"The Long Walk"

In 1939 Mike House was working at Garland's Mill for a mere ten cents an hour. "Money was scarce back then and a job was a job" Mr. House reflected. Also, at that time a lot of young Newfoundland men were heading over seas to work in the forestry to earn a better pay. However, for that summer Mr. House had something else in mind.

Around about the beginning of August Mr. Burt Organ received a telegraph from a man in Gander named "Old Man Goodyear." Mr. Goodyear was looking for five strong men to help in the construction of a new airport. The five men that were chosen were Mike House, Burt Organ, Frank Organ, Jack Organ, and Fred Collier. The only problem was "How were they going to get there?" Burt suggested that the five men were young and healthy enough to walk the long distance. The others agreed and they set off on the 8th of August with a few supplies and Burt's map and compass.

After seven days of walking the men reached Gander River. They stopped there for the night and camped along side of the steady. That night the men started recalling the "times" they used to have on August 15th, especially the big dances. "Burt, being foolish like he sometimes was, started jumping around and dancing. He trot on the bib of the kettle and drove it up the bottom of his foot. He never crippled himself up bad though" Mr. House remembered. The next morning the men set off again. It was still a long ways to Gander but now the men could use the river to make their trip a little easier. After they were below Rolling Falls the men cut 5 pines, 12 feet long and used them to build a raft. They rode the river until they met up with a man named Larry Shay. Shays had a camp 12 miles from Glenwood where he was looking after 20 horses that belonged to Bowater. He invited them to stay the night.

The next day the men reached Glenwood and they gave the 5 pines that they had used as a raft to a local mill. It was great to finally reach Glenwood where they could catch the train for the remainder of the trip but as luck would have it there was no train until the next day. So, again they had to put their heads together to figure out a way to travel the remaining distance. Burt reassured them and said, "Don't worry! We will find some way." And they did. After a little persuasion, they hitched a ride with railway workers on two hand cars for the final leg of the journey.

They felt out of place with our moccasins on our feet . However, they were given logans the next day . They found a place to sleep for the night. The next day they went to work across the bay. They shifted sand on the beach onto a big flat barge . Phil Willcott and Jack Walsh used a motor boat to tow the barge across the bay . Someone would load the sand in a truck and take it to the airport . The boss told them to clear the way for the transmitter and transformer. They worked there til the 18th of November , that was when they were laid off . Now they had to find a way home . Burt suggested, "How about you and me walk back home." Mike said , "I don't mind we will get some caribou on the way back ." They got a old river boat in Glenwood for $3.00 , $1.50 each. They did up the boat and came back up the North West Gander River again . They poled the boat or sometimes rowed in smooth places . They were 10 days coming back . They killed a stag and a fawn .

Mike and Burt met up with 2 guys from Gander Bay . They stayed with them for one night . They got to the under part of Burnt Hill. They couldn't get the boat to go any further . They left the boat and hauled her up there . They stayed the night in a side camp . They used the skin of the stag they killed on the bottom of the boat , "skinny side up ." Whoever comes up the next spring to pick up the boat , the birds should have the skin cleaned , and all picked off . John M. Organ and another guy brought the skin out and it was cleaned and used to make skin boots . The boat was hauled out with dogs .

The entire trip took approximately seventeen days to complete. The men traveled by foot, by water, and by rail. This story, like many others, is a testament to how dedicated and hard working the people of Bay D'Espoir were and still are today.