March 2, 2023 • 20 mins
Daryl meets Storyville Madame, Countess Willie Piazza . Even though Storyville prostitution was stopped by city ordinance in 1917, Madams like the countess continued to live in their brothel mansions well into the 1920's. Daryl is invited to stay a la maison and receive treatment for his heroin and alcohol addiction. He recovers, and starts a new lease on life. Daryl becomes wealthy selling his patented radio components to large radio manufacturers in the 1930's. He meets Nick Nicolas 3rd. while on a business trip riding the 20th Century Express from New York to Chicago.
Sputnik Satellite Radio Show. Season One
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Greetings to you, friends, from the Airwaves. Broadcasting to the nation and around the
(00:07):
world. Coming to you from Nick 1150 AM radio. This is Blair Hebert, story creator of the
Sputnik satellite radio show. Today, we're looking at the character backstory and timeline
for Daryl Lang, part two. Daryl fixes his medication and makes his way down the stairs
(00:27):
to North Rampart Street early in the evening on his way to Congo Square for a date with
his park bench. As he enters the square, he sees his bench as being occupied. Momentarily
confused, he stops to look for another seat when the person seated waves to him and beckons
him to come over and sit. It is an elegantly dressed middle-aged woman who he remembers
(00:49):
from the wedding reception a few weeks back. He makes his way toward the bench not knowing
what to say as he arrives, so he says nothing and sits beside her in silence to listen to
the band. He closes his eyes and drifts into dream time as usual with his hands gently
placed on his lap. The lady smells very good and he can detect a slight hint of jasmine
(01:12):
in her perfume, which he inhales deeply and smiles. This makes him feel safe and comfortable.
He feels her soft hand touch his on his lap and pat it gently. He senses her compassion
and her strength, then he gives a little smile of appreciation. He motions well up as he
recalls the nameless nurse of hospital number 21 who often patted his head. He chokes back
(01:37):
his emotion and continues to sit in silence with his eyes closed. They sit together on
the bench until the end of the evening. When Daryl opens his eyes, he looks at her closely
for the first time and says, hello, my name is Daryl. She is a Creole woman, elegantly
dressed in silk and jewelry. And when she speaks, it's with an unrecognizable accent.
(02:01):
She introduces herself as Willie, but most folks call her the Countess. She then asks,
were you injured in the European war? Daryl nods, yes. Would you like to be free from
addiction, son? She looks directly into his eyes, I can help you with that. Daryl grasps
her hand and says, yes, ma'am. Come to this address tomorrow and plan to stay for a while.
(02:27):
It will take time and a true desire to recover, but we will make it more than comfortable
for you. She hands him a small card with her address at 317 Basin Street. Come as soon
as possible and we will begin the recovery of your true self. The Countess then pulls
out a diamond crusted cigarette case and lights up a strong smelling tobacco. She extends
(02:49):
her hand again and says, au revoir, à la prochaine. Daryl stares at the card, Basin
Street was a couple of miles away from Rampart. He immediately begins planning his route to
get there by streetcar. Daryl is up early next morning and begins his walking towards
the Rampart St. Claude streetcar line. It's a short walk from his rooming house. Along
(03:12):
the way he happened across a large Confederate star jasmine plant growing wild on an old
telegraph pole. He delicately removes a large bouquet and ties it up with a piece of string
he always carries in his pocket for such occasions. Arriving at the address of a large mansion,
he proceeds to climb the stairs to a magnificent front door and rings the bell. The door opens
(03:37):
and he's greeted by a fashionably dressed young woman. Feeling awkward in his common
clothes and walking cane, he simply asks for the countess. She treats him with the warmest
smile and says, you must be Daryl. She takes him by the arm and leads him in as the most
welcome guest. He is led into a fine drawing room where the countess is distributing money
(03:59):
into the open hand of a young woman. She smiles broadly and exclaims, you came, good for you.
Daryl presents his jasmine flowers to the countess and she motions to the young girl
who takes them and places them in a crystal vase. The countess comments that she loves
the smell of jasmine more than any other flower. Daryl agrees. The countess then looks directly
(04:25):
into his eyes and says, let's get right down to business Daryl. You need help right now
to get free from addiction and I'll help you with that. But I must warn you clearly,
it won't be easy and if you misbehave I won't be nice about it. Unfortunately, you've been
targeted by a local dealer who has gotten you addicted to heroin. Daryl hangs his head
(04:47):
in shame. The countess slaps her hand on the desk and says there's no time for self pity
in this house. We have to work quickly and with conviction. Now go with Pauline, she
will take you to your room. You will not leave this room unless escorted and if you disobey
this rule you will be asked to leave. Understood? Yes countess. Good and from now on you will
(05:09):
answer me with oui madame. That will be all for today. Pauline leads Daryl away and he's
not sure what he has gotten himself into. When they arrive at his room in the rear of
the house over the kitchen, Daryl walks into a large hardwood floor space with vaulted
ceilings and large open windows with long white linen curtains flowing in the breeze.
(05:33):
Pauline asks Daryl to remove all his clothes and stand next to a narrow sheeted table near
a large enameled clawed bathtub. Daryl complies. She begins to run a warm bath and he stands
there covering his privates with his hands. He mumbles he's aware he's on a brothel but
it's the first time and he's not been publicly naked for years. Pauline giggles and tells
(05:56):
him by city ordinance the home is no longer a brothel but rather a private health spa.
She winks and says and you're not the first naked man I've seen and you look good. Another
girl a young Asian therapist dressed in white enters without making eye contact and pours
a vial of volatile oil into the bath. A spicy waft of jasmine fills the air and Daryl takes
(06:21):
a deep breath in and enters the warm water and relaxes. After a good soak Daryl is laid
out on the sheeted table and the girl in the white frock proceeds to examine his wounds
and assess the mobility of his joints. She proceeds to take his weight, blood pressure
and full measurements including his uneven leg lengths. She instructs him to lay on his
(06:43):
stomach and she begins a full body massage. Confident she can provide him physical therapy
to relieve pain and increase mobility she delivers exact instructions for specific exercises
to do five times a day. She will see him before bed. As the withdrawal from heroin begins
(07:03):
Daryl feels nauseous and irritated and asks for a drink of gin to settle his nerves. The
girl in white brings him a bitter drink in a shot glass and a mash of paste to consume
and then has him lie back down to relax. Within minutes Daryl begins feeling the effects of
the two concoctions and has no desire to move. The girl in white then sits with him as he
(07:26):
starts tripping on psilocybin mushrooms. The mushroom experience is amazing and gets him
in touch with the source of his physical pain and his psychological trauma. The girl in
white asks him what he is feeling and he replies he can feel his hip bone grinding in its socket
when it moves. She gently takes his left leg and begins manipulating movement to where
(07:49):
it feels good. Gently stretching where it is stuck Daryl breathes deeply into the movements
and feels the tight muscles unlock and the joint move painlessly back into place for
the first time in months. By now Daryl's mind has gone into a psychedelic trip and
he is talking to his younger self in tears. Forgives his mistakes and the accident with
(08:12):
Bonnie and he leaves the horror of the trenches. He wakes up in the morning feeling purged
much later. He does his daily routine as many times as required for a month and Daryl never
once leaves the room. His addiction to heroin is in remission and although difficult to
kick as is his addiction to alcohol he notices his pain levels decreasing and he no longer
(08:36):
feels the uncontrollable urge to fix. He consults with his higher self and makes a pledge to
remain alcohol and drug free from now on and focus on the next phase of his life. One day
while Daryl was doing his exercises in the nude which has become his daily practice Pauline
enters the room with a big smile and an even bigger gift bag for Daryl. A graduation present
(09:00):
from Madame Countess. Daryl opens the wrapped gifts and finds a fresh selection of underwear
and socks, a new fashionable tailored suit with two shirts and a tie combination. In
a box he finds a handmade pair of shoes with a matching belt and notices the left shoe
has a sole thicker than the right shoe by an inch and a half. Pauline sits Daryl in
(09:22):
a chair and gives him a shave and haircut. Daryl dresses and Pauline brings in a dressing
mirror for him to look at. He is amazed at the transformation. He puts on the shoes and
begins to walk around the room without a limp. He is humbled and speechless. Pauline leads
Daryl from his room down to the drawing room of the Countess. She smiles and rises to greet
(09:46):
him. They embrace and she compliments him on his success. She informs him she has an
appointment and will see him one day in the square. Daryl takes his leave and walks effortlessly
to the streetcar station to make his way back to North Rampart Street. When Daryl arrives
in his district he decides to continue walking down to Congo Square. A jazz band is playing
(10:10):
and he sees someone sitting on his bench. So he decides to stand and watch the band
for the first time. Soon he feels the music moving him and in a moment of total freedom
he begins dancing freestyle as locals smile at his joyous expression. Most don't recognize
him as the addicted war vet who formerly haunted the park bench. Daryl realizes this and laughs
(10:34):
in gratitude. He is in full recovery. October 29, 1929 the stock market crashes and America
is falling fast into the Great Depression of the 1930s. Daryl is not affected as he
was not invested in stocks. He begins blueprinting his radio designs and registers his modified,
(10:56):
custom designed handcrafted piezoelectric crystal resonators and oscillators with the
patent office. He develops a plan to operate as a traveling consultant and will travel
from city to city visiting radio stations and factories selling his modified components
and expertise to other radio operators. As a side job he also offers his services replacing
(11:20):
any single wire earth return circuits with twisted pair wiring. Although twisted pair
wiring has been invented in the 1880s by Alexander Graham Bell, small communities and municipalities
throughout the Midwest were still using the single telegraph wire originally used by the
pioneers. Municipalities were glad to pay for the service and he always had more work
(11:42):
than he could handle. This keeps him busy traveling through the first part of the dirty
30s. In the summer of 1933 on a successful return home trip from the west coast he was
flush with cash and felt like celebrating so he went to Congo Square to unwind and enjoy
some jazz. While standing near the band he was approached by an old familiar face. Like
(12:07):
a phantom his nemesis heroin dealer appeared and Daryl's heart pounded in his chest and
he felt like he just got a punch in the gut. As the dealer attempted to engage him in conversation
Daryl noticed the Swiss young immigrant and his Creole wife and two small children. He
excused himself and wandered over to talk with them. Just like that his nemesis disappeared.
(12:34):
He introduced himself to the couple and shared that he had been at their wedding. The Swiss
immigrant introduced himself as Thomas Albright and his beautiful wife introduced herself
as Odette. Neither Thomas nor Odette remembered Daryl as the transformation was that dramatic.
He does not try to explain his change but freely talks about what he does for a living
(12:54):
when asked. Thomas is ecstatic to discover another radio afficionado like himself. Daryl
is delighted to hear this and asks him if he is working anywhere in the field. Thomas
replies no but desperately wants to. He comes from a family of watchmakers and he has a
small shop in their flat where he does watch repairs. Daryl realizing he may have found
(13:18):
someone who can hand build his patented piezo crystal designs and further his work on the
transistors he is developing he is overjoyed. Daryl has more work than he can handle working
alone and decides to offer the young Swiss an opportunity to go on the road and work
with him a couple of weeks a month if he is interested. If it works out they can set up
(13:39):
a small workshop to build custom radio components and sell them as upgraded parts to radio stations
and to institutions on the road. Thomas and Odette both jump for joy and begin dancing
a silly jive routine they have practiced together. For a moment Daryl's inner sight returns and
he sees their aura of love flash like a beacon and is amazed to notice it happened while
(14:02):
sober and with his eyes open. Confirmation that he is in good graces. He smiles glad
that the gift of sight has not left him. He is also able to see a little light glowing
in Odette and senses she is with child. Odette looks at Daryl with a big smile and takes
his hand and leads him into the square for a dance. Daryl accepts her invitation and
(14:25):
moves to the music for the first time in years with a woman in his arms. He has finally returned.
Radio business was especially lucrative in the last quarter of 1933 and Thomas was a
talented salesman and installer on the road and an excellent technician on the bench.
By the new year they had made enough money to set up a small shop just off Cannell Street
(14:49):
and celebrate Christmas with a bonus. Cannell was the widest street in America at the time
and drew a lot of foot traffic. The small shop was often visited and Thomas was able
to sell custom made radios to locals while Daryl conducted business out of town. Thomas
and Odette were in their last trimester for their third child and the expectation was
(15:11):
it would be a boy. Daryl spent Christmas and New Year's celebrating with Thomas and Odette
that year and by February 1st the new baby was born. It was a girl. Undaunted by the
surprise they named the child Tracy. In Latin the name invokes the spirit of strength.
When the baby was christened that year Daryl was asked to be the godfather but declined
(15:34):
as he had no religious affiliation to the church and felt it would be hypocritical.
So he attended the christening and accepted his place as Uncle Daryl to the children and
developed a special fondness for Tracy. During the 30s the Lang and Albright radio shop off
Cannell Street became a popular location for radio hobbyists and consumers as they could
(15:56):
buy supplies for do it yourself crystal radio kits or purchase the new fine tuned tube amplifier
radio sets. Eventually Thomas ran the shop as Daryl remained on the road. Daryl preferred
traveling as he found sitting for too long focused on technical work gave him a stiff
hip and neuralgia down his left leg. After returning from an extended trip Thomas informed
(16:21):
Daryl that RCA lawyers had been haunting around the shop to see if there were any patent infringements
and after finding none offered to buy out the business at a handsome sum. Impressed with
the quality parts developed by Daryl and built by Thomas the offer also included a developer
position with the new research laboratories being built in Princeton New Jersey. If the
(16:44):
offer was accepted they would convert the shop into an RCA distributor outlet. They
also offered to move Thomas and his family to New Jersey where he would help design the
new radio lab. Thomas was very excited about this development and Daryl was also interested.
The sale of the shop would make them both decently well off and provide a new opportunity
(17:05):
for the young family. Daryl agreed. In May 1938 Thomas moved his family to New Jersey.
Daryl remained in New Orleans and purchased a small single story cottage in the garden
district. The Countess has been deceased for four years now and he brings Jasmine to her
grave regularly and just sits with her memory in silence. He's been sober for ten years
(17:30):
and it's been twenty years since he lay in the hospital bed near death in hospital number
twenty one. Daryl is contemplating his next incarnation and he begins working out the
plans for a radio station and a location where he can establish or acquire a large transmitter
for maximum coverage. Daryl has kept in touch with Pauline and the quiet white frocked therapist
(17:53):
who nursed him back to health at 317 Basin Street. He sees them both regularly. He has
completely transformed as a person and counts his blessings every day. He continues his
daily exercises and receives physical therapy often and always with a happy ending. As the
autumn arrives Daryl gets the itch to move and decides to head to the east coast to test
(18:18):
the waters. His reputation precedes him and he is welcome in every door he knocks upon.
It seems like everyone wants to amp up the radio receivers, boost their transmitters
using his patented components. All this must be done to code and Daryl always works with
local engineers to have every job stamped with approval. To date none of his modifications
(18:40):
have failed in inspection. Travelling through New Jersey Daryl visits the Albrites and comes
to discover that young Tracy has just had a concussion after an accident and is moody
and crying a lot. He is dismayed and offers his condolences. Young parents are distracted
during the visit and Daryl decides it's best to take his leave and connect in a few weeks
(19:03):
on his way back home. Daryl catches the Trenton Line to Hoboken and on to West 33rd Street
and rushes to catch the 20th Century Express out of Grand Central, New York City to LaSalle
Street station in Chicago. As he makes his way to his shared sleeping car he introduces
himself to Nick Nicholas who will share the next 15 hours with him. He's on his way to
(19:26):
a gig in Chicago with the Fletcher Henderson band. Daryl does not know the band but perhaps
he will come to the show tomorrow evening as he is free to do so. Nick and Daryl strike
up a conversation about employment and when Daryl tells Nick he works in radio Nick immediately
assumes he means a radio station spinning records and asks if he is an announcer. Daryl
(19:49):
chuckles and says the most announcing he's ever done is yelling for morphine from a hospital
bed in France during the war. Nick and Daryl share a laugh. No nothing so exciting he explains.
He has business to conduct with the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, better known as
Motorola in Chicago. Nick knows this name. Daryl and Nick talk for hours and really strike
(20:12):
up a nice friendship. Little do they realize but in 10 years they will be partners in a
successful radio station situated near the U.S. Canadian border.
End of part two, backstory and timeline for Daryl Lang. Please join us for the final episode
of the season next week, the birth of Nick 1150 AM radio, end of season one for the Sputnik
(20:35):
Satellite Radio Show. Thank you for listening. This is Blair Hebert signing off. See you
next week. Au revoir à la prochaine.
Greetings to you, friends, from the Airwaves. Broadcasting to the nation and around the
(00:07):
world. Coming to you from Nick 1150 AM radio. This is Blair Hebert, story creator of the
Sputnik satellite radio show. Today, we're looking at the character backstory and timeline
for Daryl Lang, part two. Daryl fixes his medication and makes his way down the stairs
(00:27):
to North Rampart Street early in the evening on his way to Congo Square for a date with
his park bench. As he enters the square, he sees his bench as being occupied. Momentarily
confused, he stops to look for another seat when the person seated waves to him and beckons
him to come over and sit. It is an elegantly dressed middle-aged woman who he remembers
(00:49):
from the wedding reception a few weeks back. He makes his way toward the bench not knowing
what to say as he arrives, so he says nothing and sits beside her in silence to listen to
the band. He closes his eyes and drifts into dream time as usual with his hands gently
placed on his lap. The lady smells very good and he can detect a slight hint of jasmine
(01:12):
in her perfume, which he inhales deeply and smiles. This makes him feel safe and comfortable.
He feels her soft hand touch his on his lap and pat it gently. He senses her compassion
and her strength, then he gives a little smile of appreciation. He motions well up as he
recalls the nameless nurse of hospital number 21 who often patted his head. He chokes back
(01:37):
his emotion and continues to sit in silence with his eyes closed. They sit together on
the bench until the end of the evening. When Daryl opens his eyes, he looks at her closely
for the first time and says, hello, my name is Daryl. She is a Creole woman, elegantly
dressed in silk and jewelry. And when she speaks, it's with an unrecognizable accent.
(02:01):
She introduces herself as Willie, but most folks call her the Countess. She then asks,
were you injured in the European war? Daryl nods, yes. Would you like to be free from
addiction, son? She looks directly into his eyes, I can help you with that. Daryl grasps
her hand and says, yes, ma'am. Come to this address tomorrow and plan to stay for a while.
(02:27):
It will take time and a true desire to recover, but we will make it more than comfortable
for you. She hands him a small card with her address at 317 Basin Street. Come as soon
as possible and we will begin the recovery of your true self. The Countess then pulls
out a diamond crusted cigarette case and lights up a strong smelling tobacco. She extends
(02:49):
her hand again and says, au revoir, à la prochaine. Daryl stares at the card, Basin
Street was a couple of miles away from Rampart. He immediately begins planning his route to
get there by streetcar. Daryl is up early next morning and begins his walking towards
the Rampart St. Claude streetcar line. It's a short walk from his rooming house. Along
(03:12):
the way he happened across a large Confederate star jasmine plant growing wild on an old
telegraph pole. He delicately removes a large bouquet and ties it up with a piece of string
he always carries in his pocket for such occasions. Arriving at the address of a large mansion,
he proceeds to climb the stairs to a magnificent front door and rings the bell. The door opens
(03:37):
and he's greeted by a fashionably dressed young woman. Feeling awkward in his common
clothes and walking cane, he simply asks for the countess. She treats him with the warmest
smile and says, you must be Daryl. She takes him by the arm and leads him in as the most
welcome guest. He is led into a fine drawing room where the countess is distributing money
(03:59):
into the open hand of a young woman. She smiles broadly and exclaims, you came, good for you.
Daryl presents his jasmine flowers to the countess and she motions to the young girl
who takes them and places them in a crystal vase. The countess comments that she loves
the smell of jasmine more than any other flower. Daryl agrees. The countess then looks directly
(04:25):
into his eyes and says, let's get right down to business Daryl. You need help right now
to get free from addiction and I'll help you with that. But I must warn you clearly,
it won't be easy and if you misbehave I won't be nice about it. Unfortunately, you've been
targeted by a local dealer who has gotten you addicted to heroin. Daryl hangs his head
(04:47):
in shame. The countess slaps her hand on the desk and says there's no time for self pity
in this house. We have to work quickly and with conviction. Now go with Pauline, she
will take you to your room. You will not leave this room unless escorted and if you disobey
this rule you will be asked to leave. Understood? Yes countess. Good and from now on you will
(05:09):
answer me with oui madame. That will be all for today. Pauline leads Daryl away and he's
not sure what he has gotten himself into. When they arrive at his room in the rear of
the house over the kitchen, Daryl walks into a large hardwood floor space with vaulted
ceilings and large open windows with long white linen curtains flowing in the breeze.
(05:33):
Pauline asks Daryl to remove all his clothes and stand next to a narrow sheeted table near
a large enameled clawed bathtub. Daryl complies. She begins to run a warm bath and he stands
there covering his privates with his hands. He mumbles he's aware he's on a brothel but
it's the first time and he's not been publicly naked for years. Pauline giggles and tells
(05:56):
him by city ordinance the home is no longer a brothel but rather a private health spa.
She winks and says and you're not the first naked man I've seen and you look good. Another
girl a young Asian therapist dressed in white enters without making eye contact and pours
a vial of volatile oil into the bath. A spicy waft of jasmine fills the air and Daryl takes
(06:21):
a deep breath in and enters the warm water and relaxes. After a good soak Daryl is laid
out on the sheeted table and the girl in the white frock proceeds to examine his wounds
and assess the mobility of his joints. She proceeds to take his weight, blood pressure
and full measurements including his uneven leg lengths. She instructs him to lay on his
(06:43):
stomach and she begins a full body massage. Confident she can provide him physical therapy
to relieve pain and increase mobility she delivers exact instructions for specific exercises
to do five times a day. She will see him before bed. As the withdrawal from heroin begins
(07:03):
Daryl feels nauseous and irritated and asks for a drink of gin to settle his nerves. The
girl in white brings him a bitter drink in a shot glass and a mash of paste to consume
and then has him lie back down to relax. Within minutes Daryl begins feeling the effects of
the two concoctions and has no desire to move. The girl in white then sits with him as he
(07:26):
starts tripping on psilocybin mushrooms. The mushroom experience is amazing and gets him
in touch with the source of his physical pain and his psychological trauma. The girl in
white asks him what he is feeling and he replies he can feel his hip bone grinding in its socket
when it moves. She gently takes his left leg and begins manipulating movement to where
(07:49):
it feels good. Gently stretching where it is stuck Daryl breathes deeply into the movements
and feels the tight muscles unlock and the joint move painlessly back into place for
the first time in months. By now Daryl's mind has gone into a psychedelic trip and
he is talking to his younger self in tears. Forgives his mistakes and the accident with
(08:12):
Bonnie and he leaves the horror of the trenches. He wakes up in the morning feeling purged
much later. He does his daily routine as many times as required for a month and Daryl never
once leaves the room. His addiction to heroin is in remission and although difficult to
kick as is his addiction to alcohol he notices his pain levels decreasing and he no longer
(08:36):
feels the uncontrollable urge to fix. He consults with his higher self and makes a pledge to
remain alcohol and drug free from now on and focus on the next phase of his life. One day
while Daryl was doing his exercises in the nude which has become his daily practice Pauline
enters the room with a big smile and an even bigger gift bag for Daryl. A graduation present
(09:00):
from Madame Countess. Daryl opens the wrapped gifts and finds a fresh selection of underwear
and socks, a new fashionable tailored suit with two shirts and a tie combination. In
a box he finds a handmade pair of shoes with a matching belt and notices the left shoe
has a sole thicker than the right shoe by an inch and a half. Pauline sits Daryl in
(09:22):
a chair and gives him a shave and haircut. Daryl dresses and Pauline brings in a dressing
mirror for him to look at. He is amazed at the transformation. He puts on the shoes and
begins to walk around the room without a limp. He is humbled and speechless. Pauline leads
Daryl from his room down to the drawing room of the Countess. She smiles and rises to greet
(09:46):
him. They embrace and she compliments him on his success. She informs him she has an
appointment and will see him one day in the square. Daryl takes his leave and walks effortlessly
to the streetcar station to make his way back to North Rampart Street. When Daryl arrives
in his district he decides to continue walking down to Congo Square. A jazz band is playing
(10:10):
and he sees someone sitting on his bench. So he decides to stand and watch the band
for the first time. Soon he feels the music moving him and in a moment of total freedom
he begins dancing freestyle as locals smile at his joyous expression. Most don't recognize
him as the addicted war vet who formerly haunted the park bench. Daryl realizes this and laughs
(10:34):
in gratitude. He is in full recovery. October 29, 1929 the stock market crashes and America
is falling fast into the Great Depression of the 1930s. Daryl is not affected as he
was not invested in stocks. He begins blueprinting his radio designs and registers his modified,
(10:56):
custom designed handcrafted piezoelectric crystal resonators and oscillators with the
patent office. He develops a plan to operate as a traveling consultant and will travel
from city to city visiting radio stations and factories selling his modified components
and expertise to other radio operators. As a side job he also offers his services replacing
(11:20):
any single wire earth return circuits with twisted pair wiring. Although twisted pair
wiring has been invented in the 1880s by Alexander Graham Bell, small communities and municipalities
throughout the Midwest were still using the single telegraph wire originally used by the
pioneers. Municipalities were glad to pay for the service and he always had more work
(11:42):
than he could handle. This keeps him busy traveling through the first part of the dirty
30s. In the summer of 1933 on a successful return home trip from the west coast he was
flush with cash and felt like celebrating so he went to Congo Square to unwind and enjoy
some jazz. While standing near the band he was approached by an old familiar face. Like
(12:07):
a phantom his nemesis heroin dealer appeared and Daryl's heart pounded in his chest and
he felt like he just got a punch in the gut. As the dealer attempted to engage him in conversation
Daryl noticed the Swiss young immigrant and his Creole wife and two small children. He
excused himself and wandered over to talk with them. Just like that his nemesis disappeared.
(12:34):
He introduced himself to the couple and shared that he had been at their wedding. The Swiss
immigrant introduced himself as Thomas Albright and his beautiful wife introduced herself
as Odette. Neither Thomas nor Odette remembered Daryl as the transformation was that dramatic.
He does not try to explain his change but freely talks about what he does for a living
(12:54):
when asked. Thomas is ecstatic to discover another radio afficionado like himself. Daryl
is delighted to hear this and asks him if he is working anywhere in the field. Thomas
replies no but desperately wants to. He comes from a family of watchmakers and he has a
small shop in their flat where he does watch repairs. Daryl realizing he may have found
(13:18):
someone who can hand build his patented piezo crystal designs and further his work on the
transistors he is developing he is overjoyed. Daryl has more work than he can handle working
alone and decides to offer the young Swiss an opportunity to go on the road and work
with him a couple of weeks a month if he is interested. If it works out they can set up
(13:39):
a small workshop to build custom radio components and sell them as upgraded parts to radio stations
and to institutions on the road. Thomas and Odette both jump for joy and begin dancing
a silly jive routine they have practiced together. For a moment Daryl's inner sight returns and
he sees their aura of love flash like a beacon and is amazed to notice it happened while
(14:02):
sober and with his eyes open. Confirmation that he is in good graces. He smiles glad
that the gift of sight has not left him. He is also able to see a little light glowing
in Odette and senses she is with child. Odette looks at Daryl with a big smile and takes
his hand and leads him into the square for a dance. Daryl accepts her invitation and
(14:25):
moves to the music for the first time in years with a woman in his arms. He has finally returned.
Radio business was especially lucrative in the last quarter of 1933 and Thomas was a
talented salesman and installer on the road and an excellent technician on the bench.
By the new year they had made enough money to set up a small shop just off Cannell Street
(14:49):
and celebrate Christmas with a bonus. Cannell was the widest street in America at the time
and drew a lot of foot traffic. The small shop was often visited and Thomas was able
to sell custom made radios to locals while Daryl conducted business out of town. Thomas
and Odette were in their last trimester for their third child and the expectation was
(15:11):
it would be a boy. Daryl spent Christmas and New Year's celebrating with Thomas and Odette
that year and by February 1st the new baby was born. It was a girl. Undaunted by the
surprise they named the child Tracy. In Latin the name invokes the spirit of strength.
When the baby was christened that year Daryl was asked to be the godfather but declined
(15:34):
as he had no religious affiliation to the church and felt it would be hypocritical.
So he attended the christening and accepted his place as Uncle Daryl to the children and
developed a special fondness for Tracy. During the 30s the Lang and Albright radio shop off
Cannell Street became a popular location for radio hobbyists and consumers as they could
(15:56):
buy supplies for do it yourself crystal radio kits or purchase the new fine tuned tube amplifier
radio sets. Eventually Thomas ran the shop as Daryl remained on the road. Daryl preferred
traveling as he found sitting for too long focused on technical work gave him a stiff
hip and neuralgia down his left leg. After returning from an extended trip Thomas informed
(16:21):
Daryl that RCA lawyers had been haunting around the shop to see if there were any patent infringements
and after finding none offered to buy out the business at a handsome sum. Impressed with
the quality parts developed by Daryl and built by Thomas the offer also included a developer
position with the new research laboratories being built in Princeton New Jersey. If the
(16:44):
offer was accepted they would convert the shop into an RCA distributor outlet. They
also offered to move Thomas and his family to New Jersey where he would help design the
new radio lab. Thomas was very excited about this development and Daryl was also interested.
The sale of the shop would make them both decently well off and provide a new opportunity
(17:05):
for the young family. Daryl agreed. In May 1938 Thomas moved his family to New Jersey.
Daryl remained in New Orleans and purchased a small single story cottage in the garden
district. The Countess has been deceased for four years now and he brings Jasmine to her
grave regularly and just sits with her memory in silence. He's been sober for ten years
(17:30):
and it's been twenty years since he lay in the hospital bed near death in hospital number
twenty one. Daryl is contemplating his next incarnation and he begins working out the
plans for a radio station and a location where he can establish or acquire a large transmitter
for maximum coverage. Daryl has kept in touch with Pauline and the quiet white frocked therapist
(17:53):
who nursed him back to health at 317 Basin Street. He sees them both regularly. He has
completely transformed as a person and counts his blessings every day. He continues his
daily exercises and receives physical therapy often and always with a happy ending. As the
autumn arrives Daryl gets the itch to move and decides to head to the east coast to test
(18:18):
the waters. His reputation precedes him and he is welcome in every door he knocks upon.
It seems like everyone wants to amp up the radio receivers, boost their transmitters
using his patented components. All this must be done to code and Daryl always works with
local engineers to have every job stamped with approval. To date none of his modifications
(18:40):
have failed in inspection. Travelling through New Jersey Daryl visits the Albrites and comes
to discover that young Tracy has just had a concussion after an accident and is moody
and crying a lot. He is dismayed and offers his condolences. Young parents are distracted
during the visit and Daryl decides it's best to take his leave and connect in a few weeks
(19:03):
on his way back home. Daryl catches the Trenton Line to Hoboken and on to West 33rd Street
and rushes to catch the 20th Century Express out of Grand Central, New York City to LaSalle
Street station in Chicago. As he makes his way to his shared sleeping car he introduces
himself to Nick Nicholas who will share the next 15 hours with him. He's on his way to
(19:26):
a gig in Chicago with the Fletcher Henderson band. Daryl does not know the band but perhaps
he will come to the show tomorrow evening as he is free to do so. Nick and Daryl strike
up a conversation about employment and when Daryl tells Nick he works in radio Nick immediately
assumes he means a radio station spinning records and asks if he is an announcer. Daryl
(19:49):
chuckles and says the most announcing he's ever done is yelling for morphine from a hospital
bed in France during the war. Nick and Daryl share a laugh. No nothing so exciting he explains.
He has business to conduct with the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, better known as
Motorola in Chicago. Nick knows this name. Daryl and Nick talk for hours and really strike
(20:12):
up a nice friendship. Little do they realize but in 10 years they will be partners in a
successful radio station situated near the U.S. Canadian border.
End of part two, backstory and timeline for Daryl Lang. Please join us for the final episode
of the season next week, the birth of Nick 1150 AM radio, end of season one for the Sputnik
(20:35):
Satellite Radio Show. Thank you for listening. This is Blair Hebert signing off. See you
next week. Au revoir à la prochaine.
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