USA > South Dakota > Jerauld County > A history of Jerauld county, South Dakota > Part 15
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The election for 1887 was called by the county commissioners, Oct. 5th. The precincts, for some unknown reason, were made the same as those for the school election in February, 1884.
A county commissioner was to be elected in the 2nd district, then composed of Anina, Media, Chery, Viola and Wessington Springs town- ships.
A republican convention to nominate a candidate was called to meet Oct. 29th. It was a delegate convention and nominated Alonzo Con- verse, of Anina township. On the surface everything seemed to be satis- factory. The candidate was known to be both honest and efficient. He had been identified with the "bolting" movement of 1886.
On the evening of the 5th of November, but two days before election, a party of politicians gathered in the office of the True Republican at Wessington Springs to discuss the situation, and devise ways and means to encompass the defeat of Judge Converse. The first essential, of course, was an opposing candidate. After much discussion they decided upon. Mr. John Grant, a farmer, living a mile south of Wessington Springs .. Mr. Grant had not been in any way connected with either faction, but was known to be a firm believer in Republican principles. They deter- mined to make him their candidate and take the chance of his accepting the office if elected. Then the work was laid out for each man to do. The party broke up near midnight and some of them got scarcely a wink of sleep until the polls were closed on the next Tuesday evening. The democrats had not put up a candidate and the fight was wholly among the republicans. The supporters of Mr. Converse were not thoroughly aware of the move until late Monday morning. By that time nearly every man, democrat as well as republican, that could possibly be induced to refrain from voting for the regular nominee had been seen. The re- sult was the election of Mr. Grant by a vote of 129 to 100, and the elec- tion of almost the entire democratic ticket a year later.
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On the questions of division of the territory but few votes were cast against the two-state plan.
On the sale of liquor in the county the vote was a surprise. In the various townships the result was as follows :
For the sale.
Against the sale.
Alpena
21
48
Franklin
I
32
Blaine
17
14
Viola
9
33
Wessington Springs and part of Dale
I
64
Chery
10
20
Media
2
27
Anina
O
44
Crow Lake
12
21
Pleasant
6
38
Harmony
6
30
Marlar
9
22
Crow
6
25
Logan
9
12
Totals
109
439
Chapter 21. THE GREAT BLIZZARD.
The winter of 1887-88 was one of unusual severity. The storms began in November, 1887, and each was more terrific than any that had been experienced by the settlers since the storm of 1879, when Williams, the mail carrier, was so nearly frozen to death on Elm Creek. The weather increased in severity as the winter advanced, the snow getting deeper and the cold becoming more intense. The 9th of January, 1888, was very cold with a light south wind. The moth was slightly warmer. but with a stronger south wind. On the HIth the wind was blowing a gale still from the south and the snow was drifting badly. On the morn- ing of Thursday, the 12th of January, the wind had fallen and become quite warm. The snow was melting a little. Great banks of fog fifteen to twenty miles wide rested across the prairies from the vicinity of the Black
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Hills eastward into Minnesota. Between these banks of fog were stretches of country from thirty to forty miles in width where the sun shone brightly. One of these fog banks ran east and west along the C. & N. W. Ry., through the central part of Beadle, Hand and Hyde counties. Over all of Jerauld county the morning was warm and bright.
Farmers took advantage of the pleasant weather to go to town or to go to fetch hay from the prairie. All felt a relief from the rigorous wintry weather that had preceded. In Jerauld county at that time were 1025 children of school age. Owing to the balmy condition of the air, probably a greater percentage of those children went to school that day than on any previous day for weeks.
T. L. White, who lived at the hills in Chery township, was engaged as teacher in what was then known as the Kinney school, which stood on the southwest corner of section 8. On the morning of the 12th of January he went to the school house as usual, but stopped when he arrived at the top of the range of hills and for several minutes stood looking off over the Jim River valley, enjoying a scene and a morning that were simply glorious. Low down on the northern and southern horizons were dense, black cloud banks, while all about him and away over the white plain at his feet, were the busy farm homes all bathed in the warm sunlight and fanned by the warm southern breeze. He went on to the school house and kindled the fire. The children came in one, two, or three, at a time until nearly the whole school was present. It was too pleasant to stay in doors and at the forenoon recess all were ont running, shouting and playing games.
As the school bell rang some of the children remarked that "the clouds up north are coming." Mr. Wihte looked from the window just in time to see a whirling mass come rolling down upon the school house. A cold wave had been driven by a furious wind into the most northern of the fog banks, freezing it into particles fine as sifted flour. This had been driven at the rate of sixty miles an hour down upon the next bank where the same thing occurred. So one after another those great wind rows of fog were picked up and hurled southward. The mass was blinding, suffocating, freezing. The coal house of the Kinney school was but a few feet from the school building, but yet it was with great diffi- culty that the teacher and larger pupils succeeded in getting enough fuel to keep the room warm. All day and all night the school children stayed with Mr. Wihte in the school house.
As the storm rushed south and east, picking up the fog banks, one after another, it became more and more stifling and fatal to people or animals caught by it. The death rate shows a steady increase as the volume of wind, cold and snow swept on. In Spink county three were
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frozen ; in Hand 6; in Jerauld 5; in Bon Homme 19; in Lincoln 20; in Turner 23, while in Iowa, but few escaped without serious injury who were caught by the storm where there were no fences to guide them. The great blizzard. spread over the entire Mississippi Valley and at nearly the same time struck the coast all the way from Galveston, Texas, to Boston, Mass.
But the foregoing is sufficient to show the nature and extent of the storm. We have to do only with Jerauld county.
Chapter 22.
Pleasant Hill school house, at the time of the great blizzard, was located on the north line of section 27 in Logan township, near the ceme- tery and close to where it now stands. The school house was small and the nineteen pupils were crowded together-three to each desk. . The popularity of Mr. John Wicks as a teacher drew to this school nearly half of the school children of the township. Among those who went to his school, and attended on the 12th day of January, 1888, were :
Ernest Bailey, Edith Bailey, Guy Frick, Harry K. Frick, Will Heine- man, August Heineman, Hattie Krumwied, Charles Krumwied, Minnie Meyers, Henry Meyers, Herman Meyers, John Meyers, Lizzie Pflaum, Andrew Pflaum, Minnie Walters, Henry Walters, Fred Kappleman, August Kappleman, Minnie Kappleman, and Lena Kappleman.
The residence of August Kappleman, one of the patrons of the school, stood about 150 yards from the school house.
The story of this school is best told in the language of the teacher, John F. Wicks, who, a few days after the storm wrote a full account of it to his friend, Mr. Frank D. Scott, at Mt. Zion, Ill. The letter was published at the time in one of the local papers of - county, 111.
"Now for the story, 'My First Experience in a Blizzard." Date, January 12th, 1888.
The day preceding it snowed and drifted all day, wind in the south. Thursday morning there was a double ring visible around the sun, a light wind from the south, a dull, obscure, hazy atmosphere, with the temperature about freezing. The children all reached school earlier than usual on account of a storm coming from the northwest, working up against the wind. After school called I did not notice the storm until ' it struck the house. The wind suddenly shifted to the northwest and in an instant we were in a fierce, blinding storm of snow and sleet. · Ten
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feet was beyond the limit of vision unless you looked the way the wind was blowing. The temperature fell rapidly, the wind blew the snow under the door, up from the floor, in the windows and even from above, so that with constant and careful attention the room was kept barely comfortable. Noon came, no abatement. Very few ventured out of the house. Spent all noon in getting in coal and shoveling snow from the coal house which was nearly full of snow. Recess-gale increased if anything. Night came-no stop whatever in the storm, and we came to the conclusion to stay in the school house all night. I asked the boys to help 'do chores,' bring in coal enough to last all night, while I went to a neighbor's house ( Kappleman's, 150 yards away) and see what arrange- ments could be made, leaving orders for no one to leave the house till I came back. Started for the neighbor's (side wind) which I reached with- out difficulty, obtained wraps for the children, then returned. . Travelled by guess, for seeing was out of the question ; the wind was no guide-as shifting and deceitful as the Will-o-the-wisp. My scheme was to get the girls to the neighbor's, and the boys and I would bunk in the school house. Told the boys (12) to get more coal in so not to go out in the night, and be sure not to try to leave the house, while I took the girls to the neighbor's. Nine girls and one big boy (19 years old) joined hand-in-hand, were to follow me, thus leaving me free to lead the way, the big boy behind.
Half way over I turned to see if all were coming and found the line broken and children scattered. Stopped, got all together and try to keep together, but by turning lost my bearing. (Put yourself in my place). Placed the wraps over them and told them not to move until we knew which way to go. In a few moments I found the big rocks, (130 feet due east of the house) and moved the girls there and bunched them again. They were crying with the cold then and the big boy said he was freezing. The snow and sleet would cut our faces so we would almost smother and not see a particle; the wind would whirl every way, yet we all knew we were less than 150 feet from the house. But which way was west. Horror or horrors! I placed the boy as far from the girls as he could see and I went as much farther from him. This was done several times in different directions and at last I found the cuttings nearer the house; got down on my hands and knees, found a row and followed that until I knew I was near, or ought to be near, the house ; pulled the ice from my face and beheld the house not more than twenty feet from where I stood. I lost no time in getting the children in, who were all crying piteously with the cold.
We were out about fifteen minutes, but nearly all were frosted, sev- eral pretty badly, so much so that fingers, faces and feet were blistered.
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The teacher undid the wraps, put frozen limbs in water and did all he could before he knew he was 'touched.'
The lady spread bread and butter for the boys, and we started back. While these doings were going on the sun had gone down, the boy was afraid to go, and the best policy being not to risk chances again of a night on the prairie, with the snow for a winding sheet, if we went back. Nobody cared for supper; all went to bed to keep warm ; 14 persons in a 14×20 house ; sleep was out of the question. Between 12 and I A. M. the wind lulled for a few moments. I arose, dressed and started for the school house, which I reached without mishap. All were safe around the fire where we stayed till broad daylight. The thermometer regis- tered 30 degrees below zero, with a stiff wind blowing from the north west. A truly happy boy, thinking what was and what might have been. I thank the Father of all Mercies for care and guidance. My mitten had been wet while shoveling snow and getting in coal, so when I first pulled it off became as a board, at least I could not get my hand in it. That hand, the right, was frozen badly, blisters on my wrist as large as a dollar ; face 'touched' a little, hand is sore yet, hardly use it with any comfort and everything hits it. Saturday I turned out to help hunt for the dead, was gone all day. Mr. Byers (C. H. will remember him) was found four miles from home frozen stiff.
John F. Wicks."
The experience of Miss May Hunt and her pupils of the Knieriem school in Harmony township was still more terrible and would have been a heart rending affair but for the fortitude and heroism of one of the scholars, Fred C. Weeks. I am able to give two views of the storm in that school district-one from the parents at home anxious for the safety of their children, who for aught they knew were lost in the storm, and the other that of the school huddled in a little pile of flax straw for twelve hours, while the terrible fury of the storm raged about them. A letter by Rev. S. F. Huntley, still a resident of Harmony township, writ- ten a few years after the storm to a friend in New York, is before me and from it I copy the following:
"The climate is somewhat variable and it is not always possible to tell what is coming next ; pleasant weather is the rule but storms are not unknown. On the 12th of January, 1888, a blizzard surprised us; we had been calling every storm a blizzard, but then decided that we had never had a blizzard before and never wanted one again. The morning was warm, thawing, and the wind was in the south. It wheeled suddenly to the northwest and rolled over the coun- try a wave of frozen mist or fine snow, like flour, so dense that one could not see four feet. In fact it so filled the eyes that one could not see at all. It penetrated the ears, nose, and mouth, and clothes,
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every crevice in every building, knothole, keyhole, nail hole, and crack that the air would go through, and there seemed to be a strong draft in- ward through every crevice. Our three children were at school, and only the baby, four years old, at home with us. The storm struck us at about 10 A. M., and raged till the next morning about 4 o'clock. When night came wife was very uneasy and depressed-wondering if I could not go for the children, but it was impossible; I scarcely made the house at less than 40 rods away when the storc struck, and the children were a mile away. So I comforted her with the assurance that the teacher would stay with all the scholars at the school house, and if they should undertake to reach her boarding place, some 15 or 20 rods away. they could probably make it. We commended the precious ones to God and waited. So confident was I that the children were all right that next morning I did the chores the first thing; they were left undone the night before, as it was impossible to do them. The weather had grown rapidly colder ; from thawing when the storm started till now the mercury stood 30 degrees below zero, and a stiff northwest wind, but the sun shone bright and clear. I was warming my feet at the stove expecting then to go after the children, when the door was opened and in rushed a neigh- bor without rapping, who exclaimed excitedly: "You better be seeing after your children; they stayed in a straw-stack last night." I would not have been more astonished if I had been assaulted. "Are they alive?" I demanded. "I don't know, I didn't hear any particular." "How do you know that they were in a straw stack?" "Mr. Knieriem was over to Mr. Dingle's and told us." "What did Mr. Knieriem want? Did he come over to tell you?" "No, he came after same beef's gall." "Were his children in the stack?" "Yes, the teacher and all the scholars." "Are any of them alive?" "I don't know ; I didn't hear any of the particulars." "Why didn't you find out if they were alive?" "As soon as he told us I put on my coat and came right over to let you know." Wife was al- most frantic with anxiety and suspense. I could only comfort her with this hope-they cannot be all dead or Mr. Knieriem would have no use for beef's gall. It did not take long for Mr. Bartie and me to get there with my fleetest horse-he took care of the animal and I went in. They were all alive, but very much the worse for their contact with a blizzard. All were frozen more or less but only one, Addie Knieriem, suffered per- manent injury ; she lost one foot and the toes of the other. Our children escaped most easily. Mary lost the cuticle from the feet to her knees, Mabelle the same and the skin from one heel. They undertook to go from the school house to Mr. Hinners, a distance of 15 or 20 rods, where the teacher boarded, but missed the house and ran upon a pile of flax straw-a couple of loads he had hauled up for fuel as near to the door
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as he thought safe, perhaps 4 or 5 rods. Unable to find the house or to make the inmates hear they dug into the stack and stayed till morning. The oldest boy, a young man 18 years old, as soon as the storm subsided enough so that he could see the house hobbled to the door with feet and hands frozen and aroused Mr. Hinners who came out and helped them in. The teacher had her feet badly frozen, but had been keeping up the spirits of her pupils bravely during the night and keeping them awake. Now the reaction came on, and when I came in she cried and all the scholars with her. The catastrophe, the feeling of responsibility, and the fear of being blamed were too much for her and she gave way. She was a member of my church, as were also the parents of Addie Knieriem. Wife wanted to go back east as soon as possible-the first discontent I had heard from her since we settled here; but a little later, a still more destructive blizzard in New England and New York reconciled her again. Five persons lost their lives in that storm in our county ; and a large number of horses, hogs, cattle and sheep, I never learned how many. I lost one heifer ; she could not make her way to the barn, 40 rods, although the rest got in safely. I was out watering them and had a task to reach the house. There were many narrow escapes and it seems a wonder that only five perished. A genuine blizzard is attended with electricity. A person would receive a shock from the stove during that storm. A high wind usually prevails."
The Knieriem school house was located at the southeast corner of section 33 in Harmony township, on what was then known as the Clap- ham land. It was a frame building 12x16, about which a sod wall had been built. The site where the school house stood is still plainly discern- able as is also that of the Hinner's house, which stood about 140 yards west of it but on the south side of the section line on the northeast corner of section 5 in Pleasant township. Not to exceed thirty yards west of the Hinner's house was about two tons of flax straw, placed there by Mr. Hinners for use as fuel. Between the school house and the Hinners residence was a gully about five feet deep, with steep banks, that extended from the hills on the north to the valley south of the section line. Across this gully a small bridge or culvert had been constructed and a well de- fined path led from the school house to the Hinner place. A few rows of small trees had been planted between the Hinner's house and the sec- tion line.
Mr. George Knieriem lived a mile west of the school house, Mr. Dingle 80 rods east of it and Mr. Huntley three fourths of a mile east of Dingle's. Mr. Frank Weeks' residence was then about a mile north- east of the school house.
The teacher in the Knieriem school house at the time of the great
I7I
. blizzard was Miss May Hunt, a sister of Mrs. J. H. Vessey of Wessing- ton Springs. The pupils were Fred and Charles Weeks, Mary, Ernest and Mabelle Huntley, and Frank and Addie Knieriem.
On the morning of the 12th of January, 1888, all the pupils arrived at the school house early and amused themselves coasting down the steep hills until the school bell rang. A short time after the children were called into the school room to their lessons the hills and valleys were enveloped in the frightful storm.
All day the wind continued to shake the little shanty and its sod walls. Through every nail hole and crack it drove the snow, fine as flour, sifting it onto the floor, seats and desks. The children's clothing and books were powdered white and the stove gave off a constant hissing sound as the moisture fell upon it. The school work continued until the hour for dis- missal, though but little could be done because of the terrible din of the storm howling and shrieking without.
By four o'clock in the afternoon the fuel supply was exhausted and the teacher determined to take the pupils to the Hinner's house. Twice Fred Weeks made the trip to the bridge across the gully and returned, just to see if it was possible to go through the blinding storm. About half past four the whole school was ready to make the effort. Joining hands, with Fred Weeks in the lead they started. Nothing could be seen and even breathing was difficult. They soon lost the path to the bridge and plunged into the little ravine a few feet south of the line. Here. the teacher's veil became disarranged and an effort was made to replace it. Then all started again, climbing the west bank of the gully as best they could, Addie Knieriem losing the wraps that were tied about her shoes in doing so. They passed along the south side of the rows of trees, expecting every moment to reach the house. The snow was drifted over the path and they could not find it. When nearly exhausted from their struggle with the snow and wind they came against the pile of flax straw. They had passed between the house and the trees missing the building by not to exceed six feet. Fortunately they found a pitch fork and a lath at the stack and with these Fred and Charles began with furious energy to clear away the snow and dig a hole into the side of the pile of straw. In a few moments they had made a place large enough to crowd the teacher and pupils in out of the sweep of the wind.
Having provided the rest of the school with a shelter the three older boys-Fred, Ernest and Charles now endeavored to find the Hinner's residence. Some of the girls had worn aprons to school and these were torn into strips and tied into a long string. Taking one end of the string Fred went out into the storm and began circling about in hope of reach- ing, or at least getting in sight of the house. It was no use. He could
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see nothing. The storm was blinding, suffocating and bewildering. He followed the string back to the straw pile. Then they called, shouted, screamed-singly and in chorus, but there was little chance of their being heard above the howling of the wind. They now made prepara- tions to spend the night in the stack. The hole was dug farther back into the straw and all crowded into it, Fred taking his place at the en- trance. It was a long night. They told stories, they sung, every few moments the roll was called. There was but little complaining, although some were freezing. Fred Weeks, as the oldest boy in the school, was looked to as leader and he felt that upon him rested the burden of bring- ing the school through alive. He kept the others awake and made them talk, and sing and move and laugh, although occasionally one would cry. So the storm and the night passed. About four o'clock in the morning the twinkling stars, which Fred saw from his place at the side of the stack, told him the storm was abating. He arose and looked about. The cold was intense and the wind still blowing, but through the flying snow he caught a glimpse of the Hinner's residence, but a short distance away. His feet were badly frozen but he staggered through the snow until he reached the house and aroused the inmates.
The teacher and pupils were taken to the house, all more or less frost bitten. Addie Knieriem had to be carried. Her feet were so badly frozen that amputation became necessary. Fred's feet were so badly frozen that the flesh dropped off, but he finally recovered. ,
Chapter 23.
At the Young school house in Crow township Mrs. C. V. Martin was the teacher, but for some reason she was late that morning in getting started for the school house. The storm came on just as she was get- ting into the sleigh, and she remained at her boarding place. Of the pupils only two, Will and Wert Berger went to the school house that morning. They remained there until the next day.
At the west school house in Dale township Fred Dickerson was teacher. The pupils were E. K. Robison and his brother Walter, Bert and Lary Pinard and Clark, Frank and John Easter. Aside from the inconvenience of staying all night at the school house they were none the worse for the storm.
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