The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2003, Síða 35

Vol. 58 #1
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
33
Mushroom Joe
by Darrell Gudmundson
As told by Norman and Barney (Bjorn)
Arngrimson and Tobba (Arngrimson)
Gudmundson
It was in the early thirties, and the
great depression was in full swing. The
stranger’s name was Joe Hunfjord, and he
came from somewhere to the East, in
Manitoba. He may have ridden the rails
into Elfros, Saskatchewan, as that was the
common mode of transport in that era. He
was of Icelandic origin, and Elfros was the
centre of a prairie Icelandic settlement,
Vatnabyggd (the water settlement), which
surrounded the Quill Lakes, and other
lakes in that chain. It was not surprising
that he should seek to stop there.
He needed a place to stay, and it was
very common in Elfros to give directions to
Siggi Arngrimson’s place, one mile west of
the town, especially for townspeople who
either had nothing much to spare, or who
sometimes couldn’t be bothered to help. At
least farmers usually had food. Siggi and his
bride Lizzie were noted for never saying
“No” when someone was needy. They
agreed to take Joe in, and accommodations
were prepared for him in the Arngrimson
basement.
Joe was rather tall, skinny and slightly
hunchbacked, looking none too healthy.
He was a poet, writing continually in
Icelandic, sending manuscripts back East to
professor Watson Kirkconnell in Nova
Scotia, who apparently published them in
some appropriate forum, sometimes with
English translation.
Joe was also a would-be entrepreneur,
and upon that hangs this story.
Joe got this idea, likely from a maga-
zine, that he could make his fortune -
growing mushrooms. Siggi’s basement
seemed the ideal place to launch this
endeavor, and Joe sought permission. Once
again, Siggi could not say no, and frames
were built of scrap lumber, rotted manure
Johannes Hunfjord
was obtained (no shortage of that!) and the
mushroom stock was sent for. Joe was in
agreement that it was not entirely a sure bet
to be successful, but he was very keen to
try.
During this time my mother Tobba,
Siggi and Lizzie’s daughter, was going to
high school, and her cousin Barney (Bjorn
or Bjossi) Arngrimson was also staying
with them to attend the Elfros school.
Reflecting upon the mushroom venture,
Barney recalls Joe with some amusement, a
twinkle in his eye.
Barney’s younger brother Norman
Arngrimson recalls visiting and being
frightened half to death at the very thought
of a pale and slightly hunchbacked figure
tending beds of fungus in the dark cellars of
the Arngrimson house. It was Siggi’s
nature to do nothing to ease this apprehen-
sion, as he loved to tease. When Siggi was