5 SS 5 Cattle Founder Rode White Canyon in 91 9 3 J J. J A A. A first venture Into int o southeastern Utah was not an entire entire en en- tire lire success then a II stripling of 19 rode eastward from Salina Utah Inthe In Inthe Inthe the spring of 1891 with a skimpy bedroll two bedroll two quilts quilts-an quilts an extra horse and a 5 bill In his pocket Ills His mission mission mis mis- sion slon to round up and take care 01 of head of cattle more or less in White Canyon The cattle were owned by one Claud Sanford a speculator and mining man Scar up was to run them on shares The year old cowboy crossed the Colorado at Dandy Crossing lo lo- located c Bated ted the Sanford stock and put pul them on good feed Then he drove a trail herd to Ridgway Colo for another stockman earning 75 He lie returned to Bluff where he met Emma Bayles who was to become his bride So far so good But back in White Canyon he found the cattle scattered Not accidentally scattered either Five armed Texans greeted him himon himon himon on his arrival backed up by a half dozen or so renegade Indians The Texans Informed the young range rider that hed he'd do well to keep on riding Ride on he did but not for keeps The wild San Jaun country had got into his blood Young went back to Salina SalIna SalIna Sal Sal- Ina told his family and friends of oC the wonders of the San Juan and persuaded his father lather and a family friend to entrust and his brother Jim with a herd They left Salina with head to work on shares they shares they were to keep a third of the increase Nature and not Texans a losing hand on that venture Drouth struck The grass dried and died The brothers emerged with u a 60 per per percent cent loss But they were gaining in exper exper- lence J J. A A. A still is In the cattle I business justness in southeastern Utah to to- day clay Now 83 he still heads the Sc rup Somerville Cattle Co Utah's largest cattle operation The TheS S S runs head of Herefords Here Here- fords now now now-It It will market about 2000 head this fall The S S also owns some acres of land In n Utah and Colorado making it one of the largest ranches in the west The story of how J J. J A A. A built up the SS cant can't all be told here It would take lake a book to do doIt doit doit It Justice In fact sister Stena did write a book about him J J A A. A a Utah Cattleman Cattle Cattle- Cattle I man After the drouth of 93 1892 and its heavy losses might have been tempted to return to the gentler gen tier country around Salina to stay But he He ICe went to work as foreman for forthe forthe forthe I the Bluff Pool for a month He lIe married Emma Bayles in Jannary January Jan Jan- I uary nary 1895 And soon the I brothers were back in business for themselves They established headquarters head head- headquarters quarters at Twin Springs in the White Canyon area still area still an important important im im- im part of S S operations Lions By 1918 the brothers had prospered prospered pros pro pared to buy buyout out the Indian Creek Cattle Co in partnership partner ship with Will and Andrew Somerville Somerville Somer Somer- ville of Moab and Joe Titus The total price was the ups and their associates paid 50 down were to pay a year for 10 years I Then came the winter of 1919 20 Thirty-six Thirty inches of snow fell Three hundred head of cattle died In the feed lots It looked like the brothers might be working for wages again by spring But they pulled through The S SS S Cattle Co was Incorporated Incorporated in 1926 J J. J A. A and his wile wife the two and frank Adams were the founders I I Harve Williams now vice president president dent came into the company In 1927 holdings today Include 3 acres of both grazing and I I I farm land in the Paradox valley of Colorado Albert a nephew neph neph- ew now is in charge of that di dl- vision The ranch also includes acres Of grazing land on top of the La 1 1100 acres of farming land in Indian Indian Creek another another another an an- other acres of grazing land land including some in Browns Brown's Hole southeast of f Moab acres of farm land near Blanding and another another an an- other acres at Spring Creek out of Monticello Rulen Somerville now Is in charge I of the Spring Creek operation Harve Williams is In charge at Twin Springs and Lyle Tharnell at Indian Creek S SS S cattle graze all over the widespread range on uranium land But J J. J A. A who started inthe In Inthe Inthe the cattle business with two horses two quilts and a 5 bill doesn't concern himself with uranium uranium nowadays now now- I That's a business for a younger generation Seven thousand head of cattle and acres I of land are enough to keep a man manI manof manof of 83 busy