 The Cavalty of America, presented by DuPont. One of the most important chapters in the history of America is the thrilling, romantic, saga of those hard-bitten men who rode the great ranges along the Texas frontiers. In a land of cane breaks, mountains and prairies, came first the Tejas Indians and finally the white man. And as Texas became enriched with lives and progress, greed and outlawry menaced people. And through necessity, the Texas ranges were organized over a century ago. The heroic age of the ranger has vanished. But as a development of our largest state, he brought the vital contribution of justice and peace. As our overture, Don Borey's and the DuPont Cavalcade Orchestra play the rangers' song from Rio Rita. The state once recognized by the powers of the world, as of independent sovereignty, was the Republic of Texas. In 1837, Texas was a nation, its president, Sam Houston. To this vast inland territory came the Spanish, the French and finally the Americans. And a great and colorful civilization was built. A civilization which led to the admission of Texas into the Union of 1845. A civilization subsequently threatened by lawlessness and terror. The era which saw the coming of the Texas rangers. And tonight our story is about one of them, Tom Dawson. And in the career of Tom Dawson is presented the story of the Texas rangers. It begins at twilight at the lonely ranch house in western Texas. Paul, if you don't, please meet George. Boy, I'm hungry. What's cooking, Ma? Two rabbits. What's wrong? What do you got there? Blue rabbits. Pick them up for you. Oh, Tom. They're the prettiest I've seen this spring. Where'd you find them? Drive by the creek away. Oh, Tom, that was real sweet of you. You should have saved them for Betty. No, no, I picked them up for you. Ma, you like Betty, don't you? Yes, yes, I'm a lot. Dear, well, don't you think that Betty and I could, well... You're riding over to their ranch after supper, ain't you? Yeah, Ma. You're my baby, Tom. I almost lost you. I'm not afraid to now. You're here not going to lose me, Ma. Betty and I built our own house right up there in the north 40s. Pa said we could. I'd better put these blue bonnets in water. Ma. Yes? Thanks. Can I help you with supper? No, no, everything's ready. Use your palm, Ned, now. Say, you two, didn't you hear me ringing that bell? Oh, stop C. Frank Clayton down the road a piece, Lottie. Yeah. Says he and Mrs. Clayton can't do a thing with Betty. She's been learning to cook lately. They don't exactly relish her practicing up on meals for them. How's your appetite, Tom? Oh, that's Tom alone, Ned. All of you watch up. You won't get any supper. Yeah, I reckon we're better boys. All right. What did Frank really have to say, Milt? Any gossip I ought to know? Well, he says he heard those cutthroat bandits and rustlers that told Joe Fisher he'd heard up north are supposed to be heading for this neighborhood. I sure wish there was some way we could run them clear out of Texas in short order. Believe me, I'd do something about it if I were younger. Well, handle them if they try anything wrong here, all right. I've heard that before, too. Doesn't seem to stop them, does it? Well, only last month. Come on, come on. Sit down and eat your supper. I've been waiting long enough already. Stop talking about trouble for a change. Let's be happy when we're all together like this. All right, Lottie. Oh, Heavenly Father, we thank thee for thy mercy. Later that evening, young Tom Dawson mounted his horse and counted away. Underneath lobbed lollipines and scrub oak, the rider passed. Overhead with the glittering stars, around him the quiet mystery of the prairie night. One by one, the lights blinked out in the ranch houses along the trail. And while their sunroof silently accrossed the plains, milk Dawson and his wife were sleeping. Nils, Nils. Nils, wake up. Wake up. Wake up. It's Tom. He's back. Oh, oh, oh, Tom. All right, buddy. Let him in. What's the matter? Look here, boy. What's up? What is it, son? Dan. Burned the Clayton Ranch. Ready? Yeah, ma'am. Everybody. Scott Young Tom Dawson was an isolated expression of the violence and brigandry that threatened the development of Texas. Finally, the people who were trying to live decent, useful lives clamored in protest. And their voices were heard in the state capital at Austin. Then one day at the Dawson Ranch house. Anybody home in there? Sure. Come on in, Jim. Hi, Jim. Hi, Jim. Got great news, Milt. Yeah? The governor's organizing the Texas Rangers again. Well, that's about time. Yeah, we're going to chase these bandits right off the map. Texas Rangers reorganizing, eh? Yep. A fellow named Captain McNally is gathering the force along the border. They're going to need a lot of maintenance. I'm going, Pa. So am I. Well, I can't spare the two of you. But we'll settle that later. You boys help Jim take care of his horse first. You've got to stay for your supper, Jim. I don't have you, Jim. Oh, sure will, Milt. Be right back, guys, to get my horse fit. Come on, boy. We can go out the back way. Milt. Yeah, Lottie? You used to be a Texas Ranger in the old days. You going to let our boys go and join up with them? Not both of them, Lottie. Not Ned. Tom's the one. You make a great Ranger. Well, he's so young, Milt. No, it isn't just a matter of age, Lottie. Being a Texas Ranger. Having the head to think straight. Being three jumps ahead of danger. Well, Tom's the one, Milt. We'll miss him, Lottie. Yeah. If you're right. Well, I'm kind of glad it's getting around in springtime again. Saw some jackrabbers today. And rope, too. Everything's getting so green and pretty outside, Lottie. And those blue bars down by the creek, I say there must be thousands of them. You know, I can remember a wave. I guess I'd better put the kettle on. All over Texas, men were joining the new organization. The Texas Rangers. And young Tom Dawson left his father's ranch and set off to find Captain McNeely and his Rangers on the border. Late one afternoon, as the glow of sunset drains from a deep valley, he rides into camp. Lottie, stranger, where are you heading for? I'm looking for Captain McNeely. Well, you're in the right place. Hey, Captain. Captain McNeely, what's up? Fully here looking for you. We're on over. Well, son, what can I do for you? I'm Tom Dawson, Milt Dawson's son. I'd like to join the ranger, sir. Got a letter here to you from my father. Yeah, you look like you're dead all right. I guess we can use you. Got a good heart? Yes, sir. Ain't a better one anywhere than my smoky. This brought me 400 miles since Wednesday. Oh, that's fine. I got my frying pan and blankets and a sack of corn. You're all fixed up, ain't you? How old are you? I'll be 21 for a long. We won't say how long. Come on over to campfire and meet the boys. I suppose you can use a little food, can't you? Sure can, sir. Well, we've got a worse job right now on our hands than your dad ever faced. Cattle thieves running herds over the border by the hundreds. You'll see some tough fighting. That's what I'm hoping for, Captain. Boys, it's Tom Dawson. Father was arranged here before him. Make a plate for him round the fire. George, George, sit down. Make yourself at home, Tom. Big side meeting this way, Pete. Boys hungry. Running into anything exciting right now? Many assigns where folks had some trouble. I didn't stop long on my way. You'll listen. Couple, boys. Let's get the horses. Wait, wait. Somebody's coming. I didn't see anybody on my way down here. Bill, what is it? Sam Bass. The Russell 300 head along Orange Cross Rio Grande. Sam Bass, again. Where's how long a state? It's about time we got him. Go get him, boys. Out of the valley, thundered the hard-riding Texas rangers, scattering the surround Sam Bass and his outlaw band. Gradually darkness falls over the Rio Grande, and on a small knoll, crouch young Tom Dawson and one of the other rangers. Joe. Did you hear that? Just, Kyle. No, I don't mean that. Did you hear something else? I'm scared. No, I'm all right. Say, you're all right, kid. That must be the Russell's now. I'll have to come right through this pass. Look, down there. Somebody struck a flint. Yeah. Here they come. Ready? What are you going to do? Call up behind that bush. You're ready in case I shoot. All right. Good luck. Quiet now. Quiet. I heard him yelling. He's the one that plugged me. You're a good shot, kid. You hurt, Joe? Yeah. I can lift you on your horse. We'll get back to camp. I don't know how you go along. Stay with you, Joe. Joe, keep going. Get back. Joe! All right, Smokey. Hit! Tom Dawson galloped off and joined the other rangers in search of Sam Bass. Finally, they succeeded in destroying the cattle thieves' stronghold and recovered the stolen herds. But the outlaw Sam Bass still eluded them. And as the months passed, Tom Dawson in his life as a Texas ranger often rode alone. He was interesting and varied experiences. Like all rangers, Tom kept always before him the ranger ideal to protect the weak and to enforce common justice. He never rode by alone shack without stopping to see that its owner was all right. One day he dismounted a lonely cabin in the Guadalupe Mountains. Howdy, ma'am. Everything all right here? Oh, I'm so thankful to come by. I don't know what to do. Oh, what's the matter, ma'am? I can't find my little girl any place. She went outside to play with the dogs. I can't find her. How long she been going, ma'am? I don't know. See, I fell asleep and Katie must have strayed then. She's only three and a half. I'm afraid of Rattler. Oh, I reckon she's all right. You say she had a dog along with her? Yeah, I'm sure he'd follow her. He's a colleague. Well, now you just rest easy here. I'll go hunt him up. Don't you worry. Hey, drink some of that tea there. Do you good? I stand at his shelter. I can't until I know my baby. Safe. All right, Smoky. Listen. No. That's no baby. Come on. Let's go. All right, Smoky. We're about to locate her. She hasn't met up with a bear or something. Oh, no, boy. Maybe this will pet you, huh? Can you hear that? We'll be on that rock ridge. Must have lost her way in the rain this morning. Come on, boys. Get to her. Come on. Oh, no, boy. Katie. Katie. Come on. Let's go. The dog got it, honey. Where'd you think you were going? The baby was rescued. The baby was rescued and returned to her family. And as time went on, the rangers swarmed into every valley, galloped across the prairies, and up into the mountains of Texas, in their determination to rid the land of outlaws and violence. Tom Dawson rode with them. While in the little ranch house of his father, they naturally began to wonder at not hearing from him. Then one day... Come on in. Howdy, Milch. Well, old Jim. Got a leather from Tarleton for you. Yeah. Yeah, Lottie. A leather from Tom. Well, is he all right? Well, I ain't read it yet. See? Yeah? Yeah, sure. He's all right. He's up with Major Jones' frontier outfit, he says. Jones is a fine man. Well, I don't suppose he'll be coming home for a while yet, will he? There's plenty of work to be done still up in that end of the state. Don't think Tom can get away yet, Lottie. Say, you heard about the book that Jones has got out? Name's over 5,000 outlaws. Still at large. 1,500 wanted for murder. 2,500 listed for cast cattle rustling. Ain't that a pretty record? Sure is bad. Does Tom say anything about the muffler I knit for him, Milch? Right up here at the top of the ladder, he says, Tell Mom, thanks for the muffler. It sure keeps me warm. I heard him talking today all about Sam Bass, the outlaw. He's the ringleader. Pulled off four big train robbers. Yeah, Tom says here he's going with Jones after Sam Bass. Things are clean up fast. They get rid of that rattlesnake. Yeah, but, well, it's mighty dangerous for the boy if he's tangling with Sam Bass. I'll come back later, Milch. What's the matter with Lottie? Talking about danger to Tom, sort of obsessed her. Oh. Me too, I guess. We ain't seen Tom in over a year. Meanwhile, in the little prairie town of Round Rock at High Noon, some cowboys are sitting around the local barbershop. Just seven days and they begin to roll down. Yes, sir. I don't like that song a bit. Well, I'll tell you, boys, none of them ever get Sam Bass. It stays up around this country somewhere. Worst luck, I say. It's all right to never get him. He's too smart. How do you want this beard trim, Buck? Leave it as it is. He's had the hard enough time getting it back there. Use trim at fancy, Charlie. Don't let them share a slip. Who's riding in, Flam? Looks like one of them kid rangers. I wonder what he's doing in town. Maybe he's rucking for you, Charlie. Right. Sam Bass was born in Indiana. It was his native home. And at the age of 17, Sam Bass began to roll. Well, that finishes you, cowboy. You're next, Ranger. Shave her hair cut. Shave. Make it fast. Sir, if you might have done a pile of riding today. Yeah, I did a little. Strangering round, Rock? Just passing through. You heard anything new on Sam Bass? No, I ain't. They say your rangers are up here after him. So? Think we'll get him? Well, you rangers are smart, but I figure Sam Bass is smarter. Yeah, maybe you're right. There's a couple of tough customers. Oh, thank you, Humbrace. Out of my way. Wait a minute, I might have cut you. Let me out of here. Come on, get out of my way. Duck boys, there's gonna be a shootin'. You sure? Click on the trigger. Well, listen up. Well, hey. Well, that's that. Hey, who was that, Humbrace? Sam Bass. Sam Bass? All right, all right. Let's have the rest of that shave. Well, hey, sure, sure. Hey, how about making up a last verse of that song about Sam Bass? He was just singing. Now Sam is a decaying folk down in the round rock clay and Jackson's on the border but trying to get away. Sure got the hand to do you, Ranger. Oh, pray for the Ranger, you kind hearted stranger. He hasn't been home for a year, but he's chased circumventious from all but your ranges and run all the outlaws in all their frontier. Eventually the Rangers rounded up the whole Sam Bass band and a great blow for law and order was struck in Texas. One by one, outlaw gangs were brought to justice or disappeared and when peace and order were again restored in Texas, many of the Rangers were given leave to visit their homes. Tom Dawson was one. Naturally, there was great anticipation in his family. Tom should have been home here two weeks ago from the time he said he was starting. Oh, honey, you've been smelling trouble for two weeks. I tell you, he's all right. You just have to settle your mind and pee. Anybody home in there? Tom. Tom. I told ya. Howdy, ma. Howdy there, pop. Tom. What's the matter with ya, son? Oh, that's all right, ma. Running to a couple of horsies near Pop Loomis place of country. One of them winged me a bit. He laid me considerable. You get him? One of them. I warm up some supper for ya, do ya? Oh, great, ma. Where's Ned? Oh, he's studying me a lawyer, Don Dallas. Yeah? Yeah. Always said he never had the makings of a ranger. Say, what'd you got on the stove, ma? Just rabbit. It's the way you like it. Your ma's been cookin' dinner for you for two weeks. Moved at myself to death on rabbit. Yeah, we sure glad to see ya, son. Believe me, pa, it's great to be home. You know, I guess I really been headin' back here ever since I went away. The years passed, the outlaws vanished, law and order were established and Texas built the great civilization that is hers today. About 1935, the Texas Rangers became a thing of the past by an official act of the legislature. And a group of old rangers gathered to live over by Gondes. We used to say a Texas ranger had to ride like a Mexican, train like an Indian, shoot like a Tennessean and fight like the devil. Oh, Bill MacDonald had it right when he said a ranger could charge the inferno with a bucket of water. That's a minute, you boys. Be quiet, boys. On this occasion, we have with us one of Texas's most distinguished citizens. He's gone talk to you a bit about old times. You all know him? Tom Dock. Hi there, everybody. Well, state police are ridin' flippers instead of horses now. And they don't need us anymore. I sure hate to find myself in one of them and one of those old trails you all know about. You mean my old horse Smokey any time. I only wish with all my heart tonight, right while we're all sittin' here, that Colonel Jack Hayes could walk right in here with us and old Bill McCullough. And Major Jones and Captain McNally. Can't you just hear the little captain saying, go get him, boys. Yeah. How about all the others, huh? Lee Hall, Baylor, Neville and Bigfoot Woff. Boys. You know, when folks talk about the Texas Rangers and years to come, you know they're not gonna tell about how many bandits they hung or anything like that. They're gonna tell about how the sight of one of you boys to a settler or a cattleman in trouble was like rain in the desert. You rode faster than the prairie winds. You rode through dust storms and blizzards. And at night, you slept under a million stars. Dear sir, boys, the Texas Rangers, every man his own captain. There were hundreds of Tom Dawson's, all Texas Rangers, and the lone star state will always be proud of them. Men of fearless courage and heroic purpose who represent the very best traditions of the Southwest. The countless trails their horses rode will be covered, but never forgotten. The Texas Rangers will live on in legend, in song, and in the great memory of America. And now we have a story which is told by Basil Risedale, speaking to the Dupont Company. A story from the wonder world of chemistry. Here's a headline that commands attention. Home sweet home is the most dangerous place in America. And the story behind this headline is one to astound everyone. Figures show that out of all fatal accidents, about one-third of them happen in that haven of peace called home. Even more than the automobile total. All this may sound gloomy, but there's a cheerful side to it too, because most of these home accidents can be prevented if you're willing to give the matter your attention. What chemists are doing to increase safety in the home? Perhaps the most obvious example is the fire extinguisher that should hang in every home. Dupont does not make fire extinguishers. It is only one of many chemical companies that supply chemicals for them. But Dupont chemists start even farther back than that in dealing with the menace of fire, because they also make fire-retarding chemicals for treating wood and fabrics, so as to make them flame-proof. After chemical treatment, such things will char, will not support a flame, and therefore won't spread fire. Another important protection against fire is the precaution of using triclean, non-inflammable fabric cleaner made by Dupont chemists. Of all the fatal home accidents, more than one-third are caused by falls. Men informed in accident prevention say, guard against falls in the home. They say, use safe step ladders. Keep stairways clear. I'm told that around 16 percent of these falls take place on stairs, and a lot of them on stair landings, or at the bottom of stairs, where you're likely to step on a skiddy rug that slides off from under your feet. Dupont chemists have devised rug anchor, non-skid rug underlay, especially designed to make small rugs stay foot. And speaking of stairs, have you ever seen porch steps that have sagged and broken down due to rotting of the timber? What an easy place to take a serious tumble. But chemistry is ready to protect you again by means of a product of wood, rock-proof. Yes, all this is about safety in your home, but I've also heard an unusual story of safety in a Dupont company home in the plants and laboratories that employ thousands of people. By careful attention to accident prevention, the Dupont company has kept down the frequency rate of major injuries to a remarkably low point. 86 percent less than American industry as a whole, according to latest available figures of the National Safety Council. Safety first, a good slogan, and a good companion to the Dupont pledge, better things for better living through chemistry. Next week, the Cavalcade of America will present the story of a great American actress, the beloved Marie Dressler. So until next week, then at the same time, Mrs. Thomas Chalmers saying good night and best wishes from Dupont. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.