The De Smet Leader KT.USHKI) SATURDAYS. - lIV Till LKAIU.K 1M BUSHING HL M. A BftOWX, Lmtok. * i lrms One Year. : : >1 »<• Six Months, : : : Vo 1 hiM Atli 1" BUCKING THE BEAUTIFUL Fort soiin' time past there hast 1 •♦•♦■ n gr» nt anxiety all along tin* li:.** of tho Dakota ( oiitnii Railway in regard to I'aDing tin* : now blockad** and for the past tow week 'especially, a glowing s«*n? iiin-nt that tin* (’.A A. \V. Kail way (*i nij.Mii> was not exert in# iti-ell | as it si, Mild to oju is the load. \ ;oi ana new'Mqais on the line of the i M. *> St. F. have stated that all at ! tempt* to cstnhlidi communication with Tracy had been abandoned for tin* v.int.-r. Tiiis.wjth reports of iln* I activity on the W. «!fc St. P. division and ignorance of the leal difficulties! i f the situation has naturally caused j a feciitr" of jinptrtienee. W hile dan gcr ’of suffering for the actual necessities ol life h?H nt,»t. been at all apprehended, the rapidly ap proncking uxhuuMion «*1 a few of the } l’incTjutl c >mm tiir uiipfeaHinMi* 1 sof the situation. The ah.-ence of mail and the fear that great Tamale might be done the fu tore j.rc-)a cts of the Territory have Ilerlia|>s Is- !i the luo-.t prominent ft-a ttua-s - f tile uneasiness. 1 lie facts that some immigrants who were blockade at Tracy with stock, lmd exhausted their funds i t telegraph ed the Governor of Minnesota for aid and had complained that the railway company was not doing ils duty, was industrious|.circ dated and of course added to (he general discontent. • Occupy iisg a p*-sli < '.«*!••* storm it had been con stantly engaged ill persistent efforts to open in line. \\ e found that high wind’ w.tliont >• m*\v w\r*> nearly as trous and tilled the cuts nearly as quickly a-* with mi »w and that wliiu* we were basing many pleasant .lass In re that tin* "blizzard belt” in Mii.iieqotn. b >t sveen Ty! r and Tiacy, \', as tln* sc* ne of siolent Morins. W** aiso recalled tin* extremely* cold \* e-u her wl* <-h prevailed during the eni !y portion of tin* blockade and the difficulty of operating engines in snow banks svitli such a temperature. Auer considering all those things ssu* naturally began to doubt the justice i>f tin criticisms on the company and sslieii Superintendent Xicholl invited lis to accompany him to tin* scene of oneratioils we i* it it a duty as a jour nalist to accept Hi** invitation. As w<* have never s< en an ncconnl of ‘•snow bucking” in print, we shall at tempt to gist* an idea of what wo saw. Awaking at ab-iit d a. m. on the m irning of l ridav the2:l,l sve found a strung m 'in ii witii.l with light snow and drifting so badly that sve were almost tempted to retire without making even <>n .attempt to start. Our bet ter half with the aid »f a gasoline stove soon reinforced us with a hot breakfast and sve started through the storm for the depot, lb re we found Mr. Leslie Durlev —a friend of Mr. Nichojl -who had been invited tone eompa» 'U9. A. train consisting of nil eng hi ■*. tsv (.coaches hll«*d with sec tion in *n an l a caboose, was waiting ready to start. 1 h l ' Superintendent soon allied* %mi finding the some j kind of wefifrtev prevailing all along the line ordered out a snow plow. 1 I»is necessitated a Considerable delay during which breakfast watt or derod for tho sh (Vehws. Sergeant Glenn, of the Signal Service, soon made his appearance and his report nf unfavorable indications was most discouraging for a start, however orders wen* linuilli given and at 8 a. in. we departed. In our car wo found beside Superintendent Xicholl and Mr. Duriey, 11. B. Farley, superin tendont of bridges, .lolin Sheehan, road master and John L.-terberg, bridge forenum. The train was m charge ofMoli*%” P|othen» and his brak. Men,,J#Cl|»»c*d*roniid Steve Tax lor. P!ngint** r, Wm. Ldgertou tiT.d Geo. Fimvir. fccr-rtMti occupied tin* cab. \V hen we readied (a sour the men were ordered out of the ears and re arranged with regard to tie* sections upon which tjc-y. were engaged. Their unincs were* taken ami, being checked oIV showed that sve had 122 svorkingmen. liny were almost **x chisively section ii.l*ll and most of the n la d brought blankets nnd also provisions sufficient t«» last them sov 1 eral days. t J>etsveen Xordland and Volga xve found our plow which had j rewlwl l ns stuck in a drift. The crew soon dug it out and we then went through to Volga arriving about uooji. The wind had increased and as reports from all other points wefy* diseburag ing it was decided to engines in the round house and remain until morning. After several hours agree able chat with Mr. JDurl.ey, the idea of going to FnxJdiigs occurred to us aud at b m. i|i flpfeftMiny with A. M. | McGrew. s**e.tii)n 'foreman at Aber deen we started out. and airiv.nl at 4»or destination- six miles distant- a little Ue/yro live. \V e received a . hearty vyr-fi-crue trotii oar friends. Ed- ! itor and *Mit. Ho|»p, and sja'i.t a very ; pleasant evAtiinsr. At the Brookings House we were shown to a neatly furnished room with tin* remark that we were luckv for it the last un . occupied r.Kiin in .thu hous**, thus showing that good Dakota hotels are doing a rushing business notwith standing the blockade. We stcre cailvsi"at'bdo so that we might he rcailv for th'V tr:fin which was to leave Volga at sa. m. The wind had changed to tho northwest and was drifting the snow badly It THE DE SMET LEADER VOU'MI- I. \v» s learm*d that no attempt would be made to -trt until the wind snbd s ed. and sve spent the time visiting with the :.nd Sentim»l families and in trying t-* ;;.*t inf mnation con cerning tho train. While at tin* de pot observed - of \ er.li ni‘. i,t earn.* <>n and as the wind was blow ing a gale the ord* r was giv en to ret urn to Volga. We s‘ .oped oil al i>r«>okings and again -pent the night at tin* lho« kings House. The next morning tie re was bjit sa ry lii tie wind and when tie* train arrived at 7 a la. sve found the bright sun shine had put every body in tho la*st of H)»il it v 'I here was no trouble until the stop ping point of the previous night was passed when our plow stuck in a drift. The men soon dug the en pane out and us was usual the engine of the woik train coupled on nnd helped pull her hack. '1 he drift was on a down grade t beautiful picture. First, black snake from tin* fresh heaped coal rolling like a cloud from t he slack gradually changing to white steam from tin* powerful exhaust v.hl.'U so lspidly iin‘ier.9 - u .is *’■* ru-h *d on that the ini* rval- between were scarcely percept ible. Nearing the cut the speed became fearful mid sh** rolled from side as with -nj*tiressed energy. With a shriek of warning sh** plunged into tin* drift and disap )>• ared. An immense white fountain of glistening snow rising high over head and for a hundred feet on either side showed th • course of tin* im mense power which propelled it and formed one of tin* most beautiful nnd exciting scenes of a life time. Few erful as was the means employed it was not sufficient to remove tin* ob struction and again the men crowded about to dig out tin* buried engine. Being oil a long down grade and know ing that a splendid rat*- <*f speed would b** obtained we again received permission to enter the cab. A strong canvas was drawn tightly over it and extended back covering the entire tender. Lrg'i fleer I>. M Bonesteel and fire man J. A. Keed were in charge, and their good matured civility mud.* us feel nt home at once. "Johnny,” the conductor joined us when ready t > buck out ami was it welcome addition to the company. The rear engine coupled on lmd wo were soon going back f.*r the run. When xve stopped, fully a mile of straight track laid down the grade before us to th** drift. Our engine was the I>. C. Xo. 7, Mul was pronounced the best on tla» lite' for snow "bucking.” The fireman shoveled coal int** the roar ing furnace while the hissing steam escaped from the safety valve and the g-niige indicat**d l”l* pounds pres, sure. 1 lie shrill note of the whistle warned the m«»n to leave the cut and we were oil’ Wi* attained motion with almost incredible rapidity, and as we Row faster and faster tuul faster an exciting exhilaration po. icssed us. A feeling of triumph and power and a desire for still great* r -pe*-*l. When we reached the cut out engine was rolling from -ido to side, and as we darted into the drift a hurricane <>f snow battered the cab, forcing its wax through every crevice and entirely obsetiring all exterior view*. A suddtOJ checking of speed and the grindingof the drivers on the rails, told us of the powertul resistance to our .J'lVgresSf A sudden gain of sitoou and the cheer# of th** men out side told us that wo had conqured Reaching the clean rail*- the gallant Seven gathered like a race horse and we were s*h*u buried in the next drift. To take such n ride is to know and realize the danger which is the lot of every engine mail. Confined ill a l*o»- like space he takes his lift' in lus hand every time he makes such a run. A broken rail, an ice drift or a side drift may crush him beneath his en gine or bury hi|n with coal or pin him to the earth, where lie may be slow ly tortured by steam from his boiler or tire from his furnace. A few more plunges brought us int.) Verdi nnd wo retnrn«*d to the caboose nnd joined the r<*st of the party. liro. Hopp of the Press, had accepted the invitation of Superin tendent NichoJf to join our party at Brookings. If we did not enjoy’ our seives between drifts it was not for laok of 'opportunity. The utmost sociability prevailed and Capt. Fnrley PESMICT. DAKOTA. SATTKDAY. MAIKTI 10, iss:i. tin*! lumuuiaster Sheehan were so jolly that every body was in high spirits. During our absence Mr. Farley in due *d a farmer who had come t<» see the operation of the plow to *-tand on the edge of the drift by his side so ho (•quid see the snow tlx to the best ad vantage. When the ) low reached them Farley turned hi. b:i**k and assumed a position by which most of tie snow liew o\vr him, while )!u* pool eounliyman w as c the State line was un.de in a wind storm and covered a distance of about '.*<> miles, the x\hole time s| »eiit in bucking snow did not exceed three hours. To open tie* 11 miles from the State line to Lal.e Benton with tin* same crew, a down grade to work oil and favor- able weather took nt 1* list six hours hard work nt bucking and shoveling.- Alter procuring our dinner* we again i< ■ *rde<. *h train for T yler, the road having been opened during tic* day by the erexv stationed at Lake Bent* n. As wepasM .l east the drifts kept increasing in depth and fre quency. Conductor Cutter's train had arrived from Huron and ns the road was opened only two miles fur ther we prepared to return. While we were waiting for a large quantity of express which was being transfer red by team from Sleepy Lye the superintendent sent tie* work train back after Mr. Hopp and the writer so that we might see still further tie* beauties of tho blockade. We found llx* drifts larger and higher than ever and Train master Johnson informed us that they were so close together that the men walked from ~n<* to tlie other although the train stood ready to carry them. On our arrival 2-10 men and u snow plow wen* actively engaged in clear mg the track. Our part v stood on a point of a drift which was car*-fully estimated to be IS f.-. t above the rails of the tract., and -til! further on a depth of 2.T feet had been found. The men xveiv compelled to throw tie* Miow from lie* bottom of the cut to a niche made.half way up tho bank and from there it was thrown to tie* top. The plows used wen* not built on a pitch to tliroxv snow over such a batik and consequently their useful ness was greatly impaired. The snow was so hard in many places that it was almost impossible to cut it w ith a sle vel. W hen the company have shoveled through these drifts, higher than the average Dakota house, and the xxoik is all rendered useless in a single day or night, is not the un lertaking al m.ist hopeless even f>*r so a 1 *!<* a c«»r poratioli as the C. AX. \\. Kailway company V We have no de-ire to de feud the company against the inter ests the people, but we believe even a railxvay company should bo given tin* credit it d< serves. It has been urged that a thousand men, or even mmy thousand should !>•» engaged. \\ hen ii is knowfi that tho crew now there is provided for with tho great e-t of difficulty, it may x\ell be ask<*d h<*w a thousand men could be eared for. Men cannot sleep in the snow ami they must eat. Some of th** parties who have been supply ing them and tin* snowbound travelers havobe com** completely exhausted and are obliged so refuse Blither entertain merit. Huron may easily furnish 1.000 extra meals per diem, but when it comes to a village of 2t*o or I*er?iti<>T>. The big*noxv plow with three engines, which opened his road from Sleepyoye to Tracy in two • lays was then put on this division with the same crew. Thirty Additional ru* n aj »1 two more engine- were added to th** force y**t in ten days only GJ"miles ox road had been opened. No corporation or individual is mere interested in Da kota than the Chicago and North western llailway (Vinpauy. The^ depend upon tho rapidity of our -de velopment f».r the profitable employ ment of tlarr lines in* the territory. T hey practically lose the use of c»**r 4»H) miles of r*td by the blockade’of 2-7 miles and their own intend* d*«- man l all rmssible exertion. Trains have been run at a loss on the western division for our accom modation with a frequency and regu larity which xve fear our people Fail to appreciate. They should rorneni ls*r that the south* r * Minnesota and the Hastings and Dakota divisions of tla* M. & St. I*. in Dakota have long been abandoned. As soon as spring opens the Northwestern will construct their southeastern line from Iroquois and it is probable that this is the last xvinter in which (’eti trul Dakota will evc-r sntr**r from the inconvenience* of a snow blockade. If we have stated anything but fact* our columns are open for correction. After candid and careful investiga- tion xve believe *>ur road has *1- ti*< well by a-; ami that we should give it credit inste-d of coiiqdain ing. Di«l wo not think so xvo siioitld not have written (his article li Hi'niiitr. To rest Paper Bail-. A iTiicago. Milwauk**** A St. l aid ittilway nlfieial s.iid recently tlmt il -b j»r* liable that paper lUiis win s* *»ii given a (inanpuialivc trial on tie i. roa*! v\itli iron and st*-el. It is -a.*! in favor of the new material that the cisl per mile v*ill be lev** than on*- third that of steel, which on western li!i'*s has aim >-t disp!ac**d iron, and that it will ia-t much l"iig«-r, l**-iti:j: almost indestructible. Micro is no expansion or contraction Iroin li*-at an*l col*l. and then* are n*> loose or op'-n joint*. much light*-." ti.an iron or steel tie* rads can Lie made much longer, t:c* connection* li n.**r, :ii.d tlm- *-n-m*‘ an ev**ii and si i loot! i roudh.-d. th*- ofiicials also -aid tlnit much heavier trains con'd be hauled over a r ck ma*h* ol this class **i mat-rial, th • a.- vvil not make th** *iiglit*-s im|>i , «*a i>n iqion them, and the a tion ol th*: at nv*-| her*-bus no <*; r eet *>*i it whatever. Bar wheels made from th** sane* tiri toii d hav*j been given a th**rongli t.-t l»y the Milwaukee c nupany, and have given the I o-t «»t satislaetioll, an lit is thought it. at paper rails will j rove equally as satisfactory. Old/ dm* Bay nt n Tone. The man, woman or child who lias learned that simple truth has learned the most important truth life has to teach. Only a day at a time to sutler; only one* day at a time to do. The pa-t is dead; the future is not yet born: to day is yours. AVliat will you do xs it li it ? il you have done nothing yet in 1 SKI, would you know w liyt Your resolution was nebulous, foggy; it came to nothing, because it aimed at nothing. It xvas not a resolution, it un- only an aspiration; at most but u wi-fi. You meant to be a better man and to do a better work in 18. Mi than in Ims2; but what work? how when? Fut down your resolution in your diary and these three resolute ns under it. Thus: I am going to *l*) more good in IN&J than in 1882. W hat g**o*l How do it? \\ hen begin ? Noxv xx i ii * * your answer under each •»f these questions. It will astonish you to find hoxv much j»ondering it will take before yon are ready to j ut tho.-*e answers down m black and white. But until you can answer these questions you cannot take tin* tir-t step toward making 18KT a bolter year than 1882. Y«*u can only pay ofT your debt* one day tit a time. You can only get control of your t* m jut one day at a time. You can only comfort the sorrow ing. **r relieve the oppressed, or succor t lie tempted, one day nt a time. And have yon temptation to con quer, burdens to bear, s< *rroxv to en dure, only one (lav at. a time. Take a noxv reckoning for 1S8;{; harden your aspiration into a jesolu tion. and begin again. "(»o to Dakota.” A writer in the Milwaukee Sunday Telegraph concludes a Dakota lettei with tin* following: •Are you a farmer, living on a rent od farm ? Have you teams and farm ing utensils? Go by all means. (let a farm of your own, and in three years* time you can !h* worth more money than in a life tine* where you are. l)o you own a small farm of valua ble land off which you can barely make a living? Sell it and go; get a large farm, and in a few years you can p-st from your labors with a com petence for your old .age. Have you teams and no land ! (let a breaking plow and go. You can lind plenty of work at good wage* for yourself and team, lireaking teams are in great denial 1. At the same time you can be making a farm for yourself. Are yon a mechanic living in a rent od lions**, working for wages tluit will bar-fly support yourself a»ul family? Go. Your labor D Wanted there and at good wages. Are you a merchant, struggling along in an already over crowded city, eking out a miserable existence, with scarcely a hof#» of lletter prospects? Gather your worldly goods and go. Start in some new and growing vil lage, and you. too, can soon earn your way to comparative ease and comfort. It will require some h#rd Work, and some ‘elf-denial, but you are sure to win in the end. Are you a capiialist looking for good imodmeiitjf? You, too, go. In vest in substantial business blocks, mills, factories, and you may l>o sure vonr dividends will be large. Iu fact any one having backbone enough to make the Ftart will tiud iu a few years that he will have no cause to regret having done so. Thefitrug gle at the commencement will not Ih> one fourth part as hard as wrs ex per ieiictsl by our sires dining their pio neer life hi our own beautiful State. Tliey%'as a general thing, are now reaping tin* bene tits of their early struggle in a new country, with a competence, that they may rest in their old age; here let them remain mi*! enjoy the benefits of their labor. But. young man, you go we-t ” x\ o Styles. We nil admire the busines- man w ho is t*-r a* and to the point, and xve dis like the man xvho hangs on tlio door knob, ns though life was a novel* end ing dream, and refuses to say good by’. It is ?■ os and days by pon derous phrases and useless verbiage. ‘T’seloss verbiage and frothy sur plusage” is a synonym xvkiefi w<* dis covered in ’75, while excavating for the purpose of laying th** foundati ns of our imposing residence nj» the gulch. FersoiiH using the same w ill please fork ov« r 10 |<*t cent, of the gross receipts; B .nui -1., Mi:. "Find lOc, for which send sample copy Boomerang t<> above address. Yours, Ac., Thus. Billinos. Si.me would have said "please” find end -,*-d I<> omits. This is n**i abso lutely necessary. If you put 10 cents in the letter, that covers all seeming lack of politenes*, and it is nil right. Herds another style, xvlndi evince* a peculiarity we do not admire. It bespeaks the man who thinks that lib* and its associations an* given us in order to wear out the time, waiting patiently meanwhile for Gabriel to render his little overture. It to us that "life is real,! lib* is earnest.” AVecanot -it hen* in tin* gathering gloom ami read four pages i f a let ter w hich only expresses what ought to have been expressed in four lines. We feel that we are In re to do tla* greatest good to tin* gn at - eat number, and we dislike tho corres pondent who lmngs on to tin* literary ‘ door knob, so to speak, ami absorbs our time, which is worth *s.l,T> per hour. Here we go: Xr.w Centehmllf. Wis. Mr. William Xyf, Lsq., Laramie City, W. T. Dfah Sir: I have often saw in our home papers little articles ’cut out of your paper, the Larmy Boom- ! erang, yet I have never saw tin* paper itself. 1 hardly pick up a paper from the Fireside Friend to the Christian at Work that I do not see something or another from your faseshua pen and credited to the Boom* rang. I have asked our bookstore fur a copy of tla* paper, and In* said go to grass, there w asn’t no Mich perioddiklo in distance. He is a liar but 1 did not tell him so because I am just recov- Ing from a case-* of that kind now, which bW’clled botji eye* shot and placed me under the doctor’s care. It xvas the result of a campaign lie and at this moment 1 don’t remem her whether it was the other man or • me that told. The thing got confus ed and l am not clear ou the matter now. I send you 10 cents in stamps, hop ing that you will favor me with n speciment copy of the Boomerang, j and I may subscribe*. I send postage stamps because they are more c<»n venint to me, and I suppose you can un* them all right, as you must have a great deal of writing to do. I in- ; tend to read it thorrow and give my familv the benefit also. I love to . read immerruH pieces to my children and my wife and hear their gurglv laugh well up like boblJink's. 1 now ; I noxv take a noastern paper which is | gloomy in its tendencies, and I call it ; thoMorg. It looks at tho dark side; of life and costs a year and pos tage. So send the specimen if you please nnd I will probably subscribe for the Boomerang as I have saw a go«xl many extrax from it in our papers here and I have rot as yet saw vour paper. So good by. Yours truly, James Letsos. Dakota, Now, if tl*e reader should be think ing of going to Dakota, let me say: Don’t expect to find a paradise; that place was lost when Adam fell; it can't be found to-day in Dakota or any other land under the sun. Hut 1 can assure you that if you go to Dakota with tie* determination to work nn-1 earn an honest living, you can depend mi success- If you go tlier*- rt-solxed to be patient and con* tented, you will be aide in due time to surround voitrself with as many comfort* a* you could have in most other places. There art* plen yof good opening* for industrious, h«*nc t riien, but none for idlers and vaga bonds. Good land can be, had by’ tho-e who want farms, and busin* ss opportunities are plentiful. If you go resolved to be satisfied you ufll soon cease to long for tie* rocks an 1 stumps of vour native soil. Allow ii. o to say before closing, that I write this article as an e.itiielv d."interested party*. 1 have no |>er sonal interests in Northern Dakota; i am not at present a resident of tin* Territory, and *l<> not know that 1 ever shall be. If this article should be th** means of giving ti(*ed**d in formation to any one who is seeking a home, 1 will be content, and it will be all tin* reward 1 expect. Hurrah for tho beauteous land of Dakota, whore evoiy man and every Woman can, within tix’e years attain an independence where to “catch dam* fortune’s golden snnle” yon need not incur the bah*fulness incident to long year* of ‘‘weariness and pinching” until your soul is frozen and can no longer enjoy it s costly savings. As a place to retain youtfulness, en joy health, and acquire riches, noth ing t<*o good (an be said of Dakota. fit El fh>nui'\J«n. /. N I’M BEK (5 Kansas furnishes a conclusive an swer t«* tin* claim that l*ecauKo the RopuMiean party has been losing in power it must of necessity he corrupt Hie new Democratic Governor of that State, who comes in after twenty years of uninterrupted Republican rule, find*, the finances aiid'all other interests of the State in excellent condition, and not the smallest evi dence of either dishonesty or incapac ity can he found anywhere. If any evidence were wanting of the policy of keeping the Republicans in power in Kansas, it is furnished hv the re suit of Democratic investigation. Admi-Hon. When lowa was admitted she only had tlo.oKN inhabitants, yet when Da kota knocks for admission with her 800,000 muds it is denied her by the Demociatic party. If this party ever had any following in Dakota the way it has acted toward the advancement of the Territory would damn it in the eyes of all fair minded men for time and eternity. For the carrying out of their own self aggrandisement this party declares that over quarter of a million of people shall in no way be represented or have a voice in Nation al affairs. The Democratic party points to Yankton county as repudia ting some railroad bonds and point with scorn to Dakota and say that any country that has a single county within her entire limits which repudi ates the people of all the rest of the Territory that ask admission, are equally us bad and not capable of self government. Fpon this theory the sections of country which have re pudiated debts could have no repre sentation the Democratic party would not be represented by a corporal's guard in Congress to-day. Hon to Soften the Hands * How am 1 to whiten and soften my hands?" is a question asked hv o correpoii.lv nt. Doubtless one way to do this is to avoid doing the work which has made your hands rough and dark, but often this work may be done with such care that the hands will not be injured. I font* is oblig ed t>< sweep In r house, to empty the di~h> s from grate to stove, and to wadi dishes, she cannot expect to keep her hands as white as idle h lids are; but, if she takes tie* precaution to put on a pair of gloves or mittens when die sweeps and is doing dusty Work, one cause of rough skin will be icniovcd. Then there arc prepar ations one may use. Fowdcred borax i» i»\<:i‘lb*nt In uofloti th*> olrbi. JL mixture which is said to be n sure cure f-r undue perspiration of the hands is made of a quarter of an ounce of powdered alum, the white of one c gg, and enough bran to make a thin paste. After washing your hands apply this; let it remain on your hands for two or three minutes, and then wipe ctF with a soft, dry towel. Lukewarm water is better than hot or cold if the skin is inclined to be tender «*r chap.— X> >r York An Old W inter Itecord. The following paragraph about cold winters lias occasionally (juiu 1 the nmmls of the press for a period ex tending beyond the memory of til© oh lest inhabitant. There could be no more appropriate time than the pres ent for giving it a new lease of vi tality: The following statistics of the good old winters are curious: In 408 the Black Sea was entirely frozen over In 7(51 not only the Black Sea, but the Straits of the Dardanelles, were frozen over the snow in some places rose tifty feet high. In 882 the great rivers of Europe the Danube. Kibe, etc., were so hard frozen as to bear wagons for a month. In 80') the Adri atic was frozen, tin* crops totally fail ed, and famine and pestilence closed the year. In 11*1.1 the Bo was frozen from Cremona to the sea; the wine casks were burst, and even the trees were split by the action of the frost with immense noise. In 123(1 the Da nube was frozen to the bottom and remained long in that state In 131(5 the crops totally failed in Germany; wheat which some years Indore sold in England at (5s the quarter rose to £2. In IH3S the crops failed in Scot land. ai d such a famine ensued that the poor were reduced to fetal on gni'S, and many perished miserably in the fields. The successive winters of 1132-33 314 were uncommonly se vert*; it once snowed forty days with out interruption. In 14(58 the wine distributed to the soldiers in Flan ders Mis cut with hatchets. In 1584 th** winter was excessively cold; most of the hollies were killed: coaches drove along the Thames, the ice of which was eleven inches thick. lir 17011 occurred the cold winter; the frost penetrated three yards into the ground. In 1715 booths were erected and fairs held on the Thames. In 1741 and 1745 tin* strongest ale in England, exposed to air, was covered in le;i»r Wet Fuel. Lazy i eople have sought to con vince themselves and others that there is economy in using green wood that is full of sap. Science and observa tiou a 1 ike condemn the nolioq. All the moisture in wood must be evapo rated before it will burn. By split ting it and exposing it to the heat of the sun in a current of air the moist ure will bo expelled withfrit the ex penditure of heat created by burning fuel. If, however, the.greeu wood'is placet! in a stove or fireplace a consid erable amount of fuel, previously The De Smet Leader ADVERTISING RATES. ‘ i ! ~ I I s|>Mrv. Iwkj *k I in 3 in o ih 1 jrp’r ‘ ' t im h ... * .VI e 75 91 Oil 11 2ft*W 0(1 5:; On f sOn : j I 1 inch 1 on 1 2ft IVi I 75 -1 2> ft (*' h «■» j I ; j- j 2 inch*--... 1 Vi 2«» 2 Vi 3 Oil (*V 7 UO, 12 U 0 3 inches. 2 VI 300 3 7'* 17'. Ton 8 V), 15 00 ! I ! ft I indies . 3im ( no j 7 > .*> 7ft s 011 II 90, 18 «> I ; : 1 i I ', o.iuiiiii i ini 2.% ft .a 775100 nis oo :u* 00 ; j i column., ft ini h ini y ini ij ini 22 'Ni3ft no fto ft*) 1 column.. 10 oojlJ llu 15 on 22 00 ;J5 ini fti) on 100 oo dried by artificial heat, must be con sinned in evaporating the moisture contains. Heated steam is not con sumed. as some people appear to sup pose. It passes up the ehimney and gives off imt very little heat. Tin* amount of heat required to dry wood so it will burn is very considerable. Green wood is very inconvenient a** well us expensive. It makes an uure liable lire that can not bo depended on for either beating or rooking pur poses. It is productive of much smoke and of little satisfaction or comfort. Green wood is very heavy to handle and some varieties will weigh fully twice as much when full of sap as when thoroughly dried in the sun. Unless wood is to lie drawn on runners over the snow' there is a great saving in having it dried before it is taken from tin* forest to the house. When it is once dry it should he put under cover so that it will not absorb rain or become covered with snow. The loss in burning damp coal is not as heavy as in burning wet wood, but after all it is very consider able. According to experiments made in Germany seven tons of damp coal will only produce as much heat as six tons that are dry. The price of one ton of coal will buy lumber enough to build a protection for six tons and it will last many years.- ( hicuifo Timru. Thicken Itemed v. A correspondent speaks of the great destruction occurring every year among poultry from what is culled “hen cholera,'* ami wants to publish a remedy. Many a resident sees his fme fat chickens dying oil without any attempt to save them. Alum is the specific relied on hy those who try to preserve their fowls. Mix an 1 dissolve a handful or two of ed alum in hot water, and make dough of corn meal, as strong of alum as you please, and feed it freely. .Al so the dish ot drinking water placed before the fowls may have any quan tity of alum kept in the water, to pre vent any tendency to the disease. The intensely green color »f the dis charges will usually disappear in a very short time, and the fowls will re* cover their usual condition. < hir cor respondent thinks if this remedy were better known, the high prices ol eggs and chickens will be reduced. ritr nrar nAttim Vijltntffrf' *'** B Am Muiwii l*y Tt-kIM by thr ftutvrumrnl (lit* mint. Dr. Edward G. Love, the present Analytical Chemist for the Govern ment, hus recently mudo some inter esting experiments us to the compar ative value of baking powders. Dr. Love's tests were made to determine what brands are the most economical, to use, and as their capacity lies in their leavening power, tests were di rected solely to ascertain the av&iln ble gas of each powder. Dr. Love’s ‘ report gives the following: Nil mo oft hi* Strength Unking Powder*. Cubic Indio («h* per each ounce of Powder. ’Koval" (crefttn tnrtar (Hiviier) 127 t Tatupsco" (h 1 iiin iMMOK-r) 12ft 2 “KuiitiordV (phosphate) lr»-*h 122 ft* "Knmford’n” (phosphine) old 32.7* ‘'Mttllford'* fresh 121. ft "llanford'* Noiw Such, old si lift "KedhcadV' 117.0 “Charm" (alum jHiwdcr) lift 9* 'Amazon" (alum (Mjwdcr) 111.9* “Cleveland'* " (.short weight *4 oz.) 110 8 ' Sea Foam" 107.0 "Czur” loft.* “Hr. Price's ' Ki2.ft "Snow Flane" ((troll's, si. Paul) 101.88 "la-wi*’*" (Condensed) 98.2 “Congres*" yeast 97.5 “C. K, Andrew* X: Co’s, (alum) "8.17* “lieckcr's" W.ft “Oil lei a" W,2 "Hulk" 80j^^ *ln his report the Government Chemist says: “I regard all alum powders as very unwholesome. Phosphate and tar taric acid powders liberate their gas too freely in process of baking, or un der varying climatic changes suffer deterioration.” Dr. H. A. Mott, the former Govern ment Chemist, after a careful and elalxirate examination of the various baking powders of commerce, re|>ort ed to the government in favor of the Koyal brand. Ilia Fortune. A young -man in Edinburg, who had no fortune, requested a lawyer, a friend of his, to recommend him to a family whore he was a daily visitor, and where there was a handsome daughter, who was to have a large fortuue. The lawyer said he did not exactly know how, but he would in quire. The next time he saw his young friend ho asked him if he had any property at all. “>o,” replied he. “Well,” said tho lawyer, “would you .suffer anyone to ent off your nose if he would give you 4520,000 fur it? “Wfcat an idea! Not for the world!” “’Tis Well,” replied the lawyer; “I had a reason for asking.” The next time he saw the girl’s father he said: “I have inquired about the young’ man’s circumstances. He has, indeed no ready money, but he has a jewel for which, to my knowledge, he has been offered, and refused 4.20,000.” This induced the old man to con sent to the marriage, which acoorcL ing took place; though it is said thaC in the sequel, he often shook his head when he thought of the jewel. A party from Minnesota is canvass ing the propriety of building a sv.gar refinery in Alexandria that will man-' ufacture got*! brown tuga.* out hf ■ • sorghum, the enterprise to cost about ♦(l,ooo.— Aierandria Jforahf. **+ "■■■Wb