Imagime being caught on the prairie or in the mountains by a snow storm (ie. Donners) Most shovels were made of carved wood. Today I broke the handle of my modern snow shovel because od the weight of the snow. From Prairie Ranger: "A railroad yard was no place for a stranger on a moonless, foggy night It was a strange and ghostly place. Iron giants seemed to lurk there making monsterous shadows and strange noises. Hisses of escaping steam could come from any direction. Running was more dangerous now because of objects lurking just out of sight in the fog...... Abulletspanged off the front of the approaching locomotive sending tiny splinters of lead at my face." Morgan