EARLY EXPERIENCES

In this picture taken in 1921 or 1922 we are gathered in the road at the old ranch at deer hunting time. (Picture of men and horses).  There is a discussion going on about where to go hunting deer that day.  From left to right we are; Henry on old Rusty, me standing by with my hand on the saddle, Clifford facing the camera, Morgan Colton on a horse in the background, Dad with his hand up, and Melvin Bruce on the far right.  

These old deer hunts were thrilling experiences for us young boys but one of the experiences that I remember best was a trip I took about this same time with my Uncle John and Aunt Dora and cousin Melvin Bruce.

Uncle John was herding sheep on Diamond Creek in Wooley Valley for Angus Stockings.  He had been promised some time off to go to the Henry Roundup.  Aunt Dora and Melvin were going up to attend the roundup with him and had invited me to go along.  I was thrilled as it was a real wild west roundup and the first time I had ever been so far from home.

When we arrived at Henry the day before the roundup, Angus and his whole family were there.  They came in a sheep camp and a saddle horse for each member of the family.  Angus described the place where we could find Uncle John and we took off in Bruce’s 1919 Model Ford to fetch him.  We found Diamond Creek and Wooley Valley but not the herd or Uncle John.  Some place in that big long valley was Uncle John watching, waiting and wondering why we never came to pick him up.  We would drive to the mouth of a canyon that looked just like the one Angus described and leave the car and Aunt Dora, while Melvin and I searched the canyon.  Then we would come back, move to a different canyon and do it all over again.

When it got too dark to search any more we decided to wait out the night and try again in the morning.  We found an old abandoned sheep camp and thought we might stay in it but found that pack rats had already taken up residence and it smelled to high heaven.  Aunt Dora decided to sleep in the car that had a top but no side curtains.  Melvin and I dragged the old mattress out of the sheep camp and lay on it on the ground and covered ourselves with our coats.

We had a few cookies that we ate for lunch but had nothing else to eat all day. We were very hungry.  There was a package of sweet rolls in the sheep camp but they were as hard as rocks and smelled of rats.  We decided that if we boiled them, they would be softened and make them safe to eat.  We found an old syrup bucket and boiled, and ate some but not much.  Anyone who has ever eaten boiled sweet rolls would understand why.

The next day we continued our search all day long.  I have  never been so tired or hungry as I was at the end of that day.  We were about to give up and go without him and decided to return back to the car.  When we arrived, he was waiting for us.  We hadn’t found him but he had found us.  It was late so we decided to go to his camp, get something to eat, a good night’s rest and go to the roundup the next day.

He was riding a white horse and his camp was up high on a mountain so we took turns riding the horse.  It was a hard climb and the horse was sweating.  The reason I remember this experience so well is because a bear was following us and I was very concerned.  Uncle John said that all the bear wanted was salt.  A sweating horse gives off a strong salty odor and attracted the bear.  I was reassured but still maintained a close watch behind.

In this picture we are taking a break as we climb the trail to camp.  If Melvin looks tired and hungry it is because he was.  I had only enough strength to take the picture. (picture of horse and man)

I was very impressed by Uncle John’s camp.  He had plenty of time and had spent some of it to build a very comfortable camp.  He built tables, chairs and all he needed from aspen wood.  He had even piped the water from a cold clear spring that was nearby right up to the side of his table.  He used aspen tree bark on forked sticks and when he wanted a fresh drink, all he needed to do was hold out his cup under the stream.

In this picture Melvin and Aunt Dora are sitting at his homemade table and Uncle John is standing behind.  He is feeding us the best mutton stew I have ever tasted.  It was really appreciated.  Sourdough biscuits, fried potatoes, syrup and everything sheepherders like to eat were there. (picture on left he described)

Melvin and I went out to the bed ground for the herd, and slept in a tepee.

We had the dogs to warn us if bears came and a gun to scare them away.  Sometime after the moon went down a bear came.  It was very dark and the dogs were making a big fuss and bounded into the tepee.  Melvin grabbed the gun and ran out and I ran as fast as I could in my underwear and bare feet.  Melvin shot a time or two and the bear left.

In this picture taken the next morning the sheep and dogs and I were still nervous. (picture on right)   Melvin is comforting the dogs as the sheep leave the bed ground.

We had almost missed the roundup but did get to go the last day. I will always be grateful for the chance I got to see a real live wild west roundup.  The families for miles around came but not in cars.  There were very few cars there.  They came in sheep camps or covered wagons with their sleeping tents and stayed for the duration.  Every member of every family that was old enough to ride came with their own saddle horse.  There were no chutes or bucking arenas.  Spectators on horse back lined the arena and confined the bucking horses or steers.  The cowboys helped each other to mount and get off.  No admission, no cash prizes, no hired help-everyone helped and everyone had fun. 

After the bucking and riding and roping was over for that day, there was visiting and storytelling around the campfires until late at night.  Sometimes a card game could be seen in progress.  It was the big event in the lives of those hard working ranchers.  All this soon changed after rodeos were invented but I shall always be grateful for the opportunity I had to see one of the last few roundups to be held.

(Picture of Uncle John on the left, Aunt Dora in the center and Melvin on the right).  On the way home we stopped at Soda Springs and I took this picture of the Hopper Springs.  I was more interested in getting the springs in the picture than anyone else and cut off Uncle John’s and Melvin’s head.  For this I am sorry.

For any who do not know what a 1919 Model Ford looked like, the car in the background was at that time the pride and joy of Melvin and his folks.

Signed,  Hubert Gleed