Thursday, May 01
I was on Meteors this morning but overslept and never woke up until 08:00. I went down but of course I couldn't get Edmonton until 09:00. That is the latest that we were for over a year. We had three alarm clocks and one ran completely down, on Joe shut off in his sleep and I shut the other one off in my sleep. This afternoon Gerry came down to the station and played a hand of poker over the wire with Hastings at Simpson for 10 sweepstakes tickets. Gerry won. He had a pair of Kings and RSH ( Hastings) had a pair of Queens. Mrs Pearson came in just at that time so I came up and put the perc on and we all had coffee and cakes. The cakes were some that she made and brought over to us. Just when Getty was ready to go home it started to rain, the first of the season I think. So I took him home in the car. Mrs Pearson went along and did some shopping. Browne came up this evening about suppertime and he and Joe went back uptown later. I practised for an hour on the mandolin while I was alone. I am playing by ear as I don't care much for the pieces we have around here. There are in too many flats for my limited knowledge of the mandolin.
Friday, May 02
I was on the set all day today and overtime I called Simpson, I expected a SVC about the late Meteors yesterday. I thought for sure there wold be because Jack called Simpson at 13:00 and I could read him from upstairs. He asked them if they knew we were late for Meteors. Oh well, nothing came of it anyway so I guess I shouldn't kick. I went uptown a couple of times today then came back and read for a while. Joe was uptown and came back about 23:00. We went to bed at midnight.
Saturday,May 03
I was on the set until Press time. Went uptown once during the afternoon. After supper I went up to spend the evening at Calaghans and was there till 02:00. had a read good time, too. Bill Schaffeur is staying there until Vic gets the new house finished. he is building a new place of his own across from the new butcher shop. They have a real fine shop there now and with new barns, sheds, etc. It looks like a small town of its own. Campbells house is nearly read too although he is slow with it because he works alone at it. Joe was asleep when I came in so I went straight to bed.
Sunday, May 04
Browne came down early and we went to work and fixed up Cazukus for him. I never saw a car so funny before. The paint job we did is a cream body with red trimmings and grey fenders. The top of the hood is robin blue and the radiator is aluminium. We cut the top so that it just goes over the back seat to represent a Landeau. Browne calls it his Cabriolet ( he pronounces it cab-ree-oh-let ). We got a packing box behind and fixed it on for a trunk and painted licence plates on it ( 1930 model- No9 Dealer) and it has disc wheels and a bumper. The bumper is made from the wooden centre of a linoleum roll. I took some pictures of it but have not had time to finish them yet. Joe, Browne and I went uptown and went to Lanouettes for supper. Then I came home and read for a while and went to bed early.
Monday, May 05
I was on the set today. Browne's car was dry so we phoned Lanouettes to say that we'd be there for supper and decided to have some fun. Browne was chaffer and Joe was footman. They were dressed with our fur coats and blue hat ( from our blue uniform with the badge off) and I was dressed up and had a raincoat and boudoir hat and cane. I was in the back seat. We stopped at pearsons to get a cigar and they wanted to come to. We all went up to Lanouettes then went and called on everybody. My gosh talk about a scream, that outfit takes the cake. We put on lots of style and dog on the trip, too.We stopped at Pearsons on the way back and played cards until about 02:00 then came home and went to bed.
Tuesday, May 06
On the set all day today. Nothing doing in the evening. Joe went uptown with Browne.
Wednesday, May 07
I stayed in bed until 11:00 then went uptown. Was up at the house for a while. Ice moved at the Hay camp and 02:30 this afternoon.
Thursday, May 08
Ice at Smith broke away from the point and cleared as far as Gravel Point. I took a run down the hill to have a look at it. The water is much higher this spring than I ever saw it before. It is dangerously near the HBC warehouse.I was on the set most of the day and during the afternoon Joe was invited at the Police for supper, so I decided to eat at Lanouettes. After supper I decided to go to the Halfway for a ride. The trails are pretty good, although I was stuck chiming back for a few minutes. It was about 22:00 when I got home. Joe and Browne came in about an hour after I arrived. Browne took the pan off his engine and took up the bearings on the connecting rods.
Friday, May 09
I was on the set till 10:00 then got Joe up and while he took the set I went to work outside cleaning up. We had a fellow here working so I went out to show him what there was to do. He raked up the yard. Then he and I cleaned out both warehouses and the engine room and the place is the cleanest it has been for years. It looks the best it ever has because there are no stumps around now like there used to be. The ice broke and started moving at Fitz at 19:30 tonight. I took Mr & Mrs Pearson down the hill to see the river and it had began to go down again. The water was up over the platform but has fallen a foot. Two boats that were considered safe up on the bank drifted away. One of them was Raneys boat. He left it in my charge but there is nothing I can do for it. It is caught in a creek about 50 feet below where it had been but it may go out of there if the river comes up any more. It had gone from a place that ordinarily would have been ten feet above high water. I took the Pearsons out for a ride as far as the boundary then they came down to the station for a while. When they went I started to read a book that they loaned me "Ladies in Hades" by Frederic Arnold Kummer. Went to bed at midnight.
Saturday, May 10
Up about 09:00. I went down to look at the river and it was up under the warehouse now. I took a picture of it and brought the Doctor and Inspector Trundle up the hill. When I got back to the station Joe was talking about the roads to Fitz and I decided to run over and see Walt and Tom Pearce. I left here about 11:00 and stopped to talk to Mickey for a while. It was dinner time so he told me to stay and have dinner. I did. I left there about 12:30 and met Joe Lacombe and Walt on the road about a half mile on the other side of the Halfway and stopped and talked to them for a half hour and as this was its first trip after being overhauled, it was running hot. They were letting it cool off. I got into Fitz about 14:00 and went down to see Mories and after talking to them for about an hour I went up to see Bob McDermitt and talked to him most of the afternoon. I had supper at the Berbers, I was down to Syd Porters for a while to look up some things in the Encyclopedia Britannica. I went back to Mories and spent most of the evening. The Policeman was there and I chewed the fat with him for a long while. I left there about 22:00 and brought Dolly Mercredi and Molese Mercredi over with me. It was about 23:00 when I got home and went to bed.
Sunday, May 11
Up at 05:30 and sent off the Meteors and 2 more wires that were here and took one. About 08:00 Punch Dickens arrived at Fitz. First plane since the March 29. The Commercial plane arrived 10:30 so we should have mail this afternoon. Between the noon and night calls I went over to Pearsons for dinner then took them uptown to see if the mail came in yet but as it hadn't I took them for a ride out over the Mountain Portage. There was hardly any ice left on the lower side but the upper side was jammed. The mail arrived at 15:00 but as this was not a regular run but a special trip to take Mr. McDougal out to the hospital, all they brought was one bag. I got 5 letters from home, 4 from Nona and some from the bank. I answered Nonas' then took them up to the PO after I finished on the set. I was on the Key all day as this was my Sunday on. It was midnight when I went to bed.
Monday, May 12
I was on the set . Joe relieved me at dinner time and was on this afternoon. The 3 of us made out a new schedule this morning. All the operating is being done by Joe and I. The week one is on the early AM Meteors (5:30) then he goes back until 10:30 then gets up and takes any messages uptown that have to go and comes back and cooks dinner. Dinner is at 13:00. This arrangement will only be effective until the new fellows come in, then there will be 3 of us on. The schedule will be changed then to allow for me living at home. When they get here I will be off Meteors. During the afternoon I worked around the car till about 16:00. I read most of the evening.
Tuesday, May 13
More mail arrived this afternoon. One letter from Nona telling me about the baby. it was written in bed and I learned that her name is Yvonne. I like it very much. I got a bunch of seeds from Edmonton and after supper I went up to the cemetery and planted some Stocks and Poppies on Nadene's grave. Then I went home and planted Sweetpeas along the fence. I planted 15 packages of Sweetpeas, every package was a different colour. I have 15 packages left. In the garden at the side of the house, I planted a package of California Poppys and one of the Shirley Poppys and some Candytuft. In the plot around the house I planted one package each of Calliopsis, African Daisy, Scarlet Flax and some Bachelor buttons. Along the lower part of the fence, I planted a package of Nigonette and Lavatera. I planted one package of Nasturtum ( dwarf) around the border of the plot at the side of the house. After I finished I decided to go to the Halfway for a ride and see Walt. When I got there I saw "Jean". He was alone and told me that everybody was at Fitz, launching Mickey boats. I decided to go on over and he went with me. I saw Bert and Walt and talked to them till 22:00. I had a haircut while I was there too. It was midnight when I got home.
Wednesday, May 14
On Wednesdays Joe and I changed around so that it breaks up the week up for the one on Meteors. I had to take the morning shift. Business was just fair. Another mail arrived today but it was all papers and packages. I got a birthday package from Mother & Dad. The plane will be here with the mail everyday for 4 days running till they get the mail to here cleared up. It turned cold today with a north blowing wind and at 09:00 it started to snow but it stopped before the ground was white. It continued cold all day. After supper the drawing for the sweepstakes tickets was held in Lanouettes. Paul, Pop Walters, Morie, Phil Kennedy, Bob Middleton and I did the drawing. Pop drew the numbers, Paul read the name and Bob, Phillip and I did the writing while Fred drew the times. It was 00:30 when we finished. There was a dance going on but I didn't stay. I came home and went to bed.
Thursday, May 15
After taking the Meteors I went back to bed and slept till 11:45. Then I got dinner ready. I was on the set all afternoon. Joe went up and got the mail at 16:00. It was nearly all made up of papers, however. I got a letter from Nona's Mother and Dad in Barrie. I got a pearl pen and pencil from the Tobacco Co. for eight sets of poker hands. It is a beauty too. After supper Joe went uptown with Browne. I developed a pack of films. They came back about 23:00 and we had a lunch and talked till midnight then Browne went home and we went to bed at 01:00.
Friday, May 16
I was on the set all afternoon today. Business fairly brisk. Word came thru that the SS Athabasca left Waterways at 06:00 . After supper Joe went out so I decided to go for a car ride. I went about 5 miles out the Portage Road and back. Then I went over to Lyalls and talked to him for a while and came home and read some newspapers. Went to bed about 23:30.
Saturday, May 17
On the set all afternoon. Business heavy. After supper jack phoned over and asked us all to come over but Joe and Browne were just going to Fitz so they declined. I went over and Mrs Morie and Fred were there. They have been over here for several days. Mrs Morie is waiting to go to the hospital. She has been ready for several days. She had to be back at 21:00 as they lock the hospital up, so I ran them all up in the car. After Fred came back out I asked Mrs Pearson if she would like to go for a car ride and Fred said to go on over to Fitz and he would fill my tank up for me so I did. We all went over and stayed at Fred's for a while. Captain Warner was there. He had just got in with a kicker from Waterways. He said that the steamer should be able to make it OK as there was no ice on the lake. Pete Baker was there too and in a humorous mood. He told us some very interesting yarns of his experiences. I didn't notice the time at al but when we got home it was 02:30. Mrs Pearson was pretty tired and decided not to go over tomorrow to see the steamer come in, at least she said she didn't think she would go.
Sunday, May 18
Jack phoned up at noon and said that they thought they would like to go over to Fitz to see the boat after all. Joe was all ready to go too and as he was on duty today, he was just going to call Jack and ask him if he would take the evening calls for him when jack phoned to say that they would go. We left here at 14:00 and had a puncture just before we came to the 3 mile bridge. Jean Ryan came along and stopped to see if I was OK. he had a load. The Bull Moose had arrived at noon and he was taking a load over to Smith. They were the crew for the Distributor. Chris and McLennan were in the car. We stopped at the Halfway for a while, then went on. Nearly everyone was over there. The Athabasca arrived at 17:25. Old Jack McFayden won the sweepstakes. It was $1290.00. Everybody was glad to see him win, too. He is an old timer here and an old pal of Bill Russells. He is too old to work and hasn't very much. In fact McDermott told me that he was up against ti and this would be a God send to him. Well, good luck to him, thats the kind I like to see win.There were a lot of people on the bank. There are a bunch of mining men coming in and a new bunch for fort Smith. A Mr Norzack and his bride, for the Mining Branch of the Dept. A Mr Meilke and his family for the same outfit, who will live in Hastings house ( Horzack will live in the Hotel. They are fixing up Conibears suite and remaking it over). Then there is a Mr AL Cumming and his family, all for Smith. Had a chat with Capt. Myers. He is just the same as ever. The Athabasca is fixed up swell this year. Jack Barford and Eddie, who worked down at the A&A last year are back and Alex Johnson is now Purser on the Distributor. Backland is back too. Mrs Gagnon and Suzanne were on the boat as well, although I didn't speak to them. The new tire and new upholstery for the car came and Syd gave it to me there. I brought it home and when I looked at the upholstery, Oh Boy, it sure some class. It is a kind of cord material of a bluish grey colour and has a thin stripe of a floral design every 3 inches. The edges of the seats are lined with blue leather and there is a blue leather stipe around the top of the side pieces that go along the side of the car. The new upholstery goes all over the car up to the bottom of the windows. It rained all day and the roads were beginning to get a little slippery when we came home. We got back at 21:30 and I stayed over at Pearsons till 23:00, then went home to bed.
Monday, May 19
I was on the set all morning but during the afternoon I put the new upholstery in the car then fixed the spare tire and am now all set. I have a couple more things for the bus still on the way but they are just small parts to replace. The old bus is running like a new car and everybody says it looks like a new one too. The new paint job turned out swell. After supper Joe went uptown and as it was kid of lonesome here I went over to the Halfway. Mickey, Jean, Bill Johnson, Bert, Callaghan and Bill Russell were there in the office and I talked to them till 22:30 then came home. I went over really to see Walt but he had been up working for 48 hours and went to bed at 17:30 so I didn't go near the shack.
Tuesday, May 20
Nothing much doing today. I was on the set all morning. During the afternoon I worked for a while on the bus, tinkering around with fine adjustments for a car ride. I went over to the Halfway but Walt was pretty busy so I talked to Jean and Bill Johnson for a while then came home. It was about 23:00 when I got back and I went to bed.
Sunday, May 25
Well, this week has flown by and I did not have much chance to keep this UTD. However, during the week I did a few jobs on the car and went for a ride every night. I rode over to Fitz a couple of times because there was nothing else to do and when I didn't go there I went to the Halfway to talk to Walt but he is pretty busy these days. They are all on the go now and as the roads are real good the freight is moving pretty fast. I was over yesterday. The Athabasca was in and I got some stuff from Eatons for the house. I got a new set of stuff for my new house lighting plant. I got quite a lot of new switches and things, curtains and picture frames, etc. I got 2 frames and framed the 2 photo's of Nona. They are dandy too. The weather was cold, with rain occasionally. It is now 02:30 I am going to bed now.
Friday, May 30
It has been impossible to keep up with the diary the past few days as it is so lonesome around the station at night. I have gone to the Halfway nearly every night and went to Fitz a couple of times just to go somewhere. By the time I got home, it's usually after midnight, so I went to bed as I have been on the early morning period on the Key this week. On Tuesday morning Mrs Morie presented Fred with a baby son. Both were doing splendidly until today. Baby was very sick today and the doctor is outside. The Nurse didn't seem to know just what the trouble was so Fred came to the station and wired his family doctor in Edmonton explaining the symptoms and asking for a diagnosis and treatment. No answer yet. Then Fred wanted to go to Fitz to see John about it, so I took him across. I took the engine of my car down night before last and put in a new piston and connecting rod and tightened up all the bearings, cleaned the carbon, inspected and re-seated the valves and it is as quiet now as a new car. The engine can hardly be heard. That about finishes all the work necessary on it for a year anyway. Some of the stuff came for the house this week. I got the new linoleum for the kitchen and the bedroom. There is some more on this boat coming in. The new console radio cabinet and dynamic speaker from Chicago is here but I will not unpack the things as they come until I get them home. I am keeping them all in the warehouse at the station until I get ready for them. I will paint the kitchen, then lay the linoleum, then when the front room is repapered, I will lay the carpet after varnishing around the edges, then lay the linoleum in the bedroom and them move the furniture in and start living there and working evenings to fix it up. I have the flower beds all planted but nothing is up yet but will be before long now. Bill is on his way in, will be here Saturday. I am planning to go across to meet him when he arrives. On this weeks mail I got 2 from Nona, one from Dr Agnew who is in Edmonton at the time and some from places in the states. The last ones were nearly all business correspondence.
Saturday, May 31
Went over the Portage this afternoon after quitting time. The Athabasca got in about 17:00. I met Bill Free in Fitz and talked to him for a while. There was a dance booked for Attridges for tonight but I came over to Smith with Bill Free early. It was 23:00 when we got over. I was in Lanouettes with Bill when Backland came in and wanted me to take a gang of his over. There was six of them. I refused at first but he couldn't get anyone at the Halfway and McNeil was loaded so I took them over and turned the tickets into Mickey and he gave me credit for them. It was 02:00 when I got home to bed.