Don Johnson Letters and Journals
Part 80
• Hunting and fishing
• Fishing and hunting
• Don gets good news on his health

9/2/57 I went to island where LaValleys and Don Armstrong were waiting for dinner. At 8 p.m. we went to Elks hall for big square dance. By 8:30 there were about 4 squares of out of towners and I was beginning to fear that locals had boycotted us. I was wrong. We finally had 16 squares in action. What a howling success! To Mae’s for coffee and home by 2 a.m.

9/3/57 Up at 5 a.m. and out into dark, stormy lake. On to Mando by 7 a.m. Fishing rather slow altho we got enough to make gang happy. A tired Swede by dinner and I folded up soon after.

9/5/57 Took Cobbs to Dahlbergs and what a mess we saw. I haven’t been inside the main house for over a year and could hardly believe how it has gone down hill in that length of time. Vandals have taken pillows and spread feathers over everything and raised hell in general. Camp Koochiching doing a lot of work to keep up with ravages of depreciation.

9/9/57 To Sand Island and a poor fishing trip it was. I caught a bass at falls — first one I ever saw there. When we got home, there was a mother bear and two cubs at garbage pile. The female had a red head — and altho I got within 20 feet and had binoculars, could not determine if it were blood or the natural color.

9/10/57 To town by 11 a.m. and home shortly after. Mr. Sprague — our very last guest — there. He beat me out of $3.00 playing cribbage which pleased him mightily and hurt me but little. A fine man for sure.

9/12/57 Bought my Canadian license — $36.00. I am sure I will get my money’s worth. Layna and I ran thru Dahlberg correspondence which she had dug up in attic. God, what a tribe!

9/15/57 As I came thru Bears Pass Bridge, I spotted big bull moose up in slough. I got to within 50 yards of same — what a sight.

9/17/57 Ed Collins trying to make deal whereby I would take Customs gang to Mando on Oct. 2. I put in my oar and deal is now cinched. Called Dr. Hanover who said the report on my X-rays and other tests showed nothing wrong — what a relief.

9/19/57 To Mando with George Gibb and local crew. Most old friends of mine. Practically a full limit of good fish caught all around. I got an 11# jack which caused some excitement. We said it was Ed Anderson’s fish which made everyone else throw away their jax which made a 2# er of Ray VonderHaar (in my boat) the biggest and worth $8.00.

9/20/57 Stopped by game warden as we steamed down Swell Bay in cruiser “Are you fellows duck hunting?” asks he! He was in bad shape with a broken down boat and two broken down canoes. I towed him to Water Narrows, but not before I swamped most of outfit and formed a pretty poor opinion of Canadian Wardens in general.

9/22/57 Karen off for Sunday school. A very interesting conversation ensued later when Karen said, “Daddy, I am confused.” It developed that Mrs. Gardner had as much as said that anyone who took a drink was condemned to eternal damnation. I think we did much toward un-confusing her. She is a smart kid and I am not too much worried at the moment.

9/23/57 The Boyds of Downers Grove here to buy island. Layna all out for it and will do everything to help. Me — I am not so generous. Seems to me we have been mixed up in these deals before and haven’t a single happy thot in connection with any of it. Their son, Bill, has big ideas about building house, dock, septic tank, etc. alone. That, on the face of it is pure, unadulterated bunk. The old man knows it but mother doesn’t.

9/27/57 Big bull moose standing by the house on Dunsmore Island. He stayed for 15 minutes while gang got cameras out of bags and loaded them for pictures. He posed in a most professional manner.

9/29/57 Home at dark — 7 p.m. and me in bed by 9. That is how I have figured I can lick this godawful schedule. I have averaged 8 hours sleep all summer. I used to think it part of my job to stay up with the boys.

10/1/57 Got a complaint from Hammes. Kleenex too big! Second of season. The other was that a toilet smelled bad! We are getting along fine if that is the only criticism we get.

10/2/57 I was able to do a good stroke of business for Ed Collins and it worked out perfectly. A most appreciative group of politicians and Custom men to Mando for real feed. Even saw a bear in water coming home. To NW Bay with Layna where we met Judy to learn that their car was stolen. Much running around — notifying police, etc.

10/3/57 Car found and Judy mad at Indians because they knew and wouldn’t tell. I look at it differently, all the poor bastards have left is their loyalty to one another.

10/5/57 Bluebills are coming in and I resent this fishing something terrible. If it were better, I would turn my boat over to someone and go hunting. As it is, I have to sit and tough it out.

10/10/57 I was almost panicky trying to figure out some way whereby I could go hunting. Did. I should have fished! Got 2 bluebills. How I hate to fish when I should be hunting.

10/13/57 Byrne, Layna and I to island and pulled out cruiser. It went fine. Long talk with Byrne on money matters. He is having a hard time making ends meet at $575 a month. When I was his age, I was making $75 — and came out even! 3 kids and all.

10/14/57 To Mando with George Gibb and Schlafge and 6 local men. All acquaintances of mine. Bruggeman full of the usual inane questions but I have built up a resistance to them. I have had much training on Mando.

10/15/57 To Trout River in rain. Left whole party to fish, and they did mighty well while Gerry, Erle Thompson and I hunted ducks. I shot 4 bluebills.

10/16/57 Last day of last party. Fished with Erle Thompson and Don Petman. We got a few in rain. I am glad it is over, altho we really haven’t suffered from cold all fall. Vacation time ahead and we plan a week in Minneapolis. I hate to leave here when the ducks are down. It seems like we foul up my duck hunting every fall. Sure must be poor planning.

10/18/57 To Fort via skiff and chewed rag with MacKellar about many things. He and rest of executives in deeper trouble than poor little me ever hits on Mando. Daily Journal crew bitter over sale of paper and threaten strike. Schlafge & Boeckh not hitting it off and showdown imminent. So goes it.

10/19/57 Off for Duluth with Dwayne at 4 p.m. He sure batted hell out of that old 1944 Chevy, 80 mph all the way to Virginia. To Duluth in time to pick up gals and on to Jim Higgin’s dance. He called on about a dozen callers in audience. Stayed at Arrowhead Motel, a quiet place. “Menopause Manor,” Layna called it.

10/20/57 Up at 8 and on to Byrne’s. He has his work cut out for him on that house, but it is good for him.

10/21/57 Left Byrne’s at 9:30 and took it easy to Beryl’s. Beryl leans over so far backwards trying to keep everyone happy, that she is about broken in two. Ma would rather be in Hibbing — and maybe she should. Karen has TVitis, so is happy where ever she finds a set.

10/28/57 We did well [on Lake of the Woods]. Shot 68 bluebills, all told. Bud and I getting big share. In p.m., Layna sat next to me knitting and every now and then would get up to retrieve duck that fell in poplars behind us. One actually hit me on the shoulder when it fell.

10/29/57 We should not have shown such mercy yesterday. The same bays that were full of birds yesterday were bald as my head today.

10/30/57 We kissed the Flobacks goodbye and off for home by 3 p.m. I ran kicker from Point Dock to Point of Pines — it saved embarrassing questioning at bridge.

11/7/57 Out before daylight. When I came to logging road, I decided to sit a bit and wait for light enough to shoot. At 6:50, a buck walked out of the woods and I plunked him!

11/9/57 To Neil Point with Buck, Byrne, Jim Duncan. Buck had two big deer in scope and missed them both — 5 shots at one and 4 at the other! He discovered later that he had put sight in wrong!

12/1/57 Here we go again. I have fallen off my diary for 3 weeks and just haven’t the memory to go back and give a blow by blow account of daily happenings.