our
backs warm. Having no papers or
magazines, and being unable to go
elsewhere, we learned that day to
know one another pretty well. My
driver, Mr.. Kelley, entertained us
with lots of funny stories; another
guest, a cattle-dealer from Iowa,
carved with his jackknife from cot
ton.wood many wondrous things, and
revealed a fine vein of humor.
did not neglect my duty to Holy
Church, but, dressed in fur coat and
with my feet protected by warm Leg
Eings, retired at times to my bed
room to recite the divine Office, think
Ing Of the IsEaelites. shod and girded