Saturday, April 5th
A whole week had gone since last writing. I have had little time to fill in the days events owing to company, work etc. The weather has been mild for the past week and the snow is fast disappearing. I have spent a couple of days out working on the car getting it ready. I am going to paint it this year. The body will be a light brown almost a fawn and the top, fenders etc black. I have it about half cleaned up already. I was up to see Mrs Conibear the other night to get the house back. I am taking it from June the 1st again and in the meantime they are repainting it inside and out. I am getting some real swell wall paper, (I am keeping the design a secret but the colour is fawn) and I sent away for the new window curtains have, and some rose velour for the draperies into the bed room. The whole place will harmonize and the furniture will all be walnut. I also sent to the States for the cabinet for my new radio. It will be a console type with a dynamic speaker built into it. I have made the set but cant do any more to it until the cabinet comes. It has ten tubes, with a push-pull power amplifier in the last stage. It is also arranged so that a phonograph pickup can be plugged into the amplifier, which automatically disconnects the rest of the set. I will send to Edmonton for the furniture to come in on the first boat. Yesterday the last mail arrived until Open Water, I got four letters from Nona, one from Dad and the usual papers etc. That is about all the news excepting that Jack took over all bookkeeping from the first of April, and I went on the key. It will be good practice for me between now and the busy season.
Sunday, April 6th
Joe on duty today, so I got up pretty early and after breakfast I went out to work on the car. I cleaned it all up, or should I say finished cleaning it, as I have been working on it for several days in my spare time. I also tightened up all the steering gear and shimmed up all the bearings. Every one of them is worn quite a bit. I will likely have to get new bushings for the whole steering assembly this summer. It will cost about $2.00 all together. This afternoon was very warm, so I painted the whole car over with Duce auto enamel. The body is a dark fawn and the top, fenders, axels and running gear is black, while all the trimmings are nickel. I took off all the tires and pumped them up and took one that has a slow leak off the rim to repair. While I was out there working, the cat was playing around with me then went outside. After a while I heard a row and went out to see what was the matter and found Shorty, the governments gangs dog shaking him. I rushed out to stop the fight but the cat was dead. I took a leg of a chair that was out in the warehouse and hit him. I thought I had broken his leg so went in to get my rifle to shoot him but he was gone when I got back out. If he ever comes around here again that is just what he is going to get. There is a law here about keeping dogs tied up or muzzled and had he been either one he could not have hurt Alex. Gordon Cummings was down here for a few minutes this afternoon for something, I forgot now what he did ask about but Joe and I gave him about thirty pounds of moose and caribou meat for his dogs. The warm weather caught us with more than we could eat and it is going bad. After supper Joe and I played a few games of cribbage then a couple games of Two Ten Jack. He won nearly all of them. Went to bed about 1:30, we both had a bath just before going to bed.
Monday, April 7th
We both slept in till Jack came over at 9:40 and that woke us up. He was mad at Joe for oversleeping but got over it soon. He took the calls while we ate then went over to get his own breakfast. He was getting breakfast for himself and Evelyn, when our phone rang and as it was not answered he answered it from there. It was Oaks at Fitz with a message. He took it then called us and when we did not answer he brought it over. Evelyn has been sick for the past week so he went back to get her some breakfast and look after her for a while. I went up town today and put in three shelves at the end of the cabinet in the kitchen. The shelves are made with sides of gas cases and lined with beaverboard. They are for keeping towels etc on. I am going to try and make a lot of cupboards and things before it is painted. I received a wire from Nona today saying she would be home in the middle of August. I will have it all ready before she comes. Mrs. Conibear flew to Edmonton yesterday. I forgot to mention it in the diary. Mabel is graduating this May and she went out for the graduation. Mabel is getting her B.A. good stuff for Mabel. I didn't hear whether Kenny was to not but if this if his last year he is. Joe and I went to Lanouettes for supper tonight and Jack Taylor and Frank Dent were in town. They both came back to the station with us and stayed till 1:00. We played cards for a while. The radio was N.G. Joe has been using his 171 tubes in the transmitter and I guess they are no good now. The thermionic emission was too heavy in the transmitter circuit and they wont function as amplifiers in the receiver any more. Went to bed at 1:00. JT was telling us that his application into the RCMP was accepted and he sent his papers in. He will likely go to Regina for training on the first boat.
Tuesday, April 8th
Jack and I on today. I was on the set nearly all day. It rained pretty hard for a couple hours today. That is the first rain of the year. The snow is going fast now. The bare ground is showing all over. There are some great water holes this year. In front of Lanouettes there is a foot of water across the whole road. It will not last long though. As soon as the frost gets out of the sand it will disappear like a sponge. Should be good crops here this summer. I am planting a bunch of sweet peas this year. I am sending to Edmonton to get a bunch of flower seeds and some fertilizer. Will plant sweetpeas all along the fence. Joe went up town tonight to test out a new S.W. transmitter. He is testing with Simpson. I made a date for him with Simpson before closing down. I was alone on the set as Jack went home about 5:30. I finished up at 7:15 and it was after 8:00 when I had my supper. I took the third part of the third degree. AMORC tonight then spent some time with an experiment in Alchemistry. Had quite a lot of success with it too. Will do it all over several times though. I went to bed at 11:00.
Wednesday, April 9th
On the set all day, very busy. After supper I practised on the mandolin for a while and took another lesson in AMORC. Have finished third initiation now. Joe was uptown tonight.
Thursday, April 10
Today I was off the set. I cleaned up the engine room and started to clean up and pack away all the radio apparatus in the room upstairs used as a broadcasting studio. Joe and I separated what belonged to us and each packed his own. After dinner I worked on my car and had it all finished and ready for the road now. There is one tire to be fixed yet but I didn't get a chance to do it today. Went to bed at 23:00.
Friday, April 11
On the set all day again. Business fair. After supper I went uptown and talked to Mr. Conibear for a couple of hours. He gave me a bunch of papers when I left to come home. They are used in putting down the battleship linoleum at the station. I returned about 10:30. Joe was here reading. I read for a while then we both went to bed.
Saturday, April 12
I was on the set this morning. Joe cooked dinner then while he took the set I got my car out. I got stuck here beside the station and was an hour getting out. Later I got stuck again just around the corner off the station lot and was another hour getting out. Joe came out between calls and gave me a hand. We decided to go uptown for supper so I went back out and got out as far as the road then came back and got ready. There was as much business that came thru at the last minute that we didn't get a chance. So I cooked supper and we decided to go uptown later. We have to go thru the drifts that we have come thru already. About 19:30 we were ready so went on. The trail was fine all the way to town now. We have to go around by way of the butcher shop. They have been hauling wood all winter that way and they are using the wide sleighs now. They are the same width as the car. This winter they took a snowplow and plower all the roads so that the teams would have a decent trail. We went past the Butchershop, then down past Godsells and around by the Bay and up the main street as far as my place and turned around. Coming back I had no trouble at all. About 22:00 I was sitting upstairs reading when suddenly took sick to my stomach. I had to go outside for a while. At supper I had some bread and gravy and the gravy was evidently too greasy as it was all that had not digested. I went to bed right away.
Sunday, April 13
My turn on the Meteors this week. I got them away OK then went back to bed till 10:00. I went uptown at 11:00 and brought some parts out that were at home. The roads are fine now. Going over them last night packed them down for me. I got back shortly after 12:00 then Joe and Browne and I went back to Lanouettes for dinner. The road is real good all the way now excepting a little bumpy right here at the station. After we came back Joe and Browne worked on Joe's car and got it going. They went uptown just to try it out. Works OK but a little loose. We all had supper here then Joe and Browne worked for a while on the shore wave transmitter that they are playing with. I read for a while then practised on the mandolin for a while. We went to bed about midnight.
Monday, April 14
I was sure all night that I would be getting a wire from Nona today but as one didn't seem to be coming, I sent her a not thru the gang in Edmonton who will post it to her. After supper I went uptown in the car to bring Joe home. He was at Yorks and it was blowing a blizzard and he wasn't dressed for it. When in front of Mories old store there was a high drift and in the dark and bad weather I got over about 10 inches too far on one side and went thru the drift. I tried to get out but saw that I would only get stuck further so went over to Yorks and got a shovel. Bert came back with me and we worked on it for a while then Bert went back for more help. York told him to leave it there and he would move it in the morning as he was getting Vic Ingraham with a team to do some work for him. He came back and told me so we went back to his place and Joe and I walked home later. It was 01:00 when we got home.
Tuesday, April 15
This afternoon I went up to bring my car home. They had phoned to tell me that Vic was just pulling it out then but when I got there it was out and Vic had gone. I started the engine up and was going to drive over to Lanouettes but the car wouldn't move. The axel was broken. I wasn't sure at the time whether it was the axel or the drive shaft but found when I got home that that it was the former. Burke was just going by so I got him to tow it home for me and I put it away in the garage. When the weather gets warmer I will put the new one in. I have a spare on in the car, thank goodness. It is a miserable job putting it in but it has to be done and I will bet at it as soon as it warms up. It was cold all day again and snowed about 5 inches today. After supper Joe laid down and slept for a few hours and I played the mandolin for a while then wrote a letter to Nona. I am anxious about her and wont get over it till I hear from her and I look for a wire every time we call Edmonton. We went to bed about 01:00.
Wednesday, April 16
I slept till 11:30 today and got up and got the fire going for dinner. I stayed around all afternoon doing nothing. It snowed again for a while today and the wind came up very strong. After supper Joe had to go uptown so I stayed around playing the mandolin for a while and reading.
Thursday, April 17
I was on the set today from 09:00 till noon and from 13:00 till 14:30 then from 16:00 till 18:30 when I closed down for the night. At 13:00 today I got a wire from Nona which made me very happy indeed. It read " Baby girl arrived 16, both well, Love Nona". Joe was here when it came and he could read it as it was coming in. he congratulated me as soon as it was received. I answered it right away. I am glad especially for Nona's sake that it is over as it is a long wait.
Friday, April 18
My 30 birthday.
Holy Smoke that makes me look ancient or it makes me feel like I am. However, I feel like I'm 20. This was Good Friday so it was a holiday except that the station was open for Sunday hours and my turn on shift. I took the 05:30 trick, Joe took the noon and I took the 17:30 trick. Joe and Browne went uptown and dug my old bus Leapin' Lena out and brought it down to the station. I gave it to Browne to use until he goes out or until Alex Loutit, the present owner, calls for it. Joe had to tow it all the way although the engine worked right off but there was only one tire on it that held air and none at all on the front wheels. Those two are sure getting a kick out of it, especially Browne. He is as happy as a boy with it. I printed a bunch of snaps today as I had to stay around the station all day anyway. Went to bed at 23:30.
Saturday, April 19
My day off. I cleaned upstairs this morning and during the afternoon I took the back axel off the springs of the sedan but it was too cold to work any longer so I will take it off at the Universal maybe tomorrow. It snowed again for a couple of hours this afternoon and the temperature is still below freezing. this is the latest it has been since I have been here. There is still nearly 2 feet of snow on the level places and some drifts are still 4-5 feet high.
Sunday, April 20
Nothing doing today. It was too cold to work on the car so I spent the day inside.
Monday, April 21
Today is a holiday, Easter Monday. Joe went uptown this afternoon then went around his trap line to gather up his traps, snowshoes, etc. While he was gone I scrubbed out upstairs and cleaned the place out for the linoleum. After supper there was a dance on at Lanouettes so we decided to go up. We went in Joes car. We played bridge all evening. Joe and I beat Bill Schaffer and Don Naylor. We returned home at 01:30 and went straight to bed.
Tuesday, April 22
Up at 09:00. After breakfast we started laying the linoleum upstairs. We had to go to Lanouettes for dinner as the stove here was not lit. it would have been too hot working around it. By 17:00 we finished all the upstairs excepting the spare room and put things back. It looks dandy there now.
Wednesday, April 23
Thawing today for the first time in 10 days. We finished laying the linoleum upstairs and the office downstairs. Browne and Emerson were here for a little while just before supper. Joe went up to Leggos after supper and I did some work around the house. Joe came back about midnight. Jack had a date with Simpson tonight at 20:30 and Mrs Pearson came over with him. They were here till 21:10.
Thursday, April 24
I was on the Key all morning until 14:30 when Joe took over. Bert came down to spend the day with us so he and I went to work on the car. Took the rear end out and found that the pinion gear was broken in two. One part had gotten down under and behind the crown gear. The other part had fallen down in the bottom of the housing. There was less than a quarter inch play there and it is a mystery to us how the car was towed home without one or the other of the pieces catching in the teeth of the crown gear. Had they done so they would have been forced thru the housing completely damaging it. We were ver lucky in the work as all the hard jobs seemed to fit right in the first shot. I had figured on not finishing it until tomorrow morning sometime but we had it working and outside before 16:30. There is still nearly 2 feet of snow and some bad drifts that are getting very soft with the warm weather, so I will not take it out on the road again until the roads are pretty well dried up. I don't like to get it all mudded now that it is newly painted and now that the engine and transmission is all newly overhauled and new band in. I don't want to put it on the road and have to razz the dickens out of it trying to keep it going. Bert was here for dinner but went back uptown for supper as Fred wanted him to help him with the new boat. Fred has bought a new boat ( I should say on old one) and is putting the engine out of the Rambler into it and is having 3 barges made this spring. He has the contract of carrying the Commercial Airways gas down as far as Aklavik. There are 300 barrels all together. With all the gas coming in this summer for the NAME, the Atlas Exploration Co, consolidated Mining and Smelt Co, The Western Canada and the Commercial Airways and Dome Explorers planes it is figured there will be close to 100,000 gallons of gas and oil go down river. So the HBC raised the freight on gas a couple of cents/gallon. That is why Fred is getting in on it. He is carrying it at the old price. He bought the old boat for a song, is putting in a sterling 60 hp engine and will sell the scows down river. He should clean up pretty well. Since he went out and passed his flying tests and went on the payroll of the Commercial Airways, he is a different Fred altogether. He looks better and is back to his old self as he was when I first met him. He has gotten over all his petty meanesses that he was getting into. Nothing doing this evening. Went to bed early.
Friday, April 25
My day off duty so I slept till noon then went uptown. There was nothing doing up there. The snow is melting fast today. Every hour a difference can be seen. Came home for supper and went to bed early.
Saturday, April 26
I was on the Key today until 14:30 (Press time) then worked around out in the yard draining the puddles. It was a little colder today so the snow didn't seem to go very fast. Joe and I went uptown for supper.
Sunday, April 27
On duty all day today. Very light business. After supper I went up to Leggos for a while to help him put in the new single drum control in his radio that I got for him some time ago. He has been after me for weeks to do it so i did it to get it over with. He gave me a carton of Millbanks for doing it and I made $25 profit on the parts. On my way home I stopped at Pearsons for a game of cards. I told them I'd get there about 21:00 but it was 22:30. Browne was there with Joe so they did not have to wait for me. When I got there we played Two, Ten, Jack so that all 5 of us could play. Joe won and I was second. Warm again today and the snow is going to beat the band. There are puddles at nearly every corner and they are more like little lakes. Some of them are 2 feet deep. The corner of Axehandle Ave is all under water from the Police fence to the far side of Conibears store. I was 03:00 when Joe and I got home.
Monday, April 28
My week on Meteors. I was up at 05:00 and got them off OK then went back to bed till 11:00. Joe and I went uptown for dinner then I did some shopping and running around that I had to do. It was 16:00 when I got back to the station. The snow is melting here at the station faster than we can drain it off. There is a big lake out in the bush behind the warehouses over a 100 feet across that the water is draining into and is too deep to wade thru with the knee boots. It had backed half way from the trees to the warehouses and our woodpile is under water and there is still a foot of snow on the lot. it sure went down today some. Joe went uptown tonight. I did some experiments in alchemistry of A.M.O.R.C. Joe got home at midnight and we went to bed.
Tuesday, April 29
I was on the Key until Press time then Jack took over and I went out in the yard and helped Joe with the drainage problem. We got things moving pretty well. The years before we used to have 2 little ditches going but this year we have 7 and they are all about twice the size of the ones we had before. They are going all the time. By 17:00 tonight the ground all around the station and on the hills and places here and there were bare of snow but there is about 7 inches of it yet around. Out lake is getting big enough that we could use a boat on it. It is believed that the steamers will come straight thru this year as there is so much water. The river here is raining and there are great pools of water all over it but the ice is still solid. It will not take many more days like these though to do the trick. Joe was uptown all afternoon and didn't come home for supper so I put a perc of coffee on then went out and plithered around the yard. Jack and I had some coffee and bread buns at 17:00 so I was not hungry. I set off a bonfire today and got rid of a bunch of junk that was laying around the place. I also buried the cat. Shorty was down here the other day and killed it but it was too frozen to bury him. I have been laying for Shorty to come around again and have a nice 25-20 shell in the magazine waiting for him but I guess the licking I gave him lasted. he came down yesterday with Getty and when he saw me he beat it and I told Gerry why he didn't want to get close. Gerry was as sorry as the devil about it. he told me that he didn't know that Shorty would bother a cat until the other day one got into the yard and Shorty took after it but the cat stood there and put up a fight. he said he watched it and never saw a dog get torn up so badly before. he didn't stop it when he saw that the cat was able to look after himself because he said it would likely put Shorty in his place. I saw Edyth yesterday and she told me she was dreadfully sorry about "Princess" ( that was still his name to them). It is only 19:30 now so I am going back to work later. I went out and worked a few minutes on the car then was working around in the yard. Then Joe and Browne came in with the car. This is the first care to come in since we had to quit running a week ago. They say that the road is very nearly dry in most places as the frost is going fast and the water is soaking up. Browne went back about 23:00 and I went to bed.
Wednesday, April 30
Was on the set all day today with exception of the Press period. Later on I went uptown with the car. There was only a few water holes but by going thru on low and slowly, I didn't splash any water on the car except on the wheels and ales of course.