, 1923-03-21
LOST IN BLIZZARD,
R. n. WILSON ALL
BUT PER|SHES
'WANDERS ALL NIGHT ON
PLAINS NEAR BOWLER,
N R~ESOURCEFUL
SCHOOLMARM SAVES
HIS EARS

R. N. Wilson barely escaped per-
fishing in a terrific blizzard which
caught him on the plains near Bowler,
Montana, last Friday night, when he
wandered, lost and freezing, for nine
and one half hours, unable to find
shelter.
Mr.. Wilson, who has a contract
with the Pennsylvania Oil Co. for a
well about 8 miles south of Bowler,
started out from camp on Friday
evening to walk to the Bowler post
office to mail a letter to his family.
The evening was so mild and pleas
ant that he did not think it necessary
to wear extra clothing and was dress
ed only in his working outfit which
consisted of a flannel shirt and
leather vest.
When he left Bowler to return to
camp about 10 o'clock, Wilson says
there was no indication of an i'm
pending storm. The stars were shin
ing and the air was soft and pleasant.
At about 1890 an icy blast sudden
ly swept Gro the plains. Almost
in an instant he was in the middle of
a binding, swirling blizzard and un-
able to see six feet before him. His
first impulse was to run for camp as
hard as he could; then, being a sea-
soned ~westerner, past experiences
told him to keep his head and not ex-
haust himself as he realized that if
he should lose his way he must
weather the night or perish.
He tried to keep his bearing but it
was not long before he discovered
that that which he dreaded had hap
pened. He was lost. He found him
self going up a hill when there should
have been no hill.
He wandered all night, stumbling
over sagebrush hummocks, while the
snow, driven by a terrific gale, stung
his lace and eyes like needles.
Exhausted and leg-weary, he was
afraid to sit down but kept going
until six o'clock in the morning when
he came to a deserted cabin. . Here
he tried to build a fire but the wind
whistling through the cracks blew it
out as fast as he kindled it. He gave
it up in despair finally and set out
= again, fighting his way step by step
against the blizzard until he reached
the point where he was almost ready
to give up the struggle.
He made up his mind to go on a
little longer and hope returned when
he found a telegraph pole which he
knew was the line running into Bow
Ter.
He did not know which way to
follow it but chose at random and
was lucky enough to chose the right
direction. He followed it until he
came to another deserted cabin which
he recognized from an elk head nailed
on it as one being situated only a
mile from the Bowler school-house.
1t was 7:3O in the morning when
he got to the school house, with just
enough strength left to the
school teacher, Miss Josephine Okeen
There was no need for explanations
as the ice had encrusted Wilson's
neck and ears to the thickness of
half an inch. The schoolmarm ran
Tor the kerosene can and saturated
his frozen face and hands, a treat
ment which soon drew out the frost.
When the blizzard died down. Will
son was rushed to Cody, where he is
now under a doctors care and will
recover.
He declares that he will be forever
grateful to the Bowler schoolmarm,
as he is indebted to her and her coal
oil treatment for the two perfectly
good ears which still adorn his head.