The Launching Of The Lone Ranger...!

I'll bet most of us as kids either listened to the Lone Ranger on the radio, or watched it on television.

Well, here is the story of how the Lone Ranger came to be. Makes for an interesting read, if you don't already have knowledge of how it all started.

1933

The Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit radio

With the stirring notes of the William Tell Overture and a shout of “Hi-yo, Silver! Away!” The Lone Ranger debuts on Detroit’s WXYZ radio station.

The creation of station-owner George Trendle and writer Fran Striker, the “masked rider of the plains” became one of the most popular and enduring western heroes of the 20th century. Joined by his trusty steed, Silver, and loyal Indian scout, Tonto, the Lone Ranger sallied forth to do battle with evil western outlaws and Indians, generally arriving on the scene just in time to save an innocent golden-haired child or sun-bonneted farm wife.

Neither Trendle nor Striker had any connections to or experience with the cowboys, Indians, and pioneers of the real West, but that mattered little to them. The men simply wanted to create an American version of the masked swashbuckler made popular by the silent movie actor Douglas Fairbanks in The Mark of Zorro, arming their hero with a revolver rather than a sword. Historical authenticity was far less important to the men than fidelity to the strict code of conduct they established for their character. The Lone Ranger never smoked, swore, or drank alcohol; he used grammatically correct speech free of slang; and, most important, he never shot to kill. More offensive to modern historical and ethnic sensibilities was the Indian scout Tonto, who spoke in a comical Indian patois totally unrelated to any authentic Indian dialect, uttering ludicrous phrases like “You betchum!”

Historical accuracy notwithstanding, the radio program was an instant hit. Children liked the steady stream of action and parents approved of the good moral example offered by the upstanding masked man. Soon picked up for nationwide broadcast over the Mutual Radio Network, over 20 million Americans were tuning into The Lone Ranger three times a week by 1939. In an early example of the power of marketing tie-ins, the producers also licensed the manufacture of a vast array of related products, including Lone Ranger guns, costumes, books, and a popular comic strip.

The Lone Ranger made a seemingly effortless transition from radio to motion pictures and television. The televised version of The Lone Ranger, staring Clayton Moore as the masked man, became ABC’s first big hit in the early 1950s. Remaining on the air until 1957, the program helped define the golden age of the TV Western and inspired dozens of imitators like The Range Rider, The Roy Rogers Show, and The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. Although the Lone Ranger disappeared from American television and movie screens by the 1960s, he lived on in a popular series of comic books well into the 1970s.

I used to really enjoy the show as a kid. At least back then we had some heroes to look up to, know what I mean?

Coffee out on the sorry looking patio this morning. Gotta get some new plants in the Spring, for sure.

The Illness Detectors...!

Those of us that own cats know that they seem to sense when something is wrong, or we don't feel well.

This article from Listverse even tells of an animal that seems able to predict death. That's a scary talent if you ask me.

Cats

Cat owners have been reporting that their pets have healing powers for ages. While cats do not have the ability to cure sickness, they are definitely capable of detecting it.

Diseases cause chemical changes in the body, and cats use their acute sense of smell to identify whether someone is sick or not. Our feline friends gather more information by sensing changes in our mood and behavior. They can also detect illness in other animals.

One cat has even “predicted” 25 deaths in a nursing home. Although unfriendly by nature, Oscar the cat displayed sudden affection toward multiple residents who were close to death.

Experts hypothesize that the cat can smell and sense organs shutting down. Do not hurry to schedule a doctor’s appointment if your cat suddenly sits in your lap, though. Even the most independent and egoistic beings want affection occasionally.

I have noticed my cats seem to pay more attention to me when I'm not feeling well. Then again, guess it could be because their feeding schedule is a little off at that time. Yeah, that's more likely.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Sunshine is available for those in need.

New Orleans Axeman...!

Once in a while a single person can cause panic of whole neighborhoods.

From Listverse comes this article about an axe murderer in New Orleans that did just that. Here is his story.

The Axeman of New Orleans

Photo Credit: Hulton Archive / Getty Images

From May 1918 to October 1919, this still-unidentified serial killer terrorized New Orleans and surrounding areas of Louisiana. His victims were poor, Italian-American women in their homes whom he attacked after removing a panel from their backdoors. The Axeman was infamous for using his victims’ own weapons, such as a nearby straight razor or axe, to slash or bludgeon them, leaving many to bleed out. This killer is most famous for vowing in a letter to local newspapers that he would kill someone on March 19, 1919 – albeit only if that person were not listening to jazz. With every dancehall and house full of people dancing to jazz, no one died, and the Axeman’s reign came to a sudden and mysterious end.

I can only imagine the state of panic these folks must have been in. I'm glad that he stopped the terror and I reckon they were, too!

Coffee out on the patio again today.

People In The Post...!

Yesterday we did a post about cats in the post. Let's take that thought a step further, shall we?

Children

Photo credit: postalmuseum.si.edu

We have seen people sent through the mail for political reasons and to escape a horrific life, but there have been more prosaic reasons to send human letters. The Parcel Post Service revolutionized package delivery when it began in the US in 1913. Prior to this, people had to carry their packages to large towns to send.

Now every post office would deal with your parcel as long as it weighed less than 5 kilograms (11 lb). That same year, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Beauge in Ohio posted their 5-kilogram (10 lb) baby to his grandmother’s house at a cost of 15 cents. They even insured the kid for $50.

When this weight limit was changed to 23 kilograms (50 lb), two parents had a cunning idea. May Pierstorff’s parents wanted to send her to visit her grandmother but thought the cost of a train ticket was far too high. They attached the correct number of stamps to May’s coat, and the 22-kilogram (48.5 lb), five-year-old child was shipped in the mail carriage of a train to her grandmother.

In 1914, the postmaster general put a stop to using the postal service to send people.

I think that none of us today would even consider sending our child in the mail. I figure instead we would at least use UPS or FedEx.

Coffee out on the slightly chilly patio this morning!

A Postal Kitty...!

I, like many others, have a few complaints about our postal service. However, I don't think I would go so far as some folks did in this article From Listverse. This move just proves my point about truly disturbed people with way too much time on their hands and the troubling things they can come up with.

A Cat

Photo credit: The Atlantic

When we think of mail services, most people imagine their carriers walking between houses to drop off letters. In New York, a more impressive system was developed in the 1890s. A series of tubes allowed mail to be shot across the city using pneumatic pressure.

The first items sent were various papers and a copy of the Bible. But the operators were not content with these pedestrian items. The next canister sent through the tubes contained a live tortoiseshell cat. A postal worker recorded the event:
How it could live after being shot at terrific speed from Station P in the Produce Exchange Building, making several turns before reaching Broadway and Park Row, I cannot conceive, but it did. It seemed to be dazed for a minute or two but started to run and was quickly secured and placed in a basket that had been provided for that purpose.

When other branches to the pneumatic system were opened, a canister holding a goldfish bowl and live fish was sent through. Apparently, the fish arrived unshaken by their travels.

I can only imagine the nightmare that would occur if a system such as this were in place in this day and age.Scary, isn't it?

Coffee in the kitchen this morning. Rain is coming in later.

Unsolved Mysteries For Freaky Friday...!

Instead of posting just one freaky story today, let's try instead having a video of multiple mysteries, all the courtesy of YouTube and Listverse. Sound good?



There ya go. Much better than reading it, don't you think?

Coffee out on the patio this morning!

Little Riddles For Thursday...!

Once before, we had a post with some riddles and answers. What say we do that again?





That's enough for today. Don't want to mess up your heads too much before coffee, ya know?

Speaking of coffee, let's have it out on the patio this morning.