The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.2005, Síða 37

Vol. 59 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
163
$2.50 a day. Lake Winnipeg has overflowed
as usual, but no serious floods have
occurred. I cannot remember any summer
dryer than this one, so hay making goes
very well, potatoes grow well, but not
much in the way of grain or vegetables was
planted.
Progress and social activities are not
even discussed in New Iceland. Most
intend to stay here only a few years, then
move to some other place better suited for
Icelanders. Others (they are not as many)
intend to live and die here. These only
expect food and clothing. All hopes of a
purely Icelandic settlement in America are
dead. Icelandic bigotry and conceit is fad-
ing, stupidity, narrow-mindedness, super-
stition, and conservatism is disappearing,
and common sense and liberalism - both in
worldly and spiritual matters - are gaining
ground. Never have I been more optimistic
about the revival of Icelanders in America
than right now, but first the old Icelandic
Adam - along with all his sins and bad
desires - must be drowned, and then the
new American can emerge, admittedly pos-
sessing some negative traits, but endowed
with a lot of positive qualities that outshine
the negative ones.
The positive transformation of
Icelanders in North America started with
their arrival here, and it is proceeding
steadily. By now they recognize their own
imperfections and seek improvement. At
this stage they are bound to win in a coun-
try like America.
In order to prove that my words are
not empty, I would like to point out that
Icelanders in Winnipeg have built a cultur-
al centre. The main building is 20 x20 feet
and there is an addition to it measuring 14
x 18 feet - tastefully put together. The main
building is not yet completed, but meetings
are nevertheless frequently held there. I
have attended a few meetings among the
Icelanders this spring and summer, and I
see clearly their improvement in sensibility
and liberalism. Helgi Jonsson donated the
property for the house, but the construc-
tion work was financed by collections.
There is still a mortgage on this building.
Helgi, Jon Julius, and Magnus Palsson
work together like brothers, aiming at
improving social activities and progress
among Icelanders in Winnipeg. Helgi and
Jon used to insult each other all the time,
and Jon used to work hard at destroying
cooperation and unity of any sort.
Many Icelanders in Winnipeg make
hefty profits by buying lots for houses, and
also by working at jobs that are now well
paid. Some have made $400 - $600 this
spring by buying and selling property, but
in my opinion their improved way of
thinking is of much more value. “The
opening of the colony” - or in other words
improving communication with other
nationalities - is, as you said, “vital.”
Everyone will realize this before long.
Bjorn Jonsson is now in Winnipeg,
employed as a day labourer. He manages
but doesn't make any profits. The
“Loyalists” (to use your word, dear friend)
are content. The core of our group is fol-
lowing them, and more are bound to join
them.
My father has come here and taken
land. He is staying with Skafti for the time
being. Bjorn will go west this spring. My
brother Arni has come from Dakota for
good. He is eager to sell his land as he felt
he didn't belong there and the farm work
didn’t agree with him. My brother Olgeir is
on a “cattle drive” for Penrose far west in
N. W. T. Fridbjorn is staying with me. He
is now married to Sigridur, a good and
rather promising young girl, the daughter
of Jon Bergvinsson. I believe that Fridbjorn
is going to be my first choice for an over-
seer here when the time comes that I don't
care to stay any longer at Modruvellir.
Sigurdur, my father-in-law, and
Fridsteinn live in Winnipeg, and Rebekka
and her children also live there. I have cer-
tainly kept in touch by letter, but there is
still much more to be said!
My dearest friends! One does not easi-
ly forget friends like you. I hope that some
day we will live together in this country. I,
for one, am not too dedicated to “the line”,
the Queen, or the President as she is grow-
ing old and he has not recovered yet from
his shot wound. By the way, it doesn't help
the U.S.A's image that their best presidents
are shot at. Anyway, I hope that neither
will you die in Iceland of old age nor I in