The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2004, Page 28

26
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 59 #1
The Canadian Government has now
granted the Icelanders a loan of 25,000 dol-
lars. It (i.e. the Government) wants this
loan to be the last one to Icelanders. John
Taylor, our agent, is in the process of buy-
ing food, seed and tools. I have been his
assistant. Most of the seed is now being
transported to the colony. Only a small
part of this seed, however, will be used this
spring because each farmer is only going to
have time to grow a small area since the
conditions are such that plows cannot be
used - the soil must be cut and turned up
by shovels.
The guard is being set up and the dis-
infection of the colony is about to take
place. Recently I went from Winnipeg to
Gimli to prepare these activities. I just
returned from that trip. Soon I will return
home bringing with me a few boats loaded
with merchandise for my own store as well
as for other Icelanders. The ice disap-
peared from Lake Winnipeg on the 16th of
this month. There is an abundant catch of
fish in the colony, all serious illnesses are
behind us, and on the whole everything is
on the upswing.
The day before yesterday we took the
press to Gimli. Toll and postage and han-
dling amounted to $30.00.
Pardon my handwriting.
Remember me to your wife.
Sincerely yours,
part is omitted)
On behalf of those who are in charge
of the press I am asking you - even though
it is strange to ask a woman to do this - to
write to Mr. Valdsted and suggest that he
send all this immediately to Winnipeg, c/o
McMicken & Taylor. We shall take care of
the postage and handling. Nothing can be
printed until we get the missing parts.
All are well in the colony. We have
had a lot of rain - both here and in
Manitoba. Consequently, vegetation has
been damaged in scattered places.
Recently, I wrote to your husband rec-
ommending that he take the steamboat
which sails every day to Selkirk. There he
can see a merchant by the name of
Sanderson who can take him to the colony.
Pardon my handwriting.
Sincerely yours
Fr. Fridriksson
Fr. Fridriksson
Letter #17
Gimli, July 6, 1877
Dear Friend: (Lara Petursdottir)
Assuming that your husband is already
on his way to this colony, I turn to you for
assistance. When we started to put the
press together - and were going to begin
printing - we realized that a part of it was
missing, this part is an iron box containing
ink for the printing, but we do not know
what it is called in English.
(description of the press and missing
GIMLI
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