Friday, February 27, 2009

" Opinion The Herald Journal Our view Naming names duty of actually writing each The Herald Journal editorial rotates between the occasionally draws criti- members. cism from Because the anonymity rap comes often from read- readers over Friday not provid- ers posting comments at ing a byline, hjnews.com, it occurred to 27 us recently that this might be or author’s Finishers name, on the because there is no informa- “Our View” tion box online describing editorials the board’s role and listing on this page. It is seen as its members. deceptive on the part of the So if hard-copy readers newspaper. will pardon the repetition, The Herald Journal’s here are the names of the response has been that current board members: unsigned editorials are a Bruce Smith, publisher; newspaper tradition going Charles McCollum, manag- back decades and followed ing editor; Emilie Wheeler, by publications around the city editor; Lance Frazier, globe. Also, technically, HJ features editor; and Jamie editorials are not anony- Nielson, special sections mous; they reflect the col- lective opinion of members editor. of the newspaper’s editorial If you don’t like an edi- Proof that winter camping board, whose names appear torial and feel the need to each day in the information complain, phone the news- box at the bottom of the paper at 752-2121 and ask to can be hazardous to health Opinion page. speak with any one of these Each week, or sometimes five. If you’d like to punch By Andrew Gulliford did shoot Shannon Bell in every few weeks, the board someone, we suggest you WRITERS self-defense. Museum cura- meets to discuss potential start with the managing edi- ON THE RANGE tor David Bailey believes so: topics for editorials. Gener- tor, the author of this very One hundred thirty-five “Alferd didn’t deny he ate the ally, unless all five can agree item as well as the voice years ago this spring, a six- bodies, but he killed only in on a point of view, no opin- behind each week’s “Friday week ordeal began for Alferd died from hunger and expo- self defense. It’s never too late ion is offered to readers. The Finishers.” E. Packer. The starving and sure, Packer admitted they had for the truth. He was wrongly disoriented man stopped eat- eaten him. convicted.” ing wild rose hips. Trapped Jailed in Saguache, Packer His memory is alive and Your view in the deep snows of the San escaped, changed his identity well in Lake City as well, Juan Mountains of western and was arrested in Wyoming where “Al Packer Days,” the young families who are rearing , before being returned to Hins- Packer Burger at the Canni- Another take on the next generation of Beaver he began dale County for trial. The area bal Grill and a large wooden skiers. To preserve the family- gnawing on northeast of Lake City where marker proclaiming the Alferd ski lodge issue friendly feeling and local com- the corpses Packer’s party became lost is Packer Massacre Site are To the editor: munity atmosphere of the Beav, of his now listed on maps as Can- popular attractions. Students at Having non-skiers hang out in I propose more conscientious- deceased nibal Plateau. The site where the University of Colorado in the lodge is nothing new at the ness on the part of families and comrades. the bodies were found five Boulder renamed their student Beav. There have always been more understanding from others.Thus began miles beyond town is known union restaurant the Alferd E. ‘Beaver moms and dads’ who sit one of the Gulliford as Deadman’s Gulch. Packer Memorial Grill, and in with a book or needlepoint while Harrison Kleiner West’s After being recaptured, print there’s Alferd Packer’s their children ski. For those who Logan most grisly and enduring leg- Packer said that while he was Wilderness Cookbook. Two stay in with younger kids while ends and murder mysteries. out trying to find the Indian students at the University of older children and spouses ski, Packer had been part of a Agency, Shannon Bell killed Colorado’s film school, who it is important that they be con- larger band of 20 gold-seekers James Humphrey, George later created the TV hit “South scientious of others. There have Correction who left and split up into Noon and Frank Miller as they Park”, produced “Cannibal! been abuses on the part of some two groups. On Feb. 9, 1874, slept around the campfire. The Musical!” But like Pack- families. I have seen some fami- he and five other prospectors Packer had been out searching er’s companions, the film was lies spread out too much and departed Chief ’s winter for food, and when he returned short-lived. have seen people without kids Ski lodge mom camp. Instead of accepting the to camp, a raging Shannon Prospectors nowadays rarely take up more space than neces- chief’s gracious offer to stay, Bell accosted him with a trudge through deep snows sary. I don’t think anyone wants mischaracterized the would-be miners foolishly hatchet. Packer said he fired searching for gold mines. Still, to defend those practices, and I headed out into deep snow. twice with a pistol, shooting we have lots of backcountry hope those abuses aren’t gener- A letter to the editor in Packer later stated, “Three Bell in self-defense. skiers, boarders and snowsho- alized to all young families who Wednesday’s Herald Journal or four days after our provi- He explained that after kill- ers heading for deep powder. love heading up to the Beav. titled “Beaver lodge not day- sions were all consumed, we ing Bell, “I tried to get away However you choose to enjoy My wife and I bring our tod- care” contained some inaccu- took our moccasins, which every day, but could not, so the high country, take a les- dler and infant up to the Beav rate assumptions about a local were made of raw hide, and I lived on the flesh of these son from the Al Packer story: most Sundays. We are teaching resident. cooked them ... Our trail was men the greater part of the 60 Keep your gear in good con- the toddler to ski, and we take The letter was in response to entirely drifted over. In places, days I was out. Then the snow dition, carefully choose your turns watching the infant in the Leslie Fife of Richmond, who’d the snow had blown away began to have a crust and I companions, and take a few lodge. We try to be very consci- written an earlier letter, present- from patches of wild rose started out up the creek….” extra granola bars — just in entious of the space we are tak- ed in poetry verse, complaining bushes, and we were gathering His lawyer mounted a spirited case. ing up. We don’t drag a bunch about being asked to vacate her the buds from these bushes, defense but Packer went off to —————————————— of stuff in with us and we work seat in the Beaver Ski Lodge stewing them and eating Andrew Gulliford is a contribu- prison for 17 years before the tor to Writers on the Range, a very hard to keep the lodge as during the lunch rush on Presi- them.” Post petitioned to have clean as we found it. During the dents’ Day. Packer left Utah with few service of High Country News him released. In the peniten- (hcn.org). He is a professor of busier lunch rush, we squeeze The response to Fife lumped provisions and no weapons. tiary he made horsehair bridles her in a group of parents, char- Nine weeks later at the Los Southwest Studies and history in and take up little more than and built elaborate Victorian at Fort Lewis College in Duran- two seats. We buy food from the acterized as young USU profes- Pinos Indian Agency south of dollhouses. Though Packer go, Colo. snack bar so as not to be “free- sors, who reportedly take up present day Gunnison, Colo., died in 1907, his misspelled loaders” and are paying custom- large amounts of table space he arrived with a Winchester name and his reputation ers to the ski area. caring for infants and making rifle, a skinning knife and lives on. You might say he’s We are very thankful to the messes while other members of a coffeepot containing live evolved from Old West infamy Herald Free coals. He looked surprisingly Journal read- Seeholtzer family, and we love their families are skiing. to New West celebrity. ers may not Speech the Beav. One of the things that Fife has no infants and is not fit. The Museum of Western be aware Zone makes the Beav so distinctive a USU professor. She told The Packer drifted over to Colorado in Grand Junction that the Herald Journal that on the day Dolan’s saloon to play high newspaper and cherished is precisely its contains a rusted 1862 Colt makes an family friendliness. I spoke to in question she wasn’t even stakes poker and bought a $70 Police Model, .32 five-shot effort to someone at the Beaver office, seated at a table, much less tak- horse. Another of the original revolver with two shots fired. run all opinion letters submitted by and they said that the addition to ing up large amounts of table gold-seekers arrived and asked Mesa State College’s Electron Cache Valley residents, provided him where he had gotten his they meet the length and frequency the lodge was in part designed to space, but was sitting in a chair Microscopy Facility proved requirements listed at the bottom of accommodate families and peo- by herself, reading while her spending money. Packer reluc- that bullet fragments exhumed this page. Contrary to popular belief, ple who wait in the lodge while teen-aged children skied. tantly admitted that the small from the burial site match Herald Journal editors do not pick and others ski. Families should not As most readers may have band had starved in the San choose only the letters that match lead from the old pistol found their own views. abuse this — I think we can already noticed, yet another Juans. After Israel Swan, the in the 1950s on the Cannibal Our policy is if someone has some- all agree on that. But I also letter on the topic appears on oldest member of the group, Plateau. Perhaps Packer really thing to say, by all means let’s hear it! think there is room enough for today’s Opinion page.

Non Sequitur The Herald Journal Letters policy The Herald Journal welcomes let- Editorial policy ters to the editor. Potentially libelous or offensive letters will not be published, The Opinion page is intended to acquaint however, and the editor reserves the right readers with a variety of viewpoints on matters to edit all letters to conform to the length of public importance and provide members and style requirements of the newspaper. of the community with a forum. Personal col- Letters should be: umns, cartoons and letters from readers reflect > No more than 450 words in length. the opinions of their writers and creators. Edi- > Addressed and include daytime torials under the heading “Our View” represent phone number for purposes of verifica- the views of the Herald Journal editorial board. tion. They are: > Signed by the author. LANCE FRAZIER/features editor Individuals are limited to one published BRUCE SMITH/publisher letter within any 30-day period. E-mail CHARLES McCOLLUM/managing editor letters to [email protected]. Guest EMILIE WHEELER/city editor commentaries are also welcome and are JAMIE BAER NIELSON/Cache editor run at the editor’s discretion.

“Right conclusions are more likely to be gathered out of a multitude of tongues than through any kind of authoritative selection.” — Judge Learned Hand, American jurist (1872-1961)