 Cavalcade of America presented by DuPont, makers of better things for better living through chemistry. Spirit of the men and women of the Erie Canal, the Canolers, who for half a century labored along its topaz, as an expanding America spread from the Atlantic seaboard into the new west. This performance of the Cavalcade of America is dedicated. Spirit of America presents for the first time on the air the famous Broadway Hollywood success, The Farmer Takes a Wife by Frank B. Elcer and Mark Connolly. A colorful drama of life on the old Erie Canal. Our star is Nancy Kelly, the popular screen actress of 20th Century Fox. Since Nancy used to appear with the Cavalcade players in our early broadcasts, we're happy to welcome her back from Hollywood as a guest star on this program. Our orchestra and original musical score are under the direction of Don Voorhees. DuPont, makers of better things for better living through chemistry, presents Nancy Kelly in The Farmer Takes a Wife on the Cavalcade of America. Clinton's ditch, they called it, the Grand Canal, from Albany to Buffalo. For half a century, the big day of all the year for canolers was the spring opening of the Erie. They waited in the canal hotels perched beside the topaz. At Rome, New York, it was Gammie Hennessey's house. Have you ever seen such a crowd day before opening fortune? If you please, Gammie, Dr. Fortune Friendly. Indeed, it is an inspiring sight with winter's ice gone from the feeders and the water rising in the Grand Canal, fresh paint on the boats. The world is indeed born again, Gammie. That's an exciting time, all right. It always reminds me of the day back in 25, Gammie, when it opened for the first time. Ah, yes, it was inspiring. There was cannon strung along with a near shot all the way from Buffalo to New York. And you fired one, Fortune. Ah, yes, yes, I fired one. But it bucked on me, so I fired it again. The minute the canal opened, the guns went off all the way to New York. They had the news in 80 minutes. Think of it. Ah, yes, it reminds me a double black strap, Gammie. Make mine an ordinary ten-center, Gammie. Sure, Saul. Did your team wear it all right? No. Bay Mayor died of the heaves. I don't know how that new dapple keeps the towpath, Gammie. Howdy, Gammie. Howdy. Well, well, well. Pleasant meetings, Mr. Fisher. Thank you. I can see it is, as Gammie says, a good year. A good year. Your pocket's fairly bulged with freight invoices for the canals. That's right. Well, Bullies, it looks like a good year for the canal. And next year it'll be better. Well, me and Gammie, I'll be giving consignments for railroads, as well as boats. Railroads? Railroads! What do you mean, Mr. Fisher? Why don't you turn to decent work? I've been telling you all along, you boaters will have to change your minds about railroads. Besides, Riley, isn't your brother a railroad man? Why, yes, a railroad man. Are we not too afraid, Agent Grandpa? My brother a railroad man. Why, Gammie, that's an insult to my mother, Mr. Fisher. I was here. She's been helping up there. If this happens again, it's the last short haul you boaters get for me. There's railroads now. They do business peaceables. You shut up about them railroads or I'll give you some arms. It's unfortunate for him, Gammie, that you sent him forth before I could sell him a ticket on the Ohio Lottery. Oh, well, I should approach him later on the subject. Could I interest any of you others in lottery tickets? Drawings next month, you know, last chance to get me. Oh, sure. You're a fortune. We'll be taking a chance, I guess, later. Doctor, fortune-friendly, Mr. Tinker. Doctor? Oh, yes. Doctor indeed. I have a card here somewhere. Yes, here's my card. Teeth drawn or filled with pure crystal gold without paint. Why, fortune, I thought you was only a preacher and a gambler. No, no, not this year, Gammie. I want a fine set of dental tools from a man in Albany in a poker game. Yeah, some boaters getting mad. I'll say she is. That's Molly Lockington. Howdy, Sam. Howdy, Sam. Howdy, howdy. Jotham Claw, your cook's calling. I know it. Well, that's a nice thing for the bully that can all to do to a good cook. No good cook likes to keep supper waiting. Molly Larkin's getting too independent and notional. She wants to be the cook and the captain, too. I'll take my time. Jotham Claw ought to be careful. He'll lose a good cook. All gals is fools for boaters that fight for him. Sam Weaver, what's got you some Brussels? Everything's wrong, Gammie. I got a load for you to kill, and my driver's quit on me. Howdy, everybody. You've seen Jotham Claw. Why, he just left, Molly. I'll go find him for you. My new driver boy shows up. Tell him I'll be right back. I'll find Jotham for you. Say, Lucy was Claw drunk. Oh, he ain't very drunk, Molly. But you ought to up and leave him. Excuse me, but... Oh, oh, excuse me, Lucy. You, uh, you're looking for someone? Yes, ma'am. I'm looking for Samson Weaver. Well, if you're the driver he's expecting, he'll be right back. I guess you're new on the can all, ain't you? Yes. Uh, my name's Daniel Harold. Well, mine's Molly Larkins. I'm the cook on Jotham Claw's boat. Jotham Claw? You mean to say you ain't never heard of Jotham Claw, the bully of the whole canal? Well, he can lick anybody on the eerie. Oh, I see. Well, you'll find out it'll stay around here long enough. Well, I don't aim to stay. I'm just earning some money to buy a farm. Oh, I couldn't stand a farm. Too lonesome. Well, I must be fine, though. I have land all your own. Well, the canal's all our own. You ain't got a deed. Well, my part's mine. I'd like to see anybody try to take it. Well, what about the railroads? Some say the canal's done. Well, it ain't the whole of life. It's the whole of my life. I love it. Well, there's some things I like about it. Say, Molly. Yes, Mr. Weaver. Uh, Jotham's real sorry, Molly. He wants you to wait. Oh, thanks. Well, here's your driver. His name's Daniel Harold. Any kin of Henry Harold? My pa's name was Henry Harold. Well, by holy dang, Henry Harold's boy. Well, your pa had the Golden City. Made a wonderful run. It's connected at a buffalo in three days, 11 hours, and 37 minutes. Well, that makes you a sure enough real canaler, then, don't it? I don't know nothing about the canal, ma'am. I'm just a farmer. Yeah, you learn, son, enough. Come on, we'll take your dutch to the boat now. Bye, Mr. Arkin. Well, I'll see you on the big ditch. Our boat's called the Emma. I don't know the name of ours. Sassy sail, New York. Red belly with green stripes. We're heading east. Well, Jotham and I are going west to Buffalo. Oh. Then it's goodbye. Oh, it ain't but four days to Buffalo. Sure, we'll be meeting again. Maybe. I hope so, ma'am. Why, don't you know anything can happen on the Grand Canal? Hey there, canaler. Oh, howdy, Miss Arkin. When'd you get to Utica? Come in last night. I don't like to scrape your deckhouse off when Jotham tied up long side, but we thought you'd be out to see us. I go to bed early. Say, if you're going to live like a farmer, why do you keep working on the canal? Well, I live like a farmer because that's what I am. I can't understand why a big strongfeller that handles canal horses like you hankers for a farm. Well, like horses better for farming. I bet you didn't even buy a ticket on the Ohio Lottery. No. I'm hanging on to my money so as I can get that farm. But Mr. Weaver did. Oh, about six. That's the kind of a boater he is. Don't you really like the canal? Well, it just don't seem staple. Of course, it's nice with spring coming on, but last three days have been fine for planting. All right. Oh, here's Jotham. All right. He's been drinking all night. I bet he's busted his own record. Where's my breakfast? Jotham, did you pick a winner in Ohio? Sam Weaver drew one. He did, did he? Never mind about Sam Weaver. I told him he had breakfast ready. Well, you go on back for your last drink, and I'll have it ready when you come out. You said it was ready. I hate a liar. I ought to give you a good lesson. Oh, no, you won't. Now, you listen to me, Jotham. Clore, I'm sick and tired of humor in you. Now, do you want your breakfast or don't you? Maybe and maybe not. Well, I'm cooking. Danged if I like him like that. That makes me mad. If he wasn't so drunk, I'd have busted him one, calling you a liar. Oh, he knows I ain't a liar, so I don't mind that, but it just has gone out of his way to be mean. Why don't you up and leave him? You know, that's just what I'm going to do. Why don't you sign up with Sam Weaver? We ain't got a cook. We'd admire to have you, ma'am. Hi, Molly. Hi, Dan. Sam, how much did you win? A prize in the Ohio Lottery. $5,000. What? Jotham, Jotham, Sam, what are you going to do with all that money? You know what I'm going to do? Buy myself a 96-foot boat. Come on, Mr. Weaver. What about our cargo here? Well, now I'll tell you, Dan. Fortune sold me this ticket the day I hired you. I had a feeling you was good luck to me. So from now on, you're the saucy sales captain that we divide what we make even Stephen. That's a mighty fine present, Mr. Weaver. I sure am grateful. Come on in the bar, everybody. Drink some of these. Come on in, buddy. I'll be right with you, Sam. Miss Larkin, can I talk to you a minute, please? Well, I'm pretty busy. Are you really quitting, Clore? I sure am. Well, then, will you marry me? I'm so sick and tired of him. What did you say? It's about getting married. You like me, don't you? Yes, ma'am. I've got to say that I do. I liked you the first time I seen you. Well, that's how I feel. What do you think about it? You're going to stay on the canal a while now, ain't you? I might. If it'd help us to buy a farm you'd like. You see, I aimed to change your opinion about a farm as Larkin's. Oh, wouldn't it be awful if you did? Oh, no, ma'am. It'd be wonderful. Well, what if you found out you liked the Erie more? Oh, then I'd stay. Well, if you promise that, then I'll come and cook for you. Wait. You don't want to get married now? No, not yet, Dana. I don't know. Oh, I see. It ain't part of my plan to make you unhappy. Well, then I'll pack my dubs and I'll be ready for you can say, get. Certainly keep your cabin nice, Molly. That's sure pretty dress you're wearing. Yeah, come from Albany again. And when we go to the fair this evening, Dan's going to buy me a lace parasol to go with it. You want to be aware when they give you all the prizes. How many preserves did you say? How many preserves did you send to the exhibit? 18 kinds. Well, Lucy's over to the fair now to put them where the judges will have to eat them first. Hey, pleasant greetings, foe. Oh, it's that fortune friendly again. Oh, but he smelled the cake he was baking. Come on down, fortune. Come on the cabin steps now. Yes, yes, I should descend with caution. Howdy, fortune. Well, what on earth you got there? Ah, this little contrivance, ladies, is what we call a camera obscura. We take the geriatypes with it. Guaranteed human likeness. Oh, where'd you get it, fortune? A singular occurrence, that. Singular occurrence. A fellow and I got to talking. He wanted to play some cards, and of course, being convivial, I... I was on my way to winning this, and two dozen plates, but he got a straight flush. I even had to give back a little piece of glass at pitch in the front here. Needless impediment, no doubt. Then his wife interrupted us. Oh, that's too bad, fortune. Yes, well, it's all right, though. His wife will be going to the fair after supper. Come around tomorrow, and I'll take your pictures. And rather be pecked to death by young ducks. Yes, I see. Well, I see there's a magnificent cake on the table. Magnificent. Yeah, it's Molly's cake. She made it. It's vanilla marshmallow. Wasn't ready when I sent the other things over. Say, you know, it's... it's taken Dan a long time to get a pair of shoes, ain't it? Yeah, well, Dan may have other business, possibly arranging to haul ties for the railroads. Well, I hate doing anything for them railroads. Oh, I don't know, Molly. As a learned professor of the classics told me in college, that was the year before I went gold hunting at Niagara Falls. Tempest Fugit. What does that mean? Times is flying. Not only times, but everything else. The railroads will give us more speed, all right, but they'll make us forget how fine the world could go at four miles an hour. Say, fortune, don't you think Dan loves the canal now? Don't you talk with him about it lately, Molly? Well, no. You see, we made a bargain. He said he wouldn't argue about a farm if I didn't pester him about the canal. And then we'd see how we felt when the season ended. Well, how do you feel? Well, time ain't up, but I... I know I sure like him fine. Ah, young love. How tender. You know, Dan's not like any voter I've ever seen. Well, he could be boss of the whole canal. He never gets drunk, and he... Dan's a peaceful fella. I guess there's nothing that makes him mad or excited. He's a funny fella, ain't he? Who's a funny fella? You are. Oh, Dan. Dan, what's in the big package? It's present for you. A mirror for you to see your new dress in. Oh, my. Is that lovely. You like me in the dress? You're about as pretty as anything I've ever seen. Spin around like you would dance. Oh, jeepers. She does look pretty, don't you, though? Say, what a whopper of a cake, Molly. Oh, wait till they see that. You bought such a big oven. I had to use it for something, Dan. Is it all right to be spending so much money? Oh, of course it is. We made more than I figured we would. Dan, Dan, do you want to buy the other half of the boat? Molly. Oh, gee, that sort of come out quick, Dan, for a thought. I didn't mean to break my word. That's all right, Molly. We'll talk it over later. Here comes Lucy back from the fair. I'm so mad I might break my leg. Well, what do you think? What? They won't take Molly's preserves. Are they that bad? Molly, they just won't accept the best pickles and jams and jellies and preserves they ever had. Boy, the paltrons. What's the matter? Oh, they say Molly ain't a resident of Oneida County. Oh. I was so mad that that secretary could have chewed his ear off. Oh, let's talk about something. That ain't a fair, I says. It's an unfair. Please, let's. First thing you know, I'll begin to feel sorry for myself. Haven't you got any other news? Yes. There's something I ought to tell you to. There's a visitor on my boat. It's Chlore, ain't it? Mm-hmm. I'm telling you because I sort of hoped you two could get away. Let's not bother about Chlore. Uh, what about eating supper off the boat? All right. I have an idea. All right. Lucy, you and Gammy and Mr. Fortune go on ahead. Sure. Well, you come along as soon as you can. Lucy, I thought the best thing you could do was... Dan, I want to talk to you. Molly, it's nothing you want to talk about. Dan or Hera, did you buy a farm? Yes, I did, Molly. Because I'm in love with you. Oh, you've been thinking you could just snap your fingers and I'd change my mind. No. All them things you've been buying for the boat. Things too big for that... Molly. That old looking glass and that stove. Buying furniture and things and every bit of it for a farm. Please. I bet you even got this dress for me to go to church in, too. I thought you might like to get married in it. You're certain sure about everything, ain't you? Well, I'm getting sure I ain't never going to marry you. Are you sure, Molly? Oh, I am, am I? Well, I'm changing my mind. I thought Jotham Clore was mean. Well, I'm going to call him over and apologize. Jotham! Jotham Clore! Well, he can't hear you, Molly. Clore's in his boat, dead drunk. I'll meet him some other time, Molly. Now, I'm going to show you I ain't so mean. My half of the boat is yours. Everything I bought for the boat is yours, too. But you won't be hauling much more. What do you mean? Don't you see? We've called the eerie the big ditch. Well, in a few years, that's just what it's going to be, a big ditch. And where will you be? Living in some hotel along the towpath, waiting for the canal to come to life. The canal ain't going to die. Nothing can lick the eerie. Well, you don't deserve to be on the canal. Maybe not. Goodbye, Molly. What? What's up, Gemi? Fisher's iron canal is to work on the water town low rail. Hey, keepers, what's this computer coming to? Well, they call it progress, Grandpa. Can I hear the 11 o'clock train from Santa Cruz? I'm going over and cuss it face to face. Well, there's your chance, Graves. Well, I'm down the towpath. Ain't anybody mad enough to stand up to this? Well, I mean, can't stand up to a thing like that. Well, I'm just a soul. Look up in the cowcatchers, gentle as you please. Well, talk to your bitters and them torn junks and clean across the canal. One minute to go, Graves. Grandpa, we should seen him do it. Well, he didn't do him much good. Molly, we heard you was going to winter in Buffalo. Well, I changed my mind. I'll come here to give you the money we made on those two long halls. Well, I thought Dan give his half to you. I ain't gonna take it. Well, now look who's coming through the door this minute. Howdy, everybody. Howdy, man. Howdy. Oh, Molly, well, they said you were in Buffalo. I just want to talk some business with you, Mr. Weaver. It's about the big team. I want to buy them. If you and Molly will sell them to me, I can use them right now for plowing. Yeah. What do you say, Molly? Oh, come on, come on, Molly. This is just a business deal. That's for him and you to decide. I don't owe none of the boat. Well, you talk to him, Molly. I'll be back in a minute. You're gonna stay here, Molly? Until the canal opens as usual in the spring. I wish you could see the farm, Molly. And when she's all cleared up, there'll be 400 acres. Cattle and sheep is fine and chickens, too. The main dwelling's good. Sounds pretty lonesome to me, just like always said. We don't find it lonesome at all. We? Yeah. I got a big fat Dutch woman to cook for me. Oh, you like the kitchen. It's big and bright with a pump right in it. I like little kitchens. And once and for all, Danil, I ain't interested in anything you do. Oh, there you are, Mr. Danil Howard. Oh, Danil, it's Jotham Clure. Howard, I've been looking for you for some time. Get ready. Oh, Dan, get out. Get out or he'll kill you. Molly, don't you want to see that farm? This ain't no time for farm. All right, Mr. Danil Howard, take off your coat. Put up your... Boy! Let's get started. Write down what you think you'll need to go out and buy before dinner. But, Dan, you're the bully of the canal. Well, you're the boss of the eerie. Oh, I ain't a bully. And I ain't the boss of the eerie. Can't you see, Molly? I'm just a farmer. Yeah. Yeah, I see, Dan. And I... I guess I'm just a farmer's wife. And canal that was the eerie. Today, reeds grow in muddy channels in the sound of crickets and frogs. Echoes along the mossy banks of the big ditch. The canal is dead. Today along its old towpath roar the untiring trains of a new age. For this is the way America was built. The old giving way to the new in every field of our endeavor, in every decade of our growth. To the gallant men and women of the Grand Canal. Pioneers of our march to the west. An honored place in the unending procession that is the cavalcade of America. For her portrayal of Molly Larkins and for being the guest star of the cavalcade players for this performance, of The Farmer Takes a Wife by Frank B. Elzer and Mark Connolly. And now the DuPont Company brings you its story from the wonder world of chemistry. November 15th was a mile post. It ended six months of the public's experience with stockings made from nylon yarn. First offered for sale throughout the country on May 15th. DuPont's objectives in producing this versatile textile fiber have been and are to perfect a better product than was ever used before. And to make it serve the most useful purpose for the largest number. Seeking something better than nature ever produced, DuPont chemists labored for three years even after the chemical compounds that make up nylon had been discovered to perfect a practical textile yarn. Women's hosiery was selected as the first important field for development. By mid-summer of 1938, a small research plant was in production at DuPont's experimental station near Wilmington, Delaware. In October, the name nylon was coined. And DuPont had enough confidence in this product to set aside enough funds for a full-scale plant. In January 1940, the company began distributing this yarn to various hosiery mills which knitted into their own brands of nylon hose. Up to October 1st, approximately 17 million pairs of full-fashioned nylon stockings were shipped to retail outlets from mills in 27 states. Women bought nylon stockings for them, learned what to expect from them. The demand grew, surpassing the expectations of even those who knew the properties of nylon. To meet the growing demand, DuPont is doubling the original capacity of the Seaford plant and is building another great new plant for manufacturing nylon at Martinsville, Virginia. Meanwhile, research and practical use at nylon serves well as bristles in toothbrushes and hairbrushes, as sewing thread, surgical sutures, fish lines, and ever-widening range of everyday necessities. Nylon yarn has recently been introduced in lace fabrics, foundation garments, men's half-hose, and woven fabrics for undergarments. Still, 90% of the yarn produced continues to go to manufacturers of women's full-fashioned hosiery. Manufacturers, distributors, have been encouraged to describe accurately how and where nylon is used in their products so consumers may know beyond any question what they are buying. The latest news about nylon is DuPont's announcement of a price reduction on the yarn. This initial price change, while relatively minor in itself, was made after only 10 months operation of the first plant and such reductions betoken DuPont's established plan of lowering prices whenever increased volume permits, thus advancing the cycle which brings you more and better goods at a lower price. Such is the practical end envisioned by the words of the DuPont pledge, better things for better living through chemistry. And now the star of next week's program, Agnes Morehead. Ladies and gentlemen, it isn't often that cavalcade honors a living person, but for our drama next week we will present the story of one of America's living women, Martha Berry. As founder of Berry College in Georgia, she has taught thousands of young men and women to reclaim the ancient heritage of the south and set the nation an example of wisdom and courageous leadership. I'm very happy that I've been asked to portray the role of Martha Berry on next week's Cavalcade of America. Thank you. Among the cavalcade players on this program, the part of Dan Harrow was played by William Johnstone, Sam Weaver by Howard Smith, Gammy Hennessey was Agnes Morehead, Lucy Gurget, Jeanette Nolan, Joseph Clore was John McIntyre, Grandpa Riley, Ray Collins, and Fortune Friendly was Kenneth Del Mar. Your announcer is Clayton Collier, sending best wishes from DuPont. This is the National Broadcasting Company.