KRISHNA EAGLE AND FAMILY
(Page 2 of 4)
March/April 1972
By the Mother Earth News editors
Then we happened to run across a copy of the B.C. ACCESS CATA LOGUE which contained an article by an ex-New Mexico real estate agent. The man, Oscar Greene, lives up in B. C.'s Powell River (a mere 100 miles and two ferryboat rides from Vancouver). But, since homesteading in British Columbia was discontinued last year and real estate agents are now the best bet for land in that province, we went to see Mr. Greene.
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Greene told us that most of the land was taken and that local prices were $1,000 per acre and up . . . but he did turn us on to two pieces of forested acreage at somewhat more reasonable figures. One was 13 1/2 acres right on the main highway for $7,000 and the other was 60 acres for $18,000.
Both deals required cash and, though the prices were good, we didn't have enough for either one and our friends back in the good ole U.S.A. were not willing to invest in such an unsure venture. So we made it over to the Municipal Park of Powell River, talking all the way there about going to Olympia National Park to live for the winter in our tipi . . . or maybe even striking out for Australia!
That night, Bear happened to mention to the park's caretaker that we were interested in land. Old Dave was eager to help. "Land? Why I know a feller who has 25 acres for sale out in the bush, near a lake. I think it has a stream and a river flowing through it. Think he wants $10,000." Holy Mother! We rushed out there the next day.
And we found it! The cabin was nine miles over a rutted forest road from the nearest neighbor and nestled in a two or three-acre clearing by a river. It was surrounded by many miles of fir, hemlock, spruce and cedar fores ts and was perfect.
Unfortunately, the owner was home so we returned to Vancouver and—two weeks later—ferried up for anoother try. This time our luck was better.
We first met Ed, a gruff but lovable French Canadian, on the road. He was filling ruts with branches and sand and muttering about the local lumber company's destruction of his road with its large "cats". (We found out later that lumber companies—the true power structure in B.C.—lease land, clear roads and then let the forest grow for 20 to 30 years . . . their own personal "tree farm".)
While Ed finished his road work, we went on to look at the boundaries of the property.
"$20,000, half cash now," Ed said when he joined us. "Heck, there's $15,000 in trees alone so I'm only selling it for $5,000, actually."
Oh darn! We loved the place so much but he wanted twice what we could scrape up.
Earlier, when we had been on the road, we had sort of stumbled upon the home/shop of the Nomadics tipi people and bought one of their tents Now, while looking at Ed's property, we noticed a thick stand of young cedar trees which were just about the right size for tipi lodge poles . . . so we asked him about cutting 30 poles for our shelter.
