140407 - April 7, 2014

The Lone Ranger

John Drummond

Class of '65

    "The Lone Ranger" TV series opened with our hero galloping on his white horse, firing silver bullets at an unseen bad guy,  as "The William Tell Overture" rang out.  Played by the actor Clayton Moore, The Lone Ranger, with his faithful sidekick Tonto, played by Jay Silverheels, roamed the West fighting crime on horseback.  He wore a mask, fired silver bullets instead of lead (allegedly to only wound, not kill, the bad guys) and somehow managed to always shoot the pistol out of the villain's hand and miraculously never once drawing blood;  after all, this show appeared during prime time in the 1950s.

    To my recollection, TLR never had a girlfriend or love interest.  If the series were popular in 2014, it might be titled "The Lonely Gay Ranger"; he and Tonto would be sharing a sleeping bag around the campfire.

    Not wanting to reveal his true identity, TLR would tell Tonto to go into town to find out what the bad guys were plotting.  Tonto would reply in his deep monotone:  "Me go now," and ride into town where he usually suffered harassment by a bunch of bigoted local cowboys because he was an "Injun."    I often wondered why Tonto did not reply to TLR:  "No way, Kemo Sabe, you go into town this time; I'm tired of getting my butt kicked every week."

Trivia question:  Everyone knows the name of TLR's horse was Silver.  What was the name of Tonto's horse?

In Case You Are Wondering

    The Lone Ranger ran from 1949 to 1957, starring Clayton Moore (John Hart from 1952 to 1954) with Jay Silverheels as Tonto.

    The first 78 episodes were produced and broadcast for 78 consecutive weeks without any breaks or reruns. Then the entire 78 episodes were shown again before any new episodes were produced. All were shot in Kanab, Utah and California. Much of the series was shot at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California.

    When it came time to produce another batch of 52 episodes, there was a wage dispute with Clayton Moore and John Hart was hired to play the role of the Lone Ranger. Once again, the 52 new episodes were aired in sequence followed by 52 weeks rerunning them. Despite expectations that the mask would make the switch workable, Hart was not accepted in the role, and his episodes were not seen again until the 1980s.

    Clayton Moore was rehired to play the Lone Ranger and another 52 episodes were produced. Once again, they were broadcast as a full year of new episodes followed by a full year of reruns.

    The final season’s episode count was reduced to the industry standard 39 shows and filmed in color even though ABC was telecasting only in black and white

    The last new episode of the color series was broadcast June 6, 1957, and the series ended September 12, 1957, although ABC reaped the benefits of daytime reruns for several more years.

        Memphis, TN - I sent in my reservation for the 50th reunion this week. I hope the rest of you will do the same and we can get a major turnout for this event.

I had several replies to my question about the location of Salt Peter Cave and found there are many caves that have that name. The one I was looking for was identified by Rodger Thompson. Thanks to all of you for your responses.

Last Week's Trivia question: 

Each week a hotel bus boy called "Hey Boy" would bring Paladin a newspaper he would scan to see if he might find someone who might need his help. If he found an interesting story he would send the person a business card or if he was riding through the country he might hand over the card face to face.  The card only had eight words written on it; what were they?  What icon or symbol also appear on the card?

George Lehman Williams, LHS '64 --The card had a drawing of a chessman – the horse-headed knight – with HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL  across the knight – with WIRE PALADIN SAN FRANCISCO under the knight – I think I liked the series because Paladin had a passion for justice as well as the rule of law – you knew where he stood and what would happen if you messed with Paladin.

Judy Foster Geary - Have Gun, Will Travel was also one of my favorite shows, at least partially because in a time of lots of "pretty people," Richard Boone was so fascinatingly ugly. In answer to John's trivia question: The image on the card was a silhouette of a knight from a chess set. I believe the words were:

Have Gun, Will Travel

 Wire Paladin

 San Francisco

Tom Provost, LHS '66 - Wow. John, that Have Gun Will Travel closing video sure brought back some memories!! I remember that symbol on his business card being a chess Knight but the words escape me. Could it be, "Have Gun Will Travel gun for hire Palladin"? Looking forward to The Lone Ranger.....(the real one!) next week. My older brother had a small remodeling business and had "Have Tools will Travel" on his business card.

From Our Mailbox 

Subject:    Salt Peter Cave

Rodger Thompson

LHS '69

Cave Mountain Cave

http://www.aetherczar.com/?p=1027

I believe this is the cave we called Salt Peter Cave.

(Editor's Note: Thanks Rodger, this is the one I was looking for.)

Subject:    Caves

John Scales

The cave you're looking for is Sauta Cave - now a gray bat refuge.  Using that name you can find it on the internet.  The cave on Monte Sano was probably Cold Spring or Teakettle, although if it was open on both ends and a trail ran through it, it was the Stone Cuts in the State Park.

Subject:    Cave

Dwight Jones

LHS '64

I was just reading the March 31 issue about Salt Peter Cave. Yes, there is a cave there and it's in a area where I spent many hours on the water just north of it. There is a creek that is called North Salty that became a lake when Guntersville Dam was built back in the 30's. My dad and I use to go there almost every Saturday in the spring and summer to fish for croppie," some call them crappie" and was some of my greatest times with my dad. We would rent a boat back then to fish in. We had a 4 1/2 horsepower motor dad had bought and we had to transport it to the lake each time we went. Cost $2.00 a day for the boat if memory serves me right. We would fish all day and sometimes I would get tired and sleep in the boat part of the day but we hauled in the fish back then starting in April when croppie would begin to bed.

We would also fish in late May and early June when the willow flies hatched out. The fish would go crazy hitting top water plugs. We fly fished for them during that time and used two lures on the same line. I caught two fish at once many a time fishing that way. You never knew what kind of fish you might catch when you were fishing when the willow flies hatched out.. I remember catching bream, bass, catfish,croppie, strips, sun fish, you name it, we caught them.

In reference to your cave adventures and the bats, I recall one evening we were fly fishing and the bats starting flying out of Salt Peter Cave. They were catching the willow flies also. and I started whipping my fly's in the air and started catching BATS. WOW... what a memory.

So that's my memory of Salt Peter Cave.

Subject:    Cave

Paul Barker

Good afternoon Tommy.  In reference to your Monday, March 31, 2014 newsletter, Salt Peter Cave is offically known as “Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge”. Please go to the web-site: www.fws.gov/sautacav . Have a blessed and enjoyable week.

Subject:    Cave

Kathy Jones

Tommy, could that have been Cathedral Caverns near Woodville?  Those are the only ones that I can think of in that direction.

Sure appreciate your newsletters, even though I’m not good at writing in.  I ALWAYS read.

LEE LUNCH BUNCH

Thursday, April 24, 2014

11:00 A.M.

Logan’s Restaurant

Balmoral Dr. (off Airport Rd.)

Huntsville, AL

Please let us know if you plan to attend. Logan’s management always asks us for a number. You can let me know by email (  keithandpatsy@att.net  ), or let Judy Fedrowisch Kincaid know on Facebook or by email (  njkincaid@hotmail.com  ).

Thanks and hope to see you April 24th at the LLB

Patsy Hughes Oldroyd

LHS ‘65

LEE HIGH SCHOOL

FIRST GRADUATING CLASS 1964

50 YEAR REUNION

We will be celebrating the First Graduating Class of one of Huntsville’s Historic High Schools on

September 26-27, 2014

 WELCOME ALL 1965, 1966

AND OTHERS

ACOMMODATIONS AVAILABLE: Blocked Rooms at the Embassy Suites: 20 suites blocked; 1964 1ST priority;

$119.00/night, must reserve early; rooms will not be held until Sept; specify LHS 50th Reunion Code#636

Join the Mailing List to Receive Notification When New Issue is Available 

 Email Me

tommytowery@gmail.com

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