Townsend Ezra at
Waupaca Republican
OUR
DEAR WIFE AND CHILDREN:
Yesterday Tollefson wanted me to cook and let him work outside for a change, so I was installed as chief cook, but do not like it very well. Set bread last night and baked my first bread today, and it was very good. The boys are sawing and it is very warm, mercury standing at 62 degrees. The snow is going fast, the side of the mountain is getting quite bare, it grows more picturesque every day. Our bill of fare for breakfast was pancakes, bacon, beans, cold biscuit, oatmeal and coffee; for dinner, beans, bacon, new bread, tea and rice; for supper, whole wheat flour, biscuit and no butter, they were very light and nice, bean soup with pork in it, dried beef, peach sauce and tea.
May
4th Am still cook. The boys
finished cutting lumber at
May 5th Little spring birds were singing this morning and our bobtailed red squirrels were giving us lots of music. Olaf went to Bennett to get the mail, has been before too but got none. What can be the matter? Supper over and dishes washed; was just out after a pail of water, it was 8:30 and could see the sun shining on the top of the mountain; it is quite light at three a.m. What would I give for todays Inter-Ocean, so we could learn something of the outside world. We pay two bits for a paper and then it is ten days old. There is not much travel on the trail, just a little in travel on the trail, just a little in morning. The most have stopped to build their boats.
May 7th The boys have one boat nearly completed, think it will carry between two and three tons, it is 24 feet long, 4-1/2 feet wide at bottom and 6-1/2 feet at the top; runs to a point at bow and the stern is two feet at bottom and four on top and three feet high. It is warm and bright mercury 45 degrees.
Sunday, May 8th It snowed a little this morning and rained this afternoon. Boys all went hunting on the side of the mountain, but did not get anything except some very pretty flowers. I will send some in this letter.
May 9th It continues warm and the ice is rotting fast. We have commenced our second boat, it is not as large as the other. Made my first Johnny cake for supper.
May 12th Im cook this week also and am beginning to like it pretty well. The boys are getting along finely with the boat. They cut a hole in the ice and set a fish net, caught two yesterday, a white fish and a sucker, and four more today, so we had a fine mess for dinner. It is reported that a man and two women were drowned down at Cariboo crossing, and Tuesday just below us here two men and their dog teams were driving along when all at once the ice gave way and they were not seen again. Skye has just returned from Bennett, no mail.
May 14th yesterday two of the boys started the mill again to saw lumber for a small skiff. Caught three fish last night, had them for dinner, they were fine. Wish you folks at home could have had a taste.
Sunday, May 15th I will have a chance to send this letter out by one of our neighbors. He is sick and the doctor tells him he had better go home. Thinks he will start tomorrow if he can get rid of his outfit. He cried like a baby when he found he had to go. There are lots of mourning doves and little spring birds and squirrels here. We have plenty of neighbors, one tent within 30 or 40 feet of us.
We will have to stop here until the ice gets out, which will probably be ten or twelve days. Have our boats nearly completed. I am enjoying tip top health and hope you are as well at home. It is a long time since have heard from home; there must b e letters for me somewhere, suppose you are sending them as I directed you, to Lake Taggish, shall expect some sure when we get there. There may be some between here and Dyen, but perhaps we will never get them. We have chances to send letters out every day or two.
As ever yours with much love to all.
Ezra Townsend.