The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-04-05

2eballoS, B. C., April 5-UP)- The diary of Lloyd Coombs, trapper:
 Jan. 7.-I went over to M creek. Got nothing but four squirrels. Jim met me on the trail with thermos full of hot squirrel soup. Jim got two trout and I got one. My legs are pretty shaky.
 Jan. 8-Jim went across the lake today. He got three squirrels, wea- set and coon. We got two trout each in the afternoon. I shot two squirrels in the morn. It was frosty last night. Coldest since we've been here. There was icicles on the eyes of the cabin. The last day it was clear was when we saw the plane October 30.
 Jan. 9-Snowed all morning Cleared up tonight. Stars out. We both tried fishing. Jim got four nice trout. got nine. cut some wood.
 Jan. 10-Jim went around the lake again today and got three trout. It was clear all day. It froze last night.
 Fished All Day
 Jan. live both fished all day. I got three trout. Jim got one. I shot three squirrels in the afternoon The squirrels will be our breakfast. We cut each others hair today. We got to bed praying for plane.
 Jan. 12-Jim went around the lake again today. Got two trout. I fished here all day. Got trout. We had squirrel for breakfast and fish for lunch at o'clock. We both shaved tonight.
 (From Jan. 13 through Jan. IS it rained almost daily and the rest of the time it was cloudy. The trappers lived on few trout and squirrels.)
 Jan. 19-We had squirrel break fast. One half a trout and one half a Marten each for lunch. One half a trout two squirrels each for supper Had the rest of the Marten before going to bed. Jim says of all the years he's trapped this is the first Marten he's had to eat. It tasted pretty darn good, too. Weather clear all day-sun shine.
 Darn Cold in Boats
 Jan. 20-ThiS weather is darn cold out in the boats. Our hands get so cold sometimes we can hardly bait our hooks. We have to thaW out our hands when we get in, before there is feeling enough in them to clean the fish.
 Jan. 21-Cloudy all day fogyg to- night.
 Jan. 22-Jim got a big eagle in trap. It stretched 82 inches from tip to tip. Jim was pretty sick in the stomach all day.
 Jan. 23-Jim got trout today and I got 10. That's the most I've got III a day yet. Rained most of the day.
 Jan. 24-We had to change our stove around before breakfast be- cause one elbow had burned right through. The eagle we got weighed pounds. I'm saving the wings and Jim the tail and claws. We're going to try eating it.
 Ate Eagle for Lunch
 Jan. 25-We had the eagle for lunch. It was filling. Showed all last night.
 Jan. 26-Jim nailed big piece of tin down in front of the stove to- night.
 Jan. 27-Windy and raining hard all day. Too rough for the canoe. We skinned the wings of the eagle l had nailed to the cabin and got what little meat we could from them. We got the neck we had thrown out and boiled that up. We ate that, saving the soup for break fast. We're praying to God plane comes pretty darn soon.
 Jan. 28-Raining heavy all day and last night. The fish wouldn't bite worth darn. We had cup of soup off the eagle remains we boiled this morning.
 Had Little to Eat
 Jan. 29-We nearly had nothing to eat today. One squirrel each that I got in the morning. We never got 8 fish today. We got some fish head and tails on to boil. We're going to try it anyway. An empty stomach is willing to try anything. It was clear most of the day. Sunshine fog gy in the morning-PS-we just ate some of the fish heads. It was pretty damn good, too. Some of them were laying outside for four or five days, so this will give you an Idea Of what hunger is. Jim is going to have to watch his boQs or I'll be boiling them up
 Jan. S0-We just had our first H. eR- IL A -E