201 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MARCH 24 
£ov tl)C J).OUtt0. 
THE GREAT STORM. 
BY UNCLE MARK. 
E have had our bliz¬ 
zard. It was strong 
enough while it lasted 
to stand us a life-time 
When I get to be an 
“oldest inhabitant” I 
expect to use this bliz¬ 
zard with great effect. 
It was terrible! I have 
seen many fearful 
storms, on the plains, 
on Cape Cod, on the 
great lakes and in the 
Michigan pine woods, 
but I never saw any¬ 
thing fiercer than this one. The worst of it 
was we did not expect it. We thought spring 
had coipe. I was all ready to sow some oats 
and was getting ready to sow clover seed. Sun¬ 
day night when I went to bed there was a 
warm, gentle rain falling. Monday morning 
there was a snow-drift blocking up the door 
and the house was fairly shaking in the wind. 
I thought it too fierce a storm for our old horse 
to face, so I got into my boots and rubber coat 
and waded over to the station. It took me. 
about an hour to go 1% mile. Didn’t the wind 
blow? It went so fast that it didn’t seem to 
leave enough for a person to breathe. The air 
seemed full of whips that lashed your face 
without mercy. It took us about five hours to 
get within half a mile of Jersey City. We 
walked the rest of the way and then found 
that there was no way of getting home again. 
The river was a great mass of frozen ice and 
drifting snow. You couldn’t see 100 feet in 
any direction. Hundreds of ferry boats and 
tugs were passing up and down through the 
snow, blowing their whistles and ringing bells 
to prevent their smashing into one another. 
When I went across we ran into several boats, 
but fortunately nobody was hurt. 
The great city of Yew York was like a des¬ 
ert of snow. The storm in the city was worse 
than in the country. People in the city did 
not expect this storm and so they were not pre¬ 
pared for it. Almost everybody here wears 
shoes instead of boots. This is safe because 
the snow is seldom deep enough to go over the 
tops of shoes. When they woke up and found 
the streets full of snow-drifts these shoe-wear¬ 
ers were at a disadvantage. Some of them 
put big stockings over their shoes and tied 
strings around the bottoms of their trousers. 
Others tied bags around their feet. I saw one 
man with roller-towels tied around his feet and 
his wife’s apron tied over his hat. Another 
man had a brown paper bag over his head with 
a hole cut in front for his eyes. Another had 
a red skirt tied over his head, an old coatover 
one boot and a pair of pants tied about the 
other. The wind is always worst in the city. 
The narrow streets and high houses hold the 
wind and send it along with a tremendous 
power. One of the worst corners for wind in 
this city is just opposite the Rural office. 
There is a narrow street with high buildings 
on either side. The wind sweeps across the 
City Hall Park and is forced into this narrow 
space as though it were shot out of a gun. It 
was almost impossible to face the wind on that 
corner, yet huudreds of people had to do it. 
Many were thrown down, and I am afraid 
some were badly hurt. More than 100 hats 
were lost on this corner. New York people 
always wear stiff hats. These may be good 
enough in mild weather, but in such a blizzard 
they are very poor things. They won’t stay 
on the head, and they do not protect the ears 
at all. I saw many a high “stove-pipe” hat 
take a sudden leap into the air and go sailing 
down the street like a small baloon. Often¬ 
times the owner would make a rush for it, lose 
his balauce and go headlong into the snow. By 
the time he could pick himself up his hat 
would be a quarter of a mile away. I wore 
my old fur cap and thus avoided all these 
chases. Everybody seemed pretty good-nat¬ 
ured through it all. Even those who fell down 
with such hai-d bumps were ready to laugh 
and joke about it. I saw two deaf-and-dumb 
men talking on their fingers to each other, a 
sudden gust of wind blew their feet out from 
under them and down they went into the snow. 
Instead of getting up they sat in the snow and 
continued their fingering. I don’t know what 
they were talking about, but I guess it must 
have had something to do with the weather. 
The worst of the storm came after dark. 
Where were all the people to sleep? It may 
seem strange to some of you to tbiuk that in 
this great city people had to go wandering 
about for hours looking for a place to get out 
of the storm. Yet it was so. New York is a 
}ong and narrow island. The lower part, for 
several miles from the water, is given entirely 
up to business. Most of the people who work 
there live on Long Island or in New Jersey, 
and g© and come every day on fast trains. At 
night, usually, this business part of the city is 
as silent and lonely as a churchyard. Now 
you see thousands of people came into the city 
in the morning and were unable to get home 
at night, because it was impossible to get a 
train out of the city. So they were left with¬ 
out any sleeping place. I suppose many of 
them had an experience about like mine. I 
had no friends within walking distance, so I 
tried to get a room at a hotel. Not a chance 
could I get anywhere. Every room was taken, 
and hundreds of people wei’e being turned 
away. I tra mped about for hours in the wind. 
It was the same story everywhere. I found 
one man l>ing in the snow right in the street. 
His hat had blown away—he was completely 
chilled through. I got him into a store. I 
found a little boy crying in a doorway. He 
seemed almost frozen. It was very pitiful— 
the sorrow and suffering poor people were 
having. I tramped around for a long time, 
and it was a weary tramp. It seemed a little 
strange to think of a man with money enough 
to pay for his lodgings wandering about in 
this great city, unable to find a shelter. At 
last I went to a hotel, and made up my mind 
I’d stay there all night if I had to sit in a 
chair. After waiting till about one o’clock in 
the morning, I was able to buy a chance to 
lie on a sofa in a passage-way. The sofa was 
too short for me and pretty hard, but I man¬ 
aged to get a few hours’ sleep. I feel that I 
was luckier than a great many poor fellows 
who will have colds and pneumonia to remind 
them of that night. 
I can remember several terrible storms. 
When I was a boy I lived on the sea shore. 
One night, during a fearful storm, a vessel 
was driven upon the rocks. She could be seen 
pounding up and down on the waves. The 
sailors climbed into the rigging and tied them¬ 
selves to the masts with ropes. The lifeboat 
got out and took them off, but several of 
the poor fellows were badly frozen. At an¬ 
other time I was caught in a snow-storm in 
Northern Michigan. Our horses got so be¬ 
wildered and tired that they could hardly 
draw the empty wagon. We knew there was 
a log cabin somewhere near us, but the night 
was so dark we were afraid we would drive 
by it. We found it at last, but not until the 
man who lived there had gone to bed. It took 
us a long time to make him understand that 
we were not robbers. When we got in at last 
and stood by the fire, you may be sure that 
we were thankful. Now, whenever we have 
such a storm as this, I always think of the 
poor people who have no homes. It is bitter 
weather for them. The little newsboys had 
the hardest time. Many of them had no 
homes to go to. The cheap lodging-houses, 
where many of them sleep, were all filled by 
men who would not dream of sleeping in such 
places at ordinary times. So the little fellows 
wandered about with bare hands and ears and 
ragged clothes and keep from freezing as best 
they could. The saddest part of it is that many 
of them could not keep from freezing—they 
were found in the morning—poor little chaps 
—in the snow drifts and in cold cornel’s. 
This storm has cost the city of New York a 
great deal of money. It is impossible to tell 
how much but I do not think 88.000,000 will 
cover it all. We were not prepared for it. We 
had to pay money for thonsands of little items 
that we had not calculated on. It was one of 
the things that couldn’t be helped. The only 
thing to do is to feel as good-natured as possi¬ 
ble over it, and try and be prepared for the 
next one. The price of coal was nearly doub¬ 
led. This, to the poor people who buy a bush¬ 
el of coal at a time was a dreadful calamity. 
Many grocery and provision stores sold out 
everything they had to sell and closed up. We 
had no milk at all for three days. Even the 
condensed milk was all sold out. When poor 
people who earn just about enough to keep alive 
and no more have to pay three times as much 
as usual for their food and fuel even for a few 
It was a mighty temperance lesson. I could 
not help thinking how the wife of every 
drinking man, in her lonely home in the 
country, must have trembled that night as 
she thought of her husband in the storm. I 
do not believe a single temperance man was 
injured during the s*orm. 
Thousands of English sparrows were frozen 
to death. Nobody likes these little rascals. 
It is against the law to feed them, and yet 
when people saw them freezing and starving 
many handfuls of crumbs were thrown to 
them. We saw a big policeman feeding some 
sparrows. It seemed odd enough to see ice- 
carts parading about during the storm deliv¬ 
ering ice. Most of the ice went to the bar¬ 
rooms. Many heavily loaded wagons were 
stuck on the streets and abandoned. They 
are there now, some of them overturned, oth¬ 
ers buried in snow drifts, and others frozen 
to the pavement. Some of our Western 
readers who live in countries where blizzards 
are common enough, and where people can 
get used to them, may think we make a great 
time over our storm. Well, we are fully sat¬ 
isfied with one act. As one of our papers 
says: 
“ Dakota tip a 
Friendly flipper 
To your neighbor fair. 
A nor’wester 
Struck us yester- 
Day. We’ve now ‘been there.’ ” 
When the snow stopped falling people be¬ 
gan to burrow out. This was a big job. In the 
country you can let 90 per cent of the snow stay 
on the ground and melt when it gets ready. 
In these narrow streets it must all be taken 
away. Men, women and children went at it 
with all sorts of implements. Shingles, pok¬ 
ers, fire shovels, and hammers were all called 
into the service. There was work enough for 
all. There was a small mountain of snow in 
front of every store. Some wags went around 
and put signs on these great drifts. “Keep 
off the Grass,” “Beautiful Snow!” “Mr. Snow 
Lies Here, 810 Reward for His Body!” are a 
few of them. Great bon-fires were built on 
the tops of these drifts and in a short time the 
water began to run towards the river. It was 
surprising though what a fierce heat these 
drifts could stand. Rubber boots were in 
great demand. By Wednesday noon no size 
smaller than No. 11 could be found in the city. 
Few of us had feet large enough to fill these 
out. The price of meat went up about five 
cents per pound,vegetables weie about doubled 
and coal actually sold at the rate of $45 per 
ton. Milk could not be had at any price. The 
fact of it is that the blizzard captured our 
town and gave us a bad shaking up. How¬ 
ever, we are all right again now and fully 
prepared for the next one. We have only one 
thing to ask of our Western friends as regards 
future blizzards. When you send the next 
one let us know a day or so ahead and we’ll be 
all ready to tackle it. 
Good Wages—A Dollar an Hour. 
Enterprising, ambitious people of both sexes 
and all ages should at once write to Stinson & 
Co., Portland, Maine, learning thereby, by re¬ 
turn mail, bow they can make $1 per hour and 
upwards, and live at home. You are started 
free. Capital not needed. Work pleasant 
and easy; all can do it. All is new and free; 
write and see; then if you conclude not to go 
to work, no harm is done. A rare opportuni¬ 
ty. Grand, rushing success rewards every 
worker 
$10 FREE! 
Our new stamping outfit is free to. 
every reader of this publication ; it 
contains 1OO perforated stamping 
patterns and includes a great variety 
of all 8izess that are wanted. This 
outfit is a real work of art; no 
stamping outfit has ever been 
offered heretofore, on which 
anything like so much artistic 
ability was brought to bear. With 
each outfit is a box of best Stamp¬ 
ing Powder, Pad, and Book of 
Instructions, giving full directions 
for stamping, tells how to make the 
potvdernnd stamping paint, con¬ 
tains instructions for L 11 h t r e , 
KiMihin gton and Hand painting, tells colors to use 
in painting—red, white, blue, yellow, pink and other flowers; 
also contains hints and instructions on other matters, too nu¬ 
merous to mention. Bought singly, or a few I>attenis at a time, 
at usual prices, the equal of the above would cost ISIO. Al¬ 
though it is i*ree, yet this is tho ICegal Queen of 
Stamping Outfits and on every hand is acknowledged to 
be superior, yes, very much superior, and very:much more 
desirable than those which have been selling for J®1 each and 
upwards. By having 200,000 of these outfits made for us, 
during the dull season, we get them at first cost; the manu¬ 
facturer was glad to take the order, at cost, that his help might 
be'kept at work. All may depend that it is the very best, most 
artistic and in every way desirable outfit ever put before the 
public. Farm and Housekeeper (monthly, 16 large pages, 64 
long columns, regular price 75 cents a year) is generally ac¬ 
knowledged to be the best general agricultural, housekeeping 
and family journal in America; it is entertaining and of great¬ 
est interest, as well as useful; its contributors embrace the widest 
range of brilliant talent. Furthermore, we have lately become 
managing owners of that grand monthly. Sunshine, for 
vontli; also, for those of all ages whose 
hearts are not withered; 16 large pages. b4 long col¬ 
umns, regular price 75 cents a year. Sunshine is known lavor- 
ablv as the best youth's monthly in America. The best writers 
for youth, in the world, are its regular contributors; it is now 
quoted all over the world as standing at the head. Both papers 
are splendidly illustrated by the best artists We will take 
200.000 trial year subscribers at a price which gives us but 
a moderate portion of the co8t. 
| Furthermore, ctfery trial year subscriber, for 
either of the papers will receive free by^mail 
our new 1*00 pattern Stamping Outfit. Trial 
year subscriptions will be received for either of 
the papers as follows; X subscription and X outfit, cents; 
subscriptions and 25 outfits, if sent at one time, 55 cents; 
4 subscriptions and 4 outfits, if sent at one time, 3# 1 . For $1 
send a dollar bill, but for less, send 1-eeiit postage stamps. 
Better at once get three friends to join you, at 25 cents each; 
voucando it in a few minutes and they will thank you; pa¬ 
pers will be mailed regularly to their separate addresses. While 
trial year subscribers are served for much lews than 
oo*f, it proves the rule that a very large proportion of all who 
read either paper for a year, want it thereafter, and are willing 
to pay tho regular price of 75 cents a year; through this, as 
time rolls on, we reap a profit that satisfies us. 
■■■*■■■■ ■ The trial year subscriptions are almost free, 
I" If I" I- J ami this the Itegul Queen of Stamp- 
1 llfcl* ■ in«r Outfit*—the best ever known—is cn- 
——tirely free. It is the greatest and best offer 
ever mado to the public* Large size* of patterns—every 
size that can be desired is included; all other outfits surpassed, 
by this, the best, tho most artistic, the ltegnl Queen. 
Below we given list of a few of the patterns; space is too valua¬ 
ble to admit of naming all: 1 Poppies for Scarf. 7 1-2 inch; 
2 Tidy design,7 1-2 inch; 3 Splendid Tinsel design, 5 inch; 4 
Golden Hod, 4 inch ; 5 Pond Lilies: 6 Pansies; 7 Moss Hose Buds; 
8Tube Hoses: 9 Wheat; 10Oak Leaves; 11 Maiden Hair Ferns; 
12 Bov; 13 Girl's Head; 14 Bird; 15 Strawberries; 16 Owl; 17 
Dog; 18 Butterfly; 19 Apple Blossoms; 20 Calla Lily; 21 Anchor; 
22 Morning Glories; 23 Japanese Lilies; 24 Babbit; 25 Bunch For¬ 
get-me-nots; 26Fuchsias; 27 Bell Drops; 28 Fan; 29Clown’s 
Head; 310 Cat’s Head. 'XO other splendid patterns are included 
in this Kt‘g:tl Queen of shimping outfits—in all lOO 
patterns. Safe delivery guaranteed. Possessing this outfit any 
lady can, without expense, make home beautiful in many ways, 
can embroider childrens* and ladies' clothing in the most charm¬ 
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Lustre, Kensington and Hand painting for others. A good stamp¬ 
ing outfit is indispensable to every woman who cares to mako 
home beautiful. This outfit contains patterns for each and every 
branch of needle work, flower painting, etc., and the XSoolc. 
of liiHtructioii* makes all clear and n*ally easy. This 
outfit will do more for Home and Ladies than many times tho 
amount of a trial year subscription spent otherwiseno homo 
should be with out it. The beautiful designs of this KkuaL 
(^UEKN of outfits ARE ALL THE Kagk wherever seen; when 
ever one or two reach a locality their fame spreads, and many 
Trial Year subscriptions usually follow. Many whohavo 
paid from J$1 to lor outfits and were satisfied until they saw 
our designs, have secured our outfit and laid aside forever tho 
others. Those who subscribe will find the papers well worth 
several times the trifling cost of a trial year subscription, and 
the majority will make up to us the loss, that this year wc incur, 
through such a low price, by continuing subscribers, year after 
year, at the regular price, which all will be willing to admit la 
low enough. The money will gladly be refunded to anyone 
who is not fully satisfied. Address, 
GEOHGE STINSON & CO., BOX 252 PORTLAND, MAINE. 
March April May 
Are the months in which to purify the blood, for at no 
other season is the body so susceptible to benefit from 
medicine. The peculiar purifying and reviving qual¬ 
ities of Hood’s Sarsaparilla are just what are needed 
to expel disease and fortify the system against the de¬ 
bilitating effects of mild weather. Every year increas¬ 
es the popularity of Hood’s Sarsaparilla, for it is just 
what people need at this season. It is the ideal spring 
medicine. 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
"Last spring I seemed to be running down in health, 
was weak and tired all time. I took Hood’s Sarsapa¬ 
rilla and it did me a great deal of good. My little 
daughter, ten years old, has suffered from scrofula and 
catarrh, a great deal. Hood’s Sarsaparilla did her 
more good than anything else we have ever given 
her.” Mrs. Louisa Corp, Canastota. N. Y. 
Purifies the Blood 
"I take Hood’s Sarsaparilla every year as a spring 
tonic, with most satisfactory results I recommend 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla to all who have that miserable 
tired feeling at this season.” C. Parmelee, 349 Bridge 
Street, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
AST PEKSON CAN PLAY 
out PIANO AND ORGAN ?h h e 
_aid of a teacher by using Soper’s 
Instantaneous (snide to the keys. No previous 
knowledge of music whatever required. Send for 
book of testimonials, FREE. Address SOPER, 
MUSIC CO., Box 1487, NEW YORK, N. Y. 
GLASS MILK JARS 
With “ Lightning:” Stoppers, manufactured by 
WHITNEY CLASS WORKS 
227 S. Front Street, 35 Murray Street, 
Philadelphia. New York. 
Send 20 cents for a package of Plush, 
Silk. Satin, and Velvet for l’atch- 
P * i,, f. O. WEitosKJir, Providence, K. 1. S 
General Advertising Rates of 
THU RURAL NBW -YORKER- 
34 PARK ROW, NEW YORK. 
TTie following rates are invariable. All are there~ 
fore respectfully informed that any correspondence 
with a view to obtaining different terms will prove 
days, you can imagine what a loss is caused. 
All the rum shops did a tremendous busi¬ 
ness. What a shameful thing it is that these 
shops should be permitted to work so much 
injury. Many weak-minded men thought 
they must drink. Some were in trouble be¬ 
cause they could not get word to their fami¬ 
lies. Others were chilled by the cold aud 
drank whisky to warm themselves. It was a 
shame! While daylight lasted these men 
were able to keep up, but when darkness came 
down upon us dreadful scenes were enacted. 
The lights were all out. Darkness and blind¬ 
ing snow filled the streets. Hundreds of men, 
stupid with drink, were staggering hopelessly 
about iu the drifts, bewildered, blinded aud 
weak. Many of them dropped in the snow 
and were frozen to .death. Some were saved. 
Mauy were injured fop life. It was horrible! 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
Sold by druggists. $1; six for $5. Prepared only by 
C. I. HOOD & CO., Apothecaries, Lowell, Mass. 
IOO Doses One Dollar. 
UASIC WT1JDY. Book-keeping, Business 
M (VI EL Forms.Penmanship, Aritbmetic.Short- 
.. ‘ ’L. Circulars free. 
Buffalo, N. V. 
hand, etc., thoroughly taught by MAIL. 
BRY ANT «fc STRATTON’S. 
nr I n WANTED. £25 a week and ex pe ti¬ 
ll El la “ses paid. Steady work. New goods. 
Samples free J. F, HI 1,1, ifcCO., Augusta Me. 
f rnCE To introduce our MAGIC BAUM 
I ilfcfc we will giveaway 10,000 bottles. Il'you 
want one, send 12 cents for postage, <kc. Will 
grow a moustache in 20 days, full heard in 30. 
Address. F. O. WEHOSKEY, Providence. It. L 
HOLD 
mt. 
I.ive at homo ami make more money working for us than 
I at anything else in the world. Either sex. Costly outfit 
IVrms »KKS. Address, TuUg A Co., Augusta, Maine, 
futile . 
Ordinary Advertisements, per agate line (this 
sized type, 14 lines to the inch).30 cent*. 
One thousand lines or more,within one year 
from date of first insertion, per agate line, 25 “ 
Yearly orders occupying 14 or more lines 
agate space.25 
Preferred positions.25 per cent, extra. 
Beading Notices, ending with “Adv.,” per 
line, minion leaded.75 cent*. 
Terms of Subscription. 
The subscription price of the Rusal New Yorker is: 
Single copy, per year.$2 00 
“ “ Six months.:• 1-1° 
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Germany, per year, post-paid. $3,04 (12*. 6d.) 
France. 8.04 (1614 fr.) 
French Colonies. 4.03(29)4 fr.) 
Agents will be supplied with canvassing outfit on 
application. 
Entered at the Post-office at New York City, N. T, 
a* second class mall matter. _ , 
