Have you heard anything about the sheep and cattle drives that took place through the Crater Lake area before the present park was established?
There weren’t many deer, and the bear, of course, came in to feed on the garbage. There were lots of bear around there at the time that they were throwing the garbage out.
What do you know about the W.F. Arant family? How was he connected to the Republican Party in Klamath County?
I couldn’t tell you whether he was a Republican or not. I think Joey is a Democrat, but that doesn’t mean anything. Vernie was his grandson, I guess. He was the kid in that story that they dangled over the edge of the lake.
Franklin Arant was the first superintendent, and he was very happy there. They wanted him to go and be superintendent at Yellowstone National Park. He wouldn’t do it. So he quit rather than accept a transfer to Yellowstone, which is probably the prime national park in the world. He just didn’t want to leave! His son, Vernie who is now dead, told me that.
Are there very many of the Arants still in the Klamath area?
Yes. I know of two. One of them lives down the road here. He’s a janitor at the Henley High School, and one of them, Delbert, is janitor at the Mazama High School. Joey Arant, the name’s not Joe, moved pipe for me on the ranch here. And Dorman Lee was a student of my wife who taught at…she’s in California, I think. Then there’s a young Vernie, who is the oldest boy, and I don’t know if he’s here or not. I kind of think he’s around here somewhere. They are very pleasant kids, very pleasant people.
