The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1946, Blaðsíða 50

48
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Winter 1946
Incidentally, Taylor’s house, which
had received such special attention,
did not prove as well-constructed as was
believed. When spring came, it develop-
ed a list and the roof leaked.
Between Christmas and the New Year
we carried dry wood out on the lake, to
build a huge pyre for the burning out
of the Old Year.
On New Year’s Eve the night was still
and extremely frosty. The fire was lit
and as soon as the blaze gave sufficient
warmth, men and women, as many as
were able to, thronged on the scene.
Everybody enjoyed himself greatly.
William Taylor, who was then about
sixty years of age, was dressed to imper-
sonate the Old Year. He was a sight to
behold in his apparel. He wore a tar-
paper hat, two feet high or better, a
beard of hair of rabbit fur, and a white
smock so voluminous as to make him
seem a giant. He had a walking stick
and carried a bottle and a wine glass.
The latter he passed around freely, but
there was a rub: the bottle was empty.
He was very witty and his entertainment
was good. Finally he was carried away
and he disappeared from the story. Then
the twelve New Year’s sprites appeared
on the scene, clad in white and decked
with rose-red ribbons. They acted in
their various comic scenes. Then the
people returned to their homes, thinking
the entertainment a success. None had
far to go, and there was plenty of wood
for heating the shacks, which was all
to the good, for the frost was very severe.
After this the men began generally to
build on their lands, which they had
selected, mostly on sight unseen. Some
of these lands were miles away, and the
snow was very deep. I think that no one
had the least idea what he was doing,
not even the leaders, except for the one
purpose in mind: to settle along the lake.
As for the worth of the land, there was
no thought given to that. All could see
that the land was wooded, but no one
thought about the quality of the soil, or
about the mud. Indeed, the soil proved
rather poor.
The houses were built on snow, located
in many instances where they should not
have been, and they were but roughly
constructed. The majority were keen to
get on their lands as soon as possible,
and set about clearing the forest, so that
there might be seeding in the spring.
Meanwhile, Taylor continued with his
urging.
Those who secured the lake front lots
were the best off. Their lands were more
accessible and comparatively dry. It
was thus easier to move about on them.
Also, they were conveniently located for
fishing.
I was unlucky and was not able to
secure land less than a mile or IV2 miles
from a landing place. As yet we did not
possess the boats, but certain tub-like
craft materialized the following summer.
Also, we acquired some fishing nets. My
land was fully six miles south of Gimli,
up from Skapti Arason and IndriSi. Er-
lendur Olafsson was nearer the lake.
Our choice of lands was not of the
best, as may be expected, since no one
knew how to appraise them, and, fur-
thermore, they were covered with snow.
Our farms were difficult to reach, and
the buildings on them were not erected
without painful effort.
Of course, we cooperated with each
other in the building of our homes, but
what trudging there was, and what toil
there was, straining to move the logs and
all our other necessaries! Also, the food
was insufficient and not of the best.
Valdis, although not at all well, und-
ertook a journey to Winnipeg on Febru-
ary the twenty-sixth, to obain work.
She travelled on one of the flat-bottom
sleds used for freighting goods. With her
went Kristbjorg Sigurbjornsdottir, then
a young girl. They both gave an un-
favorable account of their journey, what
with the cold and the character of their
overnight accommodation.
I took ill on the sixteenth of March and
was confined to my bed for a few days.
What little nursing was possible, Ingi-
bjorg, Erlendur’s wife gave me.
A letter arrived from Valdis on the
nineteenth. She had then obtained work
in domestic service.