Harry B. Jackson, Letter to Blodwen Davies, May 5, 1931

Monroe, Mich. May 5^th 31

Dear Miss Davies, — :

In reply to yours of Apr. 30^th, relating to Thomsons memoirs, -

I am quite sure it was Toms first visit to Algonquin Park. Tom MacLean a Toronto artist who was located with us at the Grip, gave us a letter of introduction to the elder Mr. Bartlett, who was supt. of the Park at that time:

MacLean told us of the beauty & fine fishing in that region & Tom & I thought we would try it. […]

Tom did get his painting outfit in the spring of 1912 & used it on our trip & afterwards with Broadhead; While we were together he did very little serious sketching, making a few notes, sky lines & color effects.

In 1911 we visited Lake Skugog two or three times where Tom did some sketching. […]

Tom was never understood by lots of people, was very quiet, modest & as a friend of mine spoke of him as a gentle soul, He cared nothing for social life, but with one or two companions on a sketching & fishing trip with his pipe and Hudson Bay Tobacco going was a delightful companion: If a party or the boys got a little loud or rough Tom would get his sketching kit & wander off alone, at times he liked to be that way wanted to be by himself commune with nature

I want to tell of the wonderful time the two of us had camping out at Tee [Tea] Lake Dam in Algonquin Park.

Tom was a real cook, we dined our lake trout was boiled & baked not fried, real biscuits etc. Every thing had to be cooked just so.

If it was a rainy day we would stay in camp. Tom would clean his pipes & read Waltons Complete Angler […] deer visited the camp every eve. wolves could be heard in the distance we were very much alone. I look back on that trip as one of my best vacations. […]

Has W. S. Broadhead’s name been mentioned to you he camped with Tom after I left, is now a well known illustrater of N.Y. City. […]

Harry B. Jackson