June 1 – October 12, 1910
Port Henry to Tonawanda, NY
(The Hard Way)
In the following log, Granddad’s handwriting was at times hard to read and I may have misread some names or not been able to be sure of their spelling. Also, there was a minimum of punctuation and I have added it to make the log read more smoothly.
Ann B. Manning
June 1, 1910
CREW:
- George B. Strouse, Captain
- Annie
- Ella
- Harry Miller
Left Port Henry at 2 p.m., June 1st. Wind south, raining slightly. Ran to creek (Otter) reaching there at 4 p.m. Ran aground in landing but soon got off. After tying up, went out to fish and got enough for supper. After supper caught quite a few catfish, eels, perch, and pike. Retired at 10 p.m. Raining. Started with about 65 gallons gas.
Thursday, June 2, 1910 Got up at 4 a.m. but raining. Went back to bed until 7:30. After breakfast, rain letting up. Went fishing and caught some perch and George 1 big eel. Annie not feeling very well. Fairly heavy sea from south. Stayed all day in creek fishing. Caught so far 76 fish, very fine fat perch. Tried for pike but no go. Raining at intervals all day.
Friday, June 3, 1910 Started at 7 a.m. for Plattsburg. Very calm, cloudy. Ran very slow as Annie was baking bread; was afraid of shaking oven off stove. Eat breakfast running fine. Fog and a little rain. Reached Valcour Island about 11 a.m. Stopped for dinner. Fish again; every meal fish, but still good. Some sea before we stopped. Beautiful bay, clearest water and very cold. After dinner started for Plattsburg. Got a good berth at coal yard. Went uptown. Got shoes for Ella and Annie, also provisions. 50 lbs. of flour, etc. Harry salting fish as they may not be as plenty later. Met the Diamonds. The girls called in the evening. Very cold tonight.
Saturday, June 4, 1910 Went to Standish to see Jno Powell. Not home. Harry had quite a storm but came out all right. Staid in Plattsburg all night. Bought curtains and shoes.
Sunday, June 5, 1910 Started at 7:30. Ran to Fisk Point, Isle LaMotte. Laid up at a stone quarry dock. At night put into a slip back of dock, an all right place. Lots of fish caught–40–some nice bass. Rain in the evening. Had breakfast running. All wrote letters this evening.
Monday, June 6, 1910 Rain nearly all day, laid around. Only caught 15 fish. Annie washed and ironed. Took a tour of inspection around the point. Found the upper end of Fisk Point very rocky way out, big boulders, clearest kind of water. Rain came through the roof at night right on the bed. Fine baked B (bass, I presume. ABM) today. Made box to put fish in; a great convenience.
Tuesday, June 7, 1910 Rain all last night and all day. Got 22 fish. Worked on boat–curtains, pump, and electric lights. Also made box for worms.
Wednesday, June 8, 1910 Rain again, wind from N.W. blowing in on us. Finally getting bad. Pulled around pier with assistance of canal captain and ran around to other side of island. Anchored in Watts Bay. Had dinner, snitz & knepf; good. About 3:30 p.m. started for Rouse’s Point via LaMotte Channel. Weather getting bad when near drawbridge. Wind very bad. Ran back to a small bay. Got milk and had supper. After supper, went fishing. Only got 3 small ones. Annie and Ella got from the Wawa 54 perch. Harry went back and got 2 nice pants (??)(again, that’s what it looks like! ABM) There is a rock in this bay covered now with 2-1/2′ of water. They say on a line with stone house and tree on point. We, being near, had me worried all night.
Thursday, June 9, 1910 Sun this morning, wind S. Looks as thought it might be a fair day. Wind came up. About 7:30 a.m. ran back to Watts Bay and stay until 11, then started around head. Pretty good sea going around all right on the run up to Rouse’s Point where Dr. Marnes met us and put us up in an elegant slip, no finer place imaginable. Town very nice. Lots of boats, about 40 launches. No fish today. Rain again in afternoon and evening. Fish still taste good. Crock almost full.
Friday, June 10, 1910 Still in Marnes slip at Rouse’s Point. Nothing doing. Painted roof. Rain in evening.
Saturday, June 11, 1910 Same slip. Made racks for life preservers. Mrs. Marries called.
Sunday, June 12, 1910 Still at Marnes dock. Rain all day.
Monday, June 13, 1910 Same dock. Put rope on pup (??–or what would it be? ABM) and Harry painted her. Mr. Frazer called and May will probably stay with him until we arrive in Montreal. Fairly good day. Met lots of people; everybody very nice.