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Miss Alma Carlson Heroine In Great 1888 Blizzard

February 10, 1888

Miss Alma Carlson, the teacher near Colon, who was out in the blizzard for nine hours, is now recovering from the partial freezing of her feet and hands.  She will  lose the nails of her right hand and perhaps the ends of some of her fingers. her fright foot is still very sore, swollen and painful. After all, who has been braver than she?

She kept her little flock together in the school house until dark, and then started to her boarding place near by for supper and a light.  When she found herself nearly lost - that a haystack was her only refuge.

She realized that to keep still was to freeze to death.  So she commenced to pull down the hay and stamp it, and during those nearly nine hours she kept it up until those who passed afterwards said she pulled down nearly two thirds of the stack.  

At one o'clock the gentleman at whose house she boards, started out with a light to see if he could learn something about her and the children.  For an hour he wandered about unable to find the school house.  When he arrived there he found the children alright, but their teacher was missing.

This friendly light had, however, come to her rescue, for she saw it and stumbled along as best she could with her stiff feet, and as she fell into the door, said, "my hands and feet are frozen," and then fainted.

In spite of all this, Miss Carlson has continued her school every day.

With a bandaged right arm and both feet in large "artics" she has gone on with her work to the present time.  At 17 years of age, who can give a better record?  When you count heroines, count Alma Carlson one.