The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-03-28
JACK" ROGERS
The PIONEER
Interesting Character
Helped With Devel-
opment of Country

xxCAICO WIFI DVvVA
opment of Country
KNEW MISFORTUNE
Blackfoot has an interesting
character in the person of John
Rogers. Vivid with him are memories
of struggles that bear no charm as a
man goes thru them, building the
foundations for power and prestige
that are apt to be viewed with mis-
understanding by the rising genera
ton.
Mems Early Struggles
The critical period of mans life
is the time when he is getting a
start and does not know it. The
time when failure is staring him in
the face and fortune is under his
feet unobserved and in danger of
being disregarded. 1t is then that
the small voice within is matching
it's influence against the big siren
reckoning him to greener fields, and
the die is being cast that fixes his
place in life.
A Critical Period Here
The period from the early eighties
to the close of 1894 was such an
epoch for some of the men of East
ern Idaho, who are large in their
sphere of influence today. John
Rogers was one of them, and as one
looks over the present field of activ-
ity and sees who is holding the
reins, he sees a circle of them that
make a good list. Willie the aver
age man sees in them only their
eccentricities, he who really knows
them, loves them for their sterling
worth
Memories of Long Ago
The writer's memory does not run
back far enough to tell of the COM
ing of John and Joseph Rogers into
the Snake river and Lost river val
leys, and to Salmon river and the
Pahsimeroi but old-timers in that
country have recounted to us long
ago, the privations of pioneer sheep
men going out into the mountains
with their flocks, equipped only with
a pony. a roll of blankets, a little
pack of -four and bacon, some salt,
matches and simple cooking utensils
hung upon or tied up in the pack.
A Winchester slung on the saddle,
and big knife for dressing sheep
occasionally to save bacon which cost
money, a pup-tent when he got so
he could afford it, these were some
of the instruments of the times on
which present fortunes were founded
all coupled with the indomitable
spirit that puts self and comfort
into the background looking to a
far future.
Parched in the Desert Winds
The earliest recollection the
writer has of the Rogers brothers
and their operations is curl of dust
in the desert creeping toward the
toll bridge that spanned Snake river
west of Blackfoot. After many hours
a six-horse team would be in evil
dence near the river, the animals
would be released, would hurry to
the stream, and then take the back
track in search of food on the great
plain. A dust-covered man would
mix up some river water with -four
and baking powder and by little
camp fire there would be feed. Big
sacks of dirty wool, taken from the
backs of scrub Oregon sheep, doomed
large on the wagons, and when sold
it brought so little we hesitate to
mention the price. We have seen
Rogers sell for eleven cents, and q
man was expected to trade good
deal Of it out in supplies at stiff
prices, and be glad If he could get
a load of freight back, going per-
haps a hundred miles out of his
way to deliver the cargo and get an
O X. on his bill of lading. We saw
100000 pounds Of his wool evapor.
ate in bank failure when he was
hard-up, and he never "cheeped.'
A Pioneer Shopping Trip
It took a month to load the wool
and 20 to town and back. If he lost
his horses in the desert and had tc
hoof it to some river to round them
up and get them back, it took longer
Or If he found delay in selling his
wool, or had to wait for freight tt
come thru from Omaha to load hi
outfit back, that added to the time
It took for his shopping" trip tt
Snake river. And all this while hi
boarded on the ground beside hi
wagons and went out once day t
see where his horses were, hazet
them a few miles to the wagon t.
keep them acquainted with theil
master and their home, and in thu
afternoon, walked to Blackfoot tt
see about his sale or his load.
Getting up in the World
BY the end Of the Eighties" tn
men who bore the nickname o
"Lost-Sheep-R Rogers" got so the.
would put up at the livery stabl