THE SAME LANGUAGE WAS DIFFICULT. I HEARD OF HIM WHEN I
FIRST CAME TO VANCOUVER TO WORK. THE FIRST CHANCE I HAD I
WENT TO VERNON AND WALKED OUT TO HIS HOUSE AND SHOP. HE
WAS SICK IN BED WHEN I ARRIVED BUT GOT UP, DRESSED, AND
INSISTED ON SHOWING ME THE WHOLE SHOP AND KILNS AND BISQUE
STOCK. I UNDERSTOOD AFTER, THAT HE SHOWED EVERY VISITOR
THE SAME THING, HOPING THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO SELL THE
BUSINESS TO THEM. WHETHER HE REALLY WANTED TO SELL, OR
NOT, IWILL NEVER KNOW. SOMETIMES WHEN I WAS VISITING WITH
Hii HE WOULD DO THE SAME TO OTHER NEW VISITORS AND AFTER
THEY HAD GONE AWAY HE WOULD MAKE SOME REMARK WHICH I
UNDERSTOOD AS THE FINAL PLAY IN A GAME HE LOVED. ON MY
FIRST VISIT IT WAS EVICENT THAT HE HAD BEEN SICK FOR SOME
TIME AND THE POTSHOP WAS ALMOST EMPTY OF NEW POTTERY. HE
EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS SHORTNESS OF BREATH CAUSED BY SILICO-
SIS WHICH STOPPED HIM FROM WORKING BUT THAT HE SHOULD BE
BACK AT WORK SHORTLY. AS WITH ALL CRAFTSMEN AND
ESPECIALLY WITH POTTERS HE WAS SUSPICIOUS OF ME AND MY
POTTING EXPERIENCE S01 HAD TO THROW 100 OR SO POTS TO
ESTABLISH MY CREDITS. OF COURSE HIS METHODS AND MINE
DIFFERED BUT THE WORKING IS BASICALLY THE SAME. HOW MUCH
CLAY CAN YOU WEDGE IN AN HOUR, HOW MANY BOWLS CAN YOU
THROW, HOW MANY MUGS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO NOW, THE USUAL
SNIFFING DONE BY STRANGE DOGS. HE WAS WELL EDUCATED AND
KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. FROM THINGS DROPPED BY
HIM’ OVER THE YEARS I ESTABLISHED THAT HE HAD TRAVELLED
WIDELY, WAS EITHER SWEDISH OR DANISH, HAD MANAGED LARGE
POTTERIES IN DIFFERENT PLACES, KNEW THE SAME PEOPLE THAT
IDID, UNDERSTOOD THE ELEMENTS OF MODERN ART AND WAS VERY
WELL FOUNDED IN THE ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE CRAFT AND KNEW
ALL THE DEVELOPMENTS TO THE PRESENT. I HAVE OFTEN
WONDERED WHAT CAUSED HIM TO WANDER AND ESTABLISH HIMSELF
IN VERNON. OF COURSE BEING MEN WE NEVER SPOKE PERSONALLY
ABOUT THESE THINGS, IT JUST BECAME ESTABLISHED OVER A
PERIOC OF TIME. WE BECAME, I BELIEVE, FIRM FRIENDS FROM
THE BEGINNING. WE BOTH LIKED AND DRANK BEER. OLD POTTERS'
CUSTOM, WE WERE BOTH PREPARED TO WORK LONG HOURS, DAYS,
YEARS, STAND UP TO TREMENDOUS SHOCKS, BEGIN AGAIN, ALL 21