The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1957, Blaðsíða 26

24
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Summer 1957
Consequently, in 1949, Mr. Johnson
returned to Mystery Lake for staking
which eventually was to bring wealth
to him and his associates, and a multi-
million-dollar industry to northern
Manitoba, where the new town of
Thompson is springing up.
From his thirty years away from the
haunts of man, Walter can recount ad-
ventures both humorous and grim:
There was the time when food was
running low in camp. The cook threw
all the scraps, including a piece of
fat, into the pressure cooker. The
stew frothed over the brim onto the
stove. Investigating, they found the
fat had been a half a bar of soap.
On another occasion, they awaken-
ed from a night’s sleep by Mystery
Lake to see a human skeleton with a
knife lodged in its breast-bone resting
beside them, having been washed
ashore in the night.
His worst experience, he recalls, was
in his trapping days, when he fell on
his way from his main camp to another
cabin on his line. Injured internally,
he nevertheless managed to reach the
cabin, where he remained alone for
eight days without food before recover-
ing sufficiently to return to the main
cabin.
Johnson has broken through ice
many times. A suggestion for getting
out is to bring the feet up level with
the body and swim onto the unbroken
surface. A person attempting to lift
his body upon the ice will crumble it
and drop back in.
When living in the bush with no
supply of fresh vegetables available
this veteran bushman can brew a
potion to counteract all scurvy danger.
Pie simply boils mosses, leaves and
grasses.
“It might not taste too good”, he
says. “But it will supply the necessary
vitamin C." Walter Johnson, kind,
friendly and unassuming, has a host of
friends who respect him for his
determined efforts, his unfailing
optimism, and his unquestionable
integrity. His active mind has been
interested in many hobbies, such as
gardening, constructing radio sets, and
keeping up with current reading. An
interesting conversationalist, he is
most enthusiastic when he discourses
about the rocks, and is not content to
rest on his laurels, but continues his
chosen work in the north he undoubt-
edly loves.
*
Since this article was sent in some more in-
formation has been received about Walter
Johnson and his family. He was born in Ice-
land April 20th 1887, and migrated with his
parents to Canada when he was six months
old. They settled in the original Logberg
District. His parents were Asgeir and Kristin
Johnson. His mother died in 1901 and his
father in 1948. His father married again and
his stepmother Sigridur, died at Calder in
1946.
Asgeir and Kristin had four children: John,
who is farming at Pelly, Sask., Asmundur,
retired, now residing in Alberta; and Anna,
Mrs. J. N. Cornell of Pelly, Sask.; and Walter.
Brothers and sisters of the half-blood are:
William, in a garage business at Barrhead,
Alta.; Joseph, operates the Trocedero and is
in charge of the orchestra, Edmonton, Alta.;
Carl, in the implement business in Barrhead,
Alta.; Fred, works for Joe; Lillie, now Mrs.
Jira of Calder, Sask.; Kristolin, now Mrs.
Kuoress, who farms near Red Deer, Alta.
Walter Johnson farmed first at Togo, and
after World War I, at Pelly, Sask. He left
Pelly in 1924 and has been in the mining and
trapping business in the north ever since. He
and his wife Effie, are always prominent at
the Trappers Festival.
Walter writes in part as follows: “We are
still in the exploration business and hope to
find several new mines up here yet.
“We are now well equipped for this in
experience and equipment, and use all the
new methods such as magnetometer, E.M.
diamond drill and airoplane.
“The future looks very good here in the
north and everyone very busy. We have quite
a large program laid out for the summer."
Walter Johnson’s optimism was well found-
ed in the past, and, it is hoped, is equally
well founded for the future. —W. J. L.