The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1984, Side 10

8
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
SUMMEFT1984
READERS’ FORUM
From Ragna Baldwinson, Calgary, Al-
berta. Having been a subscriber during
most of the years of publication, I wish to
express my thanks to the dedicated people
— editors and members of the Magazine
Board present and past — who have given
us this excellent magazine.
* * *
From Hjalmar Kampen, Winnipeg,
Man. Your Lincoln “sayings” are very
interesting! Here are two that I am fond of:
“Beware of the man who pulls himself
up by his bootstraps”! and, on living
and learning,
‘ ‘I have no use for the man who is not
wiser today than he was yesterday”.
You may already know these. I am a
new subscriber and enjoy the magazine
immensely!
* * *
From Donald E. Gislason, Toronto,
Ont. I have obtained a copy of the entire
1878 Icelandic file from the provincial
archives. It contains such items as the
telegrams, business problems associated
with placing Icelanders in employment,
reference to financial assistance, corres-
pondence between the local agents and
John Lowe and a bill submitted by H.
Hjalmarson, interpreter.
You can appreciate the possibilities here!
There is also an amount of other material
such as (1875) S. Jonasson’s corres-
pondence around the short lived settlement
at Kinmount and other matters, reports
from the Allan Line re: Icelandic emigra-
tion (it wasn’t a very lucrative trade for the
Line), reference to Hekkla/Rosseau, On-
tario, a doctor’s bill submitted to the
Government, letters on behalf of some very
poor Icelanders requesting assistance and
other ‘treasures’.
From Freyja Thomas, Natal, South
Africa. I have just read the latest copy of
The Icelandic Canadian and felt that I must
let you know that I enjoy the magazine very
much. It is very interesting to see a name,
picture of article written by someone whom
I knew, or heard of so long ago, and it is
always a happy link with the past.
The Guest Editorial some time ago,
Double Legacy, really brought home to me
the tenacity with which the Icelanders try to
keep our heritage, especially the Icelandic
language. There are very few Icelanders in
South Africa, and very little opportunity to
speak the language, but I have kept it up as
best I can by speaking it to my dog, Fjola,
the cattle and the horses on the farm! I must
say that they always seem to like the sound
and never answer back! My former high
school teacher, Miss S. Stefansson, has
encouraged me these last few years by
writing to me in Icelandic, and also sending
me your magazine and Logberg-Heims-
kringla. This I appreciate very much.
I must say that the people in this area are
getting used to having an Icelander in their
midst and now expect to be served vinar-
terta and rullupylsa, and even hangikjot on
special occasions.
Mrs. Thomas is the daughter of the Rev.
Sigurdur Olafsson, who was for a time
minister at Blaine and Point Roberts,
Washington, also in Selkirk, Manitoba.
* * *
From Kathryn F. Leonard, 3452 Janice
Way, Palo Alto, California 94303. I am
pleased The Icelandic Canadian will pub-
lish my recent submission. The letters the
article is based on came to my mind be-
cause my Thordarson cousins will be
having a family reunion on the old Thor-
darson farm near Mountain, ND, in late
June.