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Show where to find the cabin. "After I heard he'd died in Montana, I wrote the newspaper up there and got a of the article d run about it copy him; was the same stories he'd told us in exactly they the same words. So he either had a great memory or was a con man, I don't know which. The truth went up in smoke with him, so I guess we'll never know ..." Other visitors have been more welcome. She speaks fondly of a group of western enthusiasts led by high school principal and author Ed Kirby. Calling themselves "The Wildcat Gorge Boozing and Wilderness Society," this looseknit gang of outlaw enthusiasts visit the Robbers Roost area every year for Butch Cassidy's birthday (April 13, 1866 in case you're wondering). "They're a hilarious bunch," Ekker says. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are their heroes. They're writing a movie script now that I think a Hollywood studio is going to make. It's called G unsight Butte. It's about Butch and Sundance." le Another visitor with Hollywood connections is Robert Redford. "I first met him one day when I'd been out reading meters for Gar Kane Power, " Ekker reveals. "Pleasant Creek was raging that day and I had to cross it to read a meter, so I waded. When I got back to the house, I had mud up to my knees and there was a strange outfit parked out front. My daughter came to the door and said, 'Mom, Robert Red ford's here and I said, 'Hell just have to wait until I change clothes, honey.'" Ekker describes Redford as "humble" and "accommodating." She believes he had Arthur, the already received his comeuppance at the hands of her brother-in-lafamously tough and crusty operator of the Robbers Roost Ranch whom Redford met while paling around with her nephew, rancher and guide, A.C. "Redford spoke at Arthur's funeral and said that he found out a lot of people could care less about who he was in Hollywood; Arthur was that way." On another occasion in the early 1980s, Redford attended an Ekker family reunion that drew an astonishing 785 family members from around the country to southern g, Utah. Pressed for time after a day of barbecuing and Redford changed clothes in a bedroom at Barbara's house before catching a plane, leaving behind his in the rush. "My daughter still has Robert Redford's underwear and shorts and terry-clot-h shirt," Ekker chuckles. "I don't think she'd give them back if he asked." There have been other characters: Claude Symonds, a trapper and river-runnwho had a scrape with the law in Texas in the early 1950s and thereafter became a legendary Glen Canyon hermit; Eugene Siminson, mayor for a time of Green River and one of the first women pharmacists in the state; J. Bracken Lee, libertarian-minde- d mayor of Price and later Salt Lake City; retired dentist and rockhound A.L. "Doc" Inglesby of Fruita; and Pearl Baker who grew up on the Robber's Roost Ranch and later wrote good basic histories on the outlaws and cattlemen of the area, debunking many myths in her work. Just as she rues the lack of interest in teaching or appreciating history, Ekker is just seemed to have more common mildly critical of contemporary society. "Old-time-rs sense," she opines. "Let me give you an example: Jess's brother, Arthur, took a community herd of cows from here over to Green River and helped load 'em on a train. He took them the whole way to California and brought everyone back their money. You know how old he was? Fourteen. They had it hard back then and they has grew up fast. They knew how to do things. Today, I don't think a enough sense to even get from here to Green River. They had a better start in the bygone days. Kids today spend more time playing around than they do getting educated." But she's happy to note that some of the "old-timvalues have remained viable in Hanks ville particularly among the older generation. "There's still a sense of caring here that you don't find in cities," she opines, "if the fire alarm goes off, everybody pitches in. We had a fire in '90 that about wiped us out I'd hate to think what would have happened if our neighbors hadn't been there to help us rescue things." Ekker' s future plans including writing a true, unadulterated history of Wayne County: "I would really like to do something like Negri did Tales of Canyonlands Cowboys and tell the truth about some of the characters here; there's no shortage of characters here, you know." She laughs her infectious laugh. "I just don't know if anybody will speak to me when I get done." After all, she knows where the bodies are buried. 1 high-profi- w, . river-runnin- T-sh- irt er CONTACT US VIA E MAIL AT: zcphyrlasal.tict THE WEB ADDRESS IS: wwxanyoiicoufitrjrzcpliyr.com TRIBUTARY THEATER... e" in cooperation with the Theater Arts Department at Utah State University presents the classic "memory play:" THE GLASS MENAGERIE by Tennessee Williams H 8PM at historic Star Hall, E. Center St. in Moab Every Tuesday through Saturday, June 10-Ju- ly 4 $4: SeniorsYouth $8: Adults OPENING NIGHT GAIA BENEFIT PERFORMANCE AND RECEPTION.. .$20 5 or For reservations call Tickets available at the door. Barry Scholl is the editor of Salt Lake City magazine. 259-619- Knave of 800-413-81- 64 And we've got Hearts local artists on display. BAKERY North (Just off Main St. west of the Bowen MoteO in Moab's historical red sandstone building. 25411 84 West ZOO a Pw European patisserie & cafe' featuring! Espresso, Cappuccino, Caffe Trieste coffees, Danish, Croissants d bagels, French breads. light lunch & soups, Rye breads, Whole grain breads, Cheesecakes, Fruit tarts, Daguffr, Poppyseed hazelnut torte. Death by Chocolate, Chocolate & mocha genoise cakes. Wedding cakes, Hand-rolle- Birthday cakes, Muffins & Scones. Matthew Prebluda Robin Zank ope" We'fening infridoV $ ?y |
