Your Pic of the Day
- Thread starter DAA
- Start date
Clarence, the nearest body of water to that boat is a long, long, ways away. I mean, a heckuva long way. Just off the top of my head, I'd say at least 150 miles. Very out of place! Especially as old as it is. Can't imagine who would have owned a boat like that, living there, that long ago. Perhaps it was bought and hauled in just for the motor or something?
That's a cold water geyser. Originally drilled for a water well, but hit a pocket of gas and the water tastes awful. So it was a fail. Of which there are several I've seen in the Utah desert. It doesn't go off very often or very high anymore. Many years ago it was more frequent and a lot bigger. It's the site of a long abandoned, long fallen down and almost completely disappeared ranch house. The Chaffin ranch. The story of the Chaffin family is pretty interesting. I've followed up all their old cow camps and such. They ran their cattle over a huge area. Now mostly within a nat'l park. But it's an area that needs quite a few acres to support one cow. Not the kind of area that supports x number of cows per acre.
Here's a link to an interview with Ned Chaffin. All told, it's over 300 pages, so probably not of any interest to most. Or maybe not to anyone. I've read through it a few times and visited every single place talked about.
Ned Chaffin interviews
Ned scratched his name in this rock in 1935. Very long Jeep ride followed by a long hike to get to it. Wasn't looking for or expecting it. Just a nice surprise.
Actually drove right by the old ranch again about two weeks ago.
- DAA
That's a cold water geyser. Originally drilled for a water well, but hit a pocket of gas and the water tastes awful. So it was a fail. Of which there are several I've seen in the Utah desert. It doesn't go off very often or very high anymore. Many years ago it was more frequent and a lot bigger. It's the site of a long abandoned, long fallen down and almost completely disappeared ranch house. The Chaffin ranch. The story of the Chaffin family is pretty interesting. I've followed up all their old cow camps and such. They ran their cattle over a huge area. Now mostly within a nat'l park. But it's an area that needs quite a few acres to support one cow. Not the kind of area that supports x number of cows per acre.
Here's a link to an interview with Ned Chaffin. All told, it's over 300 pages, so probably not of any interest to most. Or maybe not to anyone. I've read through it a few times and visited every single place talked about.
Ned Chaffin interviews
Ned scratched his name in this rock in 1935. Very long Jeep ride followed by a long hike to get to it. Wasn't looking for or expecting it. Just a nice surprise.
Actually drove right by the old ranch again about two weeks ago.
- DAA
Clarence, what makes the Chaffin's all the more interesting to me, is that they didn't build an empire. Not anything like it. They scratched out a hardscrabble existence in a hardscrabble country and raised a family and got along just fine for many years - by working their asses off. But it never got any easier, nor profitable.
A quote from Ned Chaffin from the second interview in the link above kind of says it all.
"In fact, we went over to Wayne County there in that Entrada or what the heck ever their name is outfit, they had a little powwow up at up at Barry Scholl’s place there in Torry and there was a bunch of naturalists and scientists and smart people and college people and everything, and Dick Negri put on this little slide show for ‘em about the country. And one of the ladies said, she says, “I’ve been down in that country,” and she says, “Why in the world did your parents ever go into that god-forsaken place?” And I jumped up real quick and I says, “Because it was the last place left.”
My interest in the area and it's people stems from my not so distant ancestors being among the first white settlers of Hanksville, in Wayne county. The area known better to the world as Butch Cassidy's "Robbers Roost". I know many of the stories of the early settlers and cattle outfits.
- DAA
A quote from Ned Chaffin from the second interview in the link above kind of says it all.
"In fact, we went over to Wayne County there in that Entrada or what the heck ever their name is outfit, they had a little powwow up at up at Barry Scholl’s place there in Torry and there was a bunch of naturalists and scientists and smart people and college people and everything, and Dick Negri put on this little slide show for ‘em about the country. And one of the ladies said, she says, “I’ve been down in that country,” and she says, “Why in the world did your parents ever go into that god-forsaken place?” And I jumped up real quick and I says, “Because it was the last place left.”
My interest in the area and it's people stems from my not so distant ancestors being among the first white settlers of Hanksville, in Wayne county. The area known better to the world as Butch Cassidy's "Robbers Roost". I know many of the stories of the early settlers and cattle outfits.
- DAA
22magnum22
Well-known member
I need to say thanks Dave, It is 12 degrees here this a.m. and I ran out of hunting forums and was checking other places I frequent on the computer (my link to the outside world) and saw your reference to the Chaffin story. I have now read 16 pages and will continue to go back and finish. It will take me a while but I am one who is fascinated by first hand stories of their lives.
I think you'll get a kick out of it. And I very much appreciate the kind words, too.
- DAA
22magnum22
Well-known member
Well Dave, there you guys (and dolls) are with my coveralls on doing what I have done since my first vehicle (1936 Ford tudor) in 1956. I have never paid for or had anyone change oil on any vehicle. I get a lot of guff for my various personal endeavors but its water off the ducks back. As long as I am mentally and physically able I will persevere!