The Redwood gazette., 1936-02-06
County Treasurer Caught in
Storm, Spent Days in
Snow Bank

"Oh yes, it's chilly bat it doesn't
get downright cold like it used to"
is not an unfamiliar comment
from old timers who recall the ri
gers of the winter of 1878 and its
40 below zero weather and, around
warm hearths, are inclined to
pooh-pooh at 80 below and citi-
zenry that complains about such
mild" weather.
Catch one of the survivors of
that record breaker for Minnesota
winters in his favorite rocking
chair and the stories he can tell
about the cold and the depth of
the snow defy a modern day COM
sarison. That was the storm in
which four Beaver Falls men died,
a story which was retold in re-
cent issue of The Gazette.
Many are the tales that have
been repeated, some of them en-
larged upon as usually happens to
spectacular incidents as they are
related for the steenth time, of
1873 contribution to the county's s
weather history, but possibly the
most interesting is the story about
one of the county's former treas
urers who played ground hog dur
nag the blizzard.
January 6 of that year Lafay-
cite Robinson, the county treasur-
er, tucked his tax assessment
books under his arm, climbed into
a rig driven by his brother-in-law,
Fay Shaver, who lived on farm
three miles south of Redwood
Falls and set his course for Lam
oerton where he planned to do a
little collecting.
When the two started out the
sun was shining brightly in a
cloudless sky, while the tempera-
ture was comfortably warm. When
they had gone half way toward
their destination, Robinson noticed
- black ominous looking cloud
forming in the northwest and
rushing toward them.
AS the wind began to increase
IN velocity and the dark cloud how
cred closer, Robinson, feared that
Il the approaching storm turned
out TO be of fierce proportions,
hoth men and the horse and rig
night become stranded. Deciding
10 trust to luck, Robinson told
mis- brother-in-law to return home
while he would continue the re-
naming distance, still about half
way, on foot.
The treasurer had not progress
I'd far before the storm struck
with all its fury. The wind roar
ed with intensity and the air was
filed with stinging flakes Of snow.
At the same time the temperature
catapaulted downward, as though
q trap door had been released be-
meath it.
BY the time he reached the bluff
on the Sleepy Eye creek, Robinson
was barely able to see 10 yards be-
fore him, because Of the wind
whipped snow, while the road was
fast disappearing before him as
II DtCdlilt NbNGlcu lllklcI anu
higher with a white blanket
He realized that if he went any
iarther he would become lost in q
virtual wilderness Of snow and nj
that time farm homes We're few
and far between as the county
was then just being settled.
Receding from a bluff stretched
"a patch of prairie and in the field
was huge boulder around which
stalks of weeds still stood. Head.
ing for the rock, Robinson broke
the crust of snow at it's base anC
threw himself to the ground, roll.
ing over until he had formed 8
smooth, hard surfaced shelter.
There Robinson lay while the
snow drifted over him, his only
access for air being a tiny hole
poked in the white roof above him
and there he remained three days
until Friday.
Clad in only a light jacket, but
with his wife's shawl wrapped
about his neck and shod with lea
her boots, Robinson kept working
mis- fingers and legs as much a.
possible to keep warm, but try a!
ne might he was unable to keel
from dosing off from time to time
All he had for company was hi.
watch, which he would take ou
and look at for long periods ant
wind each time before he replaced
il in his pocket.
There are several versions as t
what Robinson dined upon during
mis- three days confinement in +.