The camp Diary has failed to function to date, and
as we may be on the homeward route some of these nearby days in late August,
it had best be used now, or records will lapse.
Elizabeth and Ruth came to the Dells Via Mackinac Is., in order to take mother Ferriss to her summer abode. Left Lincoln June 28 (Fri) but didn't get this far until July 12. In the mean time, Hannah, Robert and I had driven up the (1933 Oldsmobile) July 2 & 3. Stayed at Mason City on the eve of July 2, having odometer trouble. (Cable). Went to a show. Stayed at the Hanford Hotel.
Got out of town about 10:30 AM on the 3rd (wed) and hustled
along without further trouble. Took the Cloquet cut off and ran into a
very hard shower. The cut off road was better for the rain as it settled
the dust. Had dinner at Virginia at about 6:30-7PM and drove on to Arrowhead
Pt. Arrived bout 9:30 PM. Went over to Tepee Nopah at once, via Fred's.
Fred helped us carry in. Went to bed by flash lights.Water in the lake
was very high, the highest I have ever seen it except for once since following
a heavy rain. At Gruben's, the boat house approach was under water.
At our place, there was no beach whatever and the water was at the last
tier of logs of the dock.-i.e., up on the end of the stringers a bit.
A small pond back of our dike made it necessary to detour to get to the
house. Fred had filled in to the N.W. of the path, and this was above
water. Spent several days getting settled as this was our first occupancy
of the new Tepee, built last year, and finished just as we left for home.
We had stayed on Isle of Pines watching its completion.
[note: because the original "Teepee Nopah" house
burned in 1931 the old logs were lost, and some recollections were recorded
in this new log. Those have now been separated to:]
1919: To catch up loose ends a bit, let me go
back to 1919. ...
1935 - To resume! Remember, this is l935 and is our twelfth
occupancy of the lot #9. Twice besides this, we were on the lake,
once at Isle of Pines (1934) and one at Birch Point Inn (1933).
Did I say "resume"?
Our present "Tepee is not so large but is nicer than old "Tepee". The rough sketch gives an idea of its plan. The fireplace is built of boulders. Partitions are vertical 8' boards, good sound #2 pine with lots of knots. Battens cover the cracks. Three high windows in the front roof-slope are fine for light and ventilation.
Jobs accomplished to start were mostly curtains, shelves, unpacking, etc. On July 11, we drove down to Duluth to meet E. and Ru. Robert stayed at Tepee Nopah, having Gerald Fay over for the night. H. and I stayed at Hotel Spalding. Went to a show, after shopping for several hours in the PM.
Girls arrived early on the 12th and we b'fasted with them on the boat. (They came by boat?) Some more shopping and departure for the Dells. Arrived mid-afternoon, lunching in Virginia.
Later jobs included-painting row-boat; painting furniture (incomplete still); planning and painting flag-pole (40ft); building more shelves and cupboards; driving new well; hanging porch curtains; making surf-board - i.e. an aquaplane; planting trees; cleaning up in general, etc. Do not have to chop wood, for Fred did that in the winter, in clearing up our old trees; installing radio. H. has bo't lot #12, but Stewart does not want to trade #10 for it, sight unseen.
On saturday, July 20 we received two death messages. Leila Ferguson died July 19 after the birth of her daughter, Jean Ann. (Ed note: Leila Andrews, a beautiful lady, was Frank Ferguson, Jr.'s first wife...his second was Leila's sister, Nadine. Newspaper clipping is in original log book). Frank telegraphed to us by night letter which reached us mid afternoon. About two hours later another wire reached us from Albany telling of the death of Aunt Rose Smith, July 20. Hannah planned on going east, but a wire from mother (Grandmother Ferriss, Rose's sister) said she could not go, and Ed Poole said they were going ahead with arrangements for the funeral, so she abandoned the trip.
On Aug 5th a wire from Richard Stout told of Dean Stouts death in Denver. News from others comes occasionally. George Ferriss had a sun stroke. Mother Hoover had a bad spell but is better. Jerome Ferguson had an appendectomy. Is getting along fine.
Today is rainy and cool. Surprisingly high and moderate temperatures here this year. Rains are frequent, but today is the first continued rain that we have had.
Elizabeth is a bit done up. The summer program has been somewhat strenuous. Robert is enjoying Gerald Fay's presence on the island. Callers yesterday were the "Summers" from Hutchinson, Kansas . Ruth went back to the Idlewild Hotel to play with Elizabeth Summers (Ed note: called Zeb) and fell into the water. Scribe: OJF
Aug 16-1935
Weather still warm to hot. Temps begin at about 65-68 and go up in the 80's somewhere. Heavy work brings out pounds of perspiration. Today we raised our new 40 ft flag pole. A balsam pine which Fred cut for us last fall. Robert planed and gave it 2 coats of oil and 2 coats of white paint. I finished it with another coat of white paint and it was almost dry today. Fred and Mr. Fay expected to help us, but we just went at it ourselves and did it! Robert and I rolled it into place on rollers. Then we built an "X" pole to support it as we raised it. I lifted the pole and Hannah and Robert managed the X legs. Got it up in a short time when we started. Set it bout 5 feet deep in stone and cement. Our new 5 x 8 flag went up for the first time about 3 PM. Looks well!
Jewell Wiedman was over this PM to see E. Ruth was over with the Summers the other day and when she came back Mr Summers smashed a hole in his fine mahogany Garwood "Security" on the corner of our dock.
Ruth, mother and I went to town yesterday to send a telegram to the University re R.O.T.C. as very windy and waves ran high washing over Grubens east dock, behind which we were tied. Scribe: OJF
Morning temps:
DATE: Aug 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24
- 25 - 26 - 27
TEMPS: 62 68
65 65 49 55 61
63 59 57 ?
rain
Aug 31 - 1935 (In Lincoln, Nebr.)
Left Tepee Nopah on the 27th. E., Ruth and I for Lincoln by Olds; H., and Rob't for Mackinac Is via Duluth and Great Lakes - S S Juniata, to get Mother Ferriss. We went to Grubens at 8:50AM. They, by Aronsons "down" boat at 10:30AM.
"We" lunched at Cloquet, dined in Albert Lea, slept in Mason City. Reached home on the second night, via Blair and Fremont. Mileage on Olds was 701 miles. Something wrong.
H and Robert stayed in Duluth (Spalding Hotel) nights of 27,28 and 29th and boarded the boat on the 30th (Scribe: OJF)
Ed Note: in 1989 I added a PS here, which reads-" Much later! (10-1-89) Robert, that's me, treated to a very rough trip on Lake Superior. Got seasick and didn't enjoy trip. Scribe- OJF