The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1982, Qupperneq 41

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
39
been used previously with a horse and he
was “wind broke”. Swen also had a bad
bowel condition, and if we made him trot
he would cough and throw a green stream
twelve to fourteen feet back. It paid to
always be on guard for this. Dell was a
Hereford. He weighed 2,200 pounds, was
very strong, though terribly slow. When
driving these two animals together one had
to keep tapping Dell on the tail with a
whip. He always arrived in town about
eighteen inches behind Swen, but he did
get there.
In the fall of 1912 I filed on my own
homestead, one that my dad had made an
application for prior to my coming to
Canada. I was not quite eighteen years old
at the time of my filing, but the clerk in the
government office at Sheho, Saskatch-
ewan, was not too strict on age, not as long
as he received the ten dollar filing fee. My
mother’s nephew, Skuli Jonsson, was well
acquainted with the clerk, so he offered to
drive me to Sheho, about twenty miles
away. Skuli and I left from the Jassonson
home, where he was staying, on a cold
September morning. He was driving a fine
team of drivers and we were both well
dressed. I wore a big fur coat and high
heeled shoes, the latter to make me look, at
least, somewhat taller. I was still quite small
for my age. After we arrived at the Gov-
ernment Land Office, Skuli told the clerk
our business. The clerk took a good look at
me and asked Skuli if I was eighteen years
old. Skuli lied and confirmed that I was,
the application was filled in, and I signed
it, but not without fear. However, no ques-
tions were asked, and by the time the paper
was signed I had a homestead situated on
section 15-32-12, west of the 2nd
meridian! We drove back to the Jasson-
son’s feeling very pleased with ourselves,
and by 1913 I had made the required im-
provements on my land, those set by the
Canadian government. At that time I re-
ceived the title to this property.
CANADA ICELAND FOUNDATION
SCHOLARSHIP OFFERED
We invite students of Icelandic or part-
Icelandic descent to apply for the following
scholarships which are offered or processed
by The Canada Iceland Foundation.
Thorvaldson Scholarship — One scholar-
ship of $500.00 to be awarded in 1982.
This annual scholarship will be awarded to a
student in university or proceeding into a
university in Canada or the United States.
The recipient must demonstrate financial
need and high scholastic ability.
Einar Pall and Ingibjorg Jonsson Me-
morial Scholarship — One scholarship of
$500.00 to be awarded in 1982. Award to
be determined by academic standing and
leadership qualities. To be offered to a high
school graduate proceeding to a Canadian
university or the University of Iceland.
The Canada Iceland Foundation Schol-
arship — One scholarship of $500.00 to be
awarded in 1982. Award to be determined
by academic standing and leadership quali-
ties. To be offered to a university student
studying toward a degree in any Canadian
university.
Students wishing to apply are asked to
submit applications with supporting docu-
ments before September 15, 1982. Infor-
mation and application forms are available
by telephoning 475-8064 or by contacting:
Canada Iceland Foundation
c/o M. Westdal, Secretary
40 Garnet Bay
Winnipeg, Man. R3T 0L6