| Show UTAH ASSOCIATION PRESS Firemen accepted as his description of them The Red Roar Boys and highway patrolmen were identified as The Brown Bonnet Brigade his reaction to their Smoky-the-Bear hats To describegroup of Indians who over-imbibed fire water and became involved in an auto accident he resorted to historical terminology of his church invoking readers laugh ter with the term loaded Lamanites Even his wife high school classmate Marjorie Marge Powell whom he married March 22 1943 had an alias when she appeared in his column the dove Years later reminiscing about Reaper Cussions its writer saidvicious reaction to his first effort prompted fears of fat lip andfat suit for whatwas libel to write But afterbrief interruption while its author regained courage the column appeared again and he produced one-a-week for 30 years Thoughve hadfew uncomfortable misses he re called ve never been clipped in the lip or caught in the courts If anything he grew bolder with age and once referred tovolatile and unsigned letter as bunch of vicious rubbish by some literate but misinformed slob with an axe to grind but the gutless wonder wanted to use my axe Always quick to let readers express themelves he added If the fellow wants his letter printed he can come identify himself Appended to the end of one missive in whichreader had roundly chastized him was this editornote Isnit wonderful that in this country everyone can havevoice Incredulous upon reading it the Rat literally blew his stack in 1974 when the State Highway Department was exploring construction of Interstate 70 and offered alternatives to buildinghighway through Sevier Valley So incensed was he that he labelled its author an unmitigated bureaucratic idiot and warned readers they wouldnbelieve it Rebuild theRG Railroad lines and shuttle cars and trucks from Sevier to Salina on flat cars and Pullman coaches 506 Digital image 2005 Marriott Library University of Utah Al rights reserved |
