Mack Jacobson told to Kerri Harris April 2003:

About David Wells Jacobson:

 “Dad was a real rough character.  He loved a good fight.  He didn’t even have to know what a fight was about, he would just jump in and start punching.  It was said about Dad that if he heard a fight, he would run 2 blocks just to get in it.  One time Dad was in a fight and he turned around to see his best friend standing there.  He saw his friend about to punch so Dad punched him hard.  When his friend asked Dad why he hit him, Dad said, “I thought you were going to hit me so I thought I better hit you first!””

 
“Dad got a loan to help with the ranching at one time but the banker watched everything Dad did on the ranch.  Well Dad bought some new livestock and the banker saw that.  The banker came to Mom and Dad’s house but Dad wasn’t home so the banker started really getting mad at Mom telling her they had no right to buy new livestock when they owed him money.  He was really angry with her and was not nice at all.  When Dad got home, Mom told him about the banker coming over.  (I don’t remember how the banker got to the house-did Wells invite him over or did he see that Wells was home?)  After the banker knocked on the door, Dad flung open the door and pulled the banker in and sat him down.  The door slammed shut and behind the door sat Dads shotgun.  Dad started telling the banker that he had no right coming into his home and talking to his wife in the manner the banker had done.  “Don’t you ever speak to my wife again about our loan and you had no right in the first place to tell me how to run my ranch or my business.  As long as I pay you according to our contract, you can not tell me the best way to run my business or whether I can expand to earn more money.  If you have a problem with my loan payment, you talk to me and don’t you harass my wife!”  Well, the banker was scared to death.  He thought that the door had locked as it shut and that he was locked in the house.  He was also scared that Dad would use that big gun behind the door.  He told Dad with a tremor in his voice, “Okay.  Now if you’ll just unlock that door, I’ll be on my way.”  He never bothered Dad or Mom again and was careful around them from then on.

As told to Kerri Harris by John Jacobson:

 

One time when Dad was gone doing some work for the ranch or earning extra money, four men, saddle bums, came riding onto the ranch.  At that time we often hired men to help with the ranching and they would sleep in the bunkhouse and be paid for their work in money and food.  They asked Mom if she had work for them.  She told them yes and to go on to the bunkhouse and get settled.  They had been there for about 3 days with her feeding them and letting them sleep in the bunkhouse but they hadn’t done any work yet.  After supper on the 3^rd night, Mom told them that they would have to leave in the morning because they weren’t working.  This supper would be the last food they would get out of her.  The next morning they got up and showed up at breakfast but she refused to feed them.  They just kind of laughed and went back to the bunkhouse.  At dinner time (now called lunch) they showed up to eat again but she refused to feed them again and told them to move on.  They laughed again and went back to the bunkhouse.  Supper time came around and they were feeling pretty hungry so they tried to get supper.  Mom refused to feed them again and told them that they could spend one last night at the bunkhouse but they had better be gone in the morning.  They came for breakfast the next morning and Mom chased them off the ranch.  To cross the river they had to ride a couple of miles up stream to the bridge and then on back past the ranch on the other side of the river.  As they passed again on the other side of the river, they took a couple of shots towards the house.  No one knows whether they were just shooting as a little revenge with no purpose or if they were actually aiming, but the shots hit the dirt that covered the ice house next to the house.  Reva and John were playing on the ice house at the time but the shots missed them.  About 2 am that night, Dad came home from his trip.  Mom was awake to tell him right away what happened with these men.  They knew the men because they had been through and worked for Mom and Dad before.  Dad was so mad and he knew those men were headed for Robber’s Roost and he knew he had to get to them before they reached that town.  Outlaws went there to hide and no sheriff would go there because it was just too dangerous.  The sheriff was also at least 20 miles away-a long way on horseback-and the men would surely be at Robber’s Roost before Dad could get the sheriff anyway.  So Dad got his horse and another just in case it was needed and he took off on the trail of these four men.  Just about at sunup he came across their camp.  He made his own camp a little way away and then shot his shotgun into the saddle bum’s camp, hitting their pots and spoons hung up to dry, making a huge racket and waking up the men.  Then Dad shouted to them, “Get up!  You men took a shot at my house.  Get up and leave your boots and socks off and leave your guns.  Start walking or I’ll shoot you.”  He made them walk about 1-2 miles on down the trail without their boots or socks on and without their guns.  The trails in those days were not very good and it had to hurt.  Dad had followed the whole way.  Then he shot again over their heads and said, “You all just keep on going now.  I’m going back to my camp and wait.  And if you come back to your camp, I’ll kill you.  If you or any of your friends ever come near my house or my family, I’ll kill you.  Don’t ever let me see you again or I’ll kill you!”  Dad went back to the camp and waited.  The men never came back to their camp and they never came back to the ranch either.

Documents:

There are several articles from the Vernal Express. Most of these articles are simply statements of comings and goings, who had a house party, etc. However some are very informative. Most are under the heading: Glines or LaPoint. Have fun looking through them.

In the PDF file, search for Jacobson or Wells and it should pull up all instances. Sometimes this doesn't work, though. If the article is listed here, a Jacobson is mentioned somewhere on the page. You may have to look for a bit, though. There are sometimes more than one mention of the family in the section.
                                                        
In from sheep camp: GLINES  Vernal Express Sept 23, 1921
Back from trapping: GLINES  Vernal Express Dec 22, 1922
bought 120 ewes, Vernon kills coyotes, Leon Galley (future brother-in-law) Vernal Express  Nov 30, 1923
New Car: GLINES Vernal Express April 4, 1924
Take sheep in Nebraska: GLINES Vernal Express Aug 22, 1924
Return from Nebraska: GLINES   Vernal Express Sept 12, 1924
Wedding Announcement: DICKSON-JACOBSON  Vernal Express Oct. 17, 1924
Wedding Announcement: GLINES Vernal Express Oct. 24, 1924
Wedding Announcement: LAPOINT Vernal Express Oct. 24, 1924
Wells picks up wife Vernal Express Nov. 14, 1924
Car wreck/chivarie: GLINES Vernal Express Nov 21, 1924
Four Vernal Boys Arrested Vernal Express Feb 20, 1925
Two of Quartet found guilty Vernal Express Feb 27, 1925
Farm for Leola's Father Vernal Express Apr 10, 1925
Wells appeal Vernal Express April 24, 1925
Loses appeal Vernal Express April 24, 1925
2 short articles Vernal Express July 31, 1925
3 short articles Vernal Express Sept 11, 1925
2 short articles Vernal Express Sept 25, 1925
Leola very sick + 2 other articles Vernal Express Nov 6, 1925
Leola getting better +1 other article Vernal Express Dec 4, 1925  (LAPOINT)
Leola still sick:LAPOINT SECTION (I don't know why this is different, but it is) Vernal Express Dec 4, 1925
Funeral held for Marie Jacobson Vernal Express Feb 12, 1926
Moving Vernal Express Jan 7, 1927
Wells (Jr) birth announcement Vernal Express Mar 11, 1927