Show valley gallery Ask Dick Books 7 6 4 Childcare Cover story Horse sense Knee highs Looking back Poetry 8 10 4 3 7 5 13 2 The week TV Sports Valley gallery Valley viewer 11 10 10 Wharsup Word sleuth Whit vsi the man like who grew into the legend that is Porter Rockwell? More to the point whether he waa a savior or a scab what did he do to immortalize himself In the history of Cache Valley? Had to be something in order to have a roast beef sandwich bear his name on the menu of one of Logan's finest eateries It was while enjoying the relaxed ambience of this same dining place one lunchtime that Carlton Culmsee who put together the Rockwell profile that we feature today decided it was fitting and proper to tell the world about the man behind the sandwich We agreed Although we run a weekly history column In Valley ('Looking back' penned by contributing editor Jeff Simmonds) from time to time we like to offer our readers an additional perspective Carlton has been one of Valley's most faithful ardent supporters since the beginning An emeritus professor of English at Utah State University and former Dean of the College of Humanities and Arts there he has a doctorate in American Civilization and the sort of inquisitive brain that never runs out of ideas He claims he was possibly born to be a geologist but a bout with the flu affected his mind and he turned instead to college administration and the composing of light verse One thing Carlton says he omitted from his profile was Rockwell's humorous side “Famous and writers from the east usually wished to interview him as a notorious gunman probably a murderous fanatic” says Carlton Rockwell enjoyed inviting them to his ranch and entertaining them with scenic rides and dinners “He Joked with them about his reputation as Chief of the Danites and killer of any who disagreed with Brigham Young When they got home to New York or wherever they would write about their fearlessness in actually sitting down to dinner and riding scores of miles with this monster 4 dim lurid atrocities” As far as connecting him with a sandwich the closest we can come is this: In the IMOs Fits Hugh Ludlow came to Utah to interview Rockwell who he had dubbed the “destroying Angel" for the Atlantic Monthly He was surprised at the warm reception he got says Carlton not to mention the invitation to dine is said to at the Rockwell home However Rockwell ' have commented “Bless yer soul but we’re savage! Once drew a sassige on a Yankee Gentile myself — crammed it right down his throat with scalding hot gravy and pancakes We Mormons torture them awful The Gentile I drew the sassige on bore it like a man and is living yet” So be it Illustrations which bear an amazing likeness to Porter Rockwell were provided by Ondre Pettingill a graduate illustration student at USU Incidentally don't forget to catch Simmonds' column this time around It's an intriguing portrait of one of the valley’s most prominent pioneers Aaron DeWitt and tells a great deal of the temper of the times around 1175 non-famo- us — Nancy Williams 2—The Herald JoumalValley Monday June 16 1980 Run River Run by Mike Lit? |