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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Volume X Issue I Page 9 April 15, 2004 Valley Memories—Wowser the storyteller By Sherman L. Hislop Wowser was, as testified by the Author, “The biggest storyteller that lived in the Valley.” He could tell a story without stopping to think to make it up. He also had such an honest look to his face that anyone who heard him tell the story would swear that it came from a truthful man. Let me here relate just one story of Wowser’s, which I have recorded here, if not for your posterity, at least for mine. Wowser (Roy) worked for the Forest Service, a federal government agency. The men who worked for the Forest Service generally took care of, and protected federal lands, which, in acreage, constitutes most of the state of Utah. Roy worked—and I give the title with tongue in cheek—as a “forest ranger” for many years, and was given the responsibility of taking care of certain lands up in South Fork east of Huntsville, up Middle Fork, and over into Snow Basin. For current citizens of the Valley, Snow Basin was not then a big ski resort named Snowbasin; it wasn’t even a little ski resort. It was a place where people could go camping. The Forest Service had built a road around Flint Peak. The people in the Valley referred to it as “the basin.” What is now called Mount Ogden, was Basin Peak. Mount Ogden you could see from Ogden City, but it was referred to as Basin Peak to those of us who lived in the Valley. The government had built at Basin Peak a log building, which was about 25 feet wide by 50 feet long, with a fire place. It was a picturesque place to go to in the fall. In the late 1940’s, Marriner Eccles made arrangements to use the lodge for a day. Wowser was assigned the task of going and being sure the lodge was open clean, and ready for Eccles and his visitors. The citizens should recognize that Marriner Eccles was chairman of the Federal Reserve Board under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and had a lot of political recognition and clout. Wowser took his Forest Service truck and drove up to, what we call, Basin Peak road. While traveling up the road, he found a dead jackrabbit in the road. He stopped and threw it in the back of his truck. A little further up the road, Wowser found a dead porcupine someone had hit. Again, he stopped and, with a shovel, threw the porcupine into the back of the truck next to the rabbit. And even though they were dead, some quills of the porcupine stuck in the rabbit. After Wowser arrived at the lodge area, he stopped and cleaned the lodge and put the porcupine and the jack rabbit down by the porch; he planned to dig a hole and bury them later. However, before he was able to accomplish this task, Marriner Eccles, his wife, guests, and a reporter from the Ogden Standard Examiner arrived. Mrs. Eccles asked Roy about the porcupine and the rabbit. There was a little meadow, maybe a hundred feet away from the lodge, and, without cracking a smile, Wowser stated, “I saw one of the most courageous fights I’ve ever seen in nature. It was a fight between the jack rabbit protecting its young, and that porcupine attacking the little ones.” Mrs. Eccles and her friends became enthused, and the newspaper writer also came to hear the story. Mrs. Eccles inquired further as to what it was that Wowser had seen. Wowser continued with his story. “I was here on the porch getting ready to clean out the building to prepare it for you to use, and that jackrabbit was there in that little meadow. It had its five little young ones and they were playing and hopping in the grass having a good time. Then down out of those trees there came that porcupine, and it headed for those little rabbits. It appeared that that porcupine was going to eat those little rabbits. “But,” he continued, “that jack rabbit wasn’t about to let that porcupine get any of the little rabbits. That jackrabbit couldn’t fight that porcupine directly, so it jumped over the porcupine and kicked it with its hind feet. Then it turned, jumped it again, and kicked it with its hind feet again. It kept it up until that jackrabbit kicked that porcupine so many times that it killed that porcupine so it couldn’t get the little rabbits. Many quills from the porcupine got into the rabbit. There were so many of them, the A Rabbit Versus A Porcupine By Sherman LeMoyne Hislop Wowser was six foot four, maybe more Lean as a mountain steer. His chin was square, gray flecks in his hair, He was nearing his sixtieth year. City folks would listen and gather Some tales with a little folk lore. “Wowser” they would call, “Come tell us all.” He would tell, but add a little more. His stories as told with truth slightly bold, He would stretch a point or two. It really was rare, the facts good compare, The tales were but partially true. Dangerous to place then was the honesty in his face Or hear the insincerity of his reply. T’would induce complete trust, and listen you must, But beware of the truth in his eye. For the tales would flow without practice or show Inter-weaving the most intricate detail. Whether a bear on the prowl, or a lone coyote howl, His stories would go on without fail. Oh Wowser, our friend, his stories would end To something or someone in glory. But truth was burned, scrambled and churned, Could you not tell one true story? mother rabbit died protecting its young from that porcupine.” As Wowser paused in his storytelling, Mrs. Eccles asked, “Oh my word, could you have saved the rabbit?” I was going to,” said Wowser, “But I got there too late, so I brought my shovel, and I will dig a hole and give it a proper burial.” The newspaper man and the others were taken in with the story, and it was printed in the Ogden Standard Examiner where the story was noticed by a Utah State Agricultural College professor. He wanted to know if he could talk to the man who had seen the fight because he though that the story hadn’t made much sense; a porcupine was a vegetarian, and no porcupine could catch or hurt even a little rabbit that could run. Historical Photo The first load of sheep to be shipped out of Huntsville in 1915 and the men and boys that helped load the sheep. From left to right: Russ Cannon, Charles Henry Hislop,Unknown, Curtis T. Hislop, Dan Downs, Von Downs, Joe Clark, Roland Jorgenson, and John Wilson. Photo courtesy of Sherman L. Hislop of Provo. With his voice quite low, Pointing to the meadow below, “That porcupine attacked at daylight. It wanted, at least, on the hare’s babies to feast, I’ve never seen such a fight.” “But each terrible kick, She got many a prick. Powerful and deadly was its strife. Without word or tongue, For the sake of her young, That old mother Jack gave up her life.” “I hurried for a crack To help the old Jack But I never got there in time. With great winning jumps And kicking and thumps, The mama killed that old porcupine.” That story of old was sinfully told For there was not truth to the tale. A porky does not eat Any kind of meat, And that Jack was a 10 year old male. KEN TURNER A porcupine dead from the old Basin road, You hauled to the lodge to bury. Also a dead Jack, you threw in the back, Never thinking of being contrary. OGDEN VALLEY SPECIALIST ASSOCIATE BROKER - Multi-Million Dollar Producer President’s Club Award Winner - Sales Master 801.710.8800 But when Mrs. “Gotrock” did come with her Eastern chums To use the lodge for the day, The story he gave to these city folk naïve, No truth or decorum would you display. When she asked of those there About the porky and hare, His voice choked with real sorrow. Even Gotrocks cried, not knowing Wowser lied, Or the truth he did not borrow. Since the man from the Agricultural College wanted to talk to Wowser’s immediate superior at the Forest Service, whose name was also Roy, Roy Clark. Clark called Wowser in to his office. There, Mr. Clark gave Wowser a promise that is summarized as follows. “Roy,” he said. “If I hear of one more story of you telling such a shenanigan, you’re through. You’ll no longer work for the Forest Service. Such stories are not believable. They get us into difficulty; now with the Agricultural College because they claim one of our men saw a fight between a jackrabbit and a porcupine!” It is not definite whether Roy told any more stories after that, but I question if such a threat could have toned Roy down. He was the best there was . . . turner@relia.net Eden Office at Valley Market NEW LISTINGS! BARBARA BEALBA INTERIORS Custom Draperies Blinds, Shutters & Shades Reupholstery Design Consultation 745-2269 E-mail: barbarab@konnections.net Nordic Valley $219,000 Powder Mountain Secluded, cozy 3 bedroom home on one wooded acre w/private backyard in immaculate condition. Open floor plan, main floor master, covered sun room with views, finished basement, two family rooms, wrap-around deck, 2 car garage, carport and more! $599,000 Fantastic "Ski In Ski Out" NEW, 4 bedroom 4 bath home inc. 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