The Johnson Journals, Chapter 17

Don Johnson Letters and Journals
Norway Island Years
1944-1987
Part 17

3/13/45 Stopped in [at Bald Rock] and saw [Gilbert] Carlson on way home. According to him, we stole a march on a number of people when we bought this island. He didn't seem very happy about it himself.
3/14/45 We walked over to other cabin site and then I decided to take a look at the logs we had piled down on the ice. NUTS! They were all froze in the slush. We got cant hook, grub hoe and bar and dug them loose. Rolled them out high and dry. Finished at 8:15 - a long day. Just as we rolled out the last log, the northern lights came out in all their glory. They well paid us for working so late.
3/15/45 Work outside out of question as it rained and snowed off and on all day. About 1:30, Layna said "Would you consider going to town today?" Answer, "I wouldn't even consider considering such a thing." An hour later, I was filing a saw when Byrne walked in. Bruggemans were waiting at their cottage to take us to For Whom the Bell Tolls. We went. Slopped over the slush on snowshoes. Show excellent.
3/18/45 Finished chinking and creosoting ice house in morning. Started on cabin porch when Carl, Grace, Carla, Lou Moe and Margaret Patnode came up - breaking thru slush at every step. After lunch whole gang pitched in on cleaning up around cabin - first time we ever got any help out of a bunch like that.
3/19/45 Walking pretty tough as it froze but little. Would have tried the car but Lou made a few sarcastic remarks that made me think the walk would do her good.
3/20/45 Finished five ice slides at next island. Home at 4 - had coffee then went out and started cutting up logs for cabin #2. Counted logs used in #1. …… an equivalent of 129 7' logs - 5" to 8" in diameter. Sills, joists and rafters, extra.
3/28/45 Hauled roofing, screen, gas, groceries, kerosene and 27 bags of sawdust. Got the later from Judy's. All this stuff by car and trailer to Oscar's. By wheelbarrow and back the 100 yards to Carl's dock, by sled the 300 yards out to the Ford which we didn't dare bring closer to shore. Some trouble getting all home but were well satisfied when we made delivery at 9 p.m.
3/31/45 It rained much of night but froze a little in the early morning. Decided to make a run at getting Ford off of ice. Made a few tests and figured it should hold. It did. Put Ford out of sight on Bever Island. Hated to put it out of circulation because it sure played an important part in hauling our stuff. Layna, Buck, Byrne and I to Dahlberg's by 7:45. Kept piling logs on sled until we put on all 32. Took them in one trip. Ice creaked and threatened to break in couple of places.

4/3/45 Saw Harry Erickson and heard that they had received a letter from Loren! Whole damn Ranier united for the moment over it! Harry doesn't need a doctor now.
4/4/45 Finally decided to start building on #2. Layna and I worked at clearing site until 11 a.m. then I started actual building. Layna kept on with clearing. Quit at 7:45 after better progress than on #1. Four sill logs in permanent place.
4/12/45 Our longest day on cabin #1. Started at 7:45 a.m. and quit at 8:00 p.m. Laid floor inside then I worked on porch gables and Layna laid porch floor alone. She then did a little caulking with oakum - goes pretty fast. Heard of Roosevelt's death when we came in. A mighty sad thing - and maybe more.
4/16/45 Winter returned. Snowed lightly part of the night but really began to come down in earnest at daybreak. Snowed hard all day but only about three inches of it stuck. Rest melted. Work outside a bad prospect so decided to start on kitchen remodeling. Tore out partition and got good start on sink cabinet. Was very careful about taking off boards from walls so have lots of good lumber to work with. Kept going 'til 9:30.
4/23/45 Then out about 10:30 to work on steps. Fumbled around worse than usual. Most of the time I have some idea of what to do but this time didn't have slightest idea as to either construction or materials. A hundred possibilities and I mulled over all of them. Finally laid out a pattern of a stair on a board according to book on steel square. Using the cedars I had hewed for dock, I completed the job and it is good.
4/26/45 Carl and Grace really pitched in to help in a big way. Grace and Layna scrubbing in house, Carl cleaned up around cabin #1. I fit last window and made screen door. Framed screen door opening. Bruggemans and Lewis Keyes out in p.m.

5/7/45 GOD! - what weather! The waves dash up on the shore and freeze - just like in the fall. Helped Buck make legs for one bed and he finished another. Waves were dashing over breakwater so we pulled boat across sand point and went to Schmidts bridge. V.E. Day but we didn't hear whistles.
5/17/45 Left for town and Buck's graduation about 5:30. Cliff Howard [draft board] met us in door of school to tell that Buck's notice in the mail. Will go the 29th.
5/18/45 A day like D-1 at Dahlberg's. A general clean up for the coming guests. Whole family kept going until 9:30 when Layna and I went after guests. It turned out that four of them were former neighbors in Hibbing. A grand gab fest.
5/19/45 Glad to find that guests didn't need me for fishing. They went out alone and I had a chance to work on cabin. Boys and I put in full day. Laid both floors. Byrne caulked.
5/21/45 Decided that we would lay off of building for a day and get a few things straightened out. Cleaned out shed (God, how it needed it!). Buck peeled logs for main dock. Byrne and I extended dock by bath house. Started pump. It worked fine. Layna and Sally cleaned up around.
5/22/45 Bathhouse on fire - practically a total loss. Did some real fire fighting to get it out. Buck's .22, my rod, Sally's sweater, pump engine the chief casualties.
5/27/45 We have known for some time that we would have to move the toilet but weren't too sure how it was to be done. After much standing around, I tipped it over alone and then we had to move it. Went pretty well. After supper, Buck went out in canoe alone. Went to bed early. Was still awake when we could hear Buck coming home in canoe - singing. By god, I couldn't take it any more and bawled like a baby!
5/29/45 Up at 6 to get Buck ready for Uncle Sam. I was worried stiff that I would make a damned fool of myself and almost did. Everything went fine until he was ready to step on bus and when we shook hands, I couldn't say a word. Well - that's that. Home in time to hurry to Tilson to meet Slim with gas - 190 gallons. Came home and built rack. Got barrels out of boat with little trouble - Layna and Byrne assisting.

6/2/45 Tow of saw logs went by so Sally and I ran to Pine Narrows with kicker, looking for strays, but nary a one. No guests in sight.
6/3/45 All quiet on a front that we would just as soon see active. No guests but as we can still find work to do it isn't too bad. Sure would be hell to sit here twiddling our thumbs waiting for customers. I made table and #2 is ready for what may come - if any.
6/4/45 Carl came about 1:30 with Bob Powers. A GUEST! Seems mighty fine. Thirty years in Marine Corps and must have seen about everything. Alaska, Gobi Desert, Tarawa, Sweden, Nicaragua, Haiti, Wake, Midway, etc., etc., etc. My head swimming!
[When asked why he had come to Rainy Lake for his terminal leave from the Marines, Bob Powers told this story:
“My first assignment in the Marines in 1916 was to Nicaragua where we were chasing bandits around in the mountains. Not only were we chasing the bandits, the bandits were chasing us so after a long day in the hot, wet jungle we made do without a camp fire although it became very cool at night. We would sit around a cold meal and do what marines do best. We complained. ‘ This was the worst duty in the whole world.’ ‘ What was the brass thinking?’, and on and on. Everyone joined in the session except for one man. When we were all done this man - I remember that his last name was Anderson but I have no idea of what his first name was - would say, ‘You think this is bad, you should be in the beater room at the paper mill in International Falls. That’s where things are really rough.’ I decided then that some day I would go to that part of the country that made the jungle seem to be not that bad”]