Arizona republican., 1922-04-12
WHEN GRANVILLE JOHNSON WAS BOY
OF TWELVE YEARS HE EXPERIENCED
MANY ADVENTURES In THIS STATE

When Granville S. Johnson first
passed through the Salt River valley
he found this district to be a popular
and important station on the route
taken by the cattle drivers from
Texas to the Pacific coast. Mr.. John
son is still a resident of the valley,
now living on North Sixteenth street
in this city, and he has seen Phoenix
grow to be the chief metropolis on
the southern transcontinentaI high
ways.
Accompanying his father, who was
driving an immense herd OF cattle
from Texas to California in 1868,
young Granville at the age of IL first
saw Arizona. To a young boy the
journey, lasting two years, was an
experience filled with wonder. When
the party arrived in the Salt River
valley to rest up before continuing TO
the coast, the boy had passed through
a year Of adventure such as few men
experience in a whole lifetime.
Most OF the trip had been made by
foot. driving along the slow moving
cattle which had been bought for al
most nothing in Texas but which
would bring much money in Cali
fornia. Cattle were so plentiful In
Texas in the sixties that a yearling
could be purchased for a plug of to-
bacco. A steer brought $35 in Cali
fornia, so for those who could endure
the hardships and dangers OF the
long trek, immense profits were
waiting
Lose Many Cattle
On the Staked plains. in Texas.
where watering places were often 80
miles apart, the party lost about 700
head of cattle from lack of water. at
the end of the journey the herd had
dwindled TO half the initial size. The
Comanche and Apache Indians were
responsible for the losing Of part of
the herd.
Young Granville johnson was hotiy
pursued by rowing band OF Conan
ches at one time during the trip when
he was returning on horseback from
q visit at the home a friend located
three miles from the spot where the
train had camped for the night. The
Indians ponies were not equal to the
pace set by the fleeing white boy so
they abandoned the chase before
reaching the cattle. camp.
The Columbus Gray party Joined
the Johnson party during part of the
overland journey, but being equipped
with a faster moving outfit arrived
in the Salt River valley first.
The Johnson party spent the winter
OF IS69-70 in the valley, where word
was received that due to a drouth
the trip to California would be i'm
possible. The rainfall had been nor
NAL and ther was good grass on the
route to Nevada. so 1t was decided to
sell the cattle in that state.
The trip to Nevada was made by
way OF FL Dorado canyon, near the
prospective site OF the Boulder Can
yon dam, and the party passed
through the present location of Las
Vegas and sold the cattle at Austin.
Granville Johnson returned to Ari-
zona in 1888 and went TO Tucson
where his father later became city
marshall. Young Johnson served on
the force under his father for a time
and also made several prospecting
expeditions
He came to the Salt River valley
in 1887, living most of the time in
Tempe. He was deputy sheriff in
1888 under Sheriff Bud Gray. He
became well acquainted with the fam
GUS outlaw, the Apache Kid. and had
him In jail in Phoenix for a year.
During the Apache Kids stay at the