Tuesday, October 01
Up early this morning and went to the station. I started to overhaul the Delco at 09:00 and found it in far batter condition than I had expected it to be. I have not overhauled it since last November sometime. The fulcrum bar was so badly worn that no adjustment could be got. As we had no tools here to work with for that kind of job, I got into the car and went to the Halfway to get Walt to help. He was busy overhauling a Starter for the Big truck and said that if I would get it fixed he'd get the stuff ready to make a new bushing and bar for me. He cut the bushing and had it nearly fitted when I finished so I went ahead to finish fitting it while Walt put the starter into the truck. I made the bolt too but wouldn't take a chance drilling it for fear of ruining it . Time was everything as the batteries at the station were half discharged when I left and there was a lot of traffic. It was 14:30 when I left there and I was back at the station in 15 minutes. Ten minutes I had the Delco going and the batteries were just about ready to give up. The generators were only giving 750 volts and 2000 is required. I had supper at Pearsons. Joe (GD) and I were asked over at 20:00. Then I went back to the Halfway, but Walt had come to Smith with the Bishop. I went up to the garage and worked on my car lightening up the bands and the steering apparatus. I did a lot of other small jobs too and it was after midnight when I looked at the time. I started back and just got into the house when Walt came in. there was a dance at Lanouettes and he had been there looking for me. He stayed all night. We both went to bed at 00:30.
Wednesday, Oct 02
I worked on the books nearly all day. I decided that I would move down to the station part of the time as I don't want to walk down here to take Meteors in the winter. I had Vic bring down the army bed from home and I brought a few clothes and things that I want looked after. I have to go back and clean the place out now. I had it cleaned a couple of times but it is dusty again. I brought the cat down here too so that I can look after him. Joe and I are going to bach it. Joe Lanouette wants $65/month for board and we can beat that and saving money is what we don't want nothing else but. After supper I fixed up the new table upstairs. We put an army table back up there. The rumour about McMilland and MacAlpine being found isn't true. They are still lost somewhere between Bathurst Inlet and Stoney Rapids. Joe and I listened to the radio and read till 23:00 then went to bed.
Thursday, Oct 03
I got up at 08:00 and got the fire going then cooked breakfast while Joe took the first call. After breakfast I did the dishes then took messages uptown. I got back at 10:00 and gave my table top two coats of dark oak stain. It is getting marked up with cigarette butts and the stamps so with the dark colour they won't show up. I cooked dinner at 12:00. We had fried spuds and liver and Joe washed the dishes. I heard that the Distributor was in so went up to see Ross Gourley. I met him with the Pearsons at Gibsons and he had an ivory cribbage board from Frank Riddell for me. It is 12" long and a dandy. It cost 8 bucks. We all went up to the house and had a drink of brandy then came back to the station. Jack came over then with a half dozen bottles of beer and we had a beer. When Joe got thru with the stn that he was working he came up and joined us. When Pearsons were going out they invited us over for the evening. Joe, Ross and I ate supper at Lanouettes. From there we went down to the boat to see about his luggage then went to Pearsons. He found out that the Athabasca was not going till 08:00 so we had a party till 01:15 and I said that I'd take him across the Portage. Mrs Pearson wanted to go over but Jack was on Meteors and was afraid to go for fear of not getting up. I told them if they wanted to come hop to it and I'd take the Meteors in the morning. I am off tomorrow so I can get back to bed and sleep. Neither of them have been out for a ride for a long time so they came. The roads are in pretty fair shape but it was raining a slow drizzle. We got back at 02:45 and I went to bed.
Friday, Oct 04
Up at 05:20 and took the Meteors then went back to bed and slept till 09:30. I got up and after delivering the local messages I went to the Halfway. It was raining still and the roads were in bad shape. They were very greasy and I had to go in low a great deal of the way. I arrived there about 10:00 and had a cup of coffee with Johnson, the cook. Walt was not up yet so I went up and got him out of bed. The first job was to clean out the carbon. I took the engine to pieces ( the car) and found that the carbon was not as thick as I had expected. The number two piston was quite loose though. I cleaned out what carbon there was then ground the valves. When that was done, I took the pan off the bottom and looked at the bearings. All were in good shape. I took the number two piston out and found the wrist pin bearing was shot. The piston rings are worn and the piston itself was scored but the cylinder was in perfect shape. I put a new piston assembly in and took up all the bearing a shade then reassembled the car. Joe phones me to tell me that my batteries went on the rocks again. They had to take seven cells out of the bank. The positive plates were gone and there was too high of a resistance in the bank with them. They built up the voltage with filament batteries and said that all was OK for now. I had supper there at the Halfway and came home shortly afterwards. I stopped at home and swept out and cleaned up a little then picked up the batteries that I had there and came back to the station. I got here about 20:30 and worked on the Delco trying to get it to charge higher. It has gone on the bum, too. It starts off OK then the load drops to 4 amps after it warms up. I undercut the mica segments and cleaned out the carbon and copper fillings that were there, adjusted the valves, adjusted the timer and got it up to 16 amps then filled up the tank and started it off again. Tom Pearce came in just as I was finishing and came upstairs and stayed till 01:30. Joe came in about 23:30. I shut the Delco off to listen to the radio for a while but started it off just before going to bed.
Saturday, Oct 05
The Delco stopped at 07:30 , waking me up, so I went down and disconnected the filament batteries to prevent them from discharging the station bank. I went back to bed till 08:00 then got up and cooked breakfast. While Joe was finishing his breakfast and washing the dishes, I worked VED till Jack came in about 10:00. When Jack relieved me I finished entering the Sept business and started on the charge accounts. I went uptown for a few minutes so went over and put the cross on Nadene's grave and fixed it all up for the winter. I looks nice and neat and clean now. The leaves from the popular tree right beside the grave have fallen on it like a rug. I smoothed them out and left them there. After supper I went home and got some things I needed on the Salt River trip tomorrow. Then I came home and wrote a letter to Nona. I took it right up and mailed it so as to be sure to catch the mail. When I came back home I listened to the radio till 23:00 then we (Joe) both went to bed.
Sunday, Oct 06
This is my week for Meteors. I got up at 05:00 and built a fire then took the Meteors and sent them off to VED. While Joe cooked breakfast I loaded the car and we got away at 07:00. We arrived at Salt River Farm at 08:15. It was raining when we got there. There was only one flock on the river and as Isidore was there a whole week with his two boys shooting, they were as wild as could be and we couldn't get near them. However, we got one canvasback and as the partridges seemed better hunting we went after them. We got 3 around the farm and on the way home we stopped occasionally and went off hunting. We got 9 birds by the time we arrived at Smith. Joe shot a golden Eagle and when we got home we gave Jack four birds and the eagle. Mrs Pearson wanted to know what the eagle was, I said it was an Arctic Moore Hen. She said that she had never seen one and wanted to know why the name. I told her it was because the more you eat of them the less you want. Jack heard the conversation so came out to see what the joke was and when he saw it he said Oh gee, look at that classy eagle. That spoiled it but we had a kick out of it anyway. We brought it home and gave it to the pups to see what they would do and they fought over it for an hour. We took some pictures of ourselves with the birds and the eagle while still out on the plains. It was just 17:00 when we got home so I took the evening Meteors and as it was so cold downstairs that I was nearly frozen, so I told VED to hold any he had for us till morning unless they were for delivery. Bill was on and said OK. VEC then called me and offered me one. I told him I was nearly frozen and to hold it till morning. I went up to Lanouettes for supper as we were too tired to cook here. Joe had a headache so he didn't come. I went on up home to wait for the mail. While waiting for it, I got the place warm and had a good hot bath. I came back to the station and went to bed about midnight. The mail had not come over yet.
Monday, Oct 07
I either made the bull of not setting the alarm last night or else I turned it off in my sleep. Anyway, I was late for Meteors. I never woke up until 6:50. I took them and got VED at 7:20, 90 minutes late. I borrowed the adding machine from the govn't house this afternoon and worked on accounts all day. During the afternoon Vic Ingraham with his crew came down to put the new chimneys in the station. I was interrupted so much in helping them and listening to the Dutchman, I didn't get as much done as I had hopes of doing. I did from the 1st to the 16. After supper I went uptown with the messages and brought the mandolin and uke down to the station. Jack was uptown and brought down the mail. I got 4 parcels from Nona. There was a cigarette lighter for me and Walt and some music, a radiator cap for the car ( Flying Goose), some socks, cards, etc. there was 2 letters from Nona. The black bears came and cost $45.00. They did not do them as I wanted them at all. I wanted the heads mounted, but with the mouth closed and they mounted them with the head spread out flat and trimmed so that there is not head on them just a square projection. But they are dandy rugs nevertheless. I took the big one home and put the small one at my bed at the station.Jack and I worked till midnight putting up stove pipes to the stoves downstairs and then lit a fire and went to bed. I practiced on the uke and mandolin for about an hour tonight.
Tuesday, Oct 08
Up at 05:20 and took the Meteors and sent them off then went back to bed till 07:00 when I had to get up and get some weather reports for the planes. Wop May arrived at Smith yesterday with the Commercial Airways in a new Ballanca plane, It is stubbier looking than the Fokker but better looking inside. It is painted bright red. The Comm. Airways are carrying the mail this winter. Wop is in looking over the territory, picking out landings, etc. I got the aero Wix OK then went back to bed till 08:30 and got up. Joe cooked breakfast and he went on the set and I went at the books. We got a service from VED this afternoon bawling us out because I refused some messages from VED Sunday night but Jack fixed it OK. The messages were for CFD ( Stoney Rapids) and although they were important they could not get away from here till 10:00 Monday anyway and they got off OK. VED gave them to us Monday morning at 09:00. I guess VED told VEC about it because VEC told Joe that Hastings wanted to talk to Jack. Coombes said it was about me. Since DeWitt went back to Borden, Hastings is Supt. He will have to see Jack tomorrow. Jack was around all day and VEC kept saying that they were busy and would see us late. Jack waited till closing time then went home and Hastings called us and said to put Jack on the wire. Joe told him that Jack had waited around all day and had gone home to supper and he'd have to wait till morning. I went up to the house after supper to show some pictures to a correspondent from Germany. Seems a good head too. I came back to the station at 21:00 and Joe was going to McDougal's to see what the trouble with their set was. I started a letter to Nona then went to bed.
Wednesday, Oct 09
Up for Meteors on time OK and back to bed till 08:30. Worked on books all day and balanced them with my own accounts and made out service cheques for other stations, then went ahead with the Smith Transfer Accounts (Stoney Rapids). I was cook today so put on my favourite stew and had enough left over from dinner for supper too. We had corn and green peppers today and they were a treat. For supper I warmed up the stew then removed the vegetables and then put in a package of noodles. Gee they were great. Joe and I ate the whole box of them as well as cleaned up the rest of the stew. After supper Joe washed the dishes while I cut wood. Joe went uptown for the evening to deliver messages and get the milk. I cleaned up then read till he came home. I made a table to go in-between the pantry shelves and the cupboard tonight. Went to bed at 23:00.
Thursday, Oct 10
Meteors OK . I cooked breakfast then went on the books and accounts. I cooked breakfast then went on the books and accounts. I finished getting the accounts ready for collecting. Then worked outside for a while. I dug a pail of spuds and helped carry the flagpole over to the level place to dry out before painting it. I had to go uptown this afternoon to return the adding machine to the Govn't house that I borrowed and went on up home and printed about 50 pictures and when they were dry I came back to the station and went to bed. It was 00:30 when I went to sleep.
Friday, Oct 11
Meteors OK . I was so darn tired at 08:45 that I couldn't hardly get up. I had a cup of coffee and came downstairs and did a little work then Jack came over and asked me to come and give him a hand fixing his furnace. I went over and it was noon when we finished. I came back home and Joe had dinner cooked. After dinner I worked on mail and reports until 16:30 then started supper. After supper I was too tired to go uptown so Joe and I just sat and talked till bed time. We listened to the radio for a time and I finished reading a book. I started last night "Sweet Danger" then went to bed. It started to rain again tonight about 19:00.
Saturday, Oct 12
It was quite warm out for this time of year when I read the Meteors and the sky was clear for a change. I spent most of the day working on reports, etc. trying to get them cleaned up so that I can get started on Octobers. I have been 2 weeks behind now for a couple of months and try as I might I can only just hold my own with them. After supper I went home and developed a few rolls and got things ready to do some printing tomorrow. I got back to the station about 23:00 and listened to the radio and went to bed.
Sunday, Oct 13
Well, I am thru with Meteors for a week and can now enjoy a sleep without having to get up at 05:00. I slept like a log until 10:00 then had a cup of coffee and went up home. I cleaned the place out a little while waiting for the fires to warm the basement. Then I filled the basement with wood and went to work printing. I printed about 150 pictures and finished drying them at 15:00. I took my clippers and started off to the Halfway to get Walt to cut my hair. I wanted to tighten up the breaks on the bus. I took Nona's 410 shotgun alone in case I saw any birds. I got one about 5 miles out. When I got to the Halfway, the cook told me that Walt and Mickey were at the Haycamp but were expected in this afternoon. It was only 17:00 so I went on over. I met Tom Pearce near Yaniks and gave him a lift into town. He invited me in to supper with him. We were just going in when we met Walt coming out. He came back and talked while we ate. After supper we went down to Syd Porter's and waited there until the boat came in. it arrived at 21:15. This is her last trip. Capt. Alexander was telling me that there was no water at all in the mouth of the Salve. He said that they scraped bottom all the way from Chipewyan to the Catre Fouche. The Slave River (boat) is up near Fond Du Lac looking for the Canadusa. It is a couple weeks overdue and they went to see if they were in difficulties. There has been some bad storms on the lake. We went back to Staymore and talked till the mail left. It left at 22:00 and I left at 22:30 and I caught up to it near McNeils' house at 23:10. 10 minutes across the Portage. That's not bad. The roads are the best I have ever seen them now. The new truck with the double wheels has made a beautiful track right across and has smoothed out all the bumps. I met the new APP while I was over there. He is a scream. He asked Mickey where his car and driving licence was and when Mickey told him he didn't have one and wasn't going to get one, he said that this was the last warning and if he caught him there again without a license he was going to pinch him. Mickey told him that that would be OK with him. He doesn't know who Mickey is and no one will tell him. Oh boy what fun there will be this winter with him. I got back home at 01:30 with the first class mail. There were 2 letters from Nona, that's all. I read the letters about 4 times.
Monday, Oct 14
Worked on the balance of accounts and DRs all day. Didn't go uptown at all during the day. After finishing some of the accounts the operator needed the typewriter for the press so while I was waiting, I wrote a letter to Nona and answered the two I got yesterday. I took the letters uptown after supper and mailed them then came back to the station and listened to the radio till time to go to bed. Retired at 23:00.
Tuesday, Oct 15
Started sawing wood today but as the business is so heavy that only one man can be spared. We had to hire two natives to help us. We started about 09:00 and cut till 17:00 with an hour off for dinner. Jack wanted to go to Fitz tonight and asked me if I would take the Meteors in the AM. He took them for me one morning last week so I said OK. He left here about 20:00 and I read a couple of stories then went to bed.
Wednesday, Oct 16
Took the Meteors OK then went back to bed till 08:30. Jack cooked breakfast and I got up when it was ready. I started the saw at 09:00 and we cut till noon. Joe had dinner ready when I came up and we sat and talked until Pierre and the other fellow came along then we sawed until 17:00. After supper I decided to go over to the Halfway to spend the evening with Walt. When I got there Mickey and Katie were in the cookhouse and told me that Walt was over at Smith for a load for the dance at Fritz. I sat and talked with them for an hour then started back home. I met Walt about a mile out and he stopped and asked me to come back to the Halfway. I turned around and went back and he told me to leave my car there and get in and drive the Dodge to Fritz with him. There were 4 passengers in it. I drove it over and we went to Ed's to have a cup of coffee. The dance was there but it hadn't started yet. We got talking to Steve Yanik about my white bear rug and he said he would mount the head for me if I am not satisfied with the job the HBC did on the black one. Steve showed me all the mounting he has done for himself and he has some very good pieces of work there. We went back to the hotel and watched them dance for an hour or two then went down to Porters for a few minutes. We came back about 01:30 and sat around talking to some of the gang. Mrs Ingraham came in and was waiting for a car to come to Smith and Walt told me to take the Dodge and run her across if I wanted to as he wanted to dance and I was sitting out. I took her home and got back at 04:00. The dance broke up at 05:30 or at least some wanted to come home. I drove them as far as the Halfway and told Walt he'd better go to bed as I had to come across and could just as well bring them over the rest of the way in my car.
Thursday, Oct 17
We got over to Smith at a 05:45 and I came right out to the station. Joe was just taking the Meteors. I lit a fire in the kitchen stove then laid down until 07:30. I got up, had breakfast then went over to Pearsons as we are cutting wood today. I was so tired that I could hardly stand up but after we got going I worked the stiffness and tiredness out of me. We cut 24 cords of wood by 17:00. I was all for going to bed right after supper but the transport agent came over to fix up his radio account. He was balled up with it as a lot of his confirmations were missing. I went down to the office with him and it took till 22:00 to get him straightened out. We came upstairs and had a lunch and he and Joe listened to the radio while I went to bed. it was after 23:00 and I fell sound asleep immediately and slept soundly until……….
Friday, Oct 18
…………..08:45 when I got up and found breakfast nearly ready. I got my breakfast and went over to Pearsons and found them sawing already. We finished their pile at 11:00 and I came back to the station and cooked dinner. After dinner I was too tired to do any work so I read a while then came upstairs for a little while then started supper. After supper I went uptown and found Walt fixing a new gas tank on the light plant. I gave him a hand and at 21:15 he was ready to go home. As I wanted to do a little work on the old bus, I drove him over to the Halfway. We got there at 22:00 and fixed a few of the squeaks and found a few more. He gave me some leather stripping to use to fix the rest with. I got back home about 23:30 and went straight to bed.
Saturday,Oct 19
Up about 08:40. After breakfast I worked on Oct business until about 10:00 then did some small jobs around the place and cooked dinner. After dinner I worked about two hours on the car getting rid of some of the body squeaks. I did another days business on the books then cooked supper. After supper I went uptown for a few minutes then came back. Joe was fixing the Temple Dynamic speaker of McDougal's. I helped him then we took it up to try it out on my set but the battery was dead. So we brought it back to the station and tried it on his set. It is much better now. It had a howl in it all the time. As I am on Meteors tomorrow so I went to bed at 23:30.
Sunday, Oct 20
Late for Meteors. Gee whiz its sure easy to be late. I got them off OK and Palmer was on. He said that he'd fix it up OK for me. I went back to bed and slept till 10:30 when I had to get up for the noon calls. I went down and called CFD at Stoney Rapids. His peanut transmitter was so weak I could hardly hear him so I called Joe and he cleared it for me. Then I called Simpson. We had none for each other. Roche was on so we chinned for a while till it was time for Edm to come on. I sent VED the one from Stoney Rapids then went up and had dinner, Joe had it ready. Joe went to Fitz this afternoon about 14:30. I took the 410 and went out the Bell Rock Road looking for grouse. I went about 4 miles past Bell Rock and came back. I went slow all the way so it was nearly 17:00 when I returned. I got 9 of them. All Spruce Grouse. I went straight home and got my alarm. I intend to be late for Meteors no more. I got back to the station in good time for the evening call then went upstairs and read till Joe got home. I had supper alone. Joe returned about 20:30 and we talked till time to go to bed. We went to bed at 23:30. We both set our alarms. I set mine for 05:20 and Joe set his for 05:30. I woke up when mine went off and I was to get up and shut his off to keep it from ringing. If I overslept mine, his would wake him and he would wake me a La boot. That seems a pretty good stunt. It worked OK too. The radio was very good tonight. We listened to KWKH from Shreveport, Louisiana.
Monday, Oct 21
Worked on books all day and getting draft postal statements and accounts to Ottawa. After supper wrote a letter to Nona and took it up to the PO in case the Canadusa gets in and leaves early in the morning. Went to bed pretty early.
Tuesday, Oct 22
Worked all day trying to catch Oct books up, finished to the 07 only. During the afternoon, about 16:00, it was too late to start another days business so I went out the Bell Rock Road and back the back trail to see if I could spear an odd chicken. No luck at all. When I got back Joe told me to call Walt at Fitz. I got him on the phone and he told me that he had sold my radio for me to Charlie Hilker and that he was leaving at 06:00 in the morning and to bring it over. I told him I would come over about 20:00. He said he might be over himself. Leggo called me up and told me he was having trouble with his power plant and asked me to come over after supper and have a look at it. I went over to Leggos right after supper and fixed the gas engine for him. He had it all out of adjustment and the valves were sticking for the want of oil. I got it going OK by 19:30 then went home and loaded the radio and started over the Portage. Met Walt about 5 miles out and he wanted me to park my bus there and come back to Smith in the new Dodge Victory Six Sedan. Young Russell was with him and he offered to bring my bus back home. So I drove the big one back. We went around town and did what business Walt had to do then I got my mail. It was just sorted. I got 2 letters from Nona and the enlargements from Willsons together with a few odd letters of advertising and one from Norman Welding and one from Freda for Joe. Walt decided that he would go on to Fitz and sleep there tonight so that he could get away early. I drove him to the Halfway in the Dodge and Russell followed with my car. From the Halfway Walt and I went in the Ford and I picked up Russell on my way back. He had stayed and talked with Eugene while we went over. Joe promised to take the Meteors for me in the morning do I did not have to worry about getting back early. In Fitz there wasn't a single light. We got there about 21:30 and everyone was in bed, even the Hotel was dark. I got back to Smith at midnight and sat and listened to the radio with Joe till about 01:30 then we went to bed.
Wednesday, Oct 23
Joe took the Meteors and I slept in till 09:10. I had a light breakfast then worked in the office all day. I finished up to the 10 on the books before quitting tonight. Joe was cook for supper. After supper he went uptown and delivered the messages and brought Jack Taylor back with him. JT just got into town and has to go back tomorrow morning. He stayed with us at the station. We listened to the radio and chewed the rag till 23:00 and I went to bed.
Thursday, Oct 24
I got up and took the Meteors. I woke up JT when I was sending the Meteors to VED. He got up at 07:00 and built such a fire that Joe and I woke up. He came into the bedroom and tried to get us to get up. He sure spoiled our last 40 winks. Just as we would get off again, he would come in and wake us and ask us if we weren't afraid of getting bed sores. Then again he'd want to know if we wouldn't be getting insomnia, etc. he nearly connected with an army boot every time. He had a good time. I finished up to the 14th in the books and the business is getting slightly lighter from then on. After supper I went up to Leggo's and earned a couple of dollars connecting up his charging panel. I then got some milk and came home and listened to the radio for a while and wrote a letter to Nona. The last boat is going back Sunday morning at daylight. The rumour that Jim Darwish was lost was broken today when the RCMP returned to Resolution with the information that he had arrived at Rae OK. No news as to why the delay reached here. There was no word yet of MacAlpine and the lost fliers. The rescue party were to have left Baker Lake this morning but the weather reports from there were very unfavourable for flying. I heard that the Ptarmigan were seen on the Portage this afternoon that means snow soon. It felt like snow all day with high winds and cold all afternoon. Went to bed a little after 23:00.
Friday, Oct 25
Meteors OK and back to bed till 09:15 when Jack came over. I worked on the books again all day but as the days that I was doing were large, I only managed to do two of them, the 15 and 16. After supper I had to go uptown so I brought the milk back. It was cold tonight so came straight home and listened to the radio till bedtime. Went to bed at midnight.
Saturday, Oct 26
Meteors OK and thankful that it is my last day for a week. I slept till 09:15 then got a bite to eat. I started in to overhaul some batteries today and made a whole day of it. I rebuilt 10 of the station batteries. While mixing up the electrolyte a drop of sulphuric acid splashed into my right eye. I couldn't see for the stinging. Just then Joe came into the engine room while I was feeling for the ammonia bottle and got it for me and wet a clean handkerchief and I put it up to my eye. When the ammonia and acid met believe me I knew it. My eye smarted most of the day. Later on, while cleaning some rubber cushion supports for the plates I got some of the litharge in the same eye. I came upstairs and managed to get it all out but there is acid in that stuff too so I had to use the ammonia again. It is still sore while writing this (21:30). It started to snow during last night and has kept it up steady and tonight is still at it. There is about 3 inches on the ground so far and it looks like it is here to stay. It is the winter snow. I went uptown after supper and took Jack Barford down the hill to the A&A office. Had no trouble coming up the hill without chains. The snow isn't deep enough yet to affect the car. Radio was poor tonight. I tinted 2 of the enlargements that came in on the last mail and framed 4. I have the "Moonlight on the Slave River" and "Evening" in black and white and they are much better that the first I had done. These are real black and white. Went to bed at midnight.
Sunday, Oct 27
I slept in until 11:00 then got up and cooked breakfast. After we cleaned up the dishes we decided to go hunting. Joe went out the Portage Road as far as the Mountain Portage then onto the Halfway and returned. I went out the River Road about 12 miles and returned. I got back about 14:35 and Joe was just coming into the station when I arrived. He had no luck. I only got one. Joe told me that Walt was on his way over so I went uptown to find him. I met him in front of our house and he told me to come to Fitz with him. I told him I was invited to the Pearsons for supper and asked when he would get back. He said about 17:30 so I went. The road was bad from the Halfway to Fitz. there had been about 3 inches of snow and it was melting leaving the roads wet and greasy. We didn't get to Fitz until nearly 17:00 and it was nearly 18:00 before we were ready to return. We had to bring the Canadusa crew over to help pull the Liard out. The Laird arrived at Smith this afternoon. As we couldn't get back before supper we had supper at Attridges but he didn't expect anyone in tonight so only had boiled eggs and toast. Walt told me that he got $200 for my set and C Hilker threw in the five tube Westinghouse complete with 2 sets of tubes as well. He didn't have the cash or a cheque there but said he'd send word to Mickey Ryan to settle with me. We got back to Smith at 19:30 and I got into my own car and came on to Pearsons. I was just in time. They had been out hunting and supper was late. I didn't have the heart to tell them that I had anything at Fitz as Mrs Pearson had cooked a big chicken dinner for us, so I ate another supper and I ate a big one so that she wouldn't think I didn't care for it. I was hungry too, after I got started and it was good. We sat and talked and listened to the radio till 02:00 then came home. We got the fires going then went to bed. It was about 02:30 when we retired.
Monday, Oct 28
Slept until 09:00 and then started on the books. The days are getting lighter in traffic so I am beginning to catch up more. I finished up to the 22nd before time to quit. We started to take our two days per week again. Jack is off. Joe got an SOS from McDougal to fix his set again. He was fooling with it when the thing was working OK. Joe went up and brought it down to the station. After supper I went over to the Halfway to get the set that Hilker gave Walt for me and to do some work on the car at the same time. I got there about 19:30 and met Walt just starting out to Smith with a few passengers. He told me to go on up to the garage and help myself till he got back. I went in and talked to Mickey for a while before going up. Mickey's cook is at Smith helping Vic Ingraham build the new butcher shop so Mickey is doing the cooking himself. I went on up to the garage and worked till 22:00. I tightened up all the screws on the car and filled the differential with new and lighter grease and came back to the cookshack. Mickey had gone to bed and Eugene was reading so I started back to Smith. I hoped to get back before Walt started back. I found the radio set there and brought it over with me. I met Walt and Colin Bowen at the Three Mile Bridge and stopped and talked with them for a minute and told them to come on back to Smith and have a cup of coffee. They did. Walt came back with me in the Ford and Colin drove the Dodge. We went to Lanouettes and as they all had gone to bed we helped ourselves. I brought the set out to the station and had a look at it but didn't do anything to it. Joe was monkeying with McDougals set but hadn't changed anything yet. He told me that he couldn't find anything wrong that was apparent. We went to bed at midnight.
Tuesday, Oct 29
I got up and went downstairs while I was waiting for the percolator to do its stuff. Joe was working VED and handed me a wire from Nona. She said that she was going out to the coast with Mother and asked me to send 100 simoleons. I wired to the bank and asked them to wire it to her. I answered her wire and asked her to let me know when the money arrived. A trip to the coast (Vancouver) will do her the world of good as she was never there and the change will be a pleasant one I think. I wish I was going along with her. I can see where they will go. While Joe was taking the Press this afternoon, I went out the Salt River Trail about 10 miles looking for birds but never saw a sign. I got back about 16:30. Jack and Evelyn Pearson came in. They had been out too and although they saw 5 ptarmigan they didn't get a shot at them. They came upstairs to have a cup of coffee. It was about 17:30 when they finished and went home. I put supper on. Evelyn thought that the pictures that I painted were beautiful. After supper I fixed up my new radio set and tired it out and it works fine. When I finished with it, Joe got out McDougals set and was a little fed up with it. We sat down and talked it over. McDougal had tried to better it by putting in some new tubes and shorted a condenser. We figured it out that the tubes he was monkeying around with might be defective especially if the plate and grid were shortened, the same effect would be noted that happened. I advised Joe to hook it up and try it out as in all probability it was OK. He did and found the set in perfect shape with good tubes. He played with it till after midnight then I made a lunch and we went to bed at about 00:30.
Wednesday, Oct 30
This is my day off. I took the Meteors then went back to bed till 10:30. I went home shortly after getting a bite and warmed the place up then printed pictures till noon. Joe came up to see if I was going to eat. We went back to Lanouettes for dinner then I went back and worked at the pictures till about 14:00. While they were washing and some were drying, I went out the Mission Farm Road to get an odd bird. I had no luck. There wasn't a sign. I got out of the car in a couple of places, but as it was beginning to snow I figured that they were all back in the bush. I went home from there and trimmed up the prints then came back to the station in time to cook supper. After supper Joe took McDougals set home and I practised on the mandolin and banjo for an hour then put the kettle on for lunch. We went to bed about 01:10. The radio was poor tonight, there being only CKY and KMX that were worth listening to.
Thursday, Oct 31
I took the set this morning till Jack came in then went upstairs and had a bite of breakfast. It snowed all day but the snow was wet and the day was too warm to stick. The ground is half white and half wet. The book keeping went fine today. Have up to the 26 done. After supper while Joe went up to McDougals to have another go at their set, I went home and developed 8 rolls of films. I returned to the station at 22:10 and we had a lunch then went to bed.