Old Time Radio Snack Wagon Smorgasboard #3 (EP5070e)

The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio| Daily Mystery Dramas

This episode of Old Time Radio Snack Wagon Smorgasboard features a curated collection of four classic radio segments. It begins with a tribu

Key takeaways

• President Truman signed the bill designating September 17th as Citizenship Day in December 1952.
• The Family Theater segment 'Treasury of Homes' celebrates American pioneers and immigrants.

Main topics

• Old Time Radio history
• Citizenship Day

Notable quotes

The young and restless, the seeking, and striving, progressive spirit of America is strong in us still.

Conclusion

A nostalgic retrospective that highlights the diverse storytelling ran

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:06) © BF-WATCH TV 2021 Speaker 3 (0:28) From Boise, Idaho, this is your host, Adam Graham. This week, we're presenting our third Old Time Radio Snack Wagon Smorgasbord. The Old Time Radio Snack Wagon is a series of short Old Time Radio programs, or excerpts from programs, featuring interesting and unique bite-sized snackable Old Time Radio. This is a sample of four episodes from our third season. We are currently releasing our seventh season over at snackwagon.net. If you enjoy what you hear today or are curious, you can subscribe at snackwagon.net. With that said, please enjoy these old-time radio snacks. Today's snack is in honor of an observance here in the United States that most people probably haven't heard of. In December 1952, President Truman signed a bill designating September 17th as Citizenship Day. Previously, the celebration had been known as I'm an American Day and was celebrated in May. While you can find plenty of snacks that are suitable for Christmas or Thanksgiving, Citizenship Day is a bit more challenging. It's rare to find something that really celebrates the idea of citizenship and what every citizen means to the U.S., both old and new. I was recently listening to an episode of the Family Theater, and one particular segment really screamed to me that this would be something that was appropriate to share for Citizenship Day and make a great snack. Family Theater was a dramatic program that aired over Mutual for ten and a half years. It was a non-sectarian anthology drama series that was based on the idea of promoting family prayer. While usually the program was self-contained, this episode was an exception as an honored American Holmes past and present with a series of short sketches and songs. So here from February 14th, 1951 is an excerpt from the episode Treasury of Holmes. Speaker 1 (3:03) There's a wonderful phase of our national life that delights all Americans from the age of three to three score and ten. It's about the days when you couldn't go house hunting with the aid of the wartheads or the real estate brokers. The young and restless, the seeking, striving, progressive spirit of America is strong in us still. If you don't believe it, just try to switch off that television when a western is on. Or just try to get down your own street tomorrow morning without being held up by a miniature Hopalong Cassidy, Buck Jones, or Tim McCoy. Oh, it's breadiness, this love of the open, this thrill of pioneering and discovery. It's the period of our history we call Westering, the settling of America by men and women of great faith and simple wisdom. It is to them we can trace another source of our strength as a nation, a toughness of moral fiber, a strength of the spirit as well as a strength of blood and bone. Speaker 6 (4:16) It's sun up, Sarah. You ready? Speaker 1 (4:18) Henry Simmons, you know I'm ready. Has there ever been a morning when you haven't said that? Speaker 6 (4:23) Well, put the kids up then. Let's get going. Speaker 1 (4:25) All right, Madeline, up you go. Now you, Jimmy boy. I'm ready, Mom. You're going back, Madeline. It's Jim's day to ride beside his father. Oh, Mother, Speaker 6 (4:34) can't I ride? Not today. Now you, Sarah. Up you go. Get up there, Pete, Molly, Zeb, Dolly. Come on, come on. Hey, let Madeline ride in front today, too, Sarah. It Speaker 1 (4:47) was her turn yesterday, Henry. She'll be comfortable on the pile of blankets back in the wagon. Aw, Speaker 6 (4:52) put her in your lap so we'll all be together, Sarah. Today's the big day. Today we choose our future home. All Speaker 1 (4:58) right, Madeline, come on. Guys, we had our turn yesterday. I've heard you say that before, Henry. Twice before. Yeah, this time it's for keeps, Mom. Back in that mind of yours is a compass that keeps saying west. Must be in your blood, Henry. That's why we've never even had but a sod house. Now, easy now, Sarah. And that's why you've kept this big wagon and all the horses. Well, you know Molly and Zeb's more than we ever need, except for rough traveling like this. Well, things Speaker 6 (5:23) are different now, Sarah. Kids are growing up. Ain't too far to be looking ahead when they'll be needing their own land. Now's the time to get it. And we'll build this time, Sarah. Sartain sure we'll build a real house. Speaker 6 (5:55) Henry, what do you think? If this suits you, the Simmons have a new address. What do you say? Land enough for us and several generations of us. What do you think? Speaker 1 (6:06) I'm thinking, Henry. Speaker 6 (6:08) Well? Speaker 1 (6:09) My father used to say there was three rules for picking out a home. Speaker 6 (6:13) Yeah? Name them. None Speaker 1 (6:14) of them apply here. Speaker 6 (6:16) I'd like to hear them just the same. Speaker 1 (6:18) First rule, he says, was pick a home inside of a church steeple. Because God comes first. They make certain there's a schoolhouse nearabouts. Third's most people's first rule. Water. Speaker 6 (6:30) Well, all we have now is the water. That's a fairer mile away, looks from here. But I can ditch it in nicely come time. What about the church steeple? The school? They'll come, sir. They're bound to come. We's the first people to arrive, that's all. Besides, land about here is pretty enough to be a church vest... vestry. You Speaker 1 (6:49) mean vestibule. Speaker 6 (6:51) Well, I guess I do, if that's the way you pronounce it. And if it means the front end of the church, the beginning. Speaker 6 (6:57) I'm meaning to say God's here for us, that's sure. All this is his handiwork. Church building will come later. Speaker 1 (7:05) What about the school for Madeline and Jim? Speaker 6 (7:08) It'll come, Sari. Someday we'll have a town here. Maybe a city, even. Speaker 1 (7:13) Oh, Henry Simmons, for a fact, you're the greatest optimist I've ever seen. Where others see a puddle or a birdbath, you see the ocean. Where others see a blueberry bush, you can see a forest. Maybe it's better that way than t'other. Speaker 6 (7:27) Sure, Tess Harry. Just look at this wide-open rangeland, the whole sweep of it, and fill the picture in for yourself. Speaker 1 (7:34) All I see is land, far as I can look. Pretty enough with rocks and brush, but... Speaker 6 (7:40) Don't you see the cattle and wheat and your church steeples and loads of Speaker 1 (7:44) things? Not yet, I don't. Only wilderness. Same as since when we started. Then Speaker 6 (7:49) I'd better start filling in that picture. I'll unload my tools right now. This afternoon I'll begin on the sod house. Temporary, mind you. But you just start watching and waiting and dreaming. Speaker 1 (8:12) Watching and waiting and dreaming and working. These are the things that go into the building of a home and a nation. Oh, material things too. Brick and wood and mortar. Land and taxes. For the true American is a realist. The hard-headed yank, they called him in the early days. But he's a realist in the good way. It's his head that's hard, not his heart. His heart has always been pliant enough to stretch out and embrace the needs and the dreams of the world. Speaker 1 (8:57) in lies another source of our strength as a nation. From the days of the Mayflower down to today or yesterday or the day before, when Tony DeLuca and Inar Jensen got their final nationalization papers, we have drawn strength from the solid stock of the old countries, from those who had the courage and the will to seek to share our way of life, our freedoms with us. And so they have thrown in their lots with ours. Our songs of earlier days evoke different memories in them, and we are the richer, for we are co-heirs with them of their strengths and their hopes and their prayers and their dreams. The Speaker 2 (9:49) Westland, my home was on a hill. I never think of my land, but it makes my heart to thrill. Close the golden sky, but old is all I fear. Dreams are in my... Speaker 2 (10:36) It had a stately grace. I never think of my land, but I see my mother's face that blows the silver shade. But all delight is in my heart, and youth is on my mind. My land was a high land, my house was near the sky. I never think of my land, but a light is in my eye. Who's the son of... Speaker 3 (11:51) Welcome back. Great song sung by John Charles Thomas. The title is The Homeland. This clip offered a really good juxtaposition that highlights people in very different situations, but nevertheless links them. In this way, it's really appropriate for Citizenship Day, as it honored all American citizens, whether they were born here or... or immigrated, and all that they contribute to the United States. This week, we're serving up an episode of a series that many people enjoyed, and that I've been meaning to serve again. Other plans have gotten in the way. But now we're going to bring you another episode of Family Doctor. From 1937, here is episode 3, Error in Diagnosis. Hello there. This is the family Speaker 5 (12:52) doctor. Yes, sir. Anything I can do for you? Well, no. Don't rightly know. I reckon it's all right to be up to you. Well, I guess you're right, Griff. Well, come on Speaker 8 (14:36) up. Speaker 8 (14:39) He's as young as he used to be. Stair's going to tuck me out. Speaker 5 (14:42) Well, I guess there isn't any hurry. We can take him slower. How's business at the boathouse, Griff? Oh, tolerable for this Speaker 8 (14:50) type of season, I reckon. But I reckon this hell is going to be the last. Yep, the last. What? Oh, Speaker 5 (14:55) gosh, to Friday, Griff. You've got a long time to live yet. Speaker 8 (14:58) Yep. Yes, you're right, Doc. That's just the trouble. What do you mean? Oh, there ain't nothing nobody can do about it. Just have to let it go, I guess. Hmm. Speaker 5 (15:06) Oh, there's Lawyer Bates coming down the stairs. Howdy, Ralph. Speaker 2 (15:09) Howdy. Now, Speaker 5 (15:11) I just suppose you're threatening Ralph Bates. What's he? I said, don't you know Lawyer Bates? Oh, yes, yep, I know him all right. But you didn't speak to each other. That's right, nope. We didn't speak to each other, nope. Step right in, Griff. Thank you. Speaker 5 (15:27) Can I sit right down, Doc? Kind of tuckered. Sure. Right in that big chair. Feels Speaker 8 (15:33) good. Speaker 5 (15:33) Now, what seems to Speaker 8 (15:35) be the trouble? Well, I'll tell you. For about a week now, I've been getting dizzy spells, sort of. Seeing black spots in front of my eyes kind of worries me. Speaker 5 (15:43) Take off your coat, Griff. Open up your shirt. Going to cut me open? No, no. I'm just going to do a little sounding. Griff? Have you been doing any hard work on those boats of yours? Speaker 8 (15:58) Well, no, not to speak of. Got to keep them in shape, of course, but I've been getting the Maynard twins to do the most of it. Pay them 25 cents an hour after school. I Speaker 5 (16:06) see. Speaker 8 (16:09) What's that for, Speaker 5 (16:10) Doc? All that tumbling around in my chest? Oh, just trying out a theory. Now, Griff, when I place this stethoscope to your chest, you just sit there in a natural light and breathe. That's it. Uh-huh. Speaker 8 (16:26) What is it, Doc? My heart. Speaker 5 (16:28) Yes, Griff. It's your heart. Speaker 8 (16:31) That's what I thought. Yep, that's what I thought. Speaker 5 (16:33) How old are you, Griff? Speaker 8 (16:34) How old? Well, let me see. Well, I was too old to join up with T.R. and the Rough Riders in 98. Well, I reckon I'm past 70. That's about all I can recollect. Speaker 5 (16:45) Now, you tell me the truth, young man. Haven't you been doing some extraordinary hard manual labor lately? No, no, no, Doc. I swear Speaker 8 (16:52) I ain't. The Maynard twins have been doing it all. Speaker 5 (16:54) Then, uh... You got something on your mind. Speaker 8 (16:57) Well, uh... Speaker 5 (16:58) What's fretting you? Speaker 8 (16:59) Oh, Speaker 5 (16:59) Doc, I can't stand it. Well, tell me about it. You know, a doctor has to keep lots of secrets. Speaker 8 (17:05) Yeah, I guess that's right. Well, it's this way. My daddy had that there boathouse up to Miller's Lake before me, and his daddy before him, Granddaddy Lysh Miller, he discovered it. We Millers sort of took it for granted, I guess, that it... Well, that it belonged to us. Yep. Belonged to us. Well, doesn't it? Well... This is Saturday afternoon. It belongs to us millers. Maybe in the last, belongs to us up till Monday morning. Speaker 5 (17:29) What's going to happen then? Speaker 8 (17:30) Doc, Dr. Adams, I don't like to complain, but... Well, truth is, I let myself in for a mortgage on the place three years ago. Just in order to get some new canoes and some of them newfangled outboard motors, as they call them. Yep, there's a mortgage on the place. And is the mortgage due now? No, no, no, not that. The principal ain't due for another seven