Show S S 5 Cattle Founder Rode White While Canyon in 91 J J. J A A. A s first venture Into southeastern Utah was not an entire entire en en- tire Ure success 1 then a stripling of 19 rode eastward from Salina Utah In Inthe Inthe Inthe the spring of 1891 with a skimpy bedroll two bedroll two quilts quilts quilts-an an extra horse and a 11 5 S bill in his pocket Ills missIon mission mis mis- mission sion to round up and take care of head of cattle more or less In White While Canyon The cattle were owned by one Claud Sanford a speculator and mining man up was to run them on shares j The year old cowboy crossed do at Dandy Crossing located located lo lo- located the Sanford stock and put them on good feed Then he drove a trail trait herd to Ridgway Colo for another stockman earning 75 He lIe returned to Bluff where he met Emma Bayles Bales who was to become his So bride far so good But Dut back in In White Canyon he nc found the cattle scattered Not accidentally scattered red either Five armed Texans greeted him 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 Sal Sal- ina told his family and friends of 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 dealt them thema a losing hand on that venture Drouth struck The grass dried and died The brothers emerged with a 60 per percent cent loss But they were gaining in exper exper- lence J. J A A. still Is ts in the cattle business In southeastern Utah today to to- day Now 83 be he still heads the 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 Salsa also owns some acres of land in 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 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 Cattle Cattle- man After the drouth of 93 1892 and its heavy losses might have been tempted to return to the gentler gentler gen gen- tier country around Salina to stay But he didn't lIe He went to work as foreman forthe forthe for lor the Bluff Pool for a month lIe He married Emma Bayles in January January January Jan Jan- uary 1895 And soon the brothers were back in business for I themselves They established headquarters head quarters at Twin Springs in hi the White Canyon area still area still an Important important important im im- Im- Im part of S S operations By 1918 the brothers had prospered pros p pored red to buy buyout out the Indian Creek Cattle Co In partnership partner ship with Will and Andrew Sorrier Sorrier- ville of Moab and Joe Titus The total price was the Scar Scar- ups and their associates paid 50 50 down were to pay a year for 10 years Then came the winter whiter of 1919 20 Thirty six inches of snow fell Three hundred head head of 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 incorporated hi ln 1926 J J. J A. A and his wife the two and Frank Adams were the founders Harve Williams now vice president president dent came into the company in 1927 holdings today include 3 acres of both grazing and farm land in the Paradox valley of Colorado Albert a nephew neph neph- ew ow now Is In charge of that di dl- vision The ranch also Includes acres of grazing razing land on top I of the La Sa s 1 1100 acres of farming land in IndIan Indian Creek another another an an- I an-I other acres of grazing land Including some in Browns Brown's Hole lIole southeast of Moab acres of farm Carm 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. 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 now now- That's a business for a younger generation Seven thousand head of cattle and acres of oC land are enough to keep a man manI manof manof of 83 busy I |