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| Clarence Rogers showing the hole in John D. Roger's (Clarence's father) saddle, from Posey War. (San Juan Historical Commission photo.) |
Risher: Did you happen to know Posey?
G. Bayles: Yes. Posey ate at our camp on several occasions. He was very friendly, especially at lunch time, you know. (Laughter)
Risher: He was friendly at lunch time?
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| Clarence Rogers showing the hole in John D. Roger's (Clarence's father) saddle, from Posey War. (San Juan Historical Commission photo.) |
G. Bayles: Somebody said something about being able to out shoot the other one. Our sheep herders were Spanish. I was the only white man there and Posey was the only Ute at this particular time. After lunch, one of the boys brought out his .22 and passed it around. Each one shot two or three times. Then Posey brought out his rifle and then one of the other boys brought out a .30.30. Then a six-shooter was brought out. It was just a friendly contest there; I suppose it lasted an hour and a half and possibly sixty or seventy-five bullets were shot. (Laughter) I hadn't had much experience with a six-shooter at that time but Posey wasn't very good. I don't think he had his own six-shooter. He had a rifle and he was expert with that, but I guess I had been doing a little practicing with a six-shooter. I beat him. (Laughter) I out-shot him with a six-shooter. We had a contest, that is the group, after lunch, and he could beat me with a rifle, but I could beat him with a six-shooter. We had several different guns in the contest there. He was very friendly, very friendly.
I remember one time, the first time I ever saw him, he came in and told Father where one of his bulls was. He wanted a sack of flour for telling him where the bull was and Father gave him the sack of flour and we went out to find the bull. We never did find him. I think he had seen him. But until this trouble came up he was quite friendly with most people. Of course, he got so he would turn his horses into people's fields later. He would just turn his horses into anybody's field so they could get some good feed, and he figured he was a privileged character. If they mentioned it, he would tell them it was necessary. He figured he'd get by; he would have to pay for it. (Laughter)
Risher: Well, he wasn't especially disliked then, I take it.
G. Bayles: No, not for years. He was quite friendly with most people.
The late Grant and Josephine Bayles lived in Blanding, Utah all their lives.
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